Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV October 7th, 2003

Here come the festivities!

As we head into fall some of our favorite times of the year arrive before we know it, and to start things off is none other than Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without the food! But what’s really in all that food? More than you might think…

Pumpkin Pie

Let’s start off with dessert for a change! Though it might never be considered a health food, all is not lost. In fact pumpkin does provide many benefits disguised among that pie crust.

Pumpkin is loaded with Vitamin A. Though this vitamin is heat sensitive and some is destroyed in the processing, the levels remain quite high. Men should typically consume about 900mcg/day and women about 700mcg/day. A ½ cup serving of cooked pumpkin can supply as much as 400mcg of this vitamin. That’s over half our daily requirement in one go!

Apart from Vitamin A this winter squash also includes significant amounts of folate and iron.

Cranberry Sauce

This little fruit comes into season from September and ends in November, and is often associated with the holidays at the end of the year! It is fairly common to see cranberries included in our festivities as part of a sauce which gives our dishes, especially turkey, that unforgettable taste.

So what’s good about this sauce? Well it is packed with phytochemicals, flavonoids and tannins.

Phytochemicals act as antioxidants and deactivate particles called free radicals. Free radicals can damage cell walls and other structures and even damage the genetic material within a cell. In the worst case scenario this damage will lead to cancer.

Flavanoids play a role in inhibiting the oxidation of LDL cholesterol as well as inhibiting the aggregation and adhesion of platelets to the blood vessels, both of which are ways to decrease the risk of heart disease.

Cranberry sauce in comparison to fresh and dried cranberries has the highest level of phyotchemicals available to our bodies.

Another benefit to cranberries is their tannins that actually help prevent urinary tract infections (UTI). These tannins prevent UTI causing E. Coli bacteria from attaching to the wall of the bladder and therefore prevent infection from taking hold. These components have also been found to stop strains of ulcer causing bacteria in the stomach and tooth surface bacteria from attaching to these specific areas.

Turkey

Here’s a component of our thanksgiving meal without the guilt. Turkey is a delicious and healthy source of protein. Turkey is low in fat and calories and may also be a culprit for making us sleepy after indulging in our feasts.

Overall, turkey breast is the leader in lean meats and if we look at the types of fat found in turkey we can see that turkey’s component of saturated fat is significantly lower than other meats. Take beef for example. In a 4oz serving of extra lean ground beef there is 8g of saturated fat whereas a 4oz serving of turkey has only 1.2g.

For an interesting note, have you ever felt drowsy after eating turkey? Scientists have researched this phenomenon and found that it is a specific amino acid, L-Tryptophan, which is the culprit. We know that amino acids are building blocks in our bodies but this amino acid plays another role as well. After the body absorbs this component it travels through the blood to the brain. Once there it is changed to the chemical serotonin. Serotonin is the chemical that calms us down and help us to sleep.

Stuffing

Though we would love to promote this as a healthy part of your thanksgiving meal unfortunately the best we can do is offer some healthier alternatives. Typically stuffing’s main ingredients are:

When you look at these what should stand out are the white bread and the butter. One idea is to try and use whole wheat bread and potentially add some other whole grain component, for instance quinoa or even brown rice. This will add some essential be vitamins as well as other components like fiber.

Another alternative is to try a nut stuffing. Nuts are a great source of protein and will also supply essential fatty acids.

Here is a recipe for a great nut stuffing:

Finely chop nuts. Melt butter and sauté the onions for about 5 min. Add mushrooms to the butter and onions and cook for another 5min. In a separate bowel toss nuts, herbs, parsley and bread together. Stir the mushroom mixture into the beaten egg. Add to the bread mixture. Moisten, if necessary, with stock and season to taste. Good for 4-4.5kg turkey. This can either be cooked stuffed in the bird or in a separate dish for a lower fat version.

Happy Thanksgiving!