Thanksgiving

Okay so I am having thanksgiving at my house this year and am totally freaking out. First...I hate cooking....Second I have no idea what to make that is easy and healthy...can anybody help me? I am thinking about running a 5K that morning in hopes that my mom will take over the cooking! How mean is that? Awful I know. Anyway, any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

I'll leave the recommendations for what to make to "the ladies". But I have a question... While it's a good idea to run the 5K that day, if you turn over the kitchen to your mom, is she going to pick things that will be supportive for what you're going through? Most of the time, I find that when I lose control of "the menu" - whether it's because I'm eating out or eating at friends houses - my choices become more difficult. In those cir****tances, I don't know how the food is prepared, so I don't know how much I can afford to have. If you're in control of what gets on the table, you can be your own "support group" no matter what your family thinks. I have a friend who has a mother that would kill her if she could. Not intentionally, but she's just being "a mother" and she's only doing what she's always done. Unfortunately, what she's always done has helped her daughter (my friend) become dangerously close to losing her life because of her weight. Control is an important factor in what we've accomplished - maybe THE MOST important factor. And, let's face it, we're not a group that's known for our self control - that's how we got to where we got to. I would suggest against relinquishing the control over your Thanksgiving menu at this point. Keep control of how you live the rest of your life and I trust that you'll keep up the progress that you've made thusfar. Regardless of what you decide, we'll all be here to help you... Good luck, Maghan, One of your many friends, Steve

Magan, hello...well we all know turkey and ham are a safe bet. But there are some healthier versions of Sweet potatoes, veggie side dishes, even SF pumpkin pie recipies. What I would suggest is to make it easier on you, suggest that each family member bring a few dishes to share, because that is what takes the longest to cook is all the side dishes. This year I have made it clear to my family that I am not making a big fuss and keep it scaled down. Good Luck, Erin

Steve makes some very good points! I'd be afraid to give up cooking control unless I could have my own plate of food pre-arranged to eat instead of what everybody else is having. That would probably feel too freakish for some people but it is what I had planned on doing when it looked like Thanksgiving was going to be at my SIL's this year. (now it's back on at my house) If you really, really hate cooking then check out your local grocery stores and see if it isn't too late to order a precooked turkey. I'd steer clear of the whole dinner package deal but the turkey would be a safe bet and take a lot of the burden off you. Then you only have to worry about making the side dishes healthier. Are you a Sparkpeople member? They had a fun quiz today about holiday foods and making good choices, it really surprised me and has led me to rethink some of what I'm planning on serving. It will give you some ideas of what is healthier. Here's the link if you aren't a member: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/quizzes_questions.asp?quizid=38 One thing I know I'm doing for sure that will be easy and healthy is just roasting the sweet potatoes ahead of time, cooling, peeling, slicing and then reheating them with just a sprinkle of cinnamon. I'll have some of my sugar free Torani caramel syrup warmed in a little pitcher on the table for passing if anybody needs them sweeter but that will be so easy and healthy! Already have my pourable cranberry sauce (sugar free of course!) in the freezer and am planning on taking a Williams-Sonoma recipe for a jelled cranberry dish and changing it to sugar free too. And I've already 'assigned' the stuffing and mashed potatoes to my mom and sister. If I were cooking them my old routine would have been to taste, taste, taste to adjust the seasonings. Neither of those foods is going in me this year at all so they can season it any old way that tastes good to THEM. Since there will be three diabetics at the table we'll eliminate the crescent rolls and the fruit salad. Enough carbs and fat already! Mom and I talked it over and decided to let the carbs loose at dessert instead. I'll do some sugar free ones (already have a pumpkin cheesecake in the freezer) and a regular pumpkin pie. As long as everybody has their basic Thanksgiving 'need' foods (for us it's the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and devilled eggs) then we can eliminate a lot of side dishes for the sake of calories so that dessert isn't so guilt-ridden. Molly

Here's something that I copied from about.com... Low Fat Holiday Eating Away from Home What if you're celebrating Thanksgiving at someone else's house? Here are some tips to navigate your way to a lower fat feast without appearing rude or going hungry. Don't come to the table super-hungry. Make sure you eat a filling and nutritious breakfast such as oatmeal. When hunger pangs strike as the aromas fill your host's house, eat healthy snacks such as fruit or a few whole-grain, trans-fat-free crackers. When it's time to eat, keep in mind that the main problem with eating at Thanksgiving is overeating, so resolve to keep portions of each dish small. When your host carves the turkey, opt for breast meat rather than leg meat if you have a choice, and remove the skin no matter which kind of meat you end up with. Assuming the rest of the food is served family-style, you can be in control of what ends up on your plate. If you love stuffing, have some--but perhaps just a quarter cup. Then fill the rest of your plate with vegetables, leaving the fried onion rings off the green beans. You don't have to have something from every side dish, so perhaps you can choose between mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes rather than having both. Sweet potatoes are more nutritious overall, and if the mashed potatoes are full of cream and butter, it would be better to stick with the sweet potatoes. However, if you must have both kinds, adjust your portion size accordingly, helping yourself to a half portion of each. Enjoy the cranberry sauce but go easy on the gravy. You want to add flavor and moisten your turkey and vegetables, not drown them. Pass on the rolls and butter. There's probably plenty to eat on your plate already. Finally, dessert. If you have a choice between pumpkin pie and pecan pie, pumpkin pie is generally a better choice. According to calorie-count.com, a slice of regular home-baked pecan pie is worth 503 calories, with 244 of them from fat. A slice of pumpkin pie is worth 316 calories with 130 of them from fat. Neither is ideal in terms of eating low fat, but pumpkin pie is lower in calories, and an excellent source of vitamin A, plus a good source of calcium and iron. This is going to help me, hope it helps you (especially if MOM cooks... )