Tag Archives: turkey

How to Have a Healthier Super Bowl Party

The Super Bowl is scheduled to be played this year on Feb 6 and this culmination of the football season will be played out by the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Getting together with a group of friends to watch the game is a tradition, but if you are trying to lose weight, it can be a rough evening.  Why not host a healthy Super Bowl party? Sounds like an impossible task, but take heart, as it is not as difficult as it sounds.  With just a few key switch ups, your party guests will never realize that you’ve made changes to the menu that won’t leave them in need of a “day after” exercise binge.

  • Chili is a main stay of every football party, and for good reason. It’s a rich, hearty dish that is filling and delicious. Instead of using ground beef in your preparations, switch it up and use ground turkey, chicken or soy crumbles. Meatless chili or black bean versions are also very popular.

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Posted on January 31, 2024 by Carmen

Winter Soup Swaps and Additions To Maximize Nutrition

Especially this time of year when Old Man Winter is in full force, there’s nothing I love more than a bowl of soup as a meal. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or even a snack, soup is filling (hello Volumetrics!) and you can pack so much nutrition into a single bowl. Not to mention that soup is pretty fool-proof one-pot dish to make, and usually keeps well as leftovers.

Over the years, I’ve found that no matter what soup recipe you’re following, you can almost always up the nutrition and lower the fat and sodium with a few easy swaps and additions. The best part, because all the flavors in the soup meld together, as long as you keep the proportions right, no one usually notices the healthier changes!

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Posted on December 16, 2023 by Jennipher

Healthy Ways to Use Your Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

The day after Thanksgiving is practically a food holiday in itself, with refrigerators across America filled to the brim with leftover stuffing, yesterday’s mashed potatoes and enough turkey to feed half the neighborhood. If you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your size this holiday season, some health and medical experts recommend skipping the leftovers.

“One of the biggest [diet] mistakes people make is not realizing that the holidays are really only 3-4 days,” said Kathy Taylor, R.D. , Director., of Nutrition at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, GA. “Even if you [go off your diet] on those few days you can recover from that damage.  It’s the mentality that you can let everything go between Thanksgiving and New Years that causes weight gain.”

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Posted on November 26, 2023 by Maris

Turkey Not to Blame for Your Thanksgiving Naps

In the last two weeks, I’ve had about a million people ask me if turkey can make you tired. Let me tell you, all at once, that turkey dinners have received an unwarranted reputation. It’s true that turkey contains an amino acid by the name of tryptophan. It’s also true that tryptophan is known for inducing sleep. Logically, one could come to the conclusion that turkey’s tryptophan makes you tired after Thanksgiving dinner. Scientifically, your post-feast fatigue is more likely derived from different sources.

In order to induce sleep, large amounts of tryptophan must reach the body’s neuro-center, the brain. To accomplish this, the tryptophan must be taken on an empty stomach. When consumed as part of a meal (like your Thanksgiving feast) tryptophan simply cannot produce sleep-inducing effects. According to National Geographic News, “Turkey isn’t even unusually high in tryptophan. Many foods, such as beef or soybeans, boast higher concentrations.” Given the facts, it’s still impossible to ignore the after-dinner burnout that Americans face on Thanksgiving Day. (more…)

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Theresa

Healthy Recipes for Your Labor Day Party

As the summer draws to a close, Labor Day is the perfect time to gather all of your loved ones and celebrate the last days sunshine with relaxation, fun and, like any get together, food.

Labor Day doesn’t have to make or break your diet. By taking advantage of the fresh produce in season this summer and offering healthy, fresh and delicious dishes to your guests, you’ll be able to enjoy your party, guilt-free, without worrying about busting anyone’s swim suit seams.

Running low on ideas? Here are a few of our tried and true recipes that will satisfy your guests’ taste buds without expanding their waistlines.

Barbecued Corn What’s a summer celebration without corn on the cob? Instead of drenching it in butter, try topping your corn with a bit of Parmesan cheese, pepper or a little garlic. (more…)

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Kelly

Food Find: Quorn’s New Vegetarian Turk’y Burgers

quorn turk'y burgerQuorn is offering a free giveaway to one DietsInReview.com member for a $125 package of Quorn products delivered straight to your door. Sign-up for DietsInReview’s Newsletter to be eligible (existing subscribers included). The lucky winner will be selected on November 30. Good luck!

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Quorn foods, which creates a line of meatless products, has come out with a new Turk’y Burger that has 50 percent less fat than a traditional turkey burger.

Rather than using soy, wheat gluten or textured vegetable protein like many vegetarian products, Quorn relies on a mycoprotein-based ingredient that contains less fat, fewer calories and more fiber than meat. In addition, it contains nine essential amino acids making it a powerful source of protein for vegetarians or for those who are trying to reduce their intake of meat.

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Posted on November 16, 2023 by heather

Food Fight: White Turkey Meat Versus Dark Turkey Meat

turkeyIn response to the fear of fat that has been driven into our brains for the past few decades, many of us on Thanksgiving shun the dark turkey meat and instead pile our plates high with the white meat. But in our attempts to shave off a few calories, are we missing out on some key nutrients?

Here is a look at the benefits of white and dark meat turkey and some surprising facts that might have you and your health conscious aunt fighting for the drumstick.

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Posted on November 13, 2023 by heather

Introducing the New Weight Watchers Momentum Program

Momentum is no longer available from Weight Watchers, as of November 2024. All Weight Watchers members now follow the Weight Watchers PointsPlus program, the biggest update to the plan in 13 years reflecting current research.

Just in time for New Years, Weight Watchers has recently launched a new program called Momentum to help you lose weight, stay in control of your hunger and keep cravings at bay.

Using the trademarked Weight Watchers Points System, Momentum centers around fueling your body with fiber-rich foods, lean proteins and good fats. Certain foods like those high in fiber keep us feeling full longer because it takes longer for the body to digest them. We fall into problems when we’re dieting when we starve ourselves and let our blood sugar drop. Our knee-jerk reaction then becomes to reach for a quick fix like foods that contain white sugar or refined flours or even the fast-food drive-thru. (more…)

Posted on December 23, 2023 by heather

Does Turkey Make You Sleepy?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I know that most nutritionists would tell you to not overdo it on Turkey Day. But, I’m of the opinion that it’s OK to let loose once in a while. So, enjoy seconds of that juicy turkey. MSN.com has an article that addresses the notion that turkey makes us sleepy. Does tryptophan really make you tired? It may be more about how much you’re eating than anything.

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Jason