By: Chef Meg, World Master Chef and Healthy Cooking Expert, 11/10/2009 Thanksgiving is a time for family, gratitude, and, of course, food. The typical holiday meal can have more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat, according to the Caloric Control Council. That's almost three days worth of food for most of us! Butter, cream and white bread seem to be lurking in almost every dish, and the meal never seems to end. For those of us who are trying lead healthier lifestyles, moderation and healthy eating are just as important on Thanksgiving. Fortunately, it is possible to eat right and still enjoy yourself on Turkey Day! To help, I created brand new SparkRecipes for a three-course Thanksgiving meal that clock in around 500 calories! (Dessert, not included in that number, will add 150 calories or fewer, if you have room for it.) Use the chart below to compare my Thanksgiving feast with a traditional meal. The more recipes you use from this list, the more calories you'll save--without sacrificing taste or tradition! BONUS! Click here to download and print a colorful recipe book that includes all of these recipes! (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download this pdf document.) There you have it. A full Thanksgiving meal that's trim--but not missing any of the trimmings. Armed with these healthy recipes, no one has to fear Thanksgiving dinner--except for maybe the turkey! Click here to download and print a colorful recipe book that includes all of these recipes! (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download this pdf document.) You can also click the "SHARE" button at the top or bottom of this article to send these recipes to your friends!
SparkRecipes Feast Calories Fat Traditional Meal Calories Fat Herb Roasted Turkey, 3 oz light meat 140 3 g Turkey, 3 oz light meat 140 3 g Apple Cider Gravy, 2 T 20 0 g Gravy, 2 T 50 2 g Vegetable and Fruit Stuffing, 1/2 c 78 1 g Stuffing, 1/2 c 180 9 g Roasted Root Vegetables, 1/2 c 82 2 g Mashed potatoes, 1/2 c 220 8 g Cranberry Relish, 2 T 42 0 g Cranberry jelly, 2 T 55 0 g Steamed green beans (or another
green vegetable), 1/2 c15 0 g Green bean casserole, 1/2 c 120 8 g Roasted Squash Soup, 1 c 128 3 g Cream-based soup, 1 c 250 18 g Total: 505 9 g Total: 1,015 48 g
This SparkPeople meal has 510 fewer calories and 39 fewer grams of fat than a traditional feast! You'll find all the recipes to make it below! These recipes include a veggie-rich soup to start your meal off right, the juiciest turkey you'll ever taste, several sides, two desserts, plus a cranberry relish that will leave the store-bought jelly quivering in its can.
Chef Meg's Roasted Squash Soup
Studies have shown that starting a meal with a broth-based soup can fill you up, so you eat fewer calories over the course of a meal. This soup gets a boost of flavor from cilantro pesto, but there's very little fat in this version. TIP: Roast the squash ahead of time and freeze it. Your oven will be full on Thanksgiving, and this will save you some valuable time.
Chef Meg's Herb Roasted Turkey
When the fat from the turkey melts during cooking, it falls to the bottom of the roasting pan. When that happens, the bottom quarter of the bird does not roast--it braises in its own juices. To prevent this from happening, try using a V-rack in your roasting pan for perfect results!
Chef Meg's Apple Cider Gravy
Traditional gravy gets a bad rap, but this tasty sauce can be made with almost no fat. The trick is to skim the fat from your pan juices (either put it in the fridge or use cheesecloth to soak up the fat). Depending on their size, turkeys will yield varying amounts of juices. From a 12-pound roasted turkey, you can expect about 1/2 cup defatted jus (juice).
Chef Meg's Cranberry Relish
Toss the canned cranberry jelly and use this homemade version instead. It's ready in no time, has less sugar than the store-bought stuff, and is full of healthy fruit! While you might question why this recipe needs the amount of sugar it contains, you'll understand as soon as you taste fresh cranberries--they're tart!
Chef Meg's Vegetable and Fruit Stuffing
Whole-wheat bread gives this side staying power. The fruits and vegetables bulk up the dish, so a little goes a long way. A bit of turkey bacon adds another layer of flavor without adding many calories.
Chef Meg's Roasted Root Vegetables
This recipe sings of the fall and early winter harvest. Take advantage of your local farmers market and buy whatever root vegetables they have. This side dish is quite affordable, too: about 60 cents per serving!
1/2 cup steamed green vegetables of your choice
The calories are low, the fat is nonexistent, and adding a vegetable to your plate will help prevent you from filling up on empty calories. Try broccoli, spinach, green beans, or any other non-starchy vegetable.
But wait. We couldn't forget dessert!
A slice of pie can contain between 240 and 400 calories and at least 10 grams of fat. But for just 150 calories or so, you can have two of these bite-size tarts. These portion-controlled pies are the perfect end to a your Thanksgiving feast.
Chef Meg's Sweet Potato Tarts
Try these light and low-fat personal pies for dessert during the fall. They're a great substitute for pumpkin pie or sweet potato casserole. NOTE: To boost the fiber, you can look for whole-wheat phyllo dough, which is available at natural foods stores or in the health food section of many grocery freezers.
