Tag Archives: thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Does Not Have to Ruin Your Diet or Have You Gain Weight

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This is a re-post of my talk about Thanksgiving meals.  However, I want to add that I am making a delish low-carb and healthy side dish this year that is different.  I am making the Barefoot Contessa’s Balsamic-Roasted Brussels sprouts with Pancetta (ham).  It looks amazing.  I had something similar at my favorite Italian restaurant and I loved it.  I will  let you know how it came out !  DELISH roasted brussels sprouts and here is the video of her making it.  the video  There are 8 g of carbs in brussels spouts for a cup of them.  There are 3.3 g of fiber in a cup of Brussels sprouts.  So, net carbs is 4.7 g per cup.  So much healthier than pumpkin pie and so filling and delish, you won’t have room for the pumpkin pie.

So, the rest of the Thanksgiving Blog…..

I have talked to many people about Thanksgiving food. I am not sure how it came to be that a holiday designed to give thanks and spend time with relatives–has now somehow turned into a carbolicious food fest.

thanksgiving

A few years ago, I went to my husband’s cousin’s house for Thanksgiving. I had a tough time finding something decent to eat. The turkey was ok, but there was no salad.  There were green beans, but they were smothered in horrible bad GMO Velveeta cheese and not some kind of low-fat bovine growth hormone-free cheese. And there were those horrible processed onion things were on top. There was white bread in unhealthy fattening stuffing, cranberry sauce (sugar fest), white GMO dinner rolls, margarine (where is the organic butter?) and nasty box-made mashed potatoes. No wonder people get fat. Then, there is pie! One small slice of pumpkin pie alone is 300 calories. I think the average amount of calories eaten at Thanksgiving dinner tops 1500, easy.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THE SUPER-SIZED PORTIONS THAT PEOPLE SERVE THEMSELVES, AND MORE THAN ONE!

Here is what most of the portions looked like at the cousin’s house (throw in a non-nutritious dinner roll):

thanksgiving-dinner-plate

Next is the proper size of a “Traditional Thanksgiving Meal–made in a more healthy way–and the right measured out portions.  At least if you eat this, you will not gain a lot of weight. (4 ounces of protein and keep in mind, only 50-100g of carbs per day.  More on the veggies, less on the stuffing and potatoes.  In this picture–turkey, a touch of stuffing with mushrooms, just a splash of cranberries (not the canned stuff), and a serving of veggies.  Perfect!

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Bethenny

It takes 30 minutes of running fast for 3 miles to burn 300 calories, and about an hour to do fast walking to lose 300 calories. You would have to walk for 5 hours to burn off that dinner.  It could take many days of exercise to burn off that meal.

What I had for Thanksgiving:

For breakfast, I had a Western Bagel Perfect 10 low carb bagel with egg and cheese on it.

I made turkey meatballs and sauce with spaghetti squash for lunch.

For dinner, my husband and I had the sliced turkey breast that we bought the day before. We had a little gravy and had some great grilled asparagus and baby broccoli, with a great salad with cheese.  A nice normal sized portion too.

And my snacks in between were nuts and a protein bar.

For after-dinner dessert, I had low carb ice cream.

I was full, satisfied and happy. I didn’t gain a pound. I will do something similar for Christmas.

 

If I am stuck at a person’s house again:

I will either eat before I get there and just have some turkey.

I also could ask the host in advance if there are going to be vegetables and salad, and if not, I will bring my own.

**I have NO qualms or embarrassment that I have to eat a certain way. If you are embarrassed, you can just say it is for “doctor’s orders for more greens.”**

You should never have to gain weight or make yourself sick with wheat products, gluten or excessive carbs to make others feel comfortable.

If someone gets their panties in a twist over it, they either do NOT give a damn about you and your quest to be skinny, of they feel guilty because they wish THEY could go on a proper diet and they are either too stubborn, too carb-addicted or afraid to rock the boat in their relationships.

Any way you look at it, YOU have to take care of YOU! There is a good chance that you gained weight because you have trouble saying NO!  Learn healthy boundaries for your own happiness and stop worrying about others.

There are always food saboteurs out there. Like the man in my Pilates class, who is thin and brings the class (who are there to get in shape) brownies or chocolate cake. I think he gets some sick, twisted enjoyment out of watching them eat his stuff. He never knows what to do with me, because, I always tell him, “No thank you. I don’t eat sugar anymore.” And the fact that he still asks me, shows how manipulative he is!

