November News Letter

1) Don’t go to Thanksgiving dinner hungry: When we are hungry we often eat faster

and more. Eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch beforehand to avoid overeating at din-

ner time.

2) Don’t think of Thanksgiving dinner as an all-you-can-eat buffet: Fix your plate

half with vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat and the other quarter with a starch of

your choice. Make sure to eat slowly and stop when you are full.

3) Watch portion sizes: Choose a 4-oz portion of skinless turkey. Choose small por-

tions of a variety of side dishes that way you can sample all different foods. Moderation

is the key.

4) Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items: High fat food items can be found

in fried and creamy dishes as well as casseroles in a traditional Thanksgiving meal. If

you cannot control the ingredients in the dish, simply limit yourself to a smaller helping.

5) Opt to drink plenty of water: Avoid drinking alcohol and coffee which can dehy-

drate your body. Drink calorie-free water to help fill up your stomach and keep you hy-

drated.

6) Enjoy friends, family, and others: Spend time during your meal to talk with

those around you. Remember Thanksgiv-

ing is more than just wonderful food.

Share stories with others and enjoy your-

self.

Healthy Thanksgiving Tips

Fun Food Related November National “Holidays”

Now and days it seems like

we have a celebration for

everything. Courtesy of

www.holidayinsights.com

there are many “holidays”

in November that involve

different types of food. For

instance, November is Pea-

nut Butter Lovers Month.

Natural peanut butter is a

good source of protein,

fiber, and some vitamins/

minerals. Spread a table-

spoon on a piece of whole

wheat bread or an apple

and enjoy a nutritious

snack!

November also has national

holidays for food on specif-

ic days.

-November 2nd: National

Deviled Eggs Day (good

source of protein)

-November 3rd: National

Sandwich Day

-November 7th: National

Bittersweet Chocolate with

Almonds Day (healthy in

moderation of course)


Cook Something Bold Day

(try a new healthy recipe)


Chicken Soup for the Soul

Day


Indian Pudding Day


Clean Out Your Refrigera-

tor Day (get rid of all those

unhealthy foods!)


Homemade Bread Day


Eat a Cranberry Day


Cashew Day

-November 24th:

THANKSGIVING!!!


Parfait Day (use your fa-

vorite low fat yogurt and

fresh fruit)

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November 2011

1 cup chopped apple

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 2

-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, heat the chicken broth

over medium heat. Add the celery and onion

and sauté until the vegetables are tender,

about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3.In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes,

parsley, tarragon, paprika, nutmeg, cranber-

ries, water chestnuts and chopped apples.

Add the onion and celery mixture. Stir to

mix evenly.

4. Spoon stuffing into the prepared bak-

ing dish. Cover with aluminum foil and

bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10

more minutes. Serve immediately

Nutritional Data:

Serving size 1/2 cup

Calories 147, Protein 5g, Sodium 263mg,

Carbohydrate 29g, Fiber 5g, Total fat 2g,

Potassium 256mg, Saturated fat 0.5g,

Calcium 51mg

Ingredients:

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

10 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted and cut into cubes

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries

1 cup whole water chestnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and dry pota-

toes and pierce them in several places with a

fork. Bake potatoes for approximately 1 hour or

until tender. Allow potatoes to cool, peel them

and place in a large bowl.

2. Stir in orange peel, orange juice, 2 tablespoon

low-fat margarine, cinnamon, cumin, and salt;

mix well and spoon into lightly greased 10x6-

inch baking dish.

3. Combine pecans, flour, 1 tablespoon brown

sugar, and 1 tablespoon low-fat margarine; mix

well. Sprinkle evenly over potatoes

Ingredients:

5 Sweet Potatoes

1 tsp grated orange peel

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons low-fat margarine

3 tablespoon light brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

½ cup chopped pecans

2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until hot. Let

stand 5 minutes before serving

Nutritional Data:

