5 Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes
December 10, 2012
•Emily Murray
•Portland
• 0 Comments
5 Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Most people aren't really worried about health when they are gathered around the table with friends and family to share a delicious holiday meal. However, that doesn't mean that you need to completely derail your healthy habits for the big celebration. If you are given the task of contributing a side dish or two for Thanksgiving dinner, here are some healthy options that will please everyone's palette as well as your waistline. In fact, cooking healthy has become somewhat of a culinary trend and you can enroll in nearly any cooking class to learn additional techniques at cooking school in Portland.
1) Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Who doesn't like French fries? The crispy, salty potato sticks are a favorite snack of many. The problem is that fries are traditionally deep-fried and contain high amounts of calories and saturated fats. Since you are likely going to overeat during the Thanksgiving meal anyway, it's best to cut calories wherever you can. If you enjoy fries, you can add them to your Thanksgiving ensemble after just a few modifications.
First, hand cut sweet potatoes instead of ordinary potatoes. Sweet potatoes are full of nutrients including iron, vitamin B6, vitamin A, and vitamin D. Next, sprinkle on the herbs and spices of your choosing. Pop the seasoned fries into the oven and bake them to crispy perfection.
2) Lean Green Bean Casserole
This comfort food is a popular side that is often included in many Thanksgiving spreads. While most recipes call for lots of fatty ingredients like cream of mushroom soup, this healthy version of the dish omits the creamy soup to lower sodium, fat, and overall calories. Instead of using canned soup, creating your own white sauce from scratch could make the casserole fresher, lighter, and just as tasty. For the cream sauce, use low-fat milk or fat-free milk and mix with corn starch.
3) Oven-roasted Squash with Fresh Herbs
Squash is a nutritious and tasty vegetable high in beta carotene and several vitamins. If you want to bring out the flavors in squash, roasting them is a great idea. Roasted squash develop a mild sweetness and delicious tenderness that isn't present when they are raw or quickly blanched. If you want to know a little cooking class secret, after roasting, add salt, garlic, and parsley to take the squash to another level.
4) Cranberry-Raspberry Relish
With all the turkey and gravy, you are going to want something light and tangy to counter the heaviness and cleanse the palette. Traditionally, cranberry sauce is the solution to this problem, but you can do things a little differently to make this meal special. This cranberry-raspberry relish is just the side dish for the job. The best part is that you don't even have to do any cooking. Fresh raspberries, cranberries, and crystallized ginger are a terrific trio that forms the bulk of the relish.
5) Cornbread and Turkey-Sausage Stuffing
For some, the stuffing is the best part of the turkey. Too bad classic versions contain fatty organ meats, white bread, and lots of butter. Don't fret though. You can still enjoy stuffing when it's made with heart-health in mind. This cornbread and sausage variety is a favorite down South, and it's good for you too. Substitute regular pork sausage for Italian turkey-sausage and you have a scrumptious filling that could make this coming Turkey Day the most memorable one ever. Wish this kind of cooking didn’t have to end? You may want to enroll in some classes at cooking school in Portland.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Portland for more information.
Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.chefs.edu/disclosures. Le Cordon Bleu® and the Le Cordon Bleu logo are registered trademarks of Career Education Corporation. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.