What if the problem is your cravings cause the problem with eating fattening things?

Yes, it is hard to get over cravings, but it is possible. I did it!  Takes a few weeks, but you have to stick to it and find healthy alternatives (I write about that all of the time in my blog, just do a search).

If someone is having onion rings, I sometimes will allow myself to eat ONE, then I am done. Fried food with breaded batter=unhealthy and fattening.

You have to learn this and get over what McDonalds got you addicted to eating. Those carbs are killing America-and you and me. We have to take charge of our bodies, our mouths and our lives.  Eating potato starch, pie sugars, fatty cheese, white breaded stuffing carbs and sugars–even once or twice a year is not showing respect for your body.  Even ONE cheat is do-able, but it is nothing but bad food city all the way through on this crazy holiday food fest.

food

Thanksgiving Does Not Have to Ruin Your Diet or Have You Gain Weight

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This is a re-post of my talk about Thanksgiving meals.

I have talked to many people about Thanksgiving food. I am not sure how it came to be that a holiday designed to give thanks and spend time with relatives–has now somehow turned into a carbolicious food fest.

thanksgiving

A few years ago, I went to my husband’s cousin’s house for Thanksgiving. I had a tough time finding something decent to eat. The turkey was ok, but there was no salad.  There were green beans, but they were smothered in horrible bad GMO Velveeta cheese and not some kind of low-fat bovine growth hormone-free cheese. And there were those horrible processed onion things were on top. There was white bread in unhealthy fattening stuffing, cranberry sauce (sugar fest), white GMO dinner rolls, margarine (where is the organic butter?) and nasty box-made mashed potatoes. No wonder people get fat. Then, there is pie! One small slice of pumpkin pie alone is 300 calories. I think the average amount of calories eaten at Thanksgiving dinner tops 1500, easy.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THE SUPER-SIZED PORTIONS THAT PEOPLE SERVE THEMSELVES, AND MORE THAN ONE!

Here is what most of the portions looked like at the cousin’s house (throw in a non-nutritious dinner roll):

thanksgiving-dinner-plate

Next is the proper size of a “Traditional Thanksgiving Meal–made in a more healthy way–and the right measured out portions.  At least if you eat this, you will not gain a lot of weight. (4 ounces of protein and keep in mind, only 50-100g of carbs per day.  More on the veggies, less on the stuffing and potatoes.  In this picture–turkey, a touch of stuffing with mushrooms, just a splash of cranberries (not the canned stuff), and a serving of veggies.  Perfect!

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Bethenny

It takes 30 minutes of running fast for 3 miles to burn 300 calories, and about an hour to do fast walking to lose 300 calories. You would have to walk for 5 hours to burn off that dinner.  It could take many days of exercise to burn off that meal.

What I had for Thanksgiving:

For breakfast, I had a Western Bagel Perfect 10 low carb bagel with egg and cheese on it.

I made turkey meatballs and sauce with spaghetti squash for lunch.

For dinner, my husband and I had the sliced turkey breast that we bought the day before. We had a little gravy and had some great grilled asparagus and baby broccoli, with a great salad with cheese.  A nice normal sized portion too.

And my snacks in between were nuts and a protein bar.

For after-dinner dessert, I had low carb ice cream.

I was full, satisfied and happy. I didn’t gain a pound. I will do something similar for Christmas.

 

If I am stuck at a person’s house again:

I will either eat before I get there and just have some turkey.

I also could ask the host in advance if there are going to be vegetables and salad, and if not, I will bring my own.

**I have NO qualms or embarrassment that I have to eat a certain way. If you are embarrassed, you can just say it is for “doctor’s orders for more greens.”**

You should never have to gain weight or make yourself sick with wheat products, gluten or excessive carbs to make others feel comfortable.

If someone gets their panties in a twist over it, they either do NOT give a damn about you and your quest to be skinny, of they feel guilty because they wish THEY could go on a proper diet and they are either too stubborn, too carb-addicted or afraid to rock the boat in their relationships.

Any way you look at it, YOU have to take care of YOU! There is a good chance that you gained weight because you have trouble saying NO!  Learn healthy boundaries for your own happiness and stop worrying about others.

