A Nourishing Thanksgiving

A Nourishing Thanksgiving

It’s one of our favorite holidays of the year. A day dedicated to giving thanks, practicing more gratitude, sharing and relishing the bountiful blessings that we have been afforded. Although Thanksgiving in America has migrated away from its Pilgrim roots and has turned into something of a feast-fest, the act of eating wholesome things with others, in gratitude, is still a meaningful tradition.

Since we’re all about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness here at Health Freedom Idaho, we have gathered some of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes for a cornucopia of nourishing epicurean delight.

If you like pretty pictures to help motivate you, Food52’s Thanksgiving Menu Maker is a welcome distraction and idea-generator. 

Be sure to scroll down to see the Thrive Market offer for 25% off your first order. Thrive offers some of the best selection, quality and prices on healthy foods, and they have a great giving back ethos that you are sure to appreciate this Thanksgiving. 

The Turkey

It’s not just the recipe, it’s the quality of your turkey that can make a world of difference. That’s why we recommend buying organic, heritage or humanely raised turkey for your family’s health and to support sustainable food sources. 

The classic: Good Eats Roast Turkey is a wet-brining-and-scientifically-predicated-temperature-masterpiece. Pretty foolproof if you follow the directions to a T. 

The newcomer/old-world technique: Dry-brining has gotten the attention lately, boasting more flavorful and tender meat, shorter cooking times and better protection from overcooking due to the use of coarse sea salt during the thawing / brining process. Healthy Home Economist’s “dry brine any meat” recipe may become your next staple turkey and meat recipe. Note that it takes days to achieve this result, so start accordingly! 

Better Bone Broth

We love a good bone broth to flavor our stuffing and gravy. Dr. Rosie’s recipe is nourishing and delicious. May as well make the Thanksgiving essentials more nourishing.

Or, if you’re short on time, many brands have emerged with bone broth offerings. Epic Foods’ turkey cranberry sage bone broth is Thanksgiving in-a-jar. 

Recipe: Cranberry Relish

One of our favorite cranberry sauces is the simplest to make. Because the sauce is raw, the fruit and honey retain their natural enzymes, making this a great digestive aid and palette refresher. 

  • 1 bag of organic fresh cranberries (rinsed)
  • 1 whole organic orange (cubed, large seeds removed)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1/4 cup good quality raw honey

Combine in a food processor bowl and pulse to desired consistency. Taste and add more sweetener, if desired. Chill until 30 minutes before the meal. This keeps well in the refrigerator for about a week. 

Healthier Rolls

Einkorn Rolls are a fantastic way to enjoy einkorn, a non-hybridized ancient wheat, this holiday. For those avoiding gluten, and this Paleo recipe are wonderful pillows of baked-good-ness for your sopping pleasure.

Karina’s Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls feature nourishing flours like millet, buckwheat and hazelnut to amp up the nutrition and satisfaction. 

Garlic Herb Paleo Dinner Rolls from Paleo Running Momma are full of flavor and feature almond flour and grass-fed butter or ghee

Non-GMO Stuffing

If you are looking for healthier stuffing cubes, consider Berlin Natural Bakery’s certified non-gmo spelt stuffing. These make more nourishing and flavorful stuffing. They tend to soak up a lot of broth (perhaps due to density?) so amp up your broth by at least 25%. 

Elevated Potatoes

Onions are a major boon to the standard mashed potatoes in this recipe: Whipped Potatoes with Three Onions. 

Seasonal Veggies and Squash

We have a lot of squash growing in local gardens here in Idaho. Butternut, acorn, kabocha and banana squash are common and seemed to grow really well this year. 

Roasted acorn squash with chile vinaigrette is a very simple, yet palette-tingling shift out of traditional Thanksgiving flavors. 

Thrive’s Hasselback squash recipe utilizes a large butternut squash and some quick but fancy knife techniques to transform the 1700’s potato recipe into something even prettier. 

This Parnsip-Apple Puree is a sweet-light alternative to mashed potatoes. 

We like sides from the garden like this fresh-tasting Shaved Fall Vegetable Salad with Cider Vinaigrette as a light compliment to the heavier traditional dishes. 

Shaved Brussel Sprouts with Tangerines are one of our staff faves for texture and a sulfurous contrast to the rich and creamy vibes of Thanksgiving. 

Pie, Of Course

For most of us, pie is a must – no matter what diet you may be on. We’ve curated a few traditional and creative takes on the sweet tradition.

Coupons

Thrive Market offers the best-selling natural and organic products at wholesale prices through a $60/year membership. Think Costco meets Whole Foods online, and for every paid membership Thrive donates one membership to a low-income American family. Health Freedom Idaho members can sign up to receive 25% off and free shipping off their first order through this link.

Amazon is showing off their Whole Foods acquisition with this offer. Until November 26th, Amazon Prime members can get 20% off their Thanksgiving turkey at Whole Foods markets. Our Boise store is a valued destination for natural food lovers.

Jovial Foods is giving 25% off on Cyber Monday for their ancient heirloom non-hybridized Einkorn wheat products and gluten-free foods. (Code: CYBERMONDAY17)

From Health Freedom Idaho’s volunteer team and their families, to you and yours: a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

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