The Very Healthiest Thanksgiving

Butter, cream? Yes, please!

My husband, Andrea, and I are typically homebodies for Thanksgiving. We have been married for almost 30 years and have a somewhat fierce protection of our Thanksgiving meal that was cemented by two particular holidays.

For our first Thanksgiving together, we attended dinner at his brother-in-law’s father’s house. Perhaps the atmosphere set the tone. It was a group of people who didn’t seem to have much in common nor even to particularly like each other, so a faction of the men was on the sofa watching TV, the women were in the kitchen, some kids were outside playing, and Andrea and I found ourselves chatting mostly with his dad who seemed miserable as well. Then there was dinner. Stovetop Stuffing from a box, biscuits from a can, gravy from a jar, and paper plates (because there were more than four people). Driving home, we were both so disenchanted, that we vowed from that day forward we would create our own Thanksgiving. And we did.

But several years later, through a series of flukes that’s way too complicated to explain, we found ourselves as guests at a friend's house for Thanksgiving. I happened to have already made our family’s favorite pumpkin pie, so we brought that along. I’m pretty handy in the kitchen and being a grateful guest, I offered to don an apron and help out. My assigned task was the gravy, which they were making in a large cast iron skillet. Great, homestyle gravy! I can do this. As I was handed fat-free milk, my face must have given me away (as it always does) because my friend quickly said, “Oh, we are doing a low-fat Thanksgiving…”

I managed a smile and carried on with my gravy duties—which I don’t think I executed very well—all the while thinking, “What? It’s Thanksgiving! Where are the butter and cream?” But this one was void of any foods considered too high in fat and calories: steamed veggies, no butter or cream, no biscuits, low-fat pumpkin pie (except for my rebel full-fat version). While we enjoyed the company of our friends and were grateful for the evening, Andrea and I left feeling oddly discontented. 

Blessings in disguise
Those two particular meals were blessings—they reinforced and solidified what was important to us. Over the years we’ve developed our own traditions for a sumptuous meal. Not having family nearby, we’ve always welcomed any of our friends who may otherwise be alone. We set a fancy table with fine china from our surrogate grandmother, Lucille Ryman-Carroll, and my dad’s beautiful silverware from the 1920s. I have favorite dishes stretching back to childhood that I’ve perfected over the years that are now in our own family repertoire.

Even when it was just the two of us, despite the amount of work, we pulled out all the stops for Thanksgiving, including a handful of particularly difficult years when it was a struggle to muster up the enthusiasm and the energy that an elaborate holiday meal required. Yet somehow, we did, and we were always glad we pushed to go that extra mile. I’m talking about a full dinner with all the trimmings, including homemade biscuits, pie with whipped cream, and brining the turkey…and I don’t even eat turkey.

This isn’t just a kinda nice thing to do if we feel like it; it’s essential to our overall happiness and well-being. Celebrating holidays and traditions is in our genes, it is inborn in all of us, rooted thousands of years ago. Throughout history, customs and rituals are handed down through the generations, grounding our identity and giving us a sense of stability. Thanksgiving is especially important as it is integral to the pattern of the year's end, an outward expression of our subconscious need to relax and regroup before beginning a fresh year.

Tradition, tradition, tradition
Although in the past I have felt like a bit of a stick in the mud for being such a stickler for tradition, I’ve come to understand and appreciate the importance of adhering to our histories. Perhaps this accounts for my reluctance to try new dishes during the holidays. Over the years I’ve toyed with trying different recipes, and even found a couple I was interested in, but I’ve always stopped short and boomeranged back to my tried-and-true favorites. 

In our home, Thanksgiving is very much a ritual that starts about two weeks ahead of time. My recipes for both year-end holidays are in a pouch with notes from the previous year outlining what was successful and what I could do better. Most everything is made from scratch…short of fresh pumpkin for the pie which I’m itching to try some year. But I make a butter-based pastry dough that provides both a sturdy yet light crust and a halo of golden pastry leaves that crown a full-bodied, creamy pumpkin filling. 

The cornbread is freshly made and air-dried for the dressing; drop buttermilk biscuits are homemade; and the twice-baked candied yams are very similar to my mom’s recipe complete with the tiny marshmallows. (Don’t scoff, I’ve read marshmallows on yams was a favorite of Julia Child, as well.) Mashed potatoes are elevated from the every day with heavy cream, loads of butter, and a ricer to make them extra fluffy and silky.

And yes, we brine the turkey the night before, which is a well-choreographed, two-person operation that my husband and I have down to a science. No doubt it adds work, but from what my husband, son, and occasional guests tell me, it is an unusually moist and flavorful turkey. We even have a particular way of roasting that we’ve been doing for the last twenty years. Lastly, after dinner, the carcass goes in a stockpot for a stock that simmers all night.

Since he was 10, our 16-year-old’s job has been to set the table, which he executes with great care and attention to detail. He has learned the proper utensil settings, uses chargers under the plates, places the crystal, and selects the napkin holders. Future wife, you’re welcome.

A soulful healthy 
I know you may be thinking that this doesn’t sound at all like a health-conscious meal—especially for someone who touts wellness and longevity strategies—but for me, it is. I use the best ingredients I can procure: organic herbs and vegetables, grass-fed cream and butter, and free-range turkey. It’s a splurge-worthy whole foods meal, to celebrate a significant holiday that is in itself a meal worth celebrating. I eat mostly protein the day before as well as the day after, try my best to use restraint during the day and not nibble my way to the grand dinner, we eat about 3:30 or 4:00 and I don’t get overstuffed. Lastly, we usually walk around the block afterward, so there is plenty of time to digest before bedtime.

It’s very healthy to have a planned, decadent indulgence to look forward to and reward yourself—it can actually help you to make better choices the rest of the time. It breaks the monotony of routine and can be a reset of sorts. I’ve read that the occasional cheat meal can boost metabolism; not so sure about that science, but I can vouch for the multitude of benefits of a mental and physical breather from everyday disciplines.

Most importantly, fully celebrating Thanksgiving feeds our souls, which is vital in our journey to live well, age great. I wish all of you a very healthy, delicious, and blessed Thanksgiving.

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