There are always food saboteurs out there. Like the man in my Pilates class, who is thin and brings the class (who are there to get in shape) brownies or chocolate cake. I think he gets some sick, twisted enjoyment out of watching them eat his stuff. He never knows what to do with me, because, I always tell him, “No thank you. I don’t eat sugar anymore.” And the fact that he still asks me, shows how manipulative he is!

What if the problem is your cravings cause the problem with eating fattening things?

Yes, it is hard to get over cravings, but it is possible. I did it!  Takes a few weeks, but you have to stick to it and find healthy alternatives (I write about that all of the time in my blog, just do a search).

If someone is having onion rings, I sometimes will allow myself to eat ONE, then I am done. Fried food with breaded batter=unhealthy and fattening.

You have to learn this and get over what McDonalds got you addicted to eating. Those carbs are killing America-and you and me. We have to take charge of our bodies, our mouths and our lives.  Eating potato starch, pie sugars, fatty cheese, white breaded stuffing carbs and sugars–even once or twice a year is not showing respect for your body.  Even ONE cheat is do-able, but it is nothing but bad food city all the way through on this crazy holiday food fest.

food

Perhaps Your Choices and Portions at Thanksgiving is Why You Gained Weight

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I have talked to many people about Thanksgiving food. I am not sure how it came to be that a holiday designed to give thanks and spend time with relatives–has now somehow turned into a carbolicious food fest.

thanksgiving

A few years ago, I went to my husband’s cousin’s house for Thanksgiving. I had a tough time finding something decent to eat. The turkey was ok, but there was no salad.  There were green beans, but they were smothered in horrible bad GMO Velveeta cheese and not some kind of low-fat bovine growth hormone-free cheese. And there were those horrible processed onion things were on top. There was white bread in unhealthy fattening stuffing, cranberry sauce (sugar fest), white GMO dinner rolls, margarine (where is the organic butter?) and nasty box-made mashed potatoes. No wonder people get fat. Then, there is pie! One small slice of pumpkin pie alone is 300 calories. I think the average amount of calories eaten at Thanksgiving dinner tops 1500, easy.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THE SUPER-SIZED PORTIONS THAT PEOPLE SERVE THEMSELVES, AND MORE THAN ONE!

Here is what most of the portions looked like at the cousin’s house (throw in a non-nutritious dinner roll):

thanksgiving-dinner-plate

Next is the proper size of a “Traditional Thanksgiving Meal–made in a more healthy way–and the right measured out portions.  At least if you eat this, you will not gain a lot of weight. (4 ounces of protein and keep in mind, only 50-100g of carbs per day.  More on the veggies, less on the stuffing and potatoes.  In this picture–turkey, a touch of stuffing with mushrooms, just a splash of cranberries (not the canned stuff), and a serving of veggies.  Perfect!

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Bethenny

It takes 30 minutes of running fast for 3 miles to burn 300 calories, and about an hour to do fast walking to lose 300 calories. You would have to walk for 5 hours to burn off that dinner.  It could take many days of exercise to burn off that meal.

What I had for Thanksgiving:

For breakfast, I had a Western Bagel Perfect 10 low carb bagel with egg and cheese on it.

I made turkey meatballs and sauce with spaghetti squash for lunch.

For dinner, my husband and I had the sliced turkey breast that we bought the day before. We had a little gravy and had some great grilled asparagus and baby broccoli, with a great salad with cheese.  A nice normal sized portion too.

And my snacks in between were nuts and a protein bar.

For after-dinner dessert, I had low carb ice cream.

I was full, satisfied and happy. I didn’t gain a pound. I will do something similar for Christmas.

 

If I am stuck at a person’s house again:

I will either eat before I get there and just have some turkey.

I also could ask the host in advance if there are going to be vegetables and salad, and if not, I will bring my own.

**I have NO qualms or embarrassment that I have to eat a certain way. If you are embarrassed, you can just say it is for “doctor’s orders for more greens.”**

You should never have to gain weight or make yourself sick with wheat products, gluten or excessive carbs to make others feel comfortable.

If someone gets their panties in a twist over it, they either do NOT give a damn about you and your quest to be skinny, of they feel guilty because they wish THEY could go on a proper diet and they are either too stubborn, too carb-addicted or afraid to rock the boat in their relationships.

