The whole family is heading to your house for Thanksgiving next week. In addition to setting the perfect table and cooking that turkey to bronzed, juicy perfection, you’ve got a new challenge on your plate this year: feeding a loved one with diabetes.
Everyone knows Thanksgiving dinner isn’t exactly the healthiest meal of the year–so what can you do to make sure your loved one eats right, and everyone else enjoys the meal, too?
As you begin to plan your menu for next Thursday, think about including some of these diabetic Thanksgiving recipes to ensure everyone can enjoy the meal together.
In honor of National Diabetes Month, here are five diabetes-friendly Thanksgiving dishes that are healthy and delicious:
A delicious, traditional first course, most butternut squash soup is loaded with cream and butter. This version gets a punch from curry powder, and the creamy texture everyone loves from yogurt.
Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete without gravy to pour over that roasted bird, and well…everything else on your plate. But most gravy recipes are extremely high in fat and calories. For a diabetes-friendly version, try this gravy, which gets its flavor from apple cider.
Everybody loves creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes. For a healthier substitute, try this recipe, which switches carb-laden potatoes with cauliflower, and packs in flavor with tangy buttermilk and garlic. For an even healthier version, substitute buttermilk with nonfat Greek yogurt.
To many people, stuffing is the best part of the holiday meal. But Grandma’s classic recipe is full of fat and carbs. Revamp classic stuffing with this recipe for sausage stuffing, which keeps that rich, delicious stuffing taste, but switches pork sausage for healthier turkey sausage, and uses whole wheat instead of white bread.
Desserts can be a real challenge for those with diabetes, but Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a slice of pumpkin pie. Try this diabetes-friendly version, which uses a sugar substitute such as Splenda instead of real sugar.
A diabetes diagnosis doesn’t mean Thanksgiving is ruined for everybody. With a few little tweaks, this year’s Thanksgiving meal can be both health-conscious and delicious.