The holidays are here again. This year let's enjoy them, not endure them. With the right attitude and some healthier meal plans and activities, you can come out way ahead.
The best thing about the holiday season from the hardcore bodybuilding perspective is the turkey, specifically the high-protien low-fat white meat. Now's the time to eat your fill, minus the high-fat, high-sugar accompaniments.
First things first, so let's start with the turkey If you need advice on cooking your bird, defrosting it safely or even how big a turkey to buy, Butterball's turkey talk line has a new, easy-to-remember number: 1-800-BUTTERBALL. You can call even on Thanksgiving Day from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Hours other days are: Nov. 1-21, 8 a.m.-8 p.m,; Nov 1 -18 and Nov 23-Dec. 21, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. All hours are Central Time.
You can also enroll at Butterball University online at www.butterball.com corn. Sign up for e-mail newsletters with recipes and timesaving tips, and get personalized answers to your turkey questions.
For the rest of your menu, treat yourself to tasty but healthy side dishes. Instead of high-fat stuffing, casseroles and mashed potatoes, try for a more authentic Thanksgiving with baked squash and sweet potatoes, tender petite peas and even succotash, the Native American term for lima beans and corn. Or make rice and wild rice with celery, onion and seasonings for Thanksgiving flavor without all the calories of traditional stuffing. if you're a gravy lover, opt for fat-free or low-fat versions.
Holiday desserts are as easy as pie, typically pecan and pumpkin, Both are delicious, but pumpkin has far fewer calories, sometimes less than half the calories of pecan.
Luscious Leftovers
Looking for a new way to use your leftover turkey? Try this artichoke-turkey pizza, courtesy of Butterball. We've bodybuilderized it with low-fat cheese and we spread the crust thinner for fewer carbs per slice. With refrigerated pizza crust dough, it's a cinch. If you don't have leftover turkey handy, you can buy I turkey breast already cooked in the meat/poultry section of your supermarket.
Bodybuilder's Artichoke-Turkey Pizza (Adapted from a Butterball Turkey recipe)
- 1 pkg. refrigerated pizza dough
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
- 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded light mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup chopped Butterball turkey (white meat)
- 1 can (14 oz.) quartered a artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup (1 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese Pizza seasonings or Italian herbs, as desired
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread crust out thin on large pizza pan or cookie sheet (spread to 1 5x1 1 inches on a cookie sheet). Drain tomatoes in a colander, mashing lightly with mixing spoon to remove more liquid. Arrange all toppings on crust, finishing with Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes, until crust is brown and cheese is melted. Makes eight slices. PER SLICE: 170 calories, 11 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 3 g fiber
A Simple But Savory Approach |
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|---|---|---|
| Traditional | Leaner & Better | Calories Saved |
| Dark-meat turkey with skin | White-meat turkey without skin | 86 per 3 1/2oz |
| Gravy | Low-fat gravy | 120 per 1/4 cup |
| Lots of cranberry sauce | A little cranberry sauce | 110 per 1/4 cup |
| Stuffing made with butter | Rice "stuffing" | 75 per 1/2 cup |
| Buttery mashed potatoes | Baked squash | 140 per 1/2 cup |
| Candied sweet potatoes | Baked sweet potatoes | 92 per 2/3 cup |
| Green bean casserole | Petite peas and/or succotash | 55 per 1/2 cup |
| Pecan pie | Pumpkin pie | 240 per 1/8 pie |
| Total Calories Saved | 900+ | |