Any way you look at it, YOU have to take care of YOU! There is a good chance that you gained weight because you have trouble saying NO!  Learn healthy boundaries for your own happiness and stop worrying about others.

There are always food saboteurs out there. Like the man in my Pilates class, who is thin and brings the class (who are there to get in shape) brownies or chocolate cake. I think he gets some sick, twisted enjoyment out of watching them eat his stuff. He never knows what to do with me, because, I always tell him, “No thank you. I don’t eat sugar anymore.” And the fact that he still asks me, shows how manipulative he is!

What if the problem is your cravings cause the problem with eating fattening things?

Yes, it is hard to get over cravings, but it is possible. I did it!  Takes a few weeks, but you have to stick to it and find healthy alternatives (I write about that all of the time in my blog, just do a search).

If someone is having onion rings, I sometimes will allow myself to eat ONE, then I am done. Fried food with breaded batter=unhealthy and fattening.

You have to learn this and get over what McDonalds got you addicted to eating. Those carbs are killing America-and you and me. We have to take charge of our bodies, our mouths and our lives.  Eating potato starch, pie sugars, fatty cheese, white breaded stuffing carbs and sugars–even once or twice a year is not showing respect for your body.  Even ONE cheat is do-able, but it is nothing but bad food city all the way through on this crazy holiday food fest.

food

Thanksgiving Post Mortem and YummybCauliflower Cheese Souffle/Casserole Instead of Mashed Potatoes or Stuffing

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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  It was nice to stay home in my pajamas.  But, I was smart and I did an hour on the elliptial too!

Now, let’s get down to business.

My dinner was about 15g of carbs and my dessert, which will be one of my six proteins for the day, will be about two hours after dinner for another 16g of carbs.

Not bad.  Remember, I want to keep my carbs between 50 and 100g a day.

Some people can do about 200g of carbs or more on Thanksgiving without blinking an eye.  A piece of pie is over 50g of carbs, in of itself.  The potatoes, casseroles, bread, stuffing–will kill anyone’s diet or make someone need to go on one.

My Diet Soapbox:

My belief is that Halloween starts the cycle and following guilt of over eating of sweets, and this puts people in a tailspin of weight gain.  Then,  Thanksgiving really does them in and then they say, “screw it”,  and keep up the damage with a bad Christmas dinner, parties with a lot of bad food, alcohol and candy, cookies and cakes all month long at work.

This is why the diet industry is so big.  You have to learn how to do a holiday wisely and then be ok most of the year and not mess yourself up.  The cycle of putting on the weight and then losing it half the year, not only sucks, but is hard on  your body.

Ok, enough said, so this was my T Day dinner:

Salad (not shown), sliced turkey breast and a touch of gravy with a dish of twice-baked cauliflower cheese was quite enough food.  I was stuffed.  Looking forward though to my low-carb dessert later sugar free pumpkin cheesecake flavored frozen yogurt.

The recipe that I posted for the twice-baked cauliflower needs adjustment.  In my opinion, it was missing some things.  So, here is my adjustment.  (forget the bacon bits-yeck)

MISTAKE IN THE PICTURE:  I SHOULD HAVE USED SHREDDED CHEESE, ALL OVER THE TOP.  MORE CHEESY WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH TASTIER.  It was good, but I love cheese!

Here is the picture of the two that I put back in the oven and put enough cheese on top and boy, can’t wait to eat those.  Looks like cheese souffle!

Aylene’s Twice Baked Cauliflower Recipe

1 medium head of Cauliflower

Sour Cream, 1/4 to 1/2 a cup.  Depends on how milky you want it

Chopped Chives or onion, 1 tsp

1 cup of shredded cheese (you choose the cheese.  I think Cheddar is great)

If you love bacon, cook a couple of strips and break it up in it.  I am skipping bacon.

