Food For Thought: Healthier Thanksgiving dinners and loving leftovers
Pretty much everyone (except for the unfortunate turkeys) looked forward to the long Thanksgiving weekend. Poultry, potatoes, cranberry sauce and stuffing fill the hearts and stomachs of most students and teachers alike as we spent time with our family, friends and loved ones. How could we make a good thing even better? And what should you do with all the leftovers?
Stuffing it
Typical stuffing includes bread, sage, onions and spices. It's delicious, but not always healthy. To kick up the nutritive value of your stuffing, try using other grains to replace the bread. Brown rice and wild rice create an excellent combination and make the stuffing pleasingly different in texture. Try adding apples, currents or dried cranberries to increase the vitamins, fibre and give zest to your stuffing. If you are adamant on using the traditional bread recipe, substituting white bread with whole grain bread will make a world of difference in the nutrient department.
Gobble up
Thanksgiving is a turkey's worst nightmare. The unethical treatment of farmed turkeys is disgusting to watch, and would turn even an avid turkey lover vegetarian even for just that day.
In the future when you're shopping for look for free-range or free-run turkeys at your grocery store. They may be a tad more expensive, but a happy turkey is more likely to taste better than a mistreated one. I don't promote the idea of eating To-furkey or tofu “meats” as they are likely to have more chemicals, colourings and unnatural flavourings to imitate the real thing. Foods that are highly processed are not preferred! Want a vegetarian alternative I do agree with? Squash risotto with white beans, chickpea and veggie loaf or vegetable pot pie are scrumptious for a meat-free meal.
Vegging out
Along with your protein of choice, make sure to have plenty of colourful veggies to choose from. Thanksgiving is commonly a time of feasting, so feast on beets, roasted carrots and parsnips, potatoes with their skins, squash or broccoli. Not only does this help you get the 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended by Canada's Food Guide, but you may feel less inclined to have that second slice of pumpkin pie.
With these healthier components at the celebration table, I doubt there will be many leftovers. But if there are leftovers, try to use them in innovative ways. The turkey can be used in a quesadilla or a spinach salad, the rice stuffing is perfect served in a broth for a warm harvest soup and the vegetables can be stewed, tossed in pasta or eaten cold with dressing. Thanksgiving leftovers need not be so dreaded, as long as you use some creativity!
Stuffing it
Typical stuffing includes bread, sage, onions and spices. It's delicious, but not always healthy. To kick up the nutritive value of your stuffing, try using other grains to replace the bread. Brown rice and wild rice create an excellent combination and make the stuffing pleasingly different in texture. Try adding apples, currents or dried cranberries to increase the vitamins, fibre and give zest to your stuffing. If you are adamant on using the traditional bread recipe, substituting white bread with whole grain bread will make a world of difference in the nutrient department.
Gobble up
Thanksgiving is a turkey's worst nightmare. The unethical treatment of farmed turkeys is disgusting to watch, and would turn even an avid turkey lover vegetarian even for just that day.
In the future when you're shopping for look for free-range or free-run turkeys at your grocery store. They may be a tad more expensive, but a happy turkey is more likely to taste better than a mistreated one. I don't promote the idea of eating To-furkey or tofu “meats” as they are likely to have more chemicals, colourings and unnatural flavourings to imitate the real thing. Foods that are highly processed are not preferred! Want a vegetarian alternative I do agree with? Squash risotto with white beans, chickpea and veggie loaf or vegetable pot pie are scrumptious for a meat-free meal.
Vegging out
Along with your protein of choice, make sure to have plenty of colourful veggies to choose from. Thanksgiving is commonly a time of feasting, so feast on beets, roasted carrots and parsnips, potatoes with their skins, squash or broccoli. Not only does this help you get the 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended by Canada's Food Guide, but you may feel less inclined to have that second slice of pumpkin pie.
With these healthier components at the celebration table, I doubt there will be many leftovers. But if there are leftovers, try to use them in innovative ways. The turkey can be used in a quesadilla or a spinach salad, the rice stuffing is perfect served in a broth for a warm harvest soup and the vegetables can be stewed, tossed in pasta or eaten cold with dressing. Thanksgiving leftovers need not be so dreaded, as long as you use some creativity!
