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What’s Cooking in Illinois: Choose flavor-packed veggies and simple dishes for a healthier Thanksgiving this year.

Charlyn Fargo Ware

November 5, 2020

3 Min Read
Brussel sprouts with pine nuts and pomegranate seeds in yellow bowl
FLAVOR: Check out these Brussel sprouts! We all have enough desserts to share during the holidays, but the fiber in vegetables and their next-to-nothing calories help balance out the rest of the meal. Charlyn Fargo

Can the words “healthy” and “holiday” even go together? Should they go together? And, do you put them together?

You do such a good job eating well all year long, and then when the holidays arrive, all those good intentions go out the window. Then comes January and those New Year’s resolutions to drop the holiday pounds. It’s a cycle that can lead to frustration and discouragement.

Think about how it happens — the constant nibbling and grazing instead of just taking one plate. Or maybe it’s all the high-calorie recipes we indulge in, or simply the inactivity. Plus, all those family favorites that only appear once a year. And somehow, the holidays make us forget our routines of working out.

Here are a few tips to handle the abundance. I’ve found that little steps — saving calories here and there — can make a big difference. Take the typical holiday meal:

Turkey. Remove the skin and eat the white meat.

Potatoes. Whip mashed potatoes with skim milk or chicken broth and roasted garlic instead of cream and butter. Flavor sweet potatoes with apple juice and a sprinkle of cinnamon instead of brown sugar. Ask yourself which potato you’d rather have instead of indulging in both.

Green beans. Steam green beans and top with slivered almonds instead of cream of mushroom soup and crunchy, fried onion rings.

Stuffing. Oven bake the stuffing with sauteed onions and celery.

Cranberries. Use whole-cranberry sauce rather than jellied cranberry sauce; it has less sugar.

Dinner rolls. Choose whole-wheat, high-fiber breads. Add up to half whole-wheat flour in the recipe along with half all-purpose or bread flour.

Pie. Slice your favorite pie into 10 pieces instead of eight.

The key is to make choices. Compromise: Pick one or two starches. Mashed potatoes or stuffing? Creamy fruit salad or pie? At the end of the day, it still boils down to calories in and calories out, and while I’d never suggest counting calories at a holiday meal, we can cut back here and there.

I’ve intentionally chosen two vegetable side dishes to add to your holiday table.

Brussels sprouts are my new favorite to add to the holiday table. Dress them up with a sprinkling of bright red pomegranate seeds for an added crunch and pop of color. You can be confident they are low carb, low calorie and loaded with all kinds of nutrients and vitamins. The second recipe offers an alternative to the higher-calorie green bean casserole.

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a nonstick baking sheet with parchment paper to fit. Peel the outer, yellow leaves of the Brussels sprouts, trim the ends, and cut sprouts in half. Place Brussels sprouts on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly and then roast in preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. Shake the pan halfway through for even roasting. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds on top. Serve warm. Serves four.

Per serving: 152 calories, 4 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams fat, 4 grams fiber, 174 milligrams sodium

Lemon Green Bean Almondine

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons toasted almond slices

Blanch the green beans. Heat the butter, lemon juice and salt for 1 minute, until the butter is melted. Mix with green beans. Top with the almonds. Serves four.

Fargo is a registered dietitian with Southern Illinois University Medical School in Springfield, Ill. Send recipe ideas to her at [email protected]. The opinions of this writer are not necessarily those of Farm Progress/Informa.

About the Author(s)

Charlyn Fargo Ware

Charlyn Fargo Ware is a registered dietitian with Southern Illinois University Medical School in Springfield, Ill. Email recipe ideas to her at [email protected].

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