Cut the Fat from Thanksgiving Dinner Without Missing It

Many people can tell you how to create a healthy Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, those meals often lack flavor and can make the holidays miserable. After all, do you really want to chow down on bland steamed vegetables and mashed cauliflower? I didn't think so. And, guess what? You don't have to. There are ways to cut fat from Thanksgiving dinner without missing it. In fact, you might even find these suggestions more flavorful than your traditional Thanksgiving dishes.

Mashed Potatoes

Many low-carb enthusiasts will tell you that potatoes are downright evil. That isn't the case. Potatoes are low in fat and even contain more potassium than a banana. However, butter and heavy cream can turn otherwise healthy potatoes into a high fat nightmare. In order to cut the fat from your Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, try mashing them with fat-free buttermilk. The buttermilk adds creaminess and flavor without fat. Another way to kick up the flavor is to add roasted garlic. Roasted garlic is packed with flavor and has very little fat. If you do find that you have to add butter, use half butter and half olive oil. You'll still get the same effect, but you'll be cutting back on saturated fat.

Green Beans

Just because green bean casserole is traditional doesn't mean you have to serve it every year. After all, it may very well be one of the fattiest dishes found on the Thanksgiving table. Instead, why not saute fresh green beans in olive oil that has been infused with red pepper flakes or garlic? This dish is fat from bland and is void of saturated and trans-fats. You can even add toasted slivered almonds for a bit of crunch.

Pumpkin Mousse

Pumpkin pie is another classic that takes an otherwise healthy piece of produce and stuffs it full of fat. Instead of serving pumpkin pie, why not make a fat-free mousse? Pumpkin puree can be seasoned with pumpkin pie spice and then folded into fat-free whipped topping. If you want to get even fancier, you could layer the mousse, additional whipped topping and fat-free cookies to create a trifle.

There you have it; three simple ways to cut the fat from Thanksgiving dinner without feeling deprived. Remember, low fat foods don't have to be boring to be tasty. You also don't have to remove every high fat dish from a holiday meal. With a few tweaks, you can enjoy your favorite foods along side a few new dishes and keep your waistline in check.