Eat healthy this Thanksgiving

First posted:

Happy Thanksgiving! I love this holiday and this time of year because the food is delicious, it's so pretty outside and fall temperatures are my favourite. It's a time to get together with family and friends and to spend a moment or two to think about all the things we have that we can be thankful for.

We are so fortunate to live in a place where there is an abundance of foods (sometimes too abundant!) to choose from, we have freedom of choice in most things we do, we all have access to health care and our city is still relatively safe and peaceful.

When it comes to healthy foods, there is so much available to grace our table. Here are five of my favourite fall foods:

KALE: is a nutritional powerhouse, rich in vitamins A, C and K, potassium and iron. This green vegetable is low in calories (35 calories in a cup of cooked kale), a good source of fibre and full of plant chemicals that help fight disease. It's an especially good source of calcium (1/2 cup cooked kale has 95 mg) which is more available to our bodies than the calcium in other greens. Its also a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two compounds that help protect your eyes. If you've never tried it, trim it and saute in olive oil with garlic and onions. I add it to soups, stews, stir-fries and pastas and use it as am alternate to other leafy greens.

APPLES: are wonderful and plentiful right now. I love the taste of the crispy, tart Macintosh apples and eat them almost every day through October. All apples are rich in soluble fibre which helps lower cholesterol, are good for your teeth and contain plant chemicals such as quercetin that are disease fighters. Besides Macs, there are lots of other varieties so its easy to find a few that you'll enjoy. I like apples just as they are, but you can also make them into a crisp or pie, as applesauce, added to salads or slaws or even your turkey stuffing.

QUINOA: is a nutrient dense grain that's currently enjoying great popularity although its been around for a long time and is worth trying. Its higher in protein than other whole grains, making it a great choice for vegetarians, and also supplies generous amounts of minerals like calcium, iron and zinc as well as several B vitamins and vitamin E. It's rich in fibre, has a low glycemic index and is gluten free. It's good as a side dish, in a stir fry, pilaf or in a salad and there are many quinoa recipes to choose from.

RED PEPPERS: are always on my favourite foods list because they are yummy eaten raw (I often snack on them), roasted, grilled, stuffed, great in pasta or a stir fry or added to salads or sauces, They are very high in vitamin C, beta-carotene and antioixidants and are very low in calories - less than 50 calories per pepper.

PEARS: are another of my favourite foods and they are delicious this time of year. They are higher in fibre than most fruits - about 5 grams per pear and the fibre is the soluble fibre that helps manage cholesterol and blood sugar. I love them fresh but often poach them for a classy dessert. And, since it's Thanksgiving you can add them to your cranberry sauce or turkey stuffing.