- Yield:Servings Vary
- Difficulty:Difficult
- Time:300 minutes
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be unhealthy at all! It can be the ultimate food prep, because turkey is a really lean meat. Turkeys are also quite large, so it will feed you for several meals. The ‘Turkey Day’ staples are typically healthy foods. That is… until they are made to be unhealthy by what people add to their recipes. I’ve put together a few recipes you can pick and choose from according to your tastes. I want to wish you a very special Thanksgiving from our Training Table to yours!Upside Down Apple Stuffed Turkey
Leftovers can be frozen for many convenient meals down the road. We came upon this recipe purely by accident—one time we put the turkey in upside down, and it came out heavenly! The breast, which is usually the driest part, is aimed down, and the turkey is stuffed with apple. As the apples cook, the juice runs down and makes the breast super juicy!
Ingredients:
- 1 Turkey
- 3-4 apples (Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp apples) peeled and sliced
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Your favorite seasonings / spice rubs (I like mesquite & pepper)
Directions:
Take an oven bag and follow the baking instructions listed in the oven bag directions. The instructions that come with the oven bags will tell you the correct baking temperature and for how long you should bake it, based on the weight of the turkey. A large turkey generally takes close to 3 hours to bake. Place the turkey in the oven bag and seal it with a bag tie. Place the turkey breast-side down on a baking pan, and place in the oven to cook for the required amount of time.
When the turkey has finished baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes. FInally, open the oven bag, and use a spoon to remove baked apple slices from the turkey. Slice up the turkey, and serve.
Nutrition:
Calories: 150
Fat: 2g
Protein: 22 g
Carbs: 3g
Turkey Dark Meat: 4 ounces
Calories: 212
Fat: 8 g
Protein: 32 g
Carbs: —
Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 12 oz. bag of cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 stevia packets
- 1 medium cinnamon stick
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1-2 tbsp. monk fruit sweetener
Directions:
Put everything in a pot and cook on medium-high for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Once it starts to thicken, turn the heat down to a simmer, and stir frequently. Cook until the sauce is as thick as you desire. Sweeten to taste.
Nutrition:
Makes 6 servings
Calories: 87
Fat: .2 g
Carbs: 22 g
Protein: .5 g
Fiber: 3 g
Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of yellow or white potatoes
- 4 tsp. diced garlic (I use the garlic in a jar)
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup low sodium chicken or bone broth
- 1/8 tsp. Himalayan pink or sea salt (optional)
- ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
Peel and boil potatoes until they are tender enough to mash. Warm the chicken broth in the microwave and pour into the potatoes and mash everything together. Couldn’t be easier.
Nutrition:
Makes 6 servings
Calories: 127
Fat: 2.5 g
Carbs: 24 g
Protein: 3 g
Fiber: 3.6 g
Super Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 2 medium/large sweet potatoes/yams or two cups
- ½ tsp. maple baking extract
- 2 tbsp. butter or ghee (ghee is actually really good for you!)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. pink or sea salt
- 1 cage free egg
Ingredients for Topping:
- 1 cup of ground pecans or a bag of whole ones (see directions)
- 1/8 cup monk fruit sweetener
- 1 stevia packet (optional)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tbsp. butter or ghee
- 1 pinch of salt
Directions:
Microwave the sweet potatoes for 2-3 minutes, thirty seconds one at a time on each side, until you can easily stick a fork in them. Throw them in a bowl of cold water and leave them while you make the topping.
If you are using whole pecans, you can put them in a food processor to grind them, or put them in a bag and hit them with a meat hammer, which works just as well. Add the other ingredients to the nuts once they are ground, and blend together until it looks like everything is mixed evenly. Set aside in a bowl (don’t wash the blender/processor just yet).
Put the sweet potatoes and all of the ingredients together EXCEPT for the egg in the blender, and blend until smooth, or mash with a masher in a bowl. My blender is pretty lame, so I ended up mashing mine by hand, and they came out great. Make sure they are flavored as you would like them—remember the topping is very sweet, so the potatoes should be less sweet. Once they taste perfect, add the egg, and mash or blend. Put it in an oven dish and bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees. These remind me of the ones my grandma used to make, but so much healthier!
Nutrition:
Makes 6 servings
Calories 244.5
Fat: 2 g
Carbs: 6 g
Protein 3.4 g
Fiber: 3 g
Stovetop White Wine Green Bean Casserole:
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of organic French cut green beans
- 4 oz. (1/2 cup) white wine (chardonnay is best)
- 1 can of healthy cream of mushroom soup
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
- 1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
Directions:
This one is really easy. Put everything in the pot, except for the two ounces of wine, and simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve.
Nutrition:
Makes 6 servings
Calories: 60
Fat: 1 g
Carbs: 8 g
Protein: 1.5 g
Fiber: 2 g
Total Meal with Turkey Breast:
Nutrition:
Calories: 668.5
Fat: 27.7 g
Carbs: 68.6 g
Protein: 30.4 g
Fiber: 11.6 g
