Thanksgiving is just around the corner, a day filled with family, friends, food and football. We all give thanks for the wonderful people in our lives and of course for the fabulous feast. It is a known pastime to overindulge on Thanksgiving dinner and derail any health goals. A tip to stay on track and not sabotage this is to remember that it is the turkey’s role to be overstuffed, not you.
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Want to feel like a star at your Thanksgiving gathering? Try bringing this Pumpkin Dip — it’s healthy, inexpensive and, most importantly, delicious.
Whether hosting or bringing a dish to Thanksgiving you may offer a lighter dish to pair with the other not-so-lighter dishes. Appetizer options are great before digging into the main event. A nice pumpkin dip paired with fruit is one I like to make. Bring a side dish. Try a vegetable that is in season. Brussels sprouts are at their peak in November. (Tip: slicing them helps them to go further as opposed to preparing them whole). Canned and frozen are fine alternatives to the higher priced out-of-season vegetables. Also, if using sage as most do on this day, try to purchase it fresh if it’s available. Fresh sage will cost less than buying dried. Plus, sage is typically a once-a-year herb and it will most likely go stale by next Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a marathon meal with a delectable finish. Pie is a priority. Make it yourself so you can control the ingredients. A homemade pie will only cost about $15 whereas a bakery-bought pie can range from $20 up to $50. Bake your favorites; it’s easy as pie.
Managing your leftovers is also easy. Bag and freeze them. Perhaps don’t pull them out right away to use on an evening when you don’t feel like cooking. “Leftover burnout” is a serious condition, so hold off a bit. Definitely repurpose your Thanksgiving leftovers, get creative. A turkey and vegetables frittata for breakfast, a turkey garden salad with a cranberry dressing for lunch or turkey chili for dinner could be an option.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and don’t forget to partake in the post-dinner nap — it’s the best.
Pumpkin Dip
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package low-fat cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 apples (24 sliced)
Steps:
- Beat cream cheese until smooth
- Add in brown sugar and pumpkin and beat until smooth
- Add syrup and cinnamon and mix until smooth
- Cover and chill for 30 minutes
- Dip and enjoy!
Suggestion: Ginger snaps, Nilla wafers, graham crackers (instead of or along side the apples)
Yields: 12 servings
Cost: $1.08 per serving
Desiree Arnold
darnold@foghornnews.com
Desiree Arnold is a student at Del Mar College and a featured columnist on the Foghorn.
