Tips to a Tastier, Healthier Turkey by Hicham Elmadi

The turkey may be one of the most anticipated and feared foods for the Thanksgiving holiday. But not to worry, Hilton Head Health has some tips to make your bird healthier and even more tasty. Plus, we've included a full recipe using the tips we've suggested. Enjoy!

Tip #1- Turkey Benefits

• High in Zinc, Iron, Potassium, and Phosphorus


• High in Protein - slows digestion to keep you feeling full longer


• White meat is lower in cholesterol - avoid dark meat

Tip #2- Making a Moist Turkey

• Let the turkey rest after cooking to ensure a juicy turkey


• A 10 lb turkey will take around 2 to 2 ½ hours to cook


• Choose a fresh turkey over a frozen turkey - the ice crystals damage the muscle cells causing the meat to dry out when cooked

Tip #3- Use a Healthier Stuffing Option

• Vermicelli (Rice Pasta) is a high-energy-dense food and low in fiber which soothes the digestive system


• Traditional stuffing is full of carbs that weigh you down

Tip #4- Use Spices to Add Flavor without Adding Calories

• Ginger- Relieves pain, nausea and treats bloating


• Lemon- High in Vitamin C, Salt substitution by tenderizing the meat


• Garlic- Lowers high blood pressure


• Parsley- A source of anti-oxidant nutrients, heart healthy


• Turmeric- An Anti-inflammatory agent, Source of B6 that reduces the risk of heart disease


• Saffron- Helps with insomnia, pain, and heartburn, high in Vitamin C, Potassium, Iron, Vitamin B6


• Cilantro- Decreases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and gives you overall energy

Thanksgiving Turkey 

Ingredients:

1 bunch Parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch Cilantro, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Saffron

1 Tablespoon Turmeric

3 Tablespoon Fresh garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon Ground ginger

2 each Onion, minced

To taste  Salt and pepper

1 package Vermicelli pasta, soften in hot water

¼ cup Celery & Carrot Pesto

Method:

• Mix the saffron with ½ cup warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.


• Puree the onions in a food processor.


• Place all ingredients, except Vermicelli and pesto, into a big bowl and mix well. (This is now your filling.)


• Reserve ¼ cup of the filling for later and rub the remainder inside and outside of the turkey.


• Mix the softened vermicelli with the reserved rub and carrots & celery pesto. Stuff the turkey with this mixture.


• Cover and bake the turkey at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Uncover the turkey, during the last 30 minutes.


• After two hours, turn off the oven and cover the turkey; allow it to sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition: 

Number of Servings: 10-12

Serving Size: 4 ounces Turkey / 1 ½ ounce Vermicelli

Calories: 320

Protein: 40 g

Total Fat: 1.5 g

Dietary Fiber: 2 g

 

Bob's Basics on Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you and your family have the best Thanksgiving you have ever had. As we all know, holidays, especially Thanksgiving, can pose some real challenges to staying on track with your program. In her post yesterday Lisette, with David’s help, discussed the concept of progress not perfection. I’d like to focus on the same theme.

Think about previous Thanksgivings, how you have eaten, the level of activity you had, and look for ways to improve. Perhaps the most important thing you can do to set yourself up for a good day is to start the day with doing something positive. Take a few minutes to reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving and acknowledge what you have to be thankful for; take a walk first thing in the morning, it doesn’t have to be long, even a short walk can lift your spirits; have a good healthy breakfast—it is easier to sustain the momentum of a good start than change the moment from a bad one. As clinical psychologist Howard Rankin, Ph.D. says, “it is hard to rebound from a double bacon sausage biscuit.”

For some, the problem isn’t only that it is difficult to manage portions during a holiday, it’s that you have a license to eat as much as physically possible. Thanksgiving is the poster child event for eating until the point of physical discomfort. Some even take pride in being able to out eat other members of the family. Maybe it is time to let someone else earn that honor. But the goal isn’t to stay on an aggressive diet either. Eat what you want but pay attention to the amount. Ask yourself, “is this really going to be worth it?” If so, eat slowly and mindfully and most importantly savor every single morsel.

If in the past, you spent hours upon hours watching football, or the Thanksgiving day Law and Order marathon, you could plan some fun family physical activities. Take family thermal walks or at least get up every half hour or so and take a few laps around the house.

