Realizing how difficult the Holiday’s can be for most people watching their waist lines – I felt a follow up to the “How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain” blog was in order.
*Go for lean, white meat turkey to get the most bang for your calorie-buck. Dark meat has about 15% more calories and 30 - 40% more fat than light meat. And ditch the skin while you're at it (that's where most of the fat hangs out!).
* Choose foods that leave evidence: Keep those shrimp tails and chicken wing bones on your plate when you’re done. Studies show that if you see how much you've already had, you’ll eat less.
* Go slow. If you wolf down your food, your plate may be clean while others are still eating. That invites seconds. Take a sip of water every bite or two to slow yourself down.
* Use a small plate. The tinier the dish, the less food you'll take and the less you’ll eat.
* When you're in a restaurant, ask the server not to put bread on the table. Leave more room for your other favorite holiday foods instead.
* Substitute cranberry sauce, loaded with antioxidants, for fatty, high-calorie gravy.
* On potatoes and yams, avoid butter, cheese, bacon and sour cream. If possible, substitute low-fat yogurt or nonfat sour cream.
* Watch the alcohol, which has almost 200 calories per ounce and slows down metabolism. And too much alcohol impairs judgment, so the more you drink, the more you're likely to eat.
* Wear your favorite form-fitting clothes and you'll be way less likely to overeat. No stretchy pants!!!
GRILLED HERBED TURKEY BREAST
You'll need a large indoor grill for this recipe.
Ingredients:
2.5 to 2.75-pound turkey breast (if bone is included)
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1.5 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary leaves
5 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Remove skin from turkey breast and discard. Cut the turkey breast away from the bone into two equal-sized fillets.
2. Start preheating your indoor grill on high. Meanwhile, combine herb rub ingredients -- parsley, sage, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil -- in a processor bowl by pulsing for about 10 seconds.
3. Use your hand or a spatula to spread the herb rub on both sides of each fillet. When grill is ready, arrange turkey fillets on grill so that the grill top rests evenly on both pieces of turkey. Cook about 14 minutes (if fillet is 2 inches thick). Test the thickest part of the turkey fillet to make sure turkey is cooked throughout. You should be collecting some drippings in the tray of your grill (you can use this and scrapings from the top and bottom grill plates to make a gravy)
4. Remove turkey fillets to a serving platter and let them rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 215, Protein: 39 grams, Carbs: 0.3 grams, Fat: 5.5 grams, Fiber: 0.1 gram, Sodium: 63 mg
STUFF-LESS STUFFING
Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without stuffing. But, as you know, butter-soaked bread cubes (aka stuffing) aren't exactly low in calories. And nobody should be stuffing-less on Turkey Day.
Ingredients:
6 slices Wonder Light Bread, any variety (or another light bread)**
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup fat-free broth, chicken or vegetable; room temperature
1/4 cup Egg Beaters, Original
1 tbsp. LAND O LAKES Whipped Light Butter
2 cloves garlic; finely chopped
salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme
Directions:
For best results, leave bread uncovered for a night or two, until slightly stale. Otherwise, begin by lightly toasting bread. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. In a medium-sized pot, combine broth, celery and onion. Cook for 8 minutes at medium heat. Remove from heat and add mushrooms and garlic. Season mixture to taste with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Spray a medium-sized baking dish with nonstick spray, and place bread cubes in it. Once veggie-broth mixture has cooled slightly, add Egg Beaters and butter. Pour mixture evenly on top of bread. Mix gently with a fork. Bread cubes should be moist, but not saturated. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil and fluff/ rearrange stuffing. Return to oven (uncovered) for 10 - 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Serves 5.
Serving Size: 1 cup, Calories: 88, Fat: 1.5g, Sodium: 305mg, Carbs: 16g, Fiber: 4g, Sugars: 4g, Protein: 7g
LEAN BEAN CASSEROLE
Ingredients:
Two 16-oz. bags frozen French-style green beans, thawed, drained & thoroughly dried
Two 10.75-oz. cans Campbell's 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery Soup
One 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 bag (about 1 oz.) Crispy Delites Red Onion Chips or 1 oz. (about 25 pieces) onion-flavored soy crisps, crushed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Make sure green beans are thoroughly drained and completely dry -- use a towel if you need to. Then, place half of the green beans in a casserole dish (a 2 - 3 quart rectangular one works best).
Pour 1 can of soup evenly on top of the layer of green beans. Place half of the sliced water chestnuts over the soup layer.
Cover with remaining green beans, and then top with the rest of the soup. Evenly top with the remaining water chestnuts. Place dish in the oven, and cook for 45 minutes.
Top with crushed soy crisps, and return dish to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, until chips turn golden brown.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
Two 16-oz. bags frozen French-style green beans, thawed, drained & thoroughly dried
Two 10.75-oz. cans Campbell's 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery Soup
One 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 bag (about 1 oz.) Crispy Delites Red Onion Chips or 1 oz. (about 25 pieces) onion-flavored soy crisps, crushed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Make sure green beans are thoroughly drained and completely dry -- use a towel if you need to. Then, place half of the green beans in a casserole dish (a 2 - 3 quart rectangular one works best).
Pour 1 can of soup evenly on top of the layer of green beans. Place half of the sliced water chestnuts over the soup layer.
Cover with remaining green beans, and then top with the rest of the soup. Evenly top with the remaining water chestnuts. Place dish in the oven, and cook for 45 minutes.
Top with crushed soy crisps, and return dish to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, until chips turn golden brown.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
PER SERVING (1/10th of casserole): 76 calories, 2g fat, 431mg sodium, 13g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 4g sugars, 3g protein --
I CANNOT BELIEVE IT’S NOT SWEET POTATO PIE
By substituting butternut squash for sweet potatoes and using some key light ingredients, you can save over 200 calories and nearly 17 grams of fat per serving on this Turkey Day classic. And it tastes EXACTLY like the real thing (yes, EXACTLY)
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash (large enough to yield 2 cups mashed flesh)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters; Original
1/3 cup light vanilla soymilk
1/3 cup sugar-free maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup SPLENDA; Granular
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup miniature marshmallows
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel squash and cut into large chunks (removing seeds). Fill a large, microwave-safe dish with a half an inch of water. Place squash into dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for approximately 8 minutes (and drain). Squash should be tender enough to mash, but not fully cooked. With a potato masher, food processor or fork, mash squash. Measure out 2 generous cups, lightly packed, and place in an oven-safe baking dish. Add all ingredients except for marshmallows. Mix ingredients thoroughly, but do not over-stir; squash should still be pulpy. Allow to cook for 45 – 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and disperse marshmallows over top of pie. Return to oven for 5 minutes, until marshmallows begin to brown. Allow to cool. Serves 4.
Serving Size: 1/4 recipe; approx. 2/3 cup, Calories: 110, Fat: <0.5g, Sodium: 115mg, Carbs: 25g, Fiber: 1.5g, Sugars: 7.5g, Protein: 5g
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