Wow, October already! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, with Halloween creeping closely behind (I’ve already seen stores selling decorations – spooky indeed)! Fall also heralds the cold and flu season and holiday gatherings mean more opportunities for these scary viruses to spread.
Parties can tempt us to jump off the (harvest) wagon and bury our healthy way of eating. They can also layer on stress, which makes our immune systems work even harder. So the recipes here are easy and provide nutritional support along with festive fall flavours! After all, if there is one thing I have learned to give thanks for, it is good health!
Rather than a day’s menu, this is a collection of dishes designed to round out your turkey at Thanksgiving or, for Halloween, perhaps you are serving blood sausage or liver, as nothing says “boo” like blood and guts. Featured here is pumpkin, which works well for both Thanksgiving and Halloween themes, and Brussels sprouts. These are traditional at Thanksgiving and, as I will be giving thanks in Belgium on the day, it seemed even more appropriate. Both are nutritional powerhouses, as you will see below!
Sign up here to receive the recipes and Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Sharing good food spreads love so I hope you enjoy this month’s recipes and share them with your family and friends! And, if it’s not “witchful” thinking, try to keep a lid on the sugar at Halloween. 😉
Give Thanks for Good Health Menu
Hor(ror)s d’œuvre: Olive Tapenade with Crackers (any olives will do for Thanksgiving but the darkest, blackest olives you can find will make for nefarious noshing at Halloween)
Soup: Spider Web Pumpkin Soup (omit the spider web if serving on Thanksgiving; scroll down to find out more about pumpkin’s immune boosting power)
Side: Maple Mustard Brussels Sprouts (this is so delicious, I guarantee non-lovers of Brussels sprouts will be converted)
Dessert: Black Bean Brownies (don’t be spooked by the black beans in these rich, dark chocolate brownies – they are a great alternative at Thanksgiving for those not into pie and everyone will “dig” them as a Halloween treat)
Join The Nutritional Reset community here to receive this month’s menu today (as well as each month to come)! And read on for some nutritional tidbits about a few foods featured in the recipes…
A few featured foods
Brussels Sprouts
These are part of the super-nutritious Brassica family, which includes broccoli, kale and cabbage. So it’s no surprise that they look like mini-cabbages. What may surprise you is that a one half-cup cooked serving provides 81% of your daily vitamin C.
They are also one of the best plant sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. And their high fibre content will fill you up, so no need for seconds of turkey or taters!
Pumpkin
Mother Nature certainly looks after us by providing pumpkins a’plenty during cold and flu season! They are a very rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C and gut-healthy fibre – a triple, immune-boosting threat!
And don’t forget toasted pumpkin seeds. Garnish the soup with them for added vitamin E and zinc, also essential to immune health. I eat a small handful each and every day!
Cooking your own food is the single most impactful step you can take to improve your health and energy!
I hope you enjoy the recipes in my Give Thanks for Good Health Menu. Sign up here to receive the download link for this latest Menu of the Month. And if you want to cook more of your own food but don’t know what to make or have the time to organize your own menus and shopping lists, The Nutritional Reset offers a meal planning service. It makes preparing tasty, nutritious meals a snap. Click here to find out more.