Servings Per Recipe 8

Calories 160, Calories from Fat 40, Total

Fat 4.5g , Saturated Fat 1g , Cholesterol

0mg , Sodium 250mg , Total Carbohy-

drate 30g , Dietary Fiber 4g , Sugars 15g,

Protein 2g, Vitamin A 440%, Vitamin C

45%, Calcium 6%, Iron 6%

Page 2

Stuffing with Cranberries

Healthy Substitutions for Thanksgiving Recipes

Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole

HE A LT HY E A TI NG NE WS LET TE R

Recipe Calls For... Substitution

1 whole egg 2 egg whites

sour cream low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream

milk skim or 1% milk

ice cream frozen yogurt

heavy cream (not for whipping) 1:1 ratio of flour whisked into non fat milk (e.g. 1 cup of flour

+ 1 cup of non fat milk)

whipped cream chilled evaporated skim milk or other low fat whipped prod-

ucts such as Nutriwhip

cheese low-fat cheese (please note: non-fat cheese does not melt well

if use in cooking or baking)

butter Light butter

cream of mushroom fat-free cream of mushroom

try a home-made pie crust recipe

that is not made with shortening.

2) Cranberries: Cranberries are

packed with Vitamin C and also

provide a fair amount manganese

and dietary fiber. Cranberries also

contain proanthocyanidins, which is

a type of antioxidant that can pre-

vent bacteria in the urinary tract

which causes urinary tract infec-

tions.

3) Sweet Potato: Sweet Potatoes

are rich in antioxidants such as Vit-

amin C and beta-carotene. They are

also excellent sources of potassium.

Eat the skin to reap the health bene-

fits of fiber!

4) Turkey: In addition to being an

excellent source of protein, turkey

offers the least amount of fat per

serving, among all other meats, as

long as you do not eat the skin.

5) Green Beans: Green beans are

one of the healthiest holiday foods

and most popular side. They are an

excellent source of vitamin C, vita-

min K (good for bone health) and

manganese. They also contain an

adequate amount of vitamin A, die-

tary fiber, potassium, folate, and

iron. Green bean casserole in a pop-

ular traditional Thanksgiving side

dish which tends to be rather high

in calories as it contains butter,

cream of mushroom and cheese.

Try making this dish with lower-fat

version of these ingredients such as

fat-free cream of mushroom and

light butter and you can still enjoy

the yummy taste without the guilt!

On average, a traditional Thanks-

giving dinner can have up to 2,000

calories or more and over 100grams

of fat. Instead of thinking what not

to eat this holiday season, think of

these five foods and their healthy

benefits.

1)Pumpkin: Pumpkin is rich in Vit-

amin A and also provides a good

amount of fiber. Pumpkin seeds are

also high in polyunsaturated and

monounsaturated fatty acids (these

are the good fats). Pumpkin itself is

low in calories and is a healthy holi-

day food. However, pumpkin pie is

typically the form of choice around

the holiday season. Turning this

low calorie food in a high-calorie

food because it's made with eggs,

sugar, evaporated milk and baked in

a high-fat pie crust. To make a low-

er-fat pumpkin pie, consider using

an egg substitute, light cream or

low-fat evaporated milk in your

recipe. Try a pie crust with the low-

est amount of trans fat possible or

The temperature has cooled off from

the hot summer and fall has brought

crisp comfortable weather for unique

opportunities to be active. Focus on

social activities and social benefits dur-

ing this season to keep physically ac-

tive. Being active provides time to

mingle and form relationships with

others. That sense of belonging adds

to better self-esteem and reduces

stress and feelings of loneliness.

Autumn is apple season and it’s the

perfect time of year to pick ripe ap-

ples right off the tree. It is a great

way to get outside, get some exer-

cise, and learn how this nutritious

fruit is grown and harvested.

Visit a pumpkin patch and corn

maze. This can offer a full day of fun

for those of all ages. Get a group to-

gether and enjoy the weather while

sharing stories and making your way

through a maze or searching for the

perfect decretive pumpkin.

Take an autumn nature walk through

the crisp, cool air and look at all the

beautifully colored leaves. Take this

opportunity to get outside while taking

a closer look at nature and getting

physically fit .

Attend fall festivals, craft shows as

well as themed events that your com-

munity may have to offer. Getting out

and walking around these events is

joyful way to get in some exercise.

Support a worthwhile cause such as a

walk, run, cycle for a charity. This is

an excellent way to get out and support

a good cause while improving your

own health.

Page 3

5 Healthy Thanksgiving Foods

Autumn Activities

Documents

November News Letter