11/22/2022
Tips for a more Heart-Healthy Thanksgiving Meal.
Thanksgiving meals are often the most looked forward to meals of the year, however, they are not exactly good for your heart. Many of the dishes are loaded with salt, fat, and sugar. Fortunately, you can make some substitutions which will provide for a more heart-healthy Thanksgiving dinner.
1. Limit Your Butter and Cream use.
Many recipes call for large quantities of butter or cream. However, there are a variety of heart-healthy options you can use as substitutions for these ingredients. Consider replacing butter with one of the following options:
Extra virgin olive oil
High-oleic safflower oil
Greek yogurt
Applesauce
Avocado
Organic canola oil
Macadamia nut oil
If you are preparing a soup or a sauce that calls for heavy cream, you can use a soy yogurt to achieve a creamy texture.
2. Stick to Whole Grains
White flour can cause you to consume needless empty calories and extra carbs. When baking, substitute whole wheat flour for white flour for a healthier option.
3. Limit Your Sodium
Thanksgiving meals are typically loaded with salt. When preparing your dishes, try starting with 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of salt listed on the recipe. Many times you may find that you don’t even miss the extra salt. You can also reduce the amount of salt in your meals by using lemon juice which will brighten the flavors and compensate for a reduction in salt. Substituting low sodium broths can provide a fraction of the salt that regular broths contain. Lastly, avoid processed foods that can be high in salt and unhealthy fats
4. Be Mindful of Your Sugar Intake.
When large quantities of sugar are added to a meal full of carbs, it can cause your blood sugar to surge. You can decrease the amount of sugar in your meal with these options:
Consider low-sugar dessert options such as baked apples instead of cake or pie. Instead of baking a sweet potato casserole, roast your sweet potatoes with savory herbs and spices. Use low sugar cranberry sauce. Add fresh fruits and naturally sweet vegetables such as beets to add a sweet touch to the meal.
5. Focus on Vegetable Sides.
You can enjoy a small amount of stuffing and mashed potatoes, but don't make them the focal points of your meal. Vegetables are an important component of a heart-healthy diet, and should be well represented in your meal. Some good vegetable options to consider are steamed green beans or carrots, roasted brussels sprouts or cauliflower, adding cauliflower mashed with potatoes to lower the carb content, and enjoy colorful holiday salads.
6. Moderate portion sizes.
A big part of eating a heart-healthy meal is being mindful of your portion sizes. You may want to consider serving dinner on smaller plates to help reduce overeating since we tend to want to eat everything we put on our plates. Give yourself a few minutes to digest before going back for seconds. If you feel the need seconds, start with some healthy vegetable sides instead of a second portion of mashed potatoes and stuffing. When it comes to dessert, have a small slice of pie instead of a large one. This will satisfy your sweet craving without elevated your sugar and cholesterol levels.
7. Limit alcohol intake.
Many of us like to enjoy a glass or two of wine with Thanksgiving dinner, but after a couple of drinks, switch to water, seltzer, or unsweetened iced tea. These options are better for your cardiovascular health than alcohol.
We hope you enjoy some of these suggestions and that you and your family have a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving!
