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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup and 5 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday!

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Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday … or at least one of my favorite holidays 🙂

Getting together with the people you love most and eating delicious food all day – any excuse to do that is good in my book!

So in honor of this wonderful food-centric holiday, I’ve put together my list of Thanksgiving favorites, perfect for this year’s festivities.

Morning Bites

Perfect for munching on while you’re cooking up a storm the morning of Thanksgiving! You can enjoy these festive breakfast dishes totally guilt-free.

Banana Nut Bread

Omelettes, Oatmeal and Other Breakfast Options

Morning Glory Muffins

Healthy Cinnamon Rolls

* * *

Savory Stars

For the main event: healthy and satisfying entrees.

Acorn Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup 

Goat Cheese and Honey Crostini; Parmesan and Arugula Salad

Mashed Potato Cakes with Onions and Kale

Indian Spiced Spaghetti Squash

Vegetable Polenta

Pasta alla Formiana

Two Hearty Vegetarian Lasagnas

* * *

Sweet Endings

Because it’s not Thanksgiving without dessert! 

Light and Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cherry Berry Crumble Pie

Mini Apple Pies

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

* * *

As you plan your dinner menu, keep these 5 Tips for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving in mind. There’s no reason this amazing holiday has to have any element of stress about it! You can have your pumpkin pie and eat it too 🙂

1. Prep Ahead: the more you prep before your big feast, the easier it will be, and the happier you will be. That way you aren’t spending all your time in the kitchen when your guests arrive, and you can actually spend time with them!

2. Finalize your Guest List (and make it a potluck!): My family’s Thanksgiving day is always a potluck. It’s actually fun to be able to contribute to the meal, even if I’m not hosting the party. And for the host, it takes off some of the burden of creating all the appetizers, sides and desserts!

3. Plan, plan, plan: Make a cooking plan and shopping schedule – sort out all the recipes you’ll be making, create your grocery list, and figure out what ingredients you can buy ahead of time. Then figure out your cooking schedule – plan out what you will do the week before, the day before and the day of.

4. Do the dishes. Ok this might sound strange, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pulled out those big casserole dishes and serving platters, only to find them super dusty and have to rewash all of them (which takes a lot of time!) If you figure out what dishware/cutlery/pots/pans/serving dishes you’ll need – you can get them washed and ready before hand so you’re not scrambling before your guests arrive.

5. Simplify! You don’t need to be the master chef in the kitchen. Pick simple, flavorful dishes that everyone will enjoy (and if you end up making it a potluck, you don’t have to do everything yourself!).

Above all, enjoy the holiday and the time off work! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Plant Based Recipes ·

Healthy, plant based recipes don’t have to be boring or tasteless! These recipes are all vegetarian and plant based, but also happen to be totally satisfying, tasty and delicious!

We have got you covered with made-over comfort food classics like this alfredo sauce without heavy cream, our healthy cornbread, this low calorie omelette and this hearty vegan white bean chili.

You’ll also find tasty cuisine from all over the world, to healthy baby food to student snacks and quick meals! All of these plant based recipes are delicious & nutritious, perfect for the whole family (picky eaters included!) to enjoy.

Following a special diet or cooking for someone who has one? Try my gluten-freevegan, vegetarian, baby food, or kid-friendly recipes. They are all easy to adapt to fit your family’s needs – without sacrificing flavor or quality. Easy suggestions and swaps can help you create meals for everyone.

6 responses to “Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup and 5 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday!”

  1. Agree w/ you, Anjali. I think all of us who love and appreciate food look forward to this holiday. I’m fortunate enough to have a stepmother who is an amazing chef, so I don’t have to do much. I am bringing some veggie kabobs though as an app, so I’m not totally off the hook:)

    Will need to burn lots of calories next week but that’s why we eat healthy most of the time, so we don’t feel guilty when we splurge, right?

    • Veggie kabobs sound great Scott!! And yes, you are exactly right – splurging one day on Thanksgiving is really not a problem, especially if you get right back on track the week after. Hope you have a wonderfully delicious Thanksgiving!!

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