HOUSTON – Local chefs give healthier Thanksgiving alternatives so you won’t cheat on your diet.
“If we go back to basics, go back to real food, that is where we can be really thriving," said Megan Magill, a holistic health coach and co-host of the Simply Seasonal Cooking show.
Magill and Cara Miller are holistic health coaches and natural food chefs in the Houston area. They host an online show called The Simply Seasonal Cooking Show, which teaches everyday folks about the importance of eating whole foods.
“The more we can get away from the processed foods, that is what’s making us sick,” Magill said.
Magill and Miller encourage people to get their Thanksgiving turkeys at a farmer’s market and use pasture-raised animals.
“It’s the quality of the meat. It really doesn’t take too much to cook it," Magill said.
“And we also brined it with salt and herbs. Makes everything cook down and makes it really tender and juicy,” Miller added.
“If you start out with meat that is sick, it will eventually make you sick," Magill said.
And when it comes to the sides, keep it simple. They said its better to use fresh cranberry sauce, mostly cranberries and apples, with maple syrup instead of white granulated sugar.
For the stuffing, “We just got a really rustic bread dehydrated it in the oven, (add) lots of herbs, onion and celery, and then some chicken broth," Magill said.
“When it comes to mashed potatoes, we are so classic about it. All you need is the potato salt and butter. This is going to be really filling, really satisfying and it’s going to be fluffy," Miller said.
They also said to stay away from the canned green bean casserole. They call it a chemical casserole. Instead, use fresh green beans, brown the pasture-raised butter, add an entire lemon of lemon zest, salt and almonds and voila.
“It gives it this sweet sort of caramelized sort of flavor," Magill said.
You can find all of these recipes here: https://simply-seasonal.com/2019/11/21/episode50/