A COMPLETE THANKSGIVING GROCERY LIST BELOW

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy delicious food with family and friends. However, for healthy-conscious people like us, preparing healthy meals during the holiday season can be challenging.

That’s why I put together a list of tips on how you can prepare delicious healthy meals for your family.

Here are my tips for having a healthy, tasty Thanksgiving:

Plan Ahead: Plan your menu and make a shopping list. This will help you avoid last-minute decisions that typically are not the healthiest. (This is where I go wrong every time. Shopping when I’m hungry with no list. Always goes wrong! lol)

What Are Your Favorite Vegetables? Add them all to your Thanksgiving meals by roasting them with olive oil and flavorful herbs like garlic, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper. As an alternative, you can make a juicy salad with a homemade dressing. I recommend mixing olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and salt and pepper. You can’t lose!

Choose Lean Protein: Turkey is a traditional Thanksgiving food that’s also a great source of lean protein. You can remove the skin from the turkey if you prefer less fat. We try to limit animal fat but are big fans of fat in general, so I add MCT oil and olive oil to most our meals. I also try to use seeds, nuts, berries, beans, and seafood when it fits.

Foods with fats from plants are heart-healthy and packed with vitamins and other good fats. On the flip side, animal fats are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can be bad for your heart. Most of our brain, around 70%, is made up of fat. Having the right kind of fat is vital for our brain to work properly. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential because they are like the building blocks for our brain and help with learning and memory

Use Sprouted Grains: Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber and nutrients, but stay away from the typical whole grain breads. They are filled with sugar. Instead, use sprouted bread for stuffing or serve sprouted brown rice as a side dish. We love to add Ghee (or grass-fed butter with no preservatives) and sea salt to our rice. My son can’t get enough! 

Quinoa is also a great substitute for rice. Just make sure you season it and add herbs and flavors. It tends to be flavorless if you don’t add spices. I use garlic, cumin, 21 seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s, Himalayan sea salt, and oregano. 

Quinoa’s fiber helps lower cholesterol and control blood sugar. Unlike rice, it reduces blood fat levels after a meal and has higher amounts of all the essential amino acids.

Limit sugar: Thanksgiving desserts are often high in sugar and calories. I recommend choosing options with less added processed sugar. We love fruit and berries, so I recommend KETO ice cream (SO GOOD) with berries, fruit, and nut toppings. 

Make it buffet style, where they can add their own toppings over the ice cream.

Stay hydrated: Drinking water helps you stay hydrated and prevent overeating. Like many families, we could be better with our water intake, but I have found a few options that we love. (In addition to water. 🙂 You should still drink water.) 

The brand we drink the most is Spindrift (with no harmful ingredients!) I love the grapefruit flavor.

My son adds lemon juice and monk fruit sometimes. He says it tastes like a bubbly lemonade. 

It’s many healthy options at Trader Joe’s that beats the regular soda. 

It is possible to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner using your typical Thanksgiving recipes AND make it healthy by just changing a few ingredients…

Change your favorite recipes by using healthier ingredients such as:

Olive oil instead of butter…

Sprouted grains instead of whole grains…

Ghee or grass-fed butter instead of the typical butter…

Stevia/Monk fruit instead of sugar…

Fruit and berries instead of candy…

Remember, Thanksgiving is about spending time with loved ones and being thankful for what we have.