recipes
Factor In Your Fixins '
by Lisa Maguire
According to the Calorie Control Council , the average American consumes around 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving - about 1,500 in snacks and drinks and 3,000 for the actual meal . That ' s almost 3 days ' worth of food for a " slightly active " 120 pound female , according to AuthorityNutrition . com .
We decided to take a look at our very own Thanksgiving “ main meal ” to see how the calories add up , how to save a few , and how to accommodate some popular meal plans . We took our “ traditional ” Thanksgiving meal from one serving plate of 1,306 calories ( no seconds !), and were able to reduce to 826 calories if you decided to cook each of the lightest versions of the recipes . That ’ s a 37 % reduction !
All nutrition facts throughout article are per serving .
TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING PLATE : 1306 CALORIES
THE TURKEY
Traditional 1 whole turkey 1 / 2 stick butter 1 / 4 cup fresh chopped rosemary salt & pepper
SERVING SIZE : 4 oz ; CALORIES : 159 , TOTAL FAT : 7 g , CHOLESTEROL : 78 mg , SODIUM : 215 mg , TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE : 0 g , SUGARS : 0 g .
1 . Thaw turkey according to package instructions prior to cooking date and preheat the oven according to package instructions . 2 . Place turkey in a size-appropriate roasting pan and coat with butter using the 1 / 2 stick of butter to rub directly onto the skin of the entire turkey until coated and stick is completely used .
3 . Sprinkle turkey with salt , pepper , and rosemary . 4 . Optional - stuff turkey with desired stuffing 5 . Cook according to package instructions .
MAKE IT VEGAN MAKE IT WHOLE
If you ' re not willing to part with your staple Thanksgiving favorites , make sure to be conscious of your portions . And remember , just because it ' s a holiday doesn ' t mean you always need seconds !
There are recipes for you to make your very own vegan " turkey " out there , but with all of the stress of the holidays , we suggest trying one that ' s been made for you . It ' s relatively low in sodium and has a pretty short list of ingredients , which are the typical concerns with pre-made , frozen foods . We recommend the " Vegan Whole Turkey " by Vegetarian Plus . It even comes in the shape of a turkey !
SERVING SIZE : 4oz . CALORIES : 224 , TOTAL FAT : 11 g , CHOLESTEROL : 0 mg , SODIUM : 496 mg , TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE : 11 g , DIETARY FIBER : 2g ( 9 % DV ), SUGARS : 2g , PROTEIN : 24g .
Swap butter for Ghee .
30 HACHEALTHCLUB . COM