Here are some of my all-time favorite “special times” rice recipes. They are so beautiful and scrumptious – perfect for a Thanksgiving, Christmas table or special celebration. And loaded with amazing nutrients for brain health and wellbeing. Imagine that — delicious and nutritious even for the holidays!
Did you know that 200 million pounds of turkey will be thrown away after Thanksgiving? Here are four ways to prevent throwing out turkey and reducing waste.
[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”right” source_site=”Natural Resources Defense Council” source_url=”https://www.nrdc.org/experts/yvette-cabrera/giving-thanks-and-wasting-less” full_quote=”Americans will toss a whopping $282 million of uneaten turkey into the trash this Thanksgiving, contributing to the $165 billion in uneaten food Americans waste every year. Along with trashing uneaten turkeys, they’ll be wasting the resources necessary for its production. That’s enough turkey to provide each American household that is food insecure with more than 11 additional servings. 17.9 million American households suffer from food insecurity.” short_quote=”Americans will toss a whopping $282 million of uneaten turkey into the trash this Thanksgiving, “]1. Get Your Kitchen Ready
Clear out your fridge and freezer a week before. Use what you have for weekday meals. This also makes room for the food you will buy and prep for Thanksgiving – and for leftovers. Eat down your fridge as my sister-in-law would say. Some ideas:
2. Go Less Disposable, More Re-useable
Two places to reduce waste are:
3. Be Food Savvy
4. Plan Your Leftovers Before You Start Cooking
Leftover Meal Ideas
Check these recipes out ahead of time. Choose 1 – 3 . Print them. Plan them into your weekly menu.
For more waste reducing tips visit:
This Thanksgiving, Be More Grateful than Wasteful – NRDC
Take Food Waste Off the Thanksgiving Menu
Celebrating nature’s bounty and the season of giving thanks with a whole-foods, nutrient-dense RESTART friendly meal. Fourteen plant foods and a delicious bacon-wrapped turkey breast support your long-term strategy to make smart nutritional choices. Choosing to eat consciously, and enjoying it thoroughly.
How to make a Thanksgiving meal for two, or for a family of four, without creating massive amounts of food that cannot be eaten?
This nutrient-dense, gourmet menu is a delicious celebration of fall harvest and traditional dishes in measured way: turkey, cornbread and sausage stuffing, butternut squash, and cranberries.
Thanksgiving often leaves us with more leftovers than we can eat.
“Across America 320 million pounds of food will be wasted this Thanksgiving, representing $550 million worth of food thrown away in just a single day. At a time when more Americans are facing food insecurity, the amount of discarded food is the equivalent of 267 million meals that could have gone to people in need.” ReFED
With simple strategies, transform brain-healthy Thanksgiving leftovers into family-friendly meals that reduce food waste, support mood and energy, and keep everyone nourished.
Use the bones of your carved turkey plus veggie scraps (leek ends, celery tops, green bean tips) to make a nutrient-rich stock. Doing this immediately ensures nothing goes to waste and supports family wellness.
Glass containers with labels (as simple as masking tape and a sharpie) make it easy to identify leftovers.
If a dish isn’t eaten within three days, freeze it. This reduces food waste and makes weeknight meals easier.
Portion leftovers in mason jars or reusable bags. Frozen brain-healthy Thanksgiving leftovers provide quick, nourishing meals for kids, adults, and women in perimenopause or menopause.
Turkey Enchiladas
Turkey Barley Soup
Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Ideas
Cranberries provide antioxidants and fiber, supporting steady blood sugar and mood
Repurposing your leftovers helps:
What Can People do To Reduce Food Waste on Thanksgiving?
Take Food Waste Off the Thanksgiving Menu
This Thanksgiving Be More Grateful Than Wasteful
I’m not a fan of mashed potatoes, I find them bland, boring and devoid of the nutrient value I aim for in my food. But my family loves them. Happily, I’ve found a way to make mashed potatoes AND meet my delicious, nutritious desires. When I discovered I could get extra meals out of them, I became a fan.
This recipe uses half cauliflower and half potatoes. Cauliflower belongs to the GBOMB (Greens Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds/Nuts) group, the most nutrient-dense foods. Add sautéed spinach, or leeks or mushrooms (also GBOMBS) and voila! We get extra nutrition, color and happy taste buds.
We tend to think of butter as something to be avoided, but in moderate amounts now and again, it can even be good for us. Essential fats help absorb the nutrients in plants.
Gosh, there are so many ways to do this.
Variations
• Vegan: use almond or oat milk and skip the butter.
• Spinach: sauté 5 oz spinach in 1 tablespoon olive oil until it begins to wilt, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic, mixing occasionally, cook another 2 minutes
• Mushroom and Leeks: Slice 2 leeks and 8 oz mushrooms, sauté in olive oil until tender and mix into mashed potatoes and cauliflower
• Rosemary: add 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Make sure to make enough for leftovers to use for breakfast:
Skinny Fitalicious: Mashed Potato Muffins a great gluten-free breakfast option. I add 1 cup of chopped veggies such as spinach, broccoli, red bell pepper.
