Choosing Healthy Foods

HAPPY HEALTHY THANKSGIVING TIPS APPETIZERS: Instead of chips and salsa, make a hummus out of roasted butternut squash with toasted pita chips. GRAVY: Use cornstarch to thicken gravy instead of a heavy roux. Try adding a squeeze of fresh Meyer lemon to your gravy, citrus offers a nice light finish on the palate. STUFFING: Try using grains such as faro or wild rice rather than bread. Use a turkey or chicken sausage in the mix in place of pork. SWEET POTATOES: Use a drizzle of local honey to roast with instead of brown sugar and maple syrup. For a healthier sweet potato casserole as opposed to butter and sugar, add evaporated milk and crushed pineapple. Skip the marshmallows on top and opt for meringue . DESSERTS: When making a pie crust try using equal parts all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Replace   butter with canola oil and corn syrup with maple syrup. Maple Ginger Cranberry Sauce Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 12 oz. fresh cranberries, washed and any stems removed 1 cup apple

By Meghann McMillan The holidays are quickly approaching and the motto tends to be “eat, drink, and be merry”. Thanksgiving with the family, friendsgiving with the friends, Christmas parties, Hanukah celebrations, New Years Eve...the next month is loaded with evens that tend to revolve around lots of food and drink. Many people surrender to the fact that they are going to gain some holiday weight, and simply over indulge in it all. This year, don’t surrender to overeating during the holidays. You can have your pumpkin pie and eat it too, if you pay attention to your intake and portion sizes. Lets start with appetizers, the typical first course that no one can pass up as the hunger of the main course starts to set in. No need to shy away from the wonderful app table, just make sure you keep it to just a taste. Use a napkin or a small plate to place your food on. If it doesn’t fit on it, you don’t need it. Try just one of the appetizers you like. If there are too many to chose from, cut

By Meghann McMillan The weather is getting colder which means cold and flu season is just around the corner. There is no reason to let illness ruin things like Homecoming weekend or the upcoming Holidays and it certainly shouldn't put a damper on your daily life. We’re all very busy and there is just no time for getting sick. Fortunately there are ways we can boost our immune systems with the food we eat every day! Here are some immune boosting foods that can help you prevent or even kick seasonal sickness... Citrus Fruits: This is the one that comes to everyone's mind. Oranges, clementines, lemons, grapefruit, they are all a loaded powerhouse of vitamin C. This antioxidant helps boost our immune system, preventing our bodies from falling ill and fighting something that is already in our bodies. Adding oranges to smoothies or lemon to tea is a great way to get that vitamin C pick me up our bodies may need. Garlic: This potent bulb is a triple thread when it comes to our healt