You guys are seriously so great!  Thanks so much for responding to the survey I posted on Monday.  I am loving your comments and truly appreciate the feedback.

Some of you mentioned wanting a post about a Thanksgiving Menu Plan….well! Here is a roundup and a list of what we will be serving! 🙂

It’s been a while since I have posted a roundup on the old blog, so with Thanksgiving right around the corner I thought you may want to check out some of the delicious recipes I have found while searching the internet to prepare my Thanksgiving menu.

I think it’s so fun to get new ideas for holiday dishes to share.  There are SO many options out there, it’s very hard to pick but I LOVE looking at them all 🙂

Here are some recipes I have been scoping out, some that you shared with me on facebook, and some that I have made before! Enjoy!!

Breakfast

• Coffee Crumb Cake Muffins via Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
• Pumpkin Avocado Muffins via Popsugar
• Soft Vegan Pumpkin Bread via Averie Cooks
• Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Bake via PaleOMG
• Family Sized Baked Oatmeal via Chocolate Covered Katie
• Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup via In Katrina’s Kitchen

Appetizers/Salads:

• Brussels Sprouts Slaw via Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
• Brussels Sprout Quinoa Salad via Uproot from Oregon
• Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad via Two Peas and Their Pod
• Turkey Veggie Tray via Living Locurto
• Maple Walnut Sweet Potato Hummus via Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip via PaleOMG

Soups:

• Roasted Butternut Soup via Cook Eat Paleo
• Sriracha Pumpkin Soup via A Brown Table
• Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup via A Family Feast

Entrees and Sides:

• Gluten Free Vegan Stuffing via Strength and Sunshine
• Mock Mashed Potatoes via Food Network
• Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts via Fresh Food Perspectives
• Sweet Potato Green Onion Mash via Healtheasy
• Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole via Tone it Up (on my menu this year!!)
• Coconut Garlic Butternut Squash Puree via Running to the Kitchen
• Pumpkin Sage Biscuits via Minimalist Baker (on my menu this year!!)
• Thanksgiving Roasted Butternut Squash via Strength and Sunshine
• Healthy Harvest Stuffing via Whole Living
• Sweet and Savory Root Vegetable Stuffing via Giada de Laurentiis (on my menu this year!!)
• Clean Eating Cranberry Sauce via The Gracious Pantry (on my menu this year!!)
• Rosemary Cumin Roasted Carrots via The Roasted Root

Desserts:

• Crustless Pumpkin Pie via Strength and Sunshine
• Paleo Pumpkin Bars via Elana’s Pantry
• Almond Cashew Paleo Pie Crust via Sweet as Honey
• Clean Eating Pecan Pie via The Gracious Pantry
• Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodles via Mom on Timeout

My Thanksgiving Menu:

• Breakfast egg casserole with kale, spinach and sweet potato(I haven’t shared the recipe yet, but it’s good!)
• Turkey (of course)
• Autumn Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
• Pumpkin Sage Biscuits
• My Dad’s Famous Whole Wheat Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls
• Sweet and Savory Root Vegetable Stuffing
• Clean Eating Cranberry Sauce
• Homemade Pumpkin Pie
• Homemade Pecan Pie
• Greg’s Famous Mashed Potatoes
• Green Bean Casserole

What’s on your list?!

Now that we are all hungry and ready for some Thanksgiving food, let’s talk about healthy eating over the holidays.

Lots of people ask me for advice when it comes to eating healthy and staying healthy over the holidays, which is fine but I am going to be completely honest and let you know there is no magic trick to eating healthfully over the holidays.  

To me, the holidays are a time to enjoy the family, friends, parties and YES the treats! I think it’s fun to experiment with “healthier” versions of indulgent foods, but there are some things you just can’t substitute.

When I go to parties, I will typically have a small snack before-hand (so I’m not STARVING) and then I eat what looks and sounds good to me–which is usually a mixture of many things (including cheeses, desserts, wine, and dips!).  I love creating a little sampler platter with bites of everything that looks AMAZING. (and then I usually go back for seconds of the stuff I really loved!)   One thing to remember, though, is that the holiday is not about the food (even though the food is pretty darn great!!!).  Holidays are about family and friends, spending time with people who mean the most to you.

I honestly don’t think the holidays are a time to start a crazy workout plan working towards a new fitness goal or a crazy new way of eating in hopes to lose a pound or two.  It’s a perfect time to be in maintenance mode.  Time is short during the holidays, and being stressed about your fitness and what you’re eating just takes away from the enjoyment of the season.  It’s important to remember that what will affect you and your health are the things that you do consistently, not the things that you do every once in a while (like enjoying a peppermint mocha! 😉 )

I’m so excited for the holidays and I hope you all are to!!

While I am SUPER excited for Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks, I gotta be honest and I am really excited for the day after Thanksgiving….aka the day I can make everything red, green, sparkly, and I can bust out the Christmas tunes 🙂