11 Brain-Healthy Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Table
Plus, my recipe for Garlicky Miso Butter Mashed Potatoes
Hello, everyone. I drove down to Colorado yesterday (Orzo was my co-pilot and Livvie stretched out in the back) to spend Thanksgiving week with my sons, Jack and Nick, and my sister- and brother-in-law, Lil and Pete. This will be my 25-year-old son’s first time hosting the big dinner. One tradition I started when my kids were young teenagers was to put them in charge of their own dish. In fact, any teenager who was also a guest at my house was expected to contribute. My kitchen was especially chaotic in those days as I folded all these young cooks into the Thanksgiving prep. While I know they would rather lounge on the sofa and watch football, I remember saying that someday they will thank me. Well, that someday is now. These kids have grown into accomplished cooks!
While you probably already have your Thanksgiving meal planned, here I offer ideas to infuse the day with crowd-pleