Ingredient Swaps to Make Your Holiday Healthier

Thanksgiving is one of the most special times of the year. Bringing family and friends
around the table for a meal is a powerful way to connect with one another. While this is usually a joyful time, it can also bring up feelings of guilt and discomfort when it comes to your relationship with food.
This year, you have the opportunity to upgrade the quality of ingredients in your traditional Thanksgiving recipes. By making these simple ingredient swaps, you can provide your family and friends with a healthier Thanksgiving meal they’ll be talking about for years to come.
Upgrade the quality of your bird this year by looking for an organic turkey. Choosing organic animal protein reduces your exposure to antibiotics, pesticides, and GMOs. Additionally, you may also want to opt for a “free-range” or “pasture-raised” turkey to help support humane animal conditions.
Using high-quality bread will help upgrade the overall quality of your traditional stuffing. Choose sprouted bread that’s lower in sugar and higher in protein or a sourdough or gluten-free loaf of bread. You can also swap out stuffing for a roasted potato or sweet potato dish with similar herbs to a traditional stuffing (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme). Plus, this is an easy way to avoid consuming traditional sweet potato recipes that call for loads of butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows.

It’s probably not realistic to forego desserts during Thanksgiving, but consider using healthier sweetener options when baking. By choosing healthier sweeteners, you will reduce the addicting and inflammatory effects sugar can have on the body. Look for a low-glycemic or natural sweetener option like:

• Coconut palm sugar
• Xylitol
• Stevia
• Raw honey
• Grade B maple syrup

For healthier dessert options, check out these holiday recipes:

• Pumpkin Coconut Pecan Fudge
• Sesame Anise Cookies
• Cinnamon-Dusted Cacao “Truffles”

By focusing on high-quality oils and paying attention to the “smoke point” of each oil, you will prevent the oxidation effects from the fat content in the oils.

For high-heat cooking, use:

• Coconut oil
• Ghee

For medium- to low-heat cooking, try:

• Olive oil
• Organic grass-fed butter

Many traditional Thanksgiving recipes don’t include colorful vegetables. As part of your Thanksgiving spread this year, be sure to include a nice green salad or some cooked green vegetables. Not only will they make your table more colorful, your guests will thank you for their added digestive benefits.

Citrus Pomegranate and Kale Salad

Try this Citrus Pomegranate and Kale Salad as a nice complement to other holiday flavors.

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches dinosaur kale, de-stemmed
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 oranges, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 green onions, chopped

Dressing:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper

Directions

Chop kale into 2-inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add a pinch of sea salt and massage kale until wilted.

Mix the dressing in a separate bowl. Pour dressing over kale and toss until evenly dressed. (You don’t want your kale to be swimming in dressing, so add slowly.)

Plate kale in a serving dish or salad bowl. Top with oranges, pomegranate seeds, and green onions.

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