The popular NBC show This Is Us has a holiday episode where the character Toby brings a cooler to Thanksgiving dinner because he is trying to eat healthy.
Some of us can relate to this bold, and typically not as flavorful, move when we have dietary restrictions or are trying to stay on track with our clean eating goals.
But why must we bring our own healthy meals when there are plenty of favorites that can be brought to the table, full of taste and nutrition.
Baked ham, buttery mashed potatoes, and twelve varieties of fruit cake and Christmas pudding are typical fare for family dinner during this festive time of year.
Which is a tough spoonful to swallow after you are still trying to erase the evidence of a Thanksgiving gone wrong (even though it tasted so right!).
Shaking it up a bit could be fun for the whole family if you challenge each attendee to prepare a dish that has lean protein, loaded with fruits or vegetables, or is low in calories and sugar.
Can it be done?
Yes!
Having a few rules of exchange can make any recipe work for your body and not against it by swapping out unhealthy ingredients for comparable nutritious ones.
First is sugar. Eating sugar, or any refined carbohydrate such as many baked goods and white bread, causes your insulin levels to spike which makes us hold onto fat in our cells.
Staying away from sugar is many fad diets go-to move, and for good reason, as Better Change Project has previously reported.
You can substitute sugar in baking with puréed fruit, such as applesauce, or non-harmful sugar replacements such as xylitol or monk fruit.
Try making a pie crust out of nuts and dates; or making pudding out of puréed avocados (full of amino acids), xylitol, and cocoa powder.
The other swap that your body will thank you for is exchanging fatty proteins with lean ones.
Skip the sugar-glazed ham this year and opt for baked teriyaki tofu or another lean protein choice.
With all the hearty vegetables and amino acid rich desserts, even your teenage nephew on the football team will be satiated.
Sweet potatoes smothered in honey or butter are delicious, but are not worth the increased risk of heart disease and the lull you will experience at the end of dinner.
Put a pep in your step with nutrient dense vegetable salads like beets and cucumber or shaved Brussels sprouts and chestnuts.
Roasting beets add a world of flavor that you can pile over arugula, and then top with sliced cucumber, radishes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Roasted chestnuts over an open fire not only smell delightful, and bring nostalgic memories of singing with your siblings this time of year, but have tons of beneficial properties that you won’t want to miss.
They are packed with potassium, folate, ad vitamin C, which gives women a daily dose of much needed nutrients, as Better Change Project previously uncovered.
Cook shaved Brussels sprouts in extra-virgin olive oil (to get your good fats in), and then let cool before adding tart apples, fennel, and chestnuts.
To get a protein punch, bake tofu and sprinkle with salt and pepper to crumble over top the Brussels sprouts salad.
For a quick meal that is sure to please mind and body, place a bunch of hearty vegetables in a iron or stone pan and bake them in olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt. Add tempeh, seitan, or another lean protein for a full course.
Don’t let others tell you that you have to add loads of butter, meat, and sugar to have an unforgettable spread.
There are delicious recipes waiting for you that hold no disease ransom for flavor. Make this the beginning of your year of change.
(h/t Better Change Project)