Sweet potatoes: Use apples, not marshmallows.
Sweet potatoes and yams are considered interchangeable, but they're not the same nutritionally. Unlike yams, sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A. "[Yams] have lots of color, but they don't have a ton of nutrition," Carey said. "They're high in water."
Take six medium-sized potatoes with three apples. Jonathan or Honeycrisp varieties are two examples of apples, most of which are at the height of their season in the fall. Thin-slice the potatoes and apples and alternately layer them in a casserole dish. Carey advises adding just a tiny bit of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake the dish at 350 F for 45 minutes or until tender.
Stuffing: Use low-fat chicken broth, not butter.
Carey said that she still cooks her turkey with the stuffing inside it. (Others advise cooking stuffing in a casserole dish to avoid potential foodborne illnesses that can arise from temperature problems when it cooks inside a turkey.) The key to a healthier stuffing is to axe the butter and replace it with low-fat chicken broth.
"You reduce the saturated fat when you eliminate the butter," Carey said. Although many recipes call for slices of white bread to form the body of the stuffing, Carey opts for seasoned croutons, which contain more flavor. Add celery, onions, eggs and other traditional stuffing ingredients -- just leave out the butter.
Green bean casserole: Use slivered almonds, not mushrooms.
The traditional way of cooking a green bean casserole by including cream of mushroom soup and breadcrumbs should be avoided. "It's really high in sodium," Carey said.
Instead of breadcrumbs, add flavorful sesame oil, a valued monounsaturated fat. And substitute slivered almonds for cream of mushroom soup or sliced mushrooms, which are in many traditional recipes. The almonds add superb flavor and texture to complement the green beans as well as vitamin E and protein. Saute the ingredients but not so long that the green beans lose their crispiness.
Pumpkin pie: Use fat-free evaporated milk, not whole evaporated milk.
Pumpkin pie is a healthy addition to the table since pumpkin is packed with alpha- and beta-carotene; fiber; and vitamins A, C and E. However, the whole evaporated milk that's recommended in many recipes should be replaced with fat-free evaporated milk. "The whole evaporated milk has butter fat in it," Carey said.
If making your own piecrust, Carey suggests using whole-wheat pastry flour, which adds fiber. "My guests always love it," she added.
Here are five simple Dr. Gourmet Thanksgiving guidelines:
1. Serve fresh snacks.
Put out bowls of popcorn: It's super easy to make and popcorn is full of fiber.
Fresh veggies and dip are especially easy now that most grocery stores sell bags or platters of pre-cut peppers, celery, carrots and cherry tomatoes. Making your own dips helps you control the calories, but you'll also avoid the added chemicals and salt in many prepared dips.
Nuts and trail mix made with dried fruit are a great party snack. While they are higher in calories, research has shown that eating nuts before a meal helps us feel fuller and makes us less likely to overeat. We also know that nuts and seeds help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol.
2. Think about drinks.
Don't buy soda for your Thanksgiving day festivities. A can of regular soda contains a whopping 9 teaspoons of sugar.
Make fantastic iced tea or lemonade with only one or two teaspoons of sugar a glass. Delicious, refreshing, and each drink has 100 fewer calories than the same amount of soda (you probably can't get 9 teaspoons of sugar to dissolve in a glass of iced tea).
Alcohol can be a big source of excess calories and can also make you less inhibited and lead to eating more than you really want. Limit the number of drinks and alternate your alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic beverages, preferably water. (And encourage your visitors to have a designated driver!)
3. Eat real food.
More and more research is showing us that the more processed food is, the worse it is for you.
Soup is a great starter course. There's good research showing that people who have a soup course to start with eat fewer calories overall. Fall is a great season for soups -- they're so warm and satisfying.
For your main course, choose fresh turkeys that have not had any fat or sodium added. Many have had flavorings injected into the meat. Check the package if you purchase a frozen turkey: the ingredient list should list only turkey.
If you usually serve a ham, serve pork tenderloin or a pork loin roast instead. Good quality cuts of pork like these are lower in saturated fat than that spiral-cut ham and have no added salt.
Traditional Thanksgiving side dishes are some of the healthiest you can eat. It can help your diners a lot to serve only a single starch -- whether that's stuffing, yams or potatoes. It's best to choose baked yams or mashed sweet potatoes instead of stuffing or dressing, as they will have better quality nutrients and are generally higher in fiber.
If you are going to make stuffing, don't use a mix. The products on the market are full of salt, chemicals and often added fat. When making your own, use whole grain breads or cornbread. Both will have more fiber than the stuff you get out of a box.
Serve veggies, veggies and more veggies. Serve a wide variety of vegetables with your Thanksgiving spread.
Cranberry sauce can be great for you -- cranberries have tons of antioxidants. They are, however, tart and most pre-made sauces have a lot of added sugar. Check the package for a brand with the least added sugar (or make your own).
4. You don't have to have a second helping.
Stop and think about how great that food was before you head for the buffet table again. Sometimes that's all it takes for you to keep from overeating.
5. Serve a portion-controlled dessert.
Instead of making a whole pumpkin pie, make Pumpkin Tarts or Pumpkin Crème Brulee. Carrot Muffins or Pumpkin Nut Muffins are also a good choice.
Best of all, serve fruit. Go with something fancy like Poached Pears, or if you don't want to make the effort, serve cut fruit or berries with whipped cream (the real whipped cream from a can help you with portion control too).
