food
By Mallory Arnold
A Recipe for Success How to enjoy your Thanksgiving without sacrificing health
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hanksgiving is a holiday meant for being thankful for family, friends and good health. So, why do most people end up with belly aches and sugar-spiking regret after the celebratory feast? Emily Snyder knows a thing or two about food. With a degree in food science and nutrition, she has tons of advice for how to have a healthful and delicious Thanksgiving. Her suggestions and ideas prove you don’t have to take the taste out of food to make it better for your body. “My favorite Thanksgiving item is definitely sweet potato casserole,” Snyder says. “I like to have the leftovers for breakfast the next day. I eat it cold, topped with blackberries and almond butter.”
Photos courtesy of Emily Snyder
Snyder’s sweet potato casserole tips: Roast sweet potatoes whole before combining them with other ingredients. This Emily Snyder allows the natural sugars to caramelize so you don’t have to add any versus just adding more sugar from the additional sugar to your recipe. marshmallows.” Score each sweet potato a few Coconut sugar also has a slightly times with a knife and roast them at 400 lower glycemic index than table sugar degrees Fahrenheit for an hour. and provides a molasses flavoring, likInstead of marshmallow topping, ened to brown sugar. whip up a homemade streusel. Combine chopped walnuts, pecans, old Stuffed on stuffing fashioned oats and a bit of coconut sugar. Incorporate it with melted butter and One of the biggest problems people a pinch of sea salt. face at the table is overeating. It’s impor“This streusel topping is more nutri- tant not to eat to the point that you feel a ent-dense and also enjoyable,” Snyder stomach ache coming on or you’re too says. “It allows for a bit of additional fiber stuffed to move from the couch and soand healthy fat from the oats and nuts cialize with the family. www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com
“I think it’s important to listen to your body and try to eat intuitively,” Snyder says. “Put small portions of your favorites on a plate and assess yourself as you’re eating so that when you’re finished you can tell if your body wants more.” She insists people shouldn’t worry about what others are eating and to never beat yourself up for getting a little carried away. “You deserve to eat your favorite holiday foods and still feel good,” Snyder says. “Mental health is just as important as physical health, and a healthy relationship with food is part of that.”
Sodi-yum A Thanksgiving feast can call for a lot of butter and salt – probably more than the average person needs. Snyder recommends replacing some, not all, with fresh herbs and citrus. She suggests using only a fraction of butter a recipe calls for and supplementing it with fresh herbs and onion or garlic. “Sage is a classic herb that I think of during the holiday season,” she says, “and you can’t go wrong with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.”
Sweet talk One of the must-haves for any feast is cranberry sauce. You can reduce your sugar intake without sacrificing the delicious staple by boiling your homemade recipe for a long amount of time. This will cook off some sugar. If you’re missing some flavor, add squeezed orange. 31
