Everyone loves the holiday season, but all of that tasty holiday food can do some damage to your waistline. So instead of deep-frying your stuffing and smothering your turkey in mayonnaise, try serving up these healthy alternatives with a dash of holiday cheer instead:
Make your turkey the healthy way
Instead of buying the whole bird, try just buying individual turkey breasts, which are all white meat and lower in calories than dark meat. But if you must have that whole turkey to enjoy, avoid the trend of deep frying and stick to roasting. It may take longer, but the results in taste and health are worth it.
Green Beans w/ Caramelized Shallots
Ingredients
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 pound medium shallots
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
Cook green beans in boiling, salted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain again.
Cut off and discard ends from the shallots. Cut shallots lengthwise in half and remove peel.
Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until shallots are browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.
Add cooked green beans to the shallots and stir over medium-high heat until heated through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm
Healthy Stuffing
Ingredients
1 12-oz package of cubed herb-seasoned stuffing
2 cups of fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1-1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 links of sweet turkey sausage
Directions
Spray a pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sauté celery and onions 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan. Remove sausage from casing and sauté in same pan until cooked through and broken into small pieces. Gently mix bread, onion, celery and sausage in a casserole dish. Add apple sauce and broth and fold together. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover for softer stuffing.
Another healthy alternative:
Instead of sweet potato casserole, bake sweet potatoes and lightly drizzle with honey and cinnamon.
