Here at MINES, we are always looking for ways to fill our bodies with wholesome foods to keep ourselves alert and healthy.  One of the ways to combat stress and fatigue is with a balanced diet. With Thanksgiving only a couple of days away, the holiday season is in full force, which means that there will be generous amounts of delicious food at family gatherings and holiday parties – unfortunately, a lot of this food can be unhealthy. I do all of the Thanksgiving Day cooking in my family, which means that I have to pay attention to sugar content for a few diabetics, cholesterol content for my grandparents, fat content for my significant other, and sodium content for my mother. Needless to say, I’m always on the lookout for tasty recipea that are healthful for all. Considering most Thanksgiving meals include lots of butter, sodium, and sugar, it’s easy to see how keeping track of healthy habits can fall to the wayside.

Ultimately, the holidays are not an easy time to be maintaining a diet, but health and wellness don’t need to be put on the back burner simply because it’s Thanksgiving. The reality is most of our tables are filled with whole ingredients like turkey, vegetables, and fruits. The key to maintaining those rigid diets over the holidays is to simply adjust cooking technique and look for balanced recipes. Also, avoiding boxed and processed ingredients is a great way to ensure that the holidays stay healthy – quality control is extremely important when it comes to watching what we eat. Prepackaged foods often contain preservatives, large amounts of sodium, and chemically-based ingredients that can leave people feeling bloated and unhealthy.

In my quest to find some wholesome recipes for Thanksgiving, I found that EatingWell.com had a wonderful breakdown of nutrition facts, as well as nutrition profiles (i.e. labeling recipes diabetes appropriate, low sodium, etc.).  The website also has structured menus and budget-friendly wine recommendations. Whether you are counting calories or just trying to make sure that your holidays don’t weigh you down, these recipes will help you make a fantastic meal that you can really feel good about. Visit http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_thanksgiving_recipes to find delicious variations on sweet potatoes, soups, turkey and poultry, stuffing, and of course, desserts. Making sure that we continue to remember what keeps us healthy will make the holiday season something to enjoy.  Have a wonderful holiday!

Sarah Kinnel

Marketing Assistant