November Recipe: Healthy Holiday Hacks
What’s on your 2022 Thanksgiving platter?
Last weekend I spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing for a large taste-testing event with high-school students. I also had the TV tuned into the holiday cooking shows. Every show seemed to have the same theme: Holiday Cooking Hacks.
While most of the cooking hacks looked tasty, there seemed to be a lot of missed opportunities to make the holiday spread a little healthier.
You don’t have to sacrifice great taste.
High-fiber protein appetizers can be a special treat. They also are filling and can reduce how much you eat during the day.
Let’s face it, many healthy snacks seem to be tasteless and undesirable options.
Simple modifications to your family recipes by using plant-based butter and soy milk can deliver the goods while reducing needless saturated fat.
What do you gain? A punch of protein in every bite.
Below are a few Healthy Holiday Hacks from my kitchen to yours.
Hack #1
Get your vegetable soybeans cooked and in the freezer for pre- and post-holiday treats.
Whip up some hummus for your Thanksgiving appetizer.
Serve with carrot sticks and/or your (almost homemade) pita chips that are a crowd-pleaser. Follow the Pumpkin Hummus recipe from the November 2021 post. Soy hummus freezes great for future holiday events.
No time to cook soybeans and prepare the hummus?
Purchase some soy hummus and just follow the steps in the Pumpkin Hummus recipe to add the pumpkin and garnish like a chef!
Hack #2: Add heart-healthy appetizers.
Hack #3: What to do with leftover turkey?
Pull your pre-cooked, frozen soybeans from the freezer to make some hack-worthy meals for friends and family with your leftovers.
Check out the heart-healthy ways you can use that leftover turkey.
Hope this gives you a few ideas for making your holiday feast both happy and healthy!
Small steps matter.
Enjoy!
~Karen