Save Calories With These Thanksgiving Food Swaps!

We all enjoy feasting on our favorite home-cooked meals during the holidays. Depending on how you plan to cook your favorite dishes, some ingredients may not be the healthiest choice and could also be very high in fat and calories. 

As someone who occasionally enjoys his way around the kitchen, trust me when I tell you that sometimes you can substitute ingredients in grandma’s secret recipes and still enjoy the food you eat! 

Because we are now at an age where we’re conscientious about the foods we eat, I want to share some food swap tips that can help you cut back on those extra calories. My goal is for everyone to enjoy their favorite foods while still being conscious about exactly what they are eating and the portion sizes over the holidays. 

Keep in mind that these are just suggestions to help you stay on the right track. If you find these swaps appealing, try using them as motivation to create your own healthier options! 

Have Skinless Turkey Breast Instead of the Turkey Dark Meat with Skin

I might lose friends over this one, but this is just an idea! Despite how juicy and tasty dark meat is, the fat content is higher, which causes those calories to creep up quickly! 

For example, a 3-ounce serving of roasted white turkey breast contains about 125 calories, while the same portion of dark meat contains around 147 calories. The difference is small, but it can add up if you’re watching your calorie intake.

Try Cranberry Relish Over Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce can contain a significant amount of added sugar, which increases the calorie content. It also has more carbs as it’s usually cooked and much sweeter.  

Cranberry relish is made from raw ingredients and blended in a food processor. In addition, relish recipes typically use less sugar than cranberry sauce. This potentially lowers the calories and added sugars in relish.

By substituting cranberry sauce with cranberry relish, you could save almost half the amount of calories.

Get Rid of Heavy Cream

Heavy cream is derived from cow’s milk and contains a high percentage of milk fat, usually between 36-40%. It is higher in calories, providing around 400 calories per cup. This can be useful if you’re looking to add calories to your diet, but it can be a drawback for those watching calorie intake.

Instead of heavy cream, try light coconut milk. Light Coconut milk is made from the grated flesh of coconuts and has fewer calories than heavy cream if you use the light version (around 150 calories per cup).

Coconut milk also has a small amount of carbohydrates, so it may not be as low-carb as heavy cream.

Traditional Mashed Potatoes vs Lightened Mashed Potatoes

You can save half the amount of calories and fat by making your mashed potatoes with 2% milk. 

Whole milk has about 150 calories per cup and is mostly made from fat. 2% milk has around 120 calories per cup, making it slightly lower in calories than whole milk.

If you’re really trying to cut calories, try non-fat Greek yogurt. Non-fat Greek yogurt is lower in calories and doesn’t contain any fat. 

Try Cacao Nibs or Dark Chocolate

Instead of chocolate chips, get yourself some cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips. Cacao nibs are high in fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants, and minerals like magnesium and iron. They’re also low in sugar, making them a nutrient-dense choice for those looking to add chocolate flavor without added sweetness. 

Cacao nibs are also known to help prevent brain ailments and cancer.

Egg Whites Are Your Friend

You save so many calories by having egg whites instead of whole eggs. For example, one large egg has around 70 calories, whereas one large egg white has about 15-20 calories.

In addition, egg whites contain no fat or cholesterol, making them a popular choice for people limiting fat or cholesterol intake.

Lightened Cornbread Stuffing!

Use fat free buttermilk and half the amount of butter and you will save almost half the amount of fat and your calories will be a lot lower. 

Get More Fiber With Whole Grain Rolls

You can add fiber without sacrificing taste by serving whole grain dinner rolls instead of white rolls. Whole grain rolls contain more fiber than refined grain rolls, which promotes healthy digestion, supports bowel regularity, and can reduce the risk of constipation.

In addition, fiber can also help control blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar, which may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Maybe Less Candied Yams and More Sweet Potatoes

While candied yams still offer the nutrients of sweet potatoes, they are high in sugar and fat. Sweet potatoes are already sweet and really good for you. 

A serving of candied yams can have 250-300 calories or more, with added sugars and fats contributing most of the extra calories. They are also drowned in brown sugar and marshmallows which is tasty but if you want a healthier option, just stick with roasted sweet potatoes. 

On the other hand, a plain, medium-sized sweet potato has about 100-130 calories and is high in fiber and complex carbs that can help maintain steady blood sugar levels.

Is That Pumpkin Pie or Sweet Potato Pie?

 As these two look similar and even taste somewhat similar, sweet potato pie is a healthier alternative to pumpkin pie. 

A slice of pumpkin pie typically contains around 250-300 calories, whereas a slice of sweet potato pie generally has slightly more calories, ranging from 300-350 calories per slice.

Best of all, sweet potato pie is lower in calories and fat and has a higher concentration of nutrients, more essential minerals, and fiber.  

It’s Time to Start Planning Your Family’s Thanksgiving Party!

These are just a few suggestions that can help prevent overindulging during Thanksgiving! Sometimes, we are on autopilot and just prepare food as we always have. So, if you want to make healthier changes, you really have to think about it and put it into action. Making better choices is not hard, but it takes effort. 

Remember, even if you lower calories and make better choices, you still have to be mindful of your portion sizes.  You still don’t want to overindulge. You want to keep your healthy lifestyle and goals in mind!  

Enjoy the holidays with all the ones you love and be mindful of all the tasty food that you prepare!