Eating Clean on Thanksgiving

Why is it that we feel that gluttony is acceptable during the holidays? Handfuls of candies from your kid’s Halloween stash, stuffing baked goodies into your cheeks, drinking “just one drink” at the bazillion holiday parties…. It will all add up, and fast! Many of you were shocked by my stat about how many lbs the ave. American gains during the holidays, but is it a little easier to understand?

I can’t stand when I hear “well, I don’t plan on wearing a bikini until June anyways!” Why spend half the year taking steps backwards only to have to work harder to reach your goal at the 2nd half? If your true goal is clean health and to be fit, it should be part of your everyday life- not during the warm months!

Well, this week is Thanksgiving! A fun time to get together with friends and family and EAT! I am not saying you shouldn’t eat and enjoy your favorite Thanksgiving favorites, but I am saying that you can still eat clean while enjoying your favorites.

Below are some recipes from various sources- friends, clubFYM.com, and others. And they are so easy & tasty! Give one a try and encourage your family to make cleaner eating choices, even on Thanksgiving!

 

Thanksgiving sides:

Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary & Balsamic

Ingredients

* 6 cups cubed butternut squash
* 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
* 1 tsp fresh rosemary
* 1 tsp ground black pepper
* 1 dash sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
2. Toss squash cubes with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary. Put on cookie sheet or dish large enough to hold it in a single layer.
3. Roast until squash is very soft and starting to get slightly caramelized.

Carrot fries

Slice carrots into little strips (with mandoline or knife)
coat with a little coconut oil, sea salt, and pepper

They are also good sprinkled w/ cinnamon, olive oil, and sea salt.

450 degrees for 40 minutes

Superfast Asparagus

Ingredients
1 pound asparagus
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Snap the asparagus at the tender part of the stalk. Arrange spears in one layer on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with nonstick spray; sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning.
Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 32 | Total Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol
(Recipe taken from allrecipes.com)

Kickin’ Broccoli and Garlic
Serves 4 people

* 1 bunch broccoli
* 6 cloves garlic
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon cayenne or chili pepper
* 2 tablespoons water

1. Wash and cut broccoli.
2. Steam in a microwave for about 3-5 minutes, or cook in boiling water for about 10 minutes until barely tender and still brightly colored.
3. Finely chop the garlic.
4. Place olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
5. Add salt, then garlic to hot oil.
6. Sauté until garlic starts to soften.
7. Add the water, then pepper.
8. Lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
9. Place cooked broccoli in a bowl and pour the garlic mixture over it.
10. Mix gently.

Asparagus Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients

* 1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
* 2 Tbsp of the most exquisite extra virgin olive oil
* 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest – freshly grated lemon rind
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.

2 Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.

 

Desserts:

Pumpkin Puree

1 sugar pumpkin

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, quarter pumpkin and bake on roasting pan for 3 hours. Remove and let stand at room tempt for 3 hours. Scoop out flesh, removing seeds and puree in food processor or blender until smooth,

 

Pie crust

2 C almonds

½ C dates

Dash of cinnamon & salt

Blend together in a food processor/blender, press into a pie dish, makes 2.

 

Raw Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 C pumpkin

1C soaked dates

2t cinnamon

1t diced fresh ginger

1t nutmeg

1t coconut oil

¼ C almond milk or water to help blend

Add pumpkin to blender/food processor until nicely chopped. Add the rest of ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into crust, chill in fridge for 30 minutes before serving

Organic Pumpkin Bread Recipe:

1 cup plain applesauce(organic)

1 cup agave nectar

4 eggs

2 cups pureed pumpkin(canned/organic)

1 cup water

-Mix until smooth

Mix Together:

3 1/3 cups almond meal

2 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder(aluminum free)

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

Bake 350 F  for  60 mins

 

Hope you enjoy some yummy clean Thanksgiving food! Please share any recipes you may have and or how any of these turned out for you!

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