How to have a healthier, happier Thanksgiving

While many of us are looking forward to Thanksgiving and the good times ahead, not everyone appreciates the spirit of overconsumption that also seems to be celebrated this season. Although it’s hard to keep Aunt Jane from bringing along her Mashed Potato Casserole and impossible to say no to some of Mom’s Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake, there are ways you can make the holiday more sustainable and healthy, not only in the foods you prepare, but the ingredients that you choose, how you cook them, and how you store and reheat those tasty leftovers. In preparation: • Choose food low in pollutants and added chemicals. Food can contain unwanted ingredients like pesticides, hormones, artificial additives and food packaging chemicals. Try to choose organic when you can, and check out the Environmental Working Group’s “Clean 15” list here of less-contaminated conventional fruits and veggies, to keep your grocery bill from skyrocketing. This time of year, great places to head for fresh, organic ingredients are Pilgrim’s Market in Coeur d’Alene and Huckleberry’s Natural Market in Spokane. Pilgrim’s is offering fresh, local cranberries this week and is also known for New Rockport Hutterite Colony Turkeys, which are fresh, never frozen, and are raised in Western Montana without antibiotics or added hormones. For over 40 years, the New Rockport Hutterites have been producing quality free-range birds, fed only grains grown on-site. Also, check out Mary’s organic and heritage Free Range Turkeys at Huckleberry’s, as well as affordable, high-quality organic produce. • Use non-toxic cookware. Skip the non-stick which can give off toxic fumes when placed on high heat. For healthier, safer options, try cast-iron, stainless steel and oven-safe glass. Sun People Dry Goods in Spokane offers a great selection of cast-iron cookware and bakeware that will last for generations and keep your meals healthy. If you do have non-stick pans, a safer way to cook with them is to never heat an empty pan, don’t cook in an oven hotter than 500 degrees and always turn on that exhaust fan. While cooking: * Use olive oil and herbs, rather than butter, to baste your turkey. Cut a large apple in half and stuff it inside your bird while making sure to cook it breast down until the last hour when you’ll want to flip it over and let the breast brown. This will allow a lot of the fat to drain away from the bird, while still keeping it moist and flavorful. * Savory stuffing substitutes. Use wheat bread crumbs in place of white bread crumbs and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and you’ll cut 100 calories out. Flavor stuffing with diced celery, onion, sage or poultry seasoning, a little salt and pepper, and you won’t notice a difference. Instead of butter, use a little olive oil when sautéeing the onions and celery. * Mix it up with your mashed potatoes. Cut more calories by using almond or soy milk instead of regular milk, and/or substitute soy butter (make sure your soy products stay that they use non-GMO soy) for regular butter. Try mashing thoroughly cooked diced potatoes with (cooked until soft) cauliflower. You’ll be surprised at the amazing taste and you’ll cut down carbs at the same time. * Yummier Yams. Enhance your yams with soy butter in place of real butter, plus a little cinnamon, which boosts your metabolism while lowering blood pressure. * Roll with it. The rolls for your feast should be wheat, not white since whole wheat is much higher in fiber, vitamins B6 and E, magnesium, zinc, folic acid and chromium. This small change can lend to a healthier digestive system and a healthier you! * Make it a fruit-friendly feast. Even if you can’t say no to pie, you can provide other alternatives, such as fresh fruit. Make the presentation fun such as topping small servings of green and red grapes, slices of apple, cantaloupe, and kiwi in small dessert bowls with a whipped cream. After the feast: * Store and reheat left-overs safely. While many of us look forward to the leftovers about as much as the actual holiday, try to keep them as healthy as you can by using ceramic or glass food containers (such as Pyrex) in place of plastic food containers. The chemical additives in plastic can migrate into food and liquids while in storage, and even more so if used in reheating. If you do choose to use plastic, use it for cool liquids only and wash by hand or on the top rack of the dishwasher, farthest from the heating element. To download a PDF version of the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce guide or an app for your smart phone, go here