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a plate of green beans with tomatoes on a marble dish

A Vegan or Gluten Free Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving one week away, we’ve spent the week thinking about finding healthier alternatives to heavy Thanksgiving classics. Without further ado, let’s start with the sides:

Many of our facilitators consider sweet potatoes a nutritional superfood, and a delicious sweet potato casserole is usually a staple at our tables! This vegan, sugar-free version from Oh She Glows eliminates the cream and extra sugar sometimes loaded into sweet potato recipes – with 51 reviews averaging nearly five stars, we’re guessing the gluten free crunchy nut crumble on top is worth savoring!

Sweet Potato Casserole

 

PC: Oh She Glows

 

We all love getting on the gravy train – but since extra fats + oils aren’t ideal, this delicious Vegan gravy recipe from Fat Free Vegan is a perfect substitution. It’s so easy to make that you’ll have enough to pour over gluten free biscuits, potatoes and more.

 

 

PC: Fat Free Vegan

 

Green beans are a healthy Thanksgiving staple – this Bon Appétit recipe keeps them healthy without forgoing a special holiday touch – in this case, tomato-almond pesto.

 

PC: Bon Appétit, Christopher Testani

 

And for the main event…Now that it’s fall, we’ve been stuffing acorn squash with EVERYTHING – you can make enchilada boats, soup bowls and more out of these beauties. We love Martha Stewart‘s idea to stuff them with quinoa and pistachios for a high-protein turkey alternative. If you’d like a touch of cheese-like richness, substitute feta cheese for nutritional yeast.

 

 

PC: Martha Stewart / Johnny Miller

a pile of native glass corn in various colors

Happy Healthy Thanksgiving!

The holidays can be a challenging time to eat well, especially with so many delicious options around Thanksgiving. Ever wondered how to make a traditional Thanksgiving, just a lot healthier? We’ve rounded up some tasty ideas for healthy Thanksgiving dinner alternatives, plus some dishes that take minimal time and labor. This way, you can embrace the holiday while caring for your health and enjoying as much time as possible with family and friends.

If you love pumpkin pie…Try a vegan and gluten free version

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via 84th and 3rd

If you love rich green bean casserole…Try green beans protein of nuts and antioxidants of cranberries!

string-beans

via real simple

If you love creamed corn…try a recipe with less butter that’s sweetened completely with honey!

If you love loads of moist stuffing…try this grain-free vegetable root stuffing!

Savory grain free vegetable stuffing

via wellness mama

And finally, if you’re looking to save some time and labor in the kitchen, but enjoy just as tasty of a bird, we recommend trying Cornish game hens! Everyone can help make their own mini bird, bringing the family together not just around the table, but in the kitchen, too.

A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO OUR LIVING BEAUTIES, SUPPORTERS AND COMMUNITY!

a group of orange pumpkins

Happy October! Pumpkin Paradise is Here!

Walk through the aisles at Trader Joe’s, and there’s no denying that autumn is officially here. Pumpkin bars, seeds, bread, jam, pasta sauce, salsa…you name it, it’s there! Before you get to carving, consider munching, too. Turns out, pumpkins and their seeds have a whole patch of health benefits.

Remember how mom told you to eat your carrots for good eyesight? The same goes for bright orange pumpkins! Carotenoids are converted by the body into Vitamin A and work as a boost for proper peepers.

Pumpkins are also a large, healthy source of fiber, so a pumpkin snack will help keep you full and satisfied. This may be helpful for wait and diet management.

Just like other nuts and seeds, pumpkin seeds are a particularly healthy snack choice. They have chemicals known to reduce cholesterol and help with heart protection and blood pressure. Plus, they are known to provide a mood boost!

As for specific cancer benefits, pumpkins are a good choice. Full of antioxidants (just like cranberries and other similar fruits and veggies), pumpkins also have plant sterols that may help with cancer prevention and limitation. These same characteristics can help keep skin wrinkles and discoloration at bay. Pumpkins are also a hot source for Vitamin C, widely regarded to boost the immune system when consumed at healthy levels. In fact, consuming one cup of cooked canned pumpkin would cover 100% of your daily Vitamin A intake and 20% of your daily Vitamin C intake.

Check out Huffington Post and Medical News Daily for more information. In the mean time, get carving and munching! Here are some of our favorite healthy pumpkin recipes. They’re a total treat.

Simple Pumpkin Soup

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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Vegan Pumpkin Pie

No-Bake-Pumpkin-Pie-minimalistbaker.com-vegan-glutenfree

Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte 

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