Thanksgiving has always been seen as a day where you had no choice but to gain weight.  There’s so many dishes to choose from and so, we put it all on our plates!  However, it’s consuming all those extra calories that is the primary cause of weight gain during the holidays.

 It doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re cooking the Thanksgiving meal this year, don’t feel that you have no other choice but to prepare calorie-dense dishes.  Today, I’m giving you a few suggestions on how to cut back on the calories of the foods and drinks you prepare this Thanksgiving holiday.

Baking

Replace butter with applesauce, mashed banana or pumpkin puree in your recipes.
Instead of sugar, try using a lower-calorie substitute such as Stevia.
Add dried fruit instead of chocolate chips or candies.
Increase the flavors in your recipes with extracts like vanilla, almond and peppermint instead of adding butter and sugar.

Cooking

Add lots of herbs and spices to you dishes instead of butter.
Opt to bake, steam or grill instead of frying your food.
Instead of heavy cream, use a substitute such as low-fat or skim milk.
Replace the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.

Beverages

Use club soda or sparkling water in place of sweetened beverages.
Flavor drinks with freshly squeezed lemon, lime or other fruit rather than sugar. Cinnamon can also add flavor to holiday-themed beverages.
In dairy-based drinks, use low-fat or skim milk in place of heavy cream.

Remember that while there is so much focus on what decorates the plates on your dinner table, the true beauty of the Thanksgiving holiday is found in who’s seated beside us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love Elle

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