Enjoying the Holidays, Better Than Ever

by Alex Banuet

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but it isn’t too late to have a budget friendly, nutritionally conscious holiday meal plan.
 
For those of us who cooked a delicious turkey, there are creative ways to make sure the giant bird will feed us well after Thanksgiving! Dr. Axe’s 47 Terrific Leftover Turkey Recipes provides ideas for making soups, wraps, and salads (Axe, J., n.d.). Other holiday staples like potatoes, carrots, and cabbage can be combined with turkey too.
 
How can you eat during the holidays while being healthy and mindful of the environment?

• Shopping: buying local, in season produce is cheaper, and decreases our carbon footprint (Hunter & Frey, 2015). Don’t let the cold weather discourage you, farmer’s markets are still open!

• Make Good Use of Food at Home: In the book American Wasteland (Bloom, 2011), it is noted that keeping track of expiration dates for perishables may prevent you from wasting food. .
• Eating Smart: According to the Waste Free Handbook (Gunders, 2015), portion sizes of foods have doubled or tripled in size in the last few decades. Preparing smaller portions of food ahead of time will stretch recipes as well as keep your caloric intake in-check. Remember to check with MyPlate.org or Eatright.org for your own personal calorie guidelines.
• Grab Snacks with the Holiday Flavor Sensibly: Make Healthier Holiday Choices, a Nutrition Education Series (USDA, 2014) it is noted that budget friendly holiday snacks can be made without excessive sugar and fat. Snack mixes can be made in the oven with whole grain cereal, oats, nuts and dried fruit sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg. This makes it easier to pass up the office dessert table cookie and fudge when we bring our own snacks.

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References
Axe, J. (n.d.). 47 Terrific Leftover Turkey Recipes. Retrieved November 13, 2017.

Bloom, J. (2011). American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of its Food (and what we can do about it). Cambridge, MA: Lifelong Books/Da Capo Press.

Denny, S. (2015). Serving Size vs. Portion Size: Is There a Difference? Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Retrieved November 13, 2017.

Gunders, D. (2015). Waste Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Hunter, J., & Frey, L. M. (2015). Managing Holiday Expenses: How to Reduce Spending to Decrease Financial Stress. University of Kentucky: Family and Consumer Sciences Publications. 1-4. Retrieved November 13, 2017.

Make Healthier Holiday Choices: 10 Tips for a Healthier Holiday. (2014). USDA: 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series. Retrieved November 13, 2017

Whole-Grain Snack Mix. (2017). Retrieved November 13, 2017, from https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/whole-grain-snack-mix/e8557f55-1af3-4904996d99b946ba8b0e