Well, it’s here! Thanksgiving week has arrived and believe me I know it. I made the mistake of going to Sam’s Club on Saturday afternoon with five of the kids. I knew it would be busy but I had no idea how busy. Yikes! At one point I got stuck in the bread area for five minutes. I often get “line anxiety” if I have to stand in line more than two minutes, so you can imagine how frustrated I was standing in line trying to get to the bagels!
Guess what’s by the bagels? The cupcakes, muffins, cakes, pies, and cookies. That aisle was completely packed. It was as if everyone in town was trying to buy a sweet confection all at one time! I noticed that at least 80% of the people buying those huge confections were overweight. Perhaps I shouldn’t have paid attention, but I couldn’t help it! I realized that for a lot of people, the thought of making food that is more low-fat and healthier for Thanksgiving is a foreign concept. It’s a day to eat whatever you want in a quantity they normally wouldn’t. I know I used to be a charter member of that club.
Sure, I still make the occasional cookies and cakes for birthdays, but when we have something sweet at home, nine times out of ten it’s something that is healthier and lower in fat. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share two of my lower fat alternative desserts. Apple pie is replaced by Apple Crisp, and Pumpkin Pie is replaced by Pumpkin Bread. I know some of you are already complaining in your minds about the substitutions! You don’t have to make them, but if you want to eat more stuffing then saving some calories elsewhere can be a good strategy!
Here are the recipes:
Pumpkin Bread (I don’t remember which well-meaning friend gave this one to me!) To see detailed pictures and hear the family reactions click on the picture!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 can pumpkin
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 egg)
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice
- 1 cup chopped nuts or raisins, optional (I don’t use these)
Directions
- In a bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, applesauce and egg substitute; mix well.
- Combine the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
- Stir in nuts or raisins if desired.
- Put into 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks.
Makes 1 loaf , according to my calculations calories come in at about 125 – 130 per slice. Not bad!
And now for the Apple Crisp:
Low Fat Apple Crisp (I don’t know where I got this one either, but my family likes it a lot!) To see detailed pictures and family reactions click on the picture!
Ingredients:
- 3 – 4 granny smith apples
- 3/4 c all purpose flour
- 1/2 c white sugar
- 1/4 c oatmeal (not cooked)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 T baking powder
- 1 egg
- 2 t cinnamon
- 1 T butter
Directions
- Mix together: 3/4 c. flour, 1/2 c. white sugar, 1 egg, 1 T baking powder. If it’s a little dry, add some water.
- Slice apples thinly. You can peel if you like. (I do.)
- Mix sliced apples with 1 t. cinnamon and a bit of water. Place apples in 8 x 8 pan, spread evenly. Top with wet mixture from above.
- Finally, mix together 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. oatmeal, 1 t. cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of apples & first wet mixture. Drizzle the melted butter over crisp. Pat down with fork.
- Bake at 300 degrees for one hour.
- Serves 8 – About 180 calories a good sized serving.
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As I was writing down these recipes I was thinking about what other people do during this time of year, and Thanksgiving Day in particular. Do you have any family favorite recipes you have modified? Or do you just eat whatever you want in moderation? Or is this a day to just eat, eat, eat? Diane
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I may just try that apple crisp this year, in place of my (sinful) caramel apple pie. It looks delish!
For Thanksgiving I tend to eat like I do every day, but with less stringent calorie limits. I will fill up on vegetables and turkey, and then take smaller portions of everything else until I am satiated. No harm done and I both enjoy myself, as well as eat reasonably
Taryl´s last blog ..My biggest NSV (and SV) to date.
I laugh that for me thanksgiving isnt a big deal. I LOVE turkey and cranberries and never have been a pie fan or a stuffing fan.
NOW.
HANUKKAH.
potato latkes.
LOVE. all eight days
nary a “light version” in sight. its time to indulge then for me…
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That pumpkin bread looks frickin’ awesome!! Thank you for blessing my eyeballs so early in the morn.
Yum Yucky´s last blog ..Italian Sub Slays Innocent Woman
Diane,
Thanks for the recipes. I am going to try both of them. We are having a large gathering of family here with everyone bringing 1 or 2 desserts. It will be nice to have variations of the familiars.
I’d like to share something with you about our Thanksgiving Day. There is a 5K run/walk fund raiser every Thanksgiving morning in our area. My family (minus the cook) has been doing this these past years. This year, I signed up ever able individual who’s coming for Thanksgiving. 18 people!! It is a great tradition now and adds a little exercise to the day! (“The Cook” will be getting up early to ride her bike in the basement!)
