Thanksgiving Meal Makeover: Eat Healther Without Losing Flavor

We're checking out traditional Thanksgiving fixings and their healthy -- or "clean" -- versions. Tosca Reno stopped by to talk about classic recipes like sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and a dessert.

• Fatty Stuffing with Sausage Meat vs. Wild Rice and Cranberry-Based Clean Stuffing
Wild rice being an intact whole grain is a nutritional warehouse full of necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber, the cranberries contain antioxidant and offer sweet/tart flavor to the stuffing, no unhealthy and unnecessary fats, mother lode of natural flavors, much lighter dish without the fats from sausage and bacon, it can actually be prepared as a dish on its own if you don't want to stuff your bird or if you don't want turkey and want to serve fish or vegan alternative, just add nuts or seeds to pump up the protein and healthy fat value. I always make extras in a casserole dish for next day leftovers or for stuffing into a wrap the next day.

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• Fatty Stuffing with Sausage Meat vs. Wild Rice and Cranberry-Based Clean Stuffing
Wild rice being an intact whole grain is a nutritional warehouse full of necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber, the cranberries contain antioxidant and offer sweet/tart flavor to the stuffing, no unhealthy and unnecessary fats, mother lode of natural flavors, much lighter dish without the fats from sausage and bacon, it can actually be prepared as a dish on its own if you don't want to stuff your bird or if you don't want turkey and want to serve fish or vegan alternative, just add nuts or seeds to pump up the protein and healthy fat value. I always make extras in a casserole dish for next day leftovers or for stuffing into a wrap the next day.

• Yams With Marshmallows vs. Lemon and Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
Yams are a nutritional super food containing huge fiber, antioxidants, phytoestrogens and wonderful flavor. They are easily served savory or sweet and are a traditional Thanksgiving food not to be missed. If you don't have pumpkin to make pumpkin pie use sweet potato. Let's get down to sugar content. Who needs to add sugar to a veg that is already sweet on its own? Marshmallows are in my world "chemical puffs" full of refined sugar (white poison) that only causes a pancreatic meltdown trying to produce enough insulin to mop up the excess sugar. Stick with naturally sweet sweet potatoes enhancing their flavor only with lemon and cinnamon. If you like a creamy version of this just puree the whole business and voila!

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• Cranberry Sauce vs. Eat Clean Cranberry Sauce
Skip the sugary sauce! Most cranberry sauce is made with boatloads of sugar which will gum up your blood and jack your blood glucose levels. Skip the sugar overdose and relish the tangy tartness of Eat Clean cranberry sauce which is made with less sugar but still tastes like more!

• Rich Gravy vs. Clean Broth-Based Gravy
Broth-based again reduces unhealthy fat intake and maintains healthier blood, fatty blood encourages clotting

• Dark Turkey Meat vs. Clean Lean White Turkey Meat
Skip the skin and fatty dark meat, reduce fat intake, increase lean protein intake, stabilize blood glucose levels, keeps blood healthy

• Apple Pie With Ice Cream vs. Clean Apple Crisp
The apple crisp will omit the need for a fatty crust all around the fruit, since a crisp normally only has an oatmeal based topping. My recipe usually doubles up on fruit filling so you are getting tons of fiber rich apples rather than a lot of crust. Forget about ice cream! Try yogurt cheese sweetened lightly with agave nectar for a delicious and nutritious surprise.

• Mashed Potatoes vs. Eat Clean Mashed
Usually mashed potatoes are made with cream, butter and other fat laden ingredients. Eat Clean mashed potatoes are made with yogurt cheese which gives both creaminess and a slight tanginess to the potatoes but none of the unnecessary fats. The potatoes are made lighter by adding vegetable or chicken stock. I make this each Thanksgiving and Christmas and there are never any leftovers no matter how much I make and this is even with children who are usually tough customers! They truly are a family favorite.

Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook: Delicious Recipes That Will Burn Fat and Re-shape Your Body! is available in bookstores now. For more information, visit www.toscareno.com.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE THANKSGIVING TIPS.