I love Thanksgiving and all the food associated with the holiday , but when I first switched to Paleo eating three years ago, I was anxious about what I could and couldn't eat at the feast and how much of a burden this would place on my (non-Paleo family). No need to worry! With a few tweaks, Thanksgiving is actually a perfect Paleo holiday:
Turkey? Check.
Gravy? Substitute arrowroot for cornstarch or flour as a thickener.
Stuffing? Use Paleo Sandwich Bread (see What's for Breakfast Part 2, September 2015 post) or Paleo Rye Bread (see
Thanksgiving Leftover post, November 18, 2015) and your guests will never know the difference.
Cranberry sauce? Swap out honey, maple syrup or coconut/palm sugar for sugar.
Sweet potatoes? Check, just leave off the marshmallows.
Brussels sprouts? Check, especially if you roast them with bacon, yum!
Mashed potatoes? You can skip 'em, especially with all the other food on the table.
Apple pie? Check out the apple pie recipe on the October, 2015 How Do You Like Them Apples blog post.
Pumpkin pie? For filling, follow the recipe on the back of the canned pumpkin (I use Farmer's Market Organic Pumpkin) but substitute 1 can of organic coconut milk ((I use Native Forest brand) sweetened to taste with maple syrup for the sweetened condensed milk. For the crust, go to any Paleo website (www.elanaspantry.com is one of my favorites) and find one that's fairly easy.
Pecan or walnut pie? Last year I just made a regular pecan pie from the back of the Karo Syrup bottle with a store-bought crust and didn't eat it, but this year I may follow my own advice and search out some blogs for a Paleo version.
Whipped cream? Just put a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge for a few hours, scoop the cream from the top, and use a hand mixer to whip it. Mix in a little maple syrup to sweeten and serve over any Paleo pie.
So, what if you are spending Thanksgiving at someone else's house? Every year, we travel to Plymouth, MA to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. I'm responsible for the pies, so no problem with dessert. Everyone will eat Paleo and no doubt love it (and since my son-in-law, Nick, is now following a Paleo diet, he will be the biggest fan). Last week, I sliced up half a loaf of Paleo Rye Bread and froze it and I will use it to make a small amount of stuffing for Nick and me, and I will bring a little arrowroot and make a small amount of Paleo gravy with it. And if the cranberry sauce is sweetened with sugar, it won't kill me if I eat a little...
In the end, what's most important about Thanksgiving is sharing the meal with people you love. I will adhere to my Paleo way of eating as much as possible and give thanks for family, friends and good health. And the day after, I will be strictly Paleo (see Thanksgiving Leftovers post, November 18, 2015).
A happy and healthy Thanksgiving to you all!
Turkey? Check.
Gravy? Substitute arrowroot for cornstarch or flour as a thickener.
Stuffing? Use Paleo Sandwich Bread (see What's for Breakfast Part 2, September 2015 post) or Paleo Rye Bread (see
Thanksgiving Leftover post, November 18, 2015) and your guests will never know the difference.
Cranberry sauce? Swap out honey, maple syrup or coconut/palm sugar for sugar.
Sweet potatoes? Check, just leave off the marshmallows.
Brussels sprouts? Check, especially if you roast them with bacon, yum!
Mashed potatoes? You can skip 'em, especially with all the other food on the table.
Apple pie? Check out the apple pie recipe on the October, 2015 How Do You Like Them Apples blog post.
Pumpkin pie? For filling, follow the recipe on the back of the canned pumpkin (I use Farmer's Market Organic Pumpkin) but substitute 1 can of organic coconut milk ((I use Native Forest brand) sweetened to taste with maple syrup for the sweetened condensed milk. For the crust, go to any Paleo website (www.elanaspantry.com is one of my favorites) and find one that's fairly easy.
Pecan or walnut pie? Last year I just made a regular pecan pie from the back of the Karo Syrup bottle with a store-bought crust and didn't eat it, but this year I may follow my own advice and search out some blogs for a Paleo version.
Whipped cream? Just put a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge for a few hours, scoop the cream from the top, and use a hand mixer to whip it. Mix in a little maple syrup to sweeten and serve over any Paleo pie.
So, what if you are spending Thanksgiving at someone else's house? Every year, we travel to Plymouth, MA to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. I'm responsible for the pies, so no problem with dessert. Everyone will eat Paleo and no doubt love it (and since my son-in-law, Nick, is now following a Paleo diet, he will be the biggest fan). Last week, I sliced up half a loaf of Paleo Rye Bread and froze it and I will use it to make a small amount of stuffing for Nick and me, and I will bring a little arrowroot and make a small amount of Paleo gravy with it. And if the cranberry sauce is sweetened with sugar, it won't kill me if I eat a little...
In the end, what's most important about Thanksgiving is sharing the meal with people you love. I will adhere to my Paleo way of eating as much as possible and give thanks for family, friends and good health. And the day after, I will be strictly Paleo (see Thanksgiving Leftovers post, November 18, 2015).
A happy and healthy Thanksgiving to you all!