Have a great day!
Mia
We do make apple pie and pumpkin pie. We do one of each and cut so that everyone has one modest slice of each. We eat at noon – so one slice then and one slice that night.
the rest of our menu is very simple, whole foods, this is copied off the actual, plannned list for this year:
small turkey (over half of us are semi-vegetarians, so I mean SMALL)
deviled eggs (scant amount of low fat mayo and LOTS of plain mustard, and the semi-vegetarians in the group WILL eat these)
baked sweet potatoes with nothing added
twice baked potatoes (small amout of low fat sour cream, very small amount of low fat shredded cheddar, 1/2 potato and 1/2 cauliflower). I like this alternative – totally takes away the ‘gravy issues’ and they are SERVING size – not an endless bowl. I can make exactly how many we need.
lightly steamed green beans (instead of casserole)
lightly steamed asparagus (with nothing added)
tray of raw veggies
tray of raw fruit
major salad
rolls – but we count these out so that the people that want them (probably everyone but my husband and I) – have ONE.
Do my kids feel deprived? NO. If you took them to a traditional spread of holiday food – they would say there was nothing at all to eat – because they are used to whole foods and totally understand fat in food when they see it and ‘carboholic’ foods.
vickie´s last blog ..Budha – the non movement club
Thanks so much for these recipes. I bet you have a lot of things and recipes you do that I would like! This year we are going out to eat so I won’t have much control. But I’m going to watch portions and eat one dessert that I really like.
We have the tradition of my mom making the turkey and ham, and the rest of us working on the other side dishes. This year I’m supposed to bring the pumpkin pie but I don’t even like pie. And neither do most of my other family members.
I wonder how much trouble I’d get in if I brought your pumpkin bread instead? I might just try it. Pumpkin is good for you until you add in all the other stuff!
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Hi Diane! Long time no talk
Sorry about that. I love your healthfied recipes. I wonder if wholewheat flour could be used in the crisp to make it even healthier? 
Last year I made individual pumpkin-crumble type things that were light and very tasty. I’ll try to find the recipe to post for everyone to enjoy!
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!
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We have a potluck Thanksgiving and always end up with about 6 different pies…yikes! My plan this year is to have what I want, but stop when I’m full. Then, only one piece of pie, which is really hard when 6 different varieties are staring back at you.
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Thanks for the recipes! I am always a guest at Thanksgiving so I am usually in charge of a side dish and a dessert. I typically use lighter ingredients but don’t got all out on my recipe makeovers for the holidays so that my family and friends can and will enjoy what I brought.
I don’t go overboard. I always just have a bite of someones dessert just so I don’t miss out!
Joanna Sutter´s last blog ..Slide Into Fitness
I love the looks of that pumpkin bread! It’s such a simple recipe, maybe I won’t screw it up
I eat in moderation at family gatherings. I always pick one side dish to splurge on (stuffing!) and be moderate with the rest. Then I always skip the cocktails and have a slice of pie for dessert instead. I LOVE pie and look forward to it all year. It never disappoints
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Thanks for sharing the recipes, they look wonderful!
Staci´s last blog ..Diva Night
I’m going to my brother’s for Thanksgiving 7 hours away, and I have no idea what we will be eating. I’m not taking anything, partially b/c traveling with anything is kind of tough, and also my sister-in-law didn’t ask me to bring anything! Guess I’m just going to have to try to use the “balance and moderation.”
Thanks for the recipes!
Diane… YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those recipes look fantastic & not to hard either for a no baker like me! Especially the bread… very easy!
I do not tend to overeat at holidays. I love the white meat turkey so I have that & I eat a veggie or two with seasoning & no butter. I save myself for a treat or something like that because all the other stuff is just not that important to me.
Diane, I got the jitters when you described standing in line at the bakery section. That is such a trigger-section for me at the store.
The recipes look gooood. My kids love pumpkin bread from a local bakery. Thank you for the healthier version! I may try it with half whole wheat and half white flour…if the texture is still good, I’ll raise the amount of whole wheat.
For Thanksgiving, I’ll keep it somewhat traditional. I’ve decided to skip the stuffing and rolls and increase the amount of veggies available (green beans, spaghetti squash, asparagus, blanched broccoli, beets, salad, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes). The potatoes should plenty fill any carb quota. I’ll have two pies so there won’t be any left-overs.
Gina Fit by 41, Maybe 42´s last blog ..First Report in Two Days
Diane, it is just what we have all talked about.. planning ahead for what you do & do not want to do/eat & making choices versus eating everything in site. Now, if that is what you decide, then that is your choice. Just get right back to your regular schedule the next day.
Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Core Work; Butt Workout; New Giveaway Info; e-cookbook
Great recipes!
I used to give myself permission to eat “whatever” on holidays. That is, I didn’t watch my portions (in fact, for a few years it was almost like I thought I had to eat a lot on holidays), and I didn’t focus on making healthier versions of food (which I have always done the rest of the year). Now I am much more aware of healthy portions and also make healthier versions of most foods. I do still make a small pumpkin cheesecake that’s not as low fat as it could be. I think I may have to work on that!
While the substitutions look good, I am better off just avoiding all of the treats. I try to have a piece of fruit with me, or some sugar-free Jello. I know that doesn’t work for everyone, but I know where my limits are and what I need to avoid.
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Apple crisp has been a favorite here !
As to Thanksgiving, we gather with my family and there is an avalanche of food and a boatload of desserts. I come from a family of 5 siblings and each of us girls brings a dish to pass. Now the daughters of the next generation bring dishes as well, and it kind of looks like a grocery store exploded by the time everything is added.It is physically impossible to have a small bite of everything, so I simply pick one dessert and have a small portion of it.This year i am bringing a cheese ball and a low carb pumpkin cheesecake, so I will stick with that. For me it has never been about the sweets though- I really can take or leave them. But the turkey and mashed rutabegas, that’s another story !I am trying to find out if rutabegas are low carb so I will know if I will have to keep my distance from them.
Diane´s last blog ..Low Carb Stuffing and a question
the apple crisp looks divine!
i go to my MIL’s and she never requests any of us to make anything, imagine when she requested my deviled eggs because she thought they were so good! not that I do anything fancy with them, and I guess I do cut down the fat a bit by using low fat mayo instead!
the goal is to only eat what I love instead of sampling everything which I typically do. I am giving myself a free ticket to that day since I know I’ll be able to stop the shenanigans the next day..mainly because I plan on pulling off a loss next Monday!
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It all looks yummy! I must admit. I am doing very little to lighten the load of calories on my Thanksgiving meal. I lighten it for myself by eating less. That works for me for now.
However, I do make some lower fat muffins that my family loves and the pumpkin ones are their favorites!
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Your recipe for pumpkin bread looks great!! I will be making this one!! I started making a more healthy version of Thanksgiving 2 years ago, and my family prefers these new dishes I make. One simple revision is my mashed potatoes. I simply steam cauliflower and mashe 1/2 cauliflower and 1/2 boiled potatoes. Add some skim milk and white pepper.No one knows it has cauliflower in it, and it gives it a natural “buttery” flavor. My daughter LOVES them this way.
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Last year I made the weight watchers pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust. They say the average store bought pie is 9 points per slice- this is 3! My whole family loved it so this year I am making 2!
tj´s last blog ..Wheeeeww!
One of my worst guilty pleasures is snooping at carts of the really heavyweight shoppers at those price clubs. It’s generally a thesis in excess.
Happy holidays, Diane. Hope you (and your family) have a great one.
Jack Sh*t, Gettin’ Fit´s last blog ..Inspired
Thanks for the recipes! Like you, I noticed that same trend while shopping this weekend. More alarmingly, I noticed that the overweight kids were 9 times out of 10 with overweight parents.
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Wow…these recipes look great. Thanksgiving is one of those meals where it is really hard to hold back as there is so much good food. Thanks for sharing these wonderful recipes!
Jake | Revive Your Life´s last blog ..4 Healthy, Quick and Easy Breakfast Recipes
Most of the folks I know don’t want to re-work their holiday meals because they are “family” recipes. Most of them need to do it
I’ve re-worked most everything I eat, and it’s been very valuable in my health and fitness!
Good ideas, Diane!
Thanks so much for sharing these! I love anything pumpkin, and the Apple Crisp looks fantastic! I am always looking for healthier versions of indulgences!
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Everything in moderation for me – but I only eat what I really, really like (no 1 spoon tastes) and I do track what I’ve eaten. Things that are a problem for others – potatoes, gravy are not so much my thing. It’s the homemade rolls that I have to watch!
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Hey Diane! I wanted to let you know that made a trial run of the apple crisp last night (thanks again for sharing the recipe!). I did something wrong because the crisp part didn’t really turn out right. I’m thinking I didn’t spread it out enough or something, it was dry-ish. I’m gonna try another batch and maybe mix it up more with the apples and see if it comes out better. I know it’s something I’m doing and not the recipe lol. I’ve never been a great one in the kitchen…
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Josie – the first time I made it it did seem dry. The next few times I added water to the apples, and then for the topping I mashed it down with a fork after I drizzled the butter on. That seemed to make all the difference!