Chef Meg's Mini Apple Tarts
Instead of a whole pie, try making bite-size tarts! These diminutive desserts cook quicker and are automatically portion controlled. Plus, they're easier to make for a crowd, and there's no need for a fork and plate. This recipe only costs about $3.50 to make--but you save money by buying sheets of phyllo dough and making your own tart shells (see directions for more information).
Chef Meg's Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
There's no need to buy pumpkin pie spice. You can easily make your own at home. And it makes a great hostess gift for any fall event! Feel free to double or triple this recipe!
FAQs
How to make a low calorie Thanksgiving plate? ›
Start by filling half your plate with vegetables, then pile one-quarter up with turkey breast, and leave the remaining one-quarter for starchy sides. Here, some more expert-approved guidelines for keeping portions in check this Thanksgiving Day.
What Thanksgiving food is low in calories? ›Foods like white turkey meat, roasted veggies, salad, sweet potato casseroles, thin gravy, and pumpkin pie are usually the healthiest options at the table, however, eating anything in moderation is always the healthiest thing you can do. What are some low-calorie alternatives to stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner?
What is the healthiest food to eat on Thanksgiving? ›Go for small amounts of cooked squash, sweet potato, white potato, beans and carrots. Try to use whole-grain breads and cereals whenever possible; they are rich in fiber and the B vitamins that are not so abundant in simple carbohydrates (white and refined grains, cereals, flours and starches).
How do you cut calories for Thanksgiving? ›LOSE THE BREAD AND ADD EXTRA VEGETABLES
Instead, add more of your favorite filling vegetables to your plate. You'll be eating more food for fewer calories. In comparison, a cup of roasted Brussels sprouts will only cost you 56 calories.
Rustveld suggests air frying your turkey as a healthier alternative to deep frying. It takes less time at 400 degrees, and the end product contains less fat since you do not need to add oil. “Deep frying is not as healthy as air frying, roasting or grilling,” he said.
How to have a healthy Thanksgiving dinner? ›- Avoid skipping meals. ...
- Be conscious of portions. ...
- Avoid running to the sofa after finishing a meal. ...
- Enjoy the moment, do not punish yourself. ...
- Mix in a few healthy alternatives in your holiday recipes. ...
- Avoid holiday shopping when hungry. ...
- Eat slowly. ...
- Think of color when cooking.
"For the third year in a row, cranberry sauce takes first place as the most disliked traditional Thanksgiving food. Over 31% of respondents, 82 million American adults, do not want cranberry sauce for their Thanksgiving dinner.
What is the least favorite side dish for Thanksgiving? ›According to the poll by Tastes Better from Scratch, green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole were the least-liked Thanksgiving side dishes.
What is the most important meal on Thanksgiving? ›- Turkey. Some would say a turkey is the most important food item at the table. ...
- Mashed potatoes. There's nothing better than smooth and creamy mashed potatoes! ...
- Cranberry Sauce. Thanksgiving is never Thanksgiving without this iconic treat. ...
- Pies. We saved the best for last!
The traditional roasted turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are on almost every modern Thanksgiving menu, in some form or variation. This menu has evolved over time and continues to evolve today. President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.
What has more calories mashed potatoes or stuffing? ›
1 cup serving mashed potatoes and gravy – 257 calories. 1 cup stuffing – 350 calories.
How many calories in a small Thanksgiving dinner? ›My how those holiday treats add up. The typical Thanksgiving Day meal includes turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and a glass of wine. If you ate one serving of each of these things your calorie intake for that meal alone would be 1,814 calories. That's right — 1,814 calories.
How many calories in a typical Thanksgiving plate? ›Eh, what the hell: The average American reportedly packs away approximately 3,000 calories and nearly 160 grams of fat in a Thanksgiving meal, according to the Calorie Control Council. Going back for seconds of turkey, taters, and gravy (and you know you probably will) likely adds another 500–1,000 calories easily.
What does a healthy Thanksgiving plate look like? ›Half of your plate should be covered in vegetables (carrots, green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, salad), a quarter of it should be carbohydrates and starches (potatoes, stuffing and a bread roll), and a quarter should be protein (turkey).
How many calories in a typical Thanksgiving meal? ›Americans take in 3,000 to 4,500 calories at their Thanksgiving celebrations, according to estimates by the Calorie Control Council.
What is the unhealthiest food on Thanksgiving? ›- Sweet potato casserole. Foodio/Shutterstock. ...
- Green bean casserole. from my point of view/Shutterstock. ...
- Ambrosia salad. Alleko/Getty Images. ...
- Jell-O salad. Islandleigh/Getty Images. ...
- Dinner rolls. Say-cheese/Getty Images. ...
- Mashed potatoes. ...
- Potatoes au gratin. ...
- Macaroni and cheese.