Delicious Lite Thanksgiving Feast

 

Simplify Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving feast menu created with low calorie options will enhance any holiday celebrations in 2022 featuring 3 side dishes, low calorie dessert recipes including easy entertaining tips.  Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays celebrated in the United States since 1862 when it first became a public holiday that takes place on the fourth Thursday of November each year. Family and friends typically join together for a traditional Thanksgiving feast in the United States in order to give thanks for the harvest and blessings they have. Celebrate eating delicious favorite holiday foods that are low-calorie entrees, side dishes, and desserts that brighten any holiday season using wholesome ingredients. Simplifying meal preparation with make-ahead recipes leaves you more time to enjoy Thanksgiving day with friends and family. Healthy meals can be made without sacrificing taste adding a gourmet twist using aromatic season blends in recipes to spice up any dish.

Thanksgiving was molded on a 1621 harvest feast shared by English colonists Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. AAA predicts 53.4 million people will travel during the holiday season in 2022 up 13 percent from 2020. This brings travel volumes up 5 percent of pre pandemic levels in 2019 with travel almost completely recovering from its dramatic fall during the pandemic, up 80 percent over last year. As restrictions continue to lift in 2022 and consumer confidence builds AAA urges travelers to be proactive when making their travel plans this holiday season, says AAA. Celebrating Thanksgiving with the intention of appreciating all that we have while considering what we can do for others gives thanks with feelings of optimism having confidence about the future. Thanksgiving dinner is expected to increase in 2022 for basic staples from poultry to fruits will outpace the total cost of food at home and food away from home in categories on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). 

Thanksgiving has historical roots as a national holiday rich in cultural tradition celebrating the current harvest as blessings for the past year's harvest. A lite Thanksgiving feast while celebrating selecting low calorie options helps you stay on track with your diet plan while still eating foods that are satisfying to eat. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the blessings we have and harvest of the year with a sense of gratitude for what has been bestowed upon us. A traditional Thanksgiving feast in the United States features roasted turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, bread stuffing cranberry sauce, sweet corn, and vegetables of the season.  Celebrating Thanksgiving is usually a good time to reconnect with family, and friends feasting on traditional foods as we give thanks in a moment of silent meditation for the year's harvest. 

Healthy Thanksgiving feast dinner recipes help keep you on track with your diet plan while still enjoying a classic dinner packed with entrees, appetizers, side dishes, and low-calorie pumpkin pie for dessert. Thanksgiving celebrations can be enjoyed within your home space feasting on your favorite holiday dishes, entree, side dishes, low-calorie desserts while keeping Thanksgiving feast dinner shortcuts can save you time in the kitchen making meals in advance making entertaining a breeze.  Groceries can be delivered to your home location through online shopping services, from qualifying grocery stores near you saves time. Consider shopping online at Instacart for the products you need from groceries to home essentials browse from over 1,000’s of products from your favorite stores. Get same day delivery or pickup from local stores and cities near you to save time on your shopping excursion. During the holidays the average American consumes over 3,000 calories and 150 grams of fat feasting on a traditional Thanksgiving dinner including appetizers and desserts. 

Low-calorie recipe alternatives can significantly reduce calorie consumption according to the calorie control council.  Counting calories per day is not an exact science estimating calories consumed will provide a guideline to follow when planning healthy meal selections.  The average man requires 2,500 healthy calories per day to maintain weight and 2,000 calories per day to lose weight each week subtracting 500 calories each day.  The average woman requires 2,000 calories of healthy calories per day to maintain weight and 1,500 calories per day to lose weight, reducing consumption by 500 calories per day. Counting calories does not have to be complicated, reading food labels can provide insight on package contents.  Reducing 500 calories per day from your diet can substantially eliminate 3,500 calories per week. People often eat too many calories consuming sweetened beverages, tempting treats or processed foods without even realizing they are over-eating, slowly packing on extra weight.

Simplify Thanksgiving tradition festivities by feasting on a low calorie dinner menu with roasted turkey, mashed cauliflower, roasted string beans topped with sliver almonds, corn, mashed sweet potatoes, low calorie pumpkin pie, low calorie apple pie, and unsweetened beverages tea, and coffee. Eating a low calorie healthy Thanksgiving feast dinner can help you stay on track with your diet while still enjoying the festivities. Managing weight does not need to be a complicated process during the holiday season in 2022. Taking a break from counting calories is ok for a short-term duration to celebrate the holidays with enthusiasm by eating low calorie options.  Establishing new lifestyle habits following a healthy low-calorie diet plan combined with regular exercise will increase physical endurance while you lose weight. With the holidays approaching it is ok to enjoy the Thanksgiving festivities feasting on traditional favorite foods if you must.

The next day returning to a healthy diet plan packed with nutrition will put you back on track with your program as part of healthy lifestyle habits.  Enjoy a healthy Thanksgiving feast dinner celebration selecting low-calorie options helps you stay on track with your diet plan.  People often eat too many calories consuming sweetened beverages, tempting treats, or processed foods without even realizing they are over-eating, slowly packing on extra weight.

Regular exercise is important for losing weight and toning the entire body. Aim for sugar-free beverages to reduce calorie intake sweetened with Splenda sugar alternatives to sweeten coffee, tea, or punch. Make a sugar-free Apple Spritzer punch topped with a frozen ring of cranberries and sliced oranges for your next gathering. Fill a light fluted 10"x 3" bunt pan half full with sliced oranges and cranberries. Cover the fruit with pure water. Place the bundt pan in the freezer overnight allowing the fruit and water to freeze into ice.

Make the punch right before dinner is served to retain freshness.  Fill a large 2-gallon punch bowl with 4 liters of chilled sugar-free Ginger Ale.  Add 2 cans of 12 ounces of Apple frozen concrete to the Ginger Ale. Gently stir the liquid to dissolve the frozen apple juice combining all ingredients.  Remove the bunt pan from the freezer to unmold the frozen fruit ring. It may be necessary to run warm water over the bottom of the ring to loosen the mold. Gently place the frozen ring in the center of the punch bowl to chill the Apple Punch Spritzer.  Serve the low calorie punch using a ladle at your next Thanksgiving feast in 2022. 

Cheers!

Patricia Lynn

Photo by Olivie Strauss on Unsplash