Since becoming a trainer I have never given my clients a "diet."  I have always encouraged them to make their own food choices.  I adopted this practice because my psychology background tells me that everyone is emotionally, physically, socially and chemically addicted to the foods they like.  Taking away my clients' favorite foods would just be temporary, and worse, it would fuel later weight gain.  During the holiday season, the need to eat the foods we like is even stronger.  So much so that the average weight gain over the six week holiday season is one pound.  This is over 50% of the total weight gain of the average American for an entire year.

Instead of willfully (and eventually futilely) telling my clients what to eat, I developed fatburn.com to educate people on how the body works so they could make their own informed food choices.

But today I am going to break my own rule and pass along some holiday food suggestions.  The low calorie and low fat recipes that follow are straight from my mom’s kitchen.  She developed them because she had to learn heart healthy cooking after my dad received a heart transplant.  Together, they slowly changed everything about their mid-western cooking and eating habits, including their favorite holiday recipes.

I hope you enjoy my mom's recipes.  While growing up, I sure did.  I still look forward to going home for the holidays to get together and feast with my family!

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Roast Turkey with Sage & Onion Stuffing

Serves 12 to 14

In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.  Mix well.

Add chicken broth slowly.  Stir often so that each cube of dressing is wet on the outside but not soggy or wet through.  This will use probably 1 1/2 cans of broth.  With some types of bread you may need the full 2 cans.

I do not saute the onions and celery because I like the crunch of the vegetables in the dressing.  If you prefer, you may saute them.

The uncooked dressing will taste over seasoned.  The spices will blend with the bread as the dressing bakes.

Remove package of giblets and neck from turkey cavity.  Remove all visible fat from the turkey.  Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry.  Pull the neck skin back and lightly spoon dressing in the cavity.  Pull the skin over the dressing and secure with a skewer.  Lightly spoon dressing into the body cavity.  The dressing needs room to expand so do not fill the cavity tightly.

Bake any remaining dressing in covered casserole dish adding more chicken broth for desired moistness.

Roast at 400 degrees for 1 hour, checking often to make sure that the juices are not burning.  Add chicken broth to the bottom of the pan if you feel the juices are drying up.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking for 5 to 5 1/2 hours or until thermometer reads 180 degrees.  Baste occasionally with pan drippings.

Remove turkey from pan and allow to stand until gravy is made.  After 10 minutes cover with foil to hold the heat.

* This is a fat free dressing.  If all the dressing is baked in a casserole it will still be a fat free dressing.  Baking the dressing inside the turkey will add natural juices from the turkey which will also contain some fat.

**  Be creative!  Try adding:
1 cup raisins, dried cranberries or cranberries
1 cup dried apricots, prunes
3 cups chopped peeled apples

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Roasted Turkey Gravy

Using a wooden spoon scrape all brown drippings and juices from roasting pan.  Mixing well.  Strain into a medium size pot.  Discard what is left in strainer.  Using a gravy separator pour off all fat and save only the dark gray in another pan.  Add 1 can of chicken broth to the gravy drippings.  Taste to make sure the chicken broth in not diluting the rich taste of the gravy.  You may be able to use more chicken broth.

Pour the flour in a medium bowl.  Gradually add the water while whisking vigorously.

Bring the rich gravy to warm.  While whisking, gradually add the flour mixture to the gravy.  Increase the heat and whisk until the gravy thickens.

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Cranberry Sauce

In a medium size pan combine sugar and water.  Boil rapidly for 2 minutes to dissolve sugar.  Add cranberries.  Return to boiling.  Cover, reduce heat to medium high for 5 minutes or until skins pop.  Stir often.

**  This is a fat free recipe.

** Be creative!  Try adding:
2 Oranges quartered.  Boil with cranberries.  Remove oranges before serving.
Omit:
Water.  Instead, boil cranberries with orange juice.

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Mashed Potatoes

Serves 6

In a large pan cover potatoes with water.  Boil for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Drain potatoes and return to pan.

Mash potatoes with electric mixer on low speed.  Add sour cream, milk, salt and pepper.

Beat on medium and then high until potatoes are fluffy.

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Green Bean Casserole

Serves 6

Thaw green beans.  Drain very well.

In a small pan melt the margarine and stir in the bread crumbs.

In a large bowl mix together soup, yogurt, pepper.  Stir in beans and onions.  Transfer to oven proof casserole dish.

Top with breadcrumbs.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until beans and sauce are bubbling.  Uncover dish and brown bread crumbs.

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Pumpkin Pie

Serves 8

In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice.  Add egg whites and mix together with a wooden spoon until completely blended.  Stir in evaporated milk and water.  Blend completely with electric mixer at medium speed.  Pour mixture into pie shell.

Cover edges of crust with foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  Remove foil.  Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.