Thanksgiving - De Light

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Hopefully the meals were healthfully filling.

Here is a diet afterthought to Thanksgiving 2008.

Lets take traditional T-day dishes: turkey itself, stuffing, yams, casseroles, sides, cakes, pies.......

Turkey is traditionally marinated. To make the bird most optimal on preparation time, taste, and nutritional excellence, it is best to consider the following ingredients:

• something acidic - lemon juice or wine vinegar (both in moderation),
• extra virgin olive oil,
• cilantro and/ or dill
• honey and/or sweet-n-sour sauce
• a little brown mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg, rosemary.

Preferably marinate for 48 hours, but 24 will do as well. The idea in this marinade recipe is that zesty flavors and aromatic spices replace need for salt and processed flavorings. You get good flavor without shoortenings and grase.

Regarding sides, traditionally full of sugar, oil, grease, processed carbs, we can simplify and healthify them all.

"..stuffing, yams, casseroles, sides, cakes, pies..." -

• Low carb stuffing alternative can be made of butternut squash steamed and cut into small slices and whole wheat couscous (flavored with cinnamon, ginger, honey, carrots ). Squash to couscous 70/30 ratio.
• Sweet potatoes (yams) can be boiled, peeled, cut, flavored with nutmeg and cinnamon. You can add a little margerine and a can of peaches (lite syrup). Then crisp it all up on high flame for 10-15 minutes
• Sides - Make cole slaw (fat-free mayo) or sauteed string beans with fresh garlic and splash of teryaki to replace high carb or high fat sides. Brussel sprouts is another great side veggie.
• Cakes and pies may easily be replaced with a season fruit cup, - boiled, peeled, diced sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce whole berries, fresh raspberries, honey, flavored with ginger and cinnamon powders, sauted together for about 5 minutes. Top with soy ice cream.

Perhaps next T-day you will try some of these cooking themes in your holiday meal or every day. Our meal above is plentyful. We can top it off with fresh salad dressed in lemon juice and olive oil with cherry tomatoes, baby greens and avocadoes. Keeping healthy is not about taking away food, but replacing unhealthy foods with better alternatives. So enjoy to your health!

Shula Fink is the editor-in-chief of the daily investment newsletter REAL WEALTH RECON. For 2008, the Real Wealth Recon portfolio is outperforming the three major indices by 25%, and the average hedge fund by 10%. For $99 a year, you get a daily market commentary, instant emails for every trade we make, total access to the Real Wealth Recon portfolio, and a weekly review of the major articles published around the world. Join the elite investors who are making money this year, and tell Wall Street: YOU ARE FIRED!