Thanks for sharing the recipes. I’m looking forward to trying the pumpkin bread (love the 4 year old’s “guess I’ll keep eating it”
SeaShore´s last blog ..So far so good
The pumpkin bread looks great. Thank you for sharing.I think I will make it this week! I will be posting my favorite healthier version of cranberries later today! Here’s to a healthy Thanksgiving week!
Thanks for sharing the recipes. I did a “reworked” zucchini bread yesterday and was looking for a good pumpkin bread recipe for later this week. Yours looks great!
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Both of those recipes look great – I may have to try your version of pumpkin bread for Christmas – my version has way too much oil and eggs to be even considered this year!
Shelley B´s last blog ..Holiday Game Plan…and Giveaway!
great recipe!! love this ‘reworked’ around hannukah time, obv potato latkes have to be had but I won;t deep fry them and I will use sweet potato instead of reg potato and make them baked! they still taste HEAVENLY!!
Those recipes both look awesome! I made similar low fat pumpkin muffins recently, and I LOVED them.
I actually don’t like the food on thanksgiving (except the desserts!), but I try to do everything in moderation.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Your pumpkin bread looks great. I love anyting pumpkin. I don’t eat meat so I stick to veggies and some dessert on the big day.
Melinda´s last blog ..There’s a WHAT sticking out of that building?
I just eat normal on Thanksgiving but I suppose you’ve expected that since I’m Dutch and we don’t celebrate
We do have “Sinterklaas” on December 5th. (Old man, looks like Santa Clause, gives presents too) and that goes with lots of sweet goods. Luckily my hub and I both don’t care much about those sweets so Sinterklaas is just a normal Saturday for us. I usually buy 1 special thing that we eat with hot chocolate but that’s all.
Have a happy Thanksgiving
Fran´s last blog ..A day in my life: Monday November 23th 2009
Wow, that pumpkin bread looks delicious. I absolutely LOVE pumpkin but for some reason (probably a good thing) I don’t like pumpkin pie. Pumpkin bread, YES please!!!
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Yum, healthy Thanksgiving recipes!! Those look so tasty. I was just dying for some cranberries last week so made myself a refreshing, tasty and healthy cranberry smoothie.
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Thanks for the recipes! I’m adding them both to my list of things to bake this winter (one at a time.*G*)
We don’t usually have big holiday meals, but when we do, we don’t do much in the way of desserts. Maybe that’s because we have sweet potato casserole and ambrosia, and those are sweet enough! I do indulge on the holidays, but I add a little extra vigilance around those days and factor in a little extra exercise. It seems to work itself out.
Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..Ripped from the Headlines
Your recipes look great; in fact I think I would prefer pumpkin bread over pumpkin pie, but that’s just me.
Thanks so much for your kind comment on my blog; I definitely still think of myself as a jogger rather than a runner!!
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I must admit that I am pretty much planning to “eat, eat, eat” this Thanksgiving, but I also plan to eat slowly and listen to my body and stop when I’m full. So maybe I’m not so much going to “eat, eat, eat” as I’m going to relax, enjoy tasty foods I don’t eat any other time of the year, and not worry about fat or calories or whatnot. Feels pretty reasonable to me.
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I tend to eat and cook mostly regular foods, although we do lighten them up a little where we can. These are the foods that are only eaten a couple times a year, so I enjoy them!
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Oh those look tasty! My biggest goal is to give away leftovers of tempting treats:) The turkey can stay, but the pie will have to go!
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The pumpkin bread looks delish! I usually love creating healthy versions of somewhat traditional thanksgiving foods. This year, I’m not sure that I’ll be doing any sort of Thanksgiving based cooking or eating. I’m just not a traditions kind a girl.
Please send me desserts in Vermont. Please?
Mary :: A Merry Life´s last blog ..Another Goal Accomplished
I haven’t thought about modifying recipes – i’m just not a huge fan of traditional thanksgiving food! I definitely do want turkey – and the apple crisp above – yum!
fittingbackin´s last blog ..New Moon Movie Review, New Recipe, New Shoes/Stuff, 12.5 Miles
mmmm more apple crisp please – could you use wheat flour for that? I really think I may make this to bring for the said purpose of geariong me away from my aunts scratch-made crazy fattning to-die-for pies!!!
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