Healthy and Quick Thanksgiving Side Dishes

 

 

The holiday season is just around the corner, and along with family and friends comes stress and lots of food.  Try making your Thanksgiving meal simple can help reduce stress and keep your family healthy.  Add a few other healthier options to your Thanksgiving meal this year while still having your traditional comfort foods.  This year, try to pick vegetable side dishes that have fewer ingredients.  This will help to cut down on the cooking time and have fewer calories while still tasting great! 

To avoid extra holiday pounds, load up your plate with vegetable side dishes and eat them first!  By eating your vegetables, you will get nutrient rich foods that will help you feel full.  This may help you avoid the second helping of other higher calorie foods.

Looking for great side dishes to make for your family this year?  Here are a few recipes that you may want to try!

Baked Apples and Sweet Potatoes
Acorn Squash Filled with Savory Spinach
Roasted Vegetables with Maple Glaze
Sweet Potato Casserole

Here are some tips to remember:

• Fill up your plate with fruit and vegetable side dishes.
• Choose recipes with fewer ingredients that are easy to prepare and clean up.
• Add fruit to your meal and skip dessert!

What is your favorite healthy Thanksgiving dish to prepare?

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!



Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!  Cinco de Mayo is considered a Mexican holiday, which many people celebrate here in the United States.  Cinco de Mayo, May 5, is a time to dance to lively music, enjoy baked tortilla chips and homemade salsa and learn a new word in Spanish.  This holiday is a great time to let children try foods from another culture.  Try some of these Mexican foods to celebrate with your family this year!

 

1. Pico de Gallo.  A tasty salsa with just a few ingredients!  Serve with baked chips or fresh vegetables like celery and carrots sticks.
2. Guacamole.  A popular Mexican dip made with avocados.  Just smash them in bowl and add a little lime juice and chopped tomato.  Kids can help smash the avocado.
3. Make a Mexican flag.  Try making a Mexican flag out of fruits and veggies.  Use sugar snap peas for the green, sliced and peeled apples for the white and red pepper slices for the red.  Put vegetables side by side on a plate! 
4. Black Beans! A great addition to any meal as a good source of lean protein.
5. Fish Tacos.  Fish Tacos are a quick and easy dinner!  Try this healthy recipe below!

 

Fish TacosMakes 6 servings

 

Ingredients
1/2 cup sour cream (low-fat)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (fat-free)
1/2 cup cilantro (chopped), or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 package taco seasoning (low-sodium)
1 pound tilapia or white fish fillets (cut into 1 inch pieces)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

6 corn tortillas

1 tomato, diced

6 lime wedges (optional)

1 small cabbage (shredded)

 

Directions

1.  In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro and 2 Tablespoons seasoning mix to make taco sauce.

2. In a medium bowl, combine fish, oil, lemon juice and remaining seasoning mix; pour into large skillet.  Cook stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

3.  Fill warm tortillas with fish mixture.

4.  Top with cabbage, tomato, sour cream mixture, lime wedges (optional) and taco sauce.

 

 

Source:  Centeres for Disease Control and Prevention, More Matters Recipes

 

How do you plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year?