If you tend to be more liberal with your alcohol intake during the holidays, you can save some calories by cutting back a bit. Keep in mind that it not just the calories from alcohol that you need to be concerned about, it the impact alcohol has on staying focused and motivated in a very challenging food environment. Remember the phrase “resolve dissolves in alcohol”. Enjoy a glass of wine, a beer or mixed drink with the meal if you would like, but having a couple of drinks before you sit down will make it all but impossible to make healthy choices.

Finally, if you happen to eat or drink a bit more than planned. Don’t fret it, you haven’t blown it. Don’t try to make up for by skipping meals on Friday or trying to exercise for four hours. If you start Friday with a healthy breakfast, make sure you get a good exercise session in sometime during the day, and plan some fun physically active things to do over the weekend. The impact of going a bit overboard on Thanksgiving day will be minimal.

Top 5 Thanksgiving Survival Strategies

Now that we have all survived Halloween, it’s time to set our sights on Thanksgiving. Here are my top 5 picks for strategies that will get you through Thanksgiving without overeating and making unhealthy food choices:

1.  Bring something you can eat: If you offer to bring a dish to a Thanksgiving feast, prepare one that you know is on your food plan. Likewise, all you Thanksgiving chefs, prepare one healthy dish this year to give your health-conscious guests a guilt-free option.


2. Do a reconnaissance mission: Before even picking up you plate at a Thanksgiving buffet, take a look at all the dishes that are offered and decide what you will and will not be eating. Then go get your plate and stick to the plan! This helps to prevent the pile-up syndrome which happens when your plate is full as you get to the end of the buffet where your two favorite dishes await, thus the piling begins.


3. Speed Bump: Set up an imaginary speed-bump in the center of your plate (you can use a string bean or two for a visual reminder). When you’ve eaten half your plate, or up to your speed bump, slow down and take a break. Take a sip of water, get up and use the restroom, engage in conversation. Just give yourself five minutes to let your head catch up with your stomach. Check-in with your fullness and satiety before continuing to eat again.


4. Skip Seconds: Going back for seconds is a sure fire way to overeat. Make sure your first plate has all your favorites and enough for a good healthy meal. Then savor every aspect of the meal so that you don’t feel as if you are missing out on anything. I guarantee you, one plate will be enough.


5. Close your eyes. Eat your meal mindfully. Savor several bites. Take in the aroma before even eating. Every once in a while, take small bites and let them sit on your tongue for a moment before chewing. Also, close your eyes every so often to isolate your sense of taste and truly relish the bite. Be present for this special meal…it only comes once a year!

These are simple strategies that will have a profound effect on your Thanksgiving experience. Use them and I guarantee you will enjoy the holiday without any eating regrets.

Turkey Day Recipe Countdown: Green Bean Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups Green beans, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups Cream of mushroom soup (Healthy Request) or H3 Cream sauce

1 cup Skim milk

½ teaspoon Salt

Pinch Pepper

1 teaspoon Onion powder

1 cup Panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)

2 Tablespoon Parsley, fresh, washed, chopped fine

1 Tablespoon Butter, unsalted

PREPARATION:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.


• Place all cut green beans in mixing bowl.


•  In smaller sauce pan, warm H3 cream sauce or healthy request soup and add skim milk or soy milk.


• Warm sauce and season with salt, pepper and onion powder.


•  Lightly spray a 9x9 casserole dish with pan spray.


• Then add cut green beans to casserole dish.


• Pour “cream” mixture over green beans.


• Wrap casserole dish with plastic wrap and foil, and bake for about 20 minutes.


• In another bowl, melt butter and mix with panko crumbs and fresh chopped parsley.


• After casserole has cooked for 20 minutes, sprinkle panko mixture over the top of casserole for an added crunch and color


•  Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until panko crust is golden brown

 

Number of servings: 9

Serving size: 1/9 of pan

Calories: 80 calories

Fat grams: 3

Ask the Expert: Turkey Preparation 101

If you haven't noticed by our recent blog posts, everyone here at H3 is getting excited for the Holiday season!  Today's Ask the Expert is with H3 Chef Jen Welper.  Watch on to learn her tricks for preparing your turkey.

Check back tomorrow for a travel friendly workout from Fitness Director Adam Martin and his special guest!