Thanksgiving Recipes and Meal-Planning Tips

The holiday season provides an opportunity to try new healthy recipes and share them with your friends and family. You can turn traditional family recipes into healthier ones by making simple plant-based substitutions. For your convenience, The Cancer Project team has pooled together some holiday recipe favorites and resources so that your Thanksgiving meal will be a great success. The key is to incorporate fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables into your recipes and keep try and keep your recipes simple.

Appetizers: Substitute dairy-free, low-fat versions of mayonnaise, yogurt, and sour cream to make dips and serve with a variety of raw vegetables. Or try these Cancer Project favorites:
Veggies in a Blanket >  Stuffed Mushrooms >  Sweet Potato Wedges >

Soups: Prepare a seasonal vegetable-based soup such as creamy root soup or pumpkin soup; follow the links below to these delightful recipes:
Creamy Root Soup >   Pumpkin Soup >

Main dishes:  You’ll be pleased to discover that many traditional family recipes can be easily transformed into healthy meat- and dairy-free (see substitutions list below) versions. Many vegetarian commercial products can serve as a direct substitute for turkey or you can also try these Cancer Project favorites:
No-Meat Loaf >  Pan-Seared Portobello Mushrooms >  Lentil Artichoke Stew >

Sides:
Parsnip Mashed Potatoes >
Wonderful Winter Squash >
Brown Rice Pilaf >
Festive Fruited Yams >
Salad of Spicy Greens with Fruit and Pine Nuts >

Sauces and Gravies:
Mushroom gravy >
Zesty Cranberry Sauce >

Dessert:
Berry Apple Sauce >
Pumpkin Custard Pie >
Apple Cranberry Crisp >

You may also be interested in trying some of the commercial vegan ‘turkey’ products. Most of these products are available at Whole Foods Market and at your local health food stores. Here are some popular ‘turkey’ products:

Field Roast Grain Meat: Celebration Roast
Celebration Roast is a soy-free, meat alternative to turkey. Made from wheat gluten, wheat flakes, peas, lentils, and seasonings, it is best served with stuffing made from butternut squash, apples, and mushrooms.

Turtle Mountain: Tofurky Roast
This turkey substitute has gained popularity over the past few years. It is made from a mixture of wheat gluten, tofu, white beans, garbanzo beans, and natural herbs and seasonings. If you buy the Tofurky Feast you also get gravy and cranberry apple potato dumplings along with it.

Here are some suggestions on how to modify some of your family’s traditional recipes into more healthy fare >

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