Butter, salted, 1 tbsp

Garlic powder,  1/2  tsp
Salt, 1 dash
Pepper, black, 1 dash

Directions

Cook cauliflower until tender (10-15 min.).
Preheat oven to 400F.
Chop fine with pastry blender, potato masher or knife.
Add all ingredients together in a medium bowl, fold until mixed.
Use cooking spray on 4 seven ounce ramekins or other small oven safe dishes and spoon mixture into dishes.
**IMPORTANT**  If you want this sucker to be totally delish, you have to put extra shredded cheese on the top of the mixture so that when it bakes, it is extra cheesy on the top.  If you don’t do this, it is kind of boring.
Place all small dishes on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
Bake for 15 minutes on middle rack and then broil for a few minutes until top is golden brown.
Makes 4 servings.
Number of Servings: 4
I hope that if you did any damage, you try not to continue the damage with leftovers.  Give them away.  Be good to yourself and learn to make adjustments to meals that are better for you and you can wake up in the morning and fit into your clothes.

Happy Thanksgiving and Here is Your Exercise/Food Chart to Keep Skinny

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I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  Remember, it is about family and fun.  It doesn’t have to be about BAD food, it can be about good food.

3 helpful blogs to help you through the holiday food issues:

1. What I recommend to eat and what I will be eating.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/11/12/delicious-substitutions-for-thanksgiving-dinner/

2. How not to pig out at Thanksgiving.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/11/15/8waystohelpyourselffrompiggingoutatthanksgiving/

3. How people sabotage at holiday dinners.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/11/14/holiday-sabotage/

BUT if you do pig out, here is a chart to help you exercise off that pie and whatever other carbliicous things you ate.

 

A thought… If you skipped the pie, the marshmellow/sweet potato casserole, the bread (roll and stuffing) and the cranberry sauce, you will save yourself almost half of the calories from your meal and most of the carbs.  Your pancreas will thank you too for not having to work so hard and send out so much insulin to deal with all of that sugar!

If there are no vegetables that aren’t smothered in cream, then eat those (or eat those and wipe away the breaded onion) and eat the turkey and maybe just a little of the potato and gravy and you will be doing a lot better.

Worse case scenario, I will not be eating pie unless it is made with Splenda, but if you do, only have half of a slice.  Bring it down to 30g of carbs vs. 60 or 70g grams with a big slice.  And you could  do some exericse to burn off some of those carbs!

Happy Gobble Gobble!

Holiday Low-Carb Drinks (BOOZE!) That Taste Great

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Holiday Drinks

 

drinks

 

Alcohol, by nature, isn’t particularly low-carb. Yet if you want to indulge at the holidays, choose from one of these lower-carb options.

 

Low-Carb Sangria: Enjoy this refreshing drink using the traditional ingredients, or add some mulling spices to make it more seasonal. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/george-stella/sangria-recipe/index.html. 

 

Low-Carb Eggnog: For some people, it just wouldn’t be the holidays without eggnog. Luckily, there’s a great low-carb recipe to be found here. http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/beverages/r/lowcarbeggnog.htm

 

Irish Coffee:  Enjoy this rich drink without worrying about the carbs when you use this recipe.  http://voices.yahoo.com/sugar-free-cocktail-recipes-78239.html?cat=51

 

Sugar-Free White Russian:   Learn how to make a White Russian that’s South Beach-appropriate with this recipe. http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/alcoholicbeveragerecipes/r/whiterussian.htm

 

Low-Carb Vodka Collins:  This twist on a classic will help you celebrate the holidays without all the carbs.  http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/alcoholicbeveragerecipes/r/tomcollinsdrink.htm.

 

Low-Carb Cosmo:  This popular and seasonally appropriate drink gets a makeover using this recipe that cuts out some of the carbs. http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/beverages/r/lowcarbcosmo.htm

 

Rum and Diet Soda:  There is no way to cut all the carbs from alcohol, but this drink is about as close as you can get.http://jerryg2.hubpages.com/hub/Low-Calorie-Alcoholic-Drinks

 

Bloody Mary:  Try out this alternative recipe for a spicy classic this holiday season.  http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/alcoholicbeveragerecipes/r/bloodymarydrink.htm

 

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8 Ways to Help Yourself From Pigging Out on Thanksgiving

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How to avoid the temptation of sugary or carby holiday foods:

Rather than try to overly obsess about our food decisions, it’s better to change the environment so that it works for us rather than against us, making it easier to make decisions to eat less

1.  Let people know in advance that you are eating differently and ask them to have (or you bring) things that you can eat like meat, veggies (not smothered in sauces and soups), fruits, cheese and salad.  (If they don’t care about your diet, then you bring what you have to in order to show some self-love!)

