Thanksgiving usually entails all of our favorite comfort foods and desserts. Although the holidays can be very exciting and joyous times, they can also be filled with busy schedules and stress. We see treats, sweets, and special foods and drinks around every corner. Here are some tips for navigating all the holiday season social events, parties, and Thanksgiving dinner to make sure you maintain your healthy eating habits:

• Don’t arrive overly hungry! Have a small protein snack before. This will help take the edge off and can prevent you from overeating.
• Bring your own healthy dish to the party. Bring a dish like vegetables and hummus as an appetizer or a big, green leafy salad as your side dish. Now you know there will be a healthy option and I’m sure others will be grateful as well!
• Don’t keep your favorite holiday treats around the house. You’ll be much more likely to eat them if they’re only steps away.
• Consider healthier substitutions in your favorite Thanksgiving dishes! You can often reduce the amount of sugar, fat, and carbohydrates.

Try swapping out your traditional (and calorie laden) Thanksgiving sides with healthier options. Here are three delicious (and healthy) Thanksgiving recipes with to try this season.

SERVES 4 | SERVING SIZE: 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 ½ C. unsalted chicken stock
2 eggs
12 oz toasted sourdough bread cubes
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. olive oil
½ C. fresh parsley, chopped
2 T. fresh thyme
1 T. fresh sage, chopped
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:

1.  Combine chicken stock and eggs in a large bowl. Add toasted sourdough bread cubes.
2. Sauté minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat.
3. Stir garlic, parsley, thyme, sage, salt and pepper into bread mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Bake stuffing at 350 degrees for 45 minutes in an 7x11 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5. This recipe doubles easily.

SERVES 4 | SERVING SIZE: 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs green beans
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
¼ cup sliced almonds, optional
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add green beans to lightly salted boiling water and cook until they just start to get tender but remain quite crunchy, 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size of the beans. Drain the beans and immediately plunge them into ice water. Let them sit for 1 minute to cool thoroughly, then drain. 
2. Put the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add the shallots and cook, stirring once or twice, until they’re golden brown and crisp – about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the shallots to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan.
3. Add green beans to the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until the beans are crisp-tender – about 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve hot or warm with the shallots on top. Sprinkle with almonds.

SERVES 8 | SERVING SIZE: ½ yam

Ingredients:

4 yams, cubed
1 cup orange juice
8 T. maple syrup
5 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Slice the yams into 1-inch cubes and put them into the pot of boiling water for about 5 to 7 minutes until they’re slightly underdone.
3. Transfer the yams to a greased baking pan. (For this recipe we used an 8x8 glass dish)
4. Mix the orange juice, 6 tablespoons of maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour over the yams.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
6. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, pull the dish out and brush with the remaining maple syrup.

To learn more about how to manage your dietary habits through the holidays or to learn more healthy recipes visit the LiVe Well Center website or call Park City Hospital’s LiVe Well Center today to set up an appointment with one of our registered dietitians.