Enjoy Your Favorite Thanksgiving Dishes with Less Sodium and More Fiber

This Thanksgiving you don't have to restrict yourself to the salad and sugarless jello. Follow these great tips for some Thanksgiving favorites to enjoy your holiday meal.

Thanksgiving Tip #1: Substituting
The majority of these cooking tips come from some basic substitutions. Generally, I try to substitute natural sugars for refined sugars, low sodium spices and seasonings for salt, and whole wheat flour for white flour. I also try to start from scratch where possible and avoid all boxed, canned, and preserved foods.

Thanksgiving Tip #2: Savory Low Sodium Stuffing
Instead of buying high sodium prepared bread crumbs, toast your own. I find it is quicker to take leftover whole wheat bread slices, cut them in fours, and place them on the oven range for several minutes, sometimes flipping them halfway. Crumbling them can be a fun family activity. Substitute seasoning and pepper instead of salt, and use homemade vegetable broth instead of canned.

Thanksgiving Tip #3: Better-for-You Turkey
When seasoning your turkey, be sure to use vegetables like onions and garlic to season, pepper, and no sodium herbs and spices. I always leave the skin on to keep the meat moist. By cutting slits in the skin and slipping the onion and seasoning between the meat and skin and inside the turkey cavity, I keep the meat tasty. When serving the turkey, leave the skin behind. The seasonings that cooked inside the turkey will keep the meat yummy.

Thanksgiving Tip #4: High Fiber Pumpkin Bread
Substitute whole wheat flour for white flour when making your pumpkin bread. You can also add wheat germ for a higher fiber bread. Use honey, dried fruit, or a sugar substitute for sweetening.

Thanksgiving Tip #5: A Healthy Twist on Mashed Potatoes
Everyone loves delicious mashed potatoes, but if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia, you may have to stay away from the starchy dish. Try making a potato and vegetable casserole instead. I always substitute half of the potatoes with broccoli, spinach, or other yummy vegetable. I add onion and garlic and seasoning. Sometimes I will add a little bit of turkey bacon or low fat cheese. Usually a casserole that feeds eight people will only have about three medium potatoes and tons of veggies.

Thanksgiving Tip #6: Natural Green Bean Casserole
I was always used to the easy green bean casserole - canned beans and canned cream of mushroom soup. However, canned food often has little to no nutritional value, lots of sodium, and preservatives that affected my hypoglycemia. Instead I now make my green bean casserole using fresh green beans and mushrooms from the farmer's market or grocery. If I do used canned soup instead of a homemade roux, I will opt for the low sodium kind. Always check the labels. Sometimes the low sodium soup has more sodium than the heart-friendly version of the same soup. Pepper, garlic, and a little bit of turkey bacon gives the green bean casserole delicious flavoring.