Or for a quick dinner:
Mashed Potato and Omelet with a big green salad tossed with pumpkin seeds or chopped nuts
Cooktoria: Mashed Potato Mushroom Quesadillas another quick dinner option; I reduce the cheese to 1/2 cup and add chopped greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard). Add chopped poblano peppers or red bell peppers for more nutrients and flavor . Yum!
More than of recipe, this is a launching point for cranberry sauce.
And not just for Thanksgiving. In the Good Mood Red Foods category, cranberries are rich in flavonoids which can help improve memory and brain function.
This sauce can be used so many ways. Here are a couple of ideas:
Variations:
Tis the season! 🍁 Put fall in your hummus by adding pumpkin and spices — making it more delicious and nutritious.
Fiber-rich and loaded with vitamins, minerals and beta-carotene pumpkins are nutrient dense food with multiple health benefits. The high fiber content can promote brain health by supporting a healthy gut.
“Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to health promoting and disease-fighting activities.Pumpkin contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable carotenoids known to humans. Half a cup serving of pumpkin gives you more than two times recommended daily intake of alpha-carotene and 100 percent of recommended daily dietary goal of beta-carotene.” – Superfoods RX: 14 Foods that Will Change your Life, by Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews
This hummus is always a hit as an appetizer for autumn parties from the start of the season through Halloween and Thanksgiving. Make leftovers to use throughout the week for quick meal prep or snacks.
How to use
How many plant foods (remember spices count) are in this picture? The more plants, the more nutrients!
It also freezes well, which is a great resource for an impromptu dinner party or for quick sandwich/wrap lunches during the week
I’m not a fan of mashed potatoes, I find them bland, boring and devoid of the nutrient value I aim for in my food. But my family loves them. Happily, I’ve found a way to make mashed potatoes AND meet my delicious, nutritious desires. When I discovered I could get extra meals out of them, I became a fan.
This recipe uses half cauliflower and half potatoes. Cauliflower belongs to the GBOMB (Greens Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds/Nuts) group, the most nutrient-dense foods. Add sautéed spinach, or leeks or mushrooms (also GBOMBS) and voila! We get extra nutrition, color and happy taste buds.
We tend to think of butter as something to be avoided, but in moderate amounts now and again, it can even be good for us. Essential fats help absorb the nutrients in plants.
Gosh, there are so many ways to do this.
Variations
• Vegan: use almond or oat milk and skip the butter.
• Spinach: sauté 5 oz spinach in 1 tablespoon olive oil until it begins to wilt, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic, mixing occasionally, cook another 2 minutes
• Mushroom and Leeks: Slice 2 leeks and 8 oz mushrooms, sauté in olive oil until tender and mix into mashed potatoes and cauliflower
• Rosemary: add 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Make sure to make enough for leftovers to use for breakfast:
Skinny Fitalicious: Mashed Potato Muffins a great gluten-free breakfast option. I add 1 cup of chopped veggies such as spinach, broccoli, red bell pepper.
Or for a quick dinner:
Mashed Potato and Omelet with a big green salad tossed with pumpkin seeds or chopped nuts
Cooktoria: Mashed Potato Mushroom Quesadillas another quick dinner option; I reduce the cheese to 1/2 cup and add chopped greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard). Add chopped poblano peppers or red bell peppers for more nutrients and flavor . Yum!
More than of recipe, this is a launching point for cranberry sauce.
And not just for Thanksgiving. In the Good Mood Red Foods category, cranberries are rich in flavonoids which can help improve memory and brain function.
This sauce can be used so many ways. Here are a couple of ideas:
Variations:
Tis the season! 🍁 Put fall in your hummus by adding pumpkin and spices — making it more delicious and nutritious.
Fiber-rich and loaded with vitamins, minerals and beta-carotene pumpkins are nutrient dense food with multiple health benefits. The high fiber content can promote brain health by supporting a healthy gut.
“Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to health promoting and disease-fighting activities.Pumpkin contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable carotenoids known to humans. Half a cup serving of pumpkin gives you more than two times recommended daily intake of alpha-carotene and 100 percent of recommended daily dietary goal of beta-carotene.” – Superfoods RX: 14 Foods that Will Change your Life, by Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews
This hummus is always a hit as an appetizer for autumn parties from the start of the season through Halloween and Thanksgiving. Make leftovers to use throughout the week for quick meal prep or snacks.
How to use
How many plant foods (remember spices count) are in this picture? The more plants, the more nutrients!
It also freezes well, which is a great resource for an impromptu dinner party or for quick sandwich/wrap lunches during the week