Thanksgiving: Recipes, Traditions and More
If you enjoy celebrating the fourth Thursday in November, give thanks to Sarah Josepha Hale: In 1863, she wrote to President Lincoln advocating the declaration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Today, the Internet offers a cornucopia of information. Use our Thanksgiving Web Guide to find Thanksgiving traditions recipes and other Thanksgiving resources. You'll also find links to the menu from the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving, learn ways to keep your guests entertained while you're doing the dishes, uncover the mystery of turkey brining and much more.
Expand All Guide SectionsThanksgiving History and Tradition
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Host Thanksgiving
When you offer to host Thanksgiving, you're guaranteed to avoid the holiday traffic, but you are ... read more »
Turkey recipes and tips
Although Ben Franklin made a strong case in favor of the wild turkey as the national bird, the bald ... read more »
Thanksgiving Side Dishes and Desserts
Just because the Pilgrims didn't really eat sweet potatoes at the first Thanksgiving doesn't mean ... read more »
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
Although it seems to celebrate overeating, Thanksgiving doesn't have to mean adding "new pants" to your Christmas wish list. The sites we've collected for this section can give you a clear picture of what's on the table and how much of it you can eat without adding year-round stuffing.
Dulcinea's Insight
- You'll discover on the sites below that most people exceed their recommended daily calorie intake at the Thanksgiving meal, but that doesn't mean you should starve yourself for the rest of the day. Eating healthful snacks during the day makes you less likely to overeat later.
- The following Web sites offer advice on monitoring calories during the meal itself, but remember to be wary of the junk food you eat on the couch while watching football or other Thanksgiving programming.
- If you're on a well-known diet such as Weight Watchers(tm), Atkins(tm), or South Beach(tm), check the official site of the diet for tips and adjustments you can make so you won't slip up on Thanksgiving.
- For more thorough advice on healthful eating, try out the findingDulcinea Nutrition Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
CNN.com
reports how many calories are in a typical Thanksgiving meal, using nutrition information from a prepared-foods market. The data is from 1998 but is consistent with current values.
MSNBC
describes the portion sizes that can help you adhere to moderation this Thanksgiving. You'll find basic guidelines for how much to pile on, using real-life measures like a deck of cards (the recommended portion of turkey), as well as strategies for sticking to your plan (for example, if you absolutely must fill your plate, use a smaller plate).
iVillage
has created this "Menu Makeover" that replaces all your Thanksgiving favorites with a healthier variation. With some painless substitutions, you can save yourself about 700 calories. Check the "Related Content" box on the right for more helpful articles.
The American Dietetic Association
has more than 20 articles on how to have a healthier Thanksgiving. Scroll through the titles on this page and read one or several, depending on your needs and interests.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
