Member Comments for the Article:21 Ways to Slim Down Your Thanksgiving FeastComfort Foods Without All the Calories18 Comments
|
|
11/18/2012 11:55:57 PM
|
Thanks for the tips, you've definitiely go me thinking. For years I cooked a 22- 25 lb turkey every year, now I buy 2 turkeys 12-15 lbs each.. I cook one a couple of days ahead, so I can have have the defatted broth and drippings ready to go and the dressing is ready to go in the oven as soon as the T-Day turkey comes out of the oven. Be sure to pour some broth on the pre-cooked, pre-sliced turkey to keep it moist when warming up. Glad I have always been a "scratch" cook so it's very easy to tweak recipes to make them a little lighter. I love the flavors of Thanksgiving so personally for me it is all about portion control, so I need to have and eating plan and stick to it! |
11/18/2012 6:17:27 PM
|
When I cooked a big (22 to 25 pound) turkey for my family, I would bake it breast side down in orange or pineapple juice instead of using butter. The meat was always nice and juicy. Gravy was very good without added fat or oils. There hardly was any leftovers either. Since I am alone now and one of my daughters usually fix the turkey, I don't worry anymore and just enjoy my family. |
11/18/2012 12:34:28 PM
|
If you cook the turkey right you shouldn't have to baste at all. |
JANGELLER1
11/18/2012 9:25:09 AM
|
Instead of basting my turkey, I slip my fingers between the skin and the breast to separate the smaller membrane. Do not disturb the stronger membrane that is between the breasts as it helps hold the cooking turkey together. Then place thinly sliced apple, celery and 2 bacon strips next to the breast meat. Season as you like it. Throw the rest of the apple, celery and onion into the neck cavity and tail cavity and cook in a cooking bag, or covered, as instructed for an un-stuffed turkey. Personally, I like to spend my Thanksgiving enjoying our guests instead of spending time in the kitchen, so I cook the turkey 2 days before the event and put it in the fridge to get cold. The day before, I take the meat off the bone, slice it, and arrange it in a baking dish. Keep the skin. I keep the legs and wings whole to place on top of the meat. Use the skin to cover all the meat.and keep it from drying out On Thanksgiving day you can pop it in the oven for a while, or serve cold. Remove skin before serving. You are free from carving, greasy hands, and dealing with a big mess of bones. Enjoy your guests. |
11/18/2012 8:12:35 AM
|
I loved this article. Everything in moderation! I have already had my Thanksgiving Dinner being Canadian, so I wanted to suggest one more thing I used, a smaller plate. It tricks the eye and mind into thinking you have eaten more than you have. Happy Thanksgiving! |
|
11/15/2011 1:38:38 PM
|
I'm glad to see a guide that takes a sensible approach. I've seen some that suggest replacing the mash potatoes with mashed cauliflower, some sort of gravy that involved vegetable oil, and replacing all of the sugar with artificial replacements. |
11/15/2011 12:14:49 PM
|
Thank goodness I'm low carb! Bring on the turkey, skin and all! I plan to eat it to my heart's content and I guarantee I won't get sleepy, and I'll still lose weight. I'm making green beans, squash, and cauliflower, loaded with butter, bacon, and sour cream as appropriate. My one concession is a pumpkin recipe that substitutes Splenda for sugar - even though I don't like the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. But, oh well, it's just one day. End result? Delicious meal, low blood pressure, great serum cholesterol, steady blood sugar levels, and total satisfaction. Get into the spirit and eat like Squanto! No wheat back then, was there? :D |
11/15/2011 11:46:15 AM
|
Thanks for posting this,I'm still gonna use my measuring cups and spoons and then I'm gonna divide the whole thing in 1/2.Still can't eat a sizable amount of food at one sitting.I have to revisit that plate several times throughout the evening. |
|
11/15/2011 5:21:34 AM
|
Thanks for the eye ooener. I've been trying to think how I'll handle thanksgiving. My mom is cooking so I'll use some and have to figure out a few other ideas. |
11/23/2010 3:04:58 PM
|
Thank you for posting this! Its great to be able to see what my fav dishes truly add up to. My strategy to survive this Thanksgiving without gaining 5+ pounds is to workout, workout, workout as much as possible this week and only eat those things that I really dont get to often.. aka skipping rolls come one we all know what those taste like! Stuffing eghh maybe a little but its not really worth it to me LOL Good luck all! |
11/25/2009 4:26:58 PM
|
Heh. Man, I'm SO glad I'm a vegan. It's like an added boost for not having the crazy calorie counts. Since I make my stuffing with no added fat at all (just veggie broth and spices), use a vegan packaged gravy that has no fat and is only 20 calories a half cup(!) and have never added any fat or oil/milk/etc. to my spuds I feel more okay eating a decent slice of vegan pumpkin pie with soy whip. And having a pretty decadent puff pastry wrapped Field Roast entree. Mmm. :) It really is insane how many calories just some dairy/eggs can add. o.O Potatoes really are just as tasty without adding anything. I just mash mine, add roasted garlic or garlic granules, chopped parsley and some sea salt. They are creamy and no one ever misses the cream/butter/whatnot. Use a good potato like Yukon Golds or Baby Reds. I think Russets are a lovely baked potato but only so so for mashed spuds. I intend to watch my portions and have a little bit of everything. Happy holidays! |
11/25/2009 12:41:12 PM
|
Instead of stuffing, we're making a Cajun eggplant dish, stuffed with breadcrumbs and crabmeat. Less bread, more veggies, and totally delicious! |
|
11/25/2009 12:31:07 PM
|
I have been part of this site for a week and have lost 5.2 pounds with the meal plan and two days of working out. I was dreading tomorrow because I was unsure of what I should eat and how much. This article saved me from Google and was right here conveniently at my fingertips THANK YOU |
11/26/2008 1:31:08 PM
|
This article was very helpful...I love the turkey basting idea(s) because I usually baste my bird in butter to keep it juicy. I will definitely try one of these alternatives. |
|
11/26/2008 11:17:54 AM
|
it was a great article...I like what they about gravy what to to cut out fat |