As a dietitian and food lover, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays but I also know it can be one of the most stressful especially if you’re in charge of the food! Between the pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce and turkey, something is bound to go wrong in the kitchen. Today I shared some ideas on ABC News 4 that will save you time in the kitchen and make the meal a little healthier without compromising the traditional flavors that we love.
Staple ingredients to have on hand in the kitchen
Chicken Stock and Bone Broth are definitely going to be staples for so many of your Thanksgiving dishes. It’s a light, flavorful addition to your gravies, sauces, and even a way to add moisture to your turkey if you happen to overcook it. Bone broth is becoming increasingly popular to cook with. It’s incredibly nutrient-rich and their brand has more than double the calcium and 30% more iron than traditional broths.
Thanksgiving flavoring tips
As a dietitian I advocate use of spices and herbs to flavor your dishes and less salt but we know that salt can really make a dish, so you want to choose the right one. My favorite is a smoked finishing salt. You don’t have to cook with it, all you need is a little bit at the end to really elevate a dish and give it depth and flavor.
Making cranberry sauce a little healthier
Traditional cranberry sauce can pack a lot of sugar, which isn’t great for our waistlines or heart. You can actually replace half the sugar in cranberry sauce with 100% orange juice. This is a dish you can make ahead of time as well and keep well in the fridge. See below for my recipe!
When you don’t have time to make all components of the spread
In a perfect world, we could make all of our dishes from scratch, but with so many different components, it’s hard to do so without a little help. When choosing pre-made foods, you want to focus on quality. I really like the idea of including a vegetable-based soup to lighten up a heavier spread. I like a seasonal butternut bisque; it’s light and adds pop of color to the table.
What are you healthy tips and time saving hacks for Thanksgiving? Share your ideas with me on Instagram!
- One 12-oz bag cranberries
- 1/4 cup Uncle Matt's Organic Orange Turmeric Juice with Probiotics
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 orange, zested
- 1/2 cup water
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, chia seeds, cranberries and orange zest. Set some zest aside for garnishing at the end
- Bring the pot to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Add orange juice just before serving and garnish with more orange zest.
