Before we know it Thanksgiving will be here. Our family is beyond excited. This is our favorite holiday. Not only does it happen in our favorite season – fall, of course – but it is a special time to set aside a whole day of giving thanks to our Creator for His many blessings.

And the food. Oh. my. word. The food.

Our family likes to eat. A lot. So this holiday gives us a great excuse to eat. A lot. We dine on the usual dishes such as turkey, stuffing, sweet potato whatever, and the like. However since we are drastically changing our eating habits this could pose a problem to eating the normal Thanksgiving fare.

Notice, I said “could.”

Since I know I am not the only one out there who is working hard to feed her family more healthfully I thought I would share with you some things I am planning on doing this year.

Throw out convenience items

• You know the ol’ standby, green bean casserole? One simple way to make that more healthful is by cutting out the canned cream of mushroom. Make your own roux and add the mushrooms. Making white sauce is very easy to do and can be made ahead of time. Use fresh or frozen green beans instead of the canned ones. You could also skip out on the whole green bean casserole thing – I know, I know, I hear loud gasps – and just do a simple green beans steamed dish.



• Also, sweet potato pie/casserole does not have to be made with canned sweet potatoes. Again, this is something you can easily do ahead: wash and poke with a fork some sweet potatoes, leaving skins on. Stick them in the oven at 375 degrees F for about an hour or so. Peel the skins off and mash them. Stick them in the fridge to use for your sweet potato dish.



• Stuffing is a bit trickier for me. I have never made stuffing that was not from a box. This year I will be trying this Homemade Super-Easy Stove Stuffing, substituting the canned chicken broth for homemade. I love making my own croutons as well and since they can be made a head of time this is not much more work then the boxed stuffing.



• Snacks are pretty easy to make a change. Instead of chips or the like just cut up fresh veggies and fruits. Finger sandwiches, nuts, and cheese and crackers will keep those tummies satisfied long enough till the Thanksgiving feast is on the table.



• I am not a big cranberry fan. I have never liked their bitter taste. They are very good in a salad though and so instead of canned jellied cranberry why not add some dried cranberries and pecans to a tossed salad? That way those who insist on cranberries will be satisfied. *Disclaimer: yes, we will be eating canned cranberry as well because that is what my husband likes.

I am still a little behind on figuring out how to make dessert healthier. I was thinking of making an apple pie with honey as substitute for sugar. So far I have not found a recipe where that was done successfully. Mashed potatoes will just have to be unhealthy this year as they just do not taste right without butter, milk, and salt.

What have I forgotten? I know you all have plenty to share with how you make your own traditional feasting foods more nutritious.

Photo credits: Rhett Sutphin, The Delicious Life, Natalie Maynor, VirtualErn, merfam, House of Sims