2.  Stay away from crackers, breads, candied fruit items, pies (unless you bring your own low carb pie or ice cream dessert or they provide one for you.

3.  Drink, drink, drink– water and diet drinks a lot.  Stay away from cider and sugary things to drink.

4.  Eat some protein before you go to dinner so that you are not so hungry that you will pig out on whatever is there. (turkey, chicken, cheese, a protein bar, nuts, etc)

5.  Grab the smallest plate and fill that, rather than filling a large plate with food.  No refills, except for salad.

6.  Eat meat and veggies, limit fruits.

7.  Don’t sit close to the food buffet–avoid temptation.

8.  Don’t eat the appetizers and wait for the meal.  Most appetizers are calorie/carb laden.

BE STRONG and know that you are doing something that will make you happier the next day.

The last two years, for Thanksgiving, I had a salad, fresh turkey breast, gravy, veggies and a low carb ice cream and I was not only full and happy, but I didn’t gain weight the next day and it was delish.  Can you say the same thing?  This year to spice it up, I am going to try to make twice baked cauliflower and cheese and maybe a low carb pie, not sure yet.  But one thing is for sure, I will be happy on the scale the next day and I didn’t put off my weight loss or maintenance for some lame holiday pig out excuse.  You try it too!

Holiday Food Time and Delicious Low-Carb Substitutions

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So many people I know tell me that they are going to eat what they want for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and pretty much for the entire month of December because (their excuse to go food nuts) IT IS THE HOLIDAYS!  When did the holidays become about pigging out and not celebrating the Pilgrims and Native Americans, the birth of Baby Jesus, the oil staying lit and the fact that there are Christmas lights up all month and we have to listen to Holiday music for over a month?  Why are we doing this?  I still think it is because people associate it with “comfort” of family and “comfort” food.  It reminds them of home, but it is also a great excuse to be bad without having to say you are eating fattening food because you just feel like it.

So, a lot of people put on weight starting with Halloween and starting January 1–they join health clubs and weight loss centers.  It reminds me of bears that eat up before the hibernation, except that we are not bears.  Why do this to yourself every year?  It makes no sense.  It is hard on the body and the wallet.

So, the holidays are here.  Here are some tips to not overeat fattening foods and still have holiday feasts.  You can even use substitutes to create many traditional meals.  You can even start NEW TRADITIONS with new meals.  I have turkey, vegetables, salad and I make them as interesting as possible.

Many people seem to think that “Thanksgiving is all about the carbs.” But it really doesn’t have to be that way. You can decide to have a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal with any carb level you want. I have found some really good tips online.  These Thanksgiving tips work well for any large holiday meal.

lowcarbholiday

1) Choose traditionals that are lower in carbs.

Turkey is obviously the low-carb star of the meal. There might be vegetables, which are family favorites,  that don’t have a lot of starch or added sugars. Think back through holidays past and resurrect the least carby side dishes.  Stay away from yams with cream, mashed potatoes, etc.

2) Consider scaling back some of the traditional side dishes.

Did you know that plain roasted yams with salt, pepper and butter are really delicious even without a pile of marshmallows on top? Instead of a rich vegetable casserole, how about a simpler vegetable side dish, such as green beans with almonds? Have a simple sautéed mushroom and peppers dish, get some good low-fat cheeses and cut cucumbers, or a salad with a  cranberry vinaigrette dressing.

3) Serve low-carb, high-flavor nibbles first.

If you decide to eat more carbohydrates than usual, consider holding off until you get to the table. Use vegetables with dip, cucumber rounds instead of crackers for spreads, and peanuts or other nuts, instead of chips.

4.  For meals and desserts that are low-carb, go to this site for recipes for low carb meals, ideas and desserts–including low-carb pumpkin pie and other pies.  There are low-carb alternatives to everything so you don’t have to be that bad!

http://www.mastersinhealthcare.com/blog/2010/100-delicious-holiday-recipes-for-the-low-carb-crowd/

 

STUFFING SUBSTITUTION!

stuffing

Thanksgiving Food and Delicious Substitutions to Keep You SKinny.

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I have eaten food substitutions on holidays for two years now and I have not gained a pound because I do it.  I am going to tell you how to do it here.

According to Sugarstacks.com, there are a lot of sugar cubes in one traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Do you really want to derail your diet or gain 5 pounds from one dinner, where you are eating things that are not necessarily absolute for a good Thanksgiving meal?  Did the Puritans really want you to eat these things?  Of course not!

Here is a picture of a traditional meal. This is the equivalent of almost 26 sugar cubes.

Traditional Thanksgiving Meal

Item Calories Sugar
Stuffing 160 2g
Turkey Breast, 4 oz. 142 0g
Gravy 25 1g
Sweet Potato Casserole 320 41g
Dinner Roll 110 4g
1/2 Tbsp Butter 50 0g
Cranberry Sauce (canned) 110 21g
Green Beans 30 2g
Mashed Potatoes 155 3g
Pumpkin Pie  w/ Whipped Cream 340 31g
Totals 1442 105g


(Calories from sugar:  420)

Sugarstacks breaks each item down with pictures.  http://sugarstacks.com/thanksgiving.htm

THE LOW CARB WAY TO DO THANKSGIVING:

TURKEY BREAST:  cooked instead of the whole bird or give the dark meat to the skinny guys, 4 ounces per portion

GRAVY:  A tablespoon or two of gravy won’t kill you.

LOW CARB BREAD STUFFING:  You could make stuffing with low carb bread like JulianBakery.com or even Sara Lee 45 Calorie Bread (and eat a small portion) or skip stuffing.  Do you really need it?

FRUIT:  Candied Cranberries are a bad idea.  Skip it.  Have sugar free jello instead or some delicious fresh fruit cut up and placed out in a bowl.  One serving could be about 11g of carbs.

VEGETABLES:  Go ahead, make your favorite veggies.  Don’t do the version where it is smothered in Cream of Mushroom soup.  If you absolutely must, here is a low carb recipe version of it:  http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsidedishes/r/greenbeancasser.htm  (6 g net carbs vs. 17g per serving)

MASHED POTATOES are not the best choice, make mashed cauliflower (see recipe below).  Tastes great:  (If you must eat mashed potatoes, only a small one or two tablespoons worth)

DINNER ROLL:  Not a great idea.  Skip this or have a slice of low-carb bread like mentioned above.

PIE:  VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF CARBS unless you do a low carb pie.   Get a dessert that is low cal like low-carb ice cream (Breyers has a delicious Smart Carb Vanilla) or get a recipe for low carb pie and make that (see below for four links to low carb pie recipes).  Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries in it is also very good.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE:  Gotta be the most stupid Thanksgiving creation ever.  FORGET IT!  So many carbs, I don’t even know what to say.  Even the low carb version is 20 g  versus 40g of carbs for traditional casserole.  That is a lot.  http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsidedishes/r/sweetpotatocass.htm

–HOWEVER:  This is a faux sweet potato casserole recipe and will be ok for your diet!  http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/low-carb-faux-sweet-potato-casserole

–ALSO, I make a really nice salad with cheese in it and serve that instead of Sweet Potato Casserole.

 

****BUT INSTEAD OF THE STUPID CASSEROLE OR MASHED CAULIFLOWER OR POTATOES, how about just this intead??? Now this looks delish.  I can’t wait to try it….****

Cyndi’s “Twice Baked” Cauliflower

 http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=499677

Submitted by: CYNDIDAVISUSA

Introduction

I got this idea from twice baked potatoes. You can cut the calories more than this if you use fat free or low fat dairy products. So good I could eat it every day. Great way to cut the potatoes out of a meal if you need to…

Minutes to Prepare: 15
Minutes to Cook: 20
Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

Cauliflower, frozen, cooked, 4 cup (1″ pieces)
Sour Cream, .25 cup
Chopped Chives, 1 tsp
Colby Cheese, .25 cup, shredded
Monterey Cheese, .25 cup, shredded
Hormel Bacon Bits, 2 tbsp
Butter, salted, 1 tbsp
Garlic powder, .5 tsp
Salt, 1 dash
Pepper, black, 1 dash 

Directions

Cook cauliflower until tender [I use frozen and the microwave with NO water added for 10 minutes on high]. Preheat oven to 400F. Chop fine with pastry blender, potato masher or knife. Add all ingredients together in a medium bowl, fold until mixed. Use cooking spray on 4 seven ounce ramekins or other small oven safe dishes and spoon mixture into dishes. Place all small dishes on a cookie sheet for easier handling. Bake for 15 minutes on middle rack and then broil for a few minutes until top is golden brown. Makes 4 servings, but you may want to make extra, cuz…OMG this is good. 

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CYNDIDAVISUSA.

IN CONCLUSION:

Below are the cauliflower and pie recipe information.

Please consider carefully before you subject yourself, your family or your guests to an unnecessarily high-calorie, high-carb Thanksgiving dinner.  Try the substitutions that I mentioned. Plan ahead and happy holidays!

Recipe for Surprise Mashed “Potatoes”

 

4 cups cauliflower florets

1 ounce I can’t believe it’s not butter

1 ounce Lake O’Lakes fat free half & half

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

 

Steam or microwave the cauliflower until soft. Puree in food

Processor, adding the butter spray and the half and half to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

 

4 servings – 60 calories, 1 ½ g fat, 3 g protein,

11g carbohydrates

Recipes for Pies:  (Pumpkin, Chocolate, Key-Lime, Pecan)–also good for diabetics.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/r/pumpkinpie.htm

http://healthyindulgences.net/2009/04/healthy-low-carb-chocolate-pie/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/key-lime-pie—low-carb-version/

http://www.lifewithlisa.com/pecan-pie-recipe-perfect-for-low-carb-atkins-south-beach-or-diabetics

Thanksgiving: Time to be with friends and family, not time to pig out!

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It is Thanksgiving time.  I will devote the next few blog reports on how to deal with Thanksgiving and your diet!

You are going to be surrounded by holiday candy, pumpkin bread, pies, etc.  I meet a lot of people who give up on their diet at the holidays or don’t even start with the excuse that they will start after the holidays are over.

Don’t do it!

You need to take control of your life.  You cannot have this excuse again.  You have had it for years and it is the reason you are heavy or gain the weight back.  Something has to change.  How you view food has to change.

So, it is the holidays.   You think that the Thanksgiving pilgrims thought that you should gorge yourself with carbs at the holidays for them?  NO.  The message behind these holidays is about being grateful and celebrating a special day.  It has nothing to do with sugary carbs.  Thanksgiving was about sitting down and “breaking bread”, so to speak,  with the American Indians, in the spirit of cooperation.

WHAT THE PILGRIMS ATE:

The first Thanksgiving feast would have looked very strange to our modern eyes, consisting mainly of corn and meat. The spirit of the celebration would be easy for us to understand, because then, as now, Thanksgiving is a reminder of the bounty of the Earth and the importance of hard work and cooperation.

Cheese:

You might be surprised to know how different the first Thanksgiving dinner was from what we enjoy today.  They might have had cheese made from goat’s milk.

A Variety of Meats

The pilgrims and the Indians had some type of fowl and venison. The pilgrims often hunted fowl for a special feast follwing the harvest. Wild turkeys are native to New England, as are pheasants. Both were enjoyed by the pilgrims and Native-Americans alike and were included in the feast. The Native-Americans brought venison; some of the braves went hunting and brought back five deer to share. Other meats that may have been on the table include lobster, seal and swans.

The food was placed on the table, and people helped themselves to it.

Fruits, veggies without sugar, meats, and corn

Thanksgiving today includes many vegetables available, but in the 17th century, vegetables were not always plentiful. Special meals, even the Thanksgiving meal, centered around many different kinds of meat.

Common fruits and vegetables included pumpkin, peas, beans, radishes, carrots, onions, lettuce, plums and grapes. Walnuts, chestnuts and acorns were also plentiful. Though there was no pumpkin pie, the Pilgrims did make stewed pumpkin. They had cranberries, but no sugar, so they did not make cranberry sauce. Sweet potatoes were not common, so those were probably not on the Thanksgiving table.

No  pies or other sweets.

They did not have an oven to bake pies, and even though they brought sugar over on the Mayflower, it had all been used by the time of the first celebration.

The Pilgrims had little in the way of grain, they only had wheat flour.

So, try to eat more like a Pilgrim than a Piggy for the holidays!  Tomorrow’s blog will show the carb chart on so-called “Thanksgiving” food.  You must choose wisely.