A Vegetarian Thanksgiving {The Big Day!}

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

We tend to over eat on Thanksgiving & other holidays, so here are some tips to help you stick to your goals during this holiday! {from the USDA}

*Tweak the sweats-- {you can choose fruit salad, a lighter dessert, instead of pumpkin pie}

*Cheers to good health-- {drink water instead of other calorie-filled drinks}

*Bake Healthier-- {make healthy swaps in your recipe or choose recipes that use fruits instead of butter/fats}

*Spice it up!--{choose recipes with spices to flavor your food instead of sugar and salt which can add calories or contribute to higher blood pressure}

*Brighten the meal-- {fill half your plate with fruits/veggies! They're full of fiber & will be filling}

*Skim the fat-- {try skim evaporated milk instead of heavy cream}

*Swap the grains-- {try to use wheat flour instead of white}

*Go easy on the gravy-- {it adds a ton of calories & fat!}

{Check out USDA for more tips!}

What are your tips? Get out & get moving today! Xoxo- Kristin 

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving {side dishes}

To continue on with our Thanksgiving recipes, I'm posting my favorite side dishes today.

Taralynn has one of my favorite blogs & posts awesome food all the time.  She's really health conscious, but still loves comfort food.  One recipe that I plan on making as a side dish for Thanksgiving is her {healthy cornbread}.  Okay, it looks so moist and fantastic.  It would go perfectly with turkey or ham.  It's only 65 calories per serving!

Next up is my all-time favorite-- {light green bean casserole}!! It's a healthier alternative to the regular casserole, which is very calorie-dense. 

Another really great idea for a wonderful side dish is a {pecan-topped sweet potato} is to wrap up some sweet potatoes in foil & throw them in the crockpot, allowing them to cook while you're using the oven for all your other goodies.  After cooking on high for about 4 hours, they'll be soft and ready to go.  Put a little butter in a saucepan on the stove & brown pecans or almonds to top your sweet potatoes. Easy!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the main event-- the main dishes!