Healthy Side Dishes for Thanksgiving | BodEvolve Cosmetic Surgery

Healthy Side Dishes for Thanksgiving

There is something wonderful about Thanksgiving.  With crisp, cold air outdoors, leaves gathering around the doorway, and a home filled with wonderful scents of turkey, pies, and all of the sides you can imagine.  As incredible as this holiday is, it is easy to get lost in the moment and overeat to an extreme.

It might not appear that you are filling your plate with too many calories.  After all, you have turkey and ham, vegetable casseroles, and wheat rolls.  However, what you don’t know might actually make you weaker.  All of these delicious holiday foods are filled with added calories that your body doesn’t need, especially when you’ve been munching on specialty snacks all afternoon!

If you are trying to stay healthy during Thanksgiving, try replacing some of the typical Thanksgiving side dishes for these healthier, yet equally appealing side dishes.

Start with couscous-stuffed peppers.  This side dish is similar to a casserole, only healthier and focused more on vegetables.  Choose a red, yellow, orange, or green pepper, fill it with chickpeas and couscous and you have a low calorie side dish that is filling and beautiful.

Food is an important aspect of the holidays.  We treasure our food and are thankful for the ability to eat until we are full.  This Thanksgiving, remember how much we have to be grateful for—food, family, and our health.

Food and health go hand-in-hand.  This holiday season ditch the loaded casseroles and dressing and opt for more nutritious meals.  A great option that you might not think about as a healthy side dish is mashed potatoes.  Typically, mashed potatoes are loaded with butter and possibly even sour cream.  But, this Thanksgiving, you can make your mashed potatoes with a healthy twist.  Add in broccoli instead.  This makes them colorful and nutritious.

There are plenty of ways to make your Thanksgiving table a beautiful centerpiece for the family.  With colorful foods and a variety of healthy choices, you and your family will keep the holiday spirit without sacrificing your health and physique.

The one side dish that is most deceptive is salad.  With green leaves, carrots, and eggs mixed in, people tend to think that their salad is a healthy side item.  However, if you add the calories in the dressing, salad can quickly accumulate too many calories and lose its nutritious appeal.

Instead of a traditional salad, choose a healthier version that tastes just as good.  Asparagus salad is a great way to add in flavor without consuming an abundance of calories.  For this salad, you will use a tangy homemade dressing.  Take fresh asparagus, salad greens, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, apricot preserves, pineapple preserves, sesame seeds, fresh gingerroot, and slivered almonds.  When mixed all together, this salad becomes a tangy treat.  And by using so many healthy alternatives, your salad is now a healthy choice.

When you embark on your shopping excursion this holiday season, consider the calories that accumulate with each side dish.  Make new traditions with healthy alternatives that taste just as great.  Gathering around the table can be a great time of thankfulness—give thanks for your loved ones and your health.  And stay healthy during Thanksgiving!

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