Chef's top tips for a healthier, easier Thanksgiving meal

SALT LAKE CITY — Many families are preparing for Thursday's Thanksgiving feast. But before you start cooking, there are some simple ways to make those traditional dishes a little healthier — without sacrificing flavor.

Christopher Delissio, the corporate executive chef at Intermountain Health, helps oversee thousands of Thanksgiving meals for patients, caregivers and families who will be spending the holiday in the hospital.

"It's a long, all-year process," he said. "I start coming up with ideas for the Thanksgiving menus going all the way back to, like, February."

This year's spread includes comforting classics along with healthier options for people with dietary restrictions, including a root vegetable pot pie as a vegetarian alternative to turkey.

Delissio said one of the easiest ways to make your holiday meal healthier is by swapping ingredients, like using olive oil or avocado oil instead of butter.

"We want to look at sodium; we want to look at sugar. Those are two of the big things," he said.

When it comes to sweet dishes, honey can be a great substitute.

"Obviously it's a sweetener, but it does have some redeeming health benefits to it, unlike table sugar," he said. "I actually like to, with my cranberry sauce, make it with cranberries, orange, cinnamon and honey."

To lower sodium without losing flavor, he suggests relying on herbs and spices such as rosemary, sage and thyme.

Vegetables can be a tough sell on Thanksgiving, especially for younger eaters. Delissio said kids are more willing to try foods when the experience feels fun and approachable — from giving dishes playful names to serving smaller portions.

But one of the biggest strategies? Letting them help.

"Anything they can do — adding ingredients, stirring something, just being in the kitchen so they take a little bit of ownership of it," he said.

Delissio also recommends pacing yourself at the table by starting with foods that help you feel full.

"Eat slowly, talk, take your time," he said. "You know, fiber helps to fill you up, and things like protein are also satiating before you get to maybe some of the other things like the sweets and the pies and the dessert."

If you want to reduce stress on Thanksgiving, Deslissio suggests making part of the meal ahead of time — chopping vegetables, prepping side dishes, or mixing ingredients the night before — so you can enjoy more of the holiday with your family.

On past Thanksgiving menus, Intermountain Health has served baked sage gnocchi as an alternative to turkey. The recipe is below:

Baked sage gnocchi

A savory plant-forward spin on traditional Thanksgiving stuffing that can also be used as an alternative to turkey. Gnocchi are small Italian dumplings made from potato, flour and eggs and can be bought already prepared. This recipe uses frozen pasta gnocchi.

• About 2 pounds or 2 quarts frozen pasta gnocchi
• 5/8 cup canola/olive oil blend (75% canola/25% olive)
• 1¾ gallons of water
• 1 cup red onion, julienned
• 2¾ cups fresh button mushrooms, sliced
• 2½ cups zucchini squash, sliced in half moons
• 1¾ tablespoon canola/olive oil blend (75% canola/25% olive)
• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5/8 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 5 tablespoon Asiago cheese, shredded
• 3/8 teaspoon Mrs. Dash original blend seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning, ground
• 7/8 cup vegetable broth

Step 1

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add gnocchi into the boiling water with a strainer and cook briefly just to soften the gnocchi, approximately one to two minutes. As an alternative, steam the gnocchi.

Gently toss the gnocchi in some of the oil to prevent sticking. Lay out in a single layer on parchment-lined sheet pans. This may need to be done in batches. Do not crowd the gnocchi.

When all the gnocchi is partially cooked, immediately sear on a flat top, in a tilt skillet. Sear on medium-high heat. Gnocchi should be browned on both sides so that it has a bit of a hard crust, but is not burnt. Cool down completely before using to finish the recipe.

This step is essential to success, and the gnocchi must be treated gently so it does not break or stick together. Once properly seared, the gnocchi is easy to work with. Gnocchi can be done a day or two in advance, and held cold until ready to mix with other ingredients and cook.

Step 2

Toss the vegetables with the oil and the salt. Lay out in a single even layer on parchment-lined sheet pans.

Roast at 400 degrees until the vegetables are browned and mostly cooked, but not turned to mush, approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

Step 3

Combine cheeses, seasonings and chopped sage. Toss together with the vegetable mixture and gnocchi. Pour vegetable broth into a large shallow pan. Add gnocchi and vegetable mixture and spread evenly over the pan.

Bake covered at 375 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook until gnocchi is hot throughout and begins to brown on top, approximately 10-15 more minutes.

Yield: 12 servings of one cup each.

• Calories: 314
• Carbohydrates: 38.5 grams
• Protein: 6.3 grams
• Fat: 15 grams
• Percent of calories from fat: 42.9%
• Cholesterol: 9 milligrams
• Sodium: 546 milligrams
• Fiber: 3.2 grams
• Calcium: 28 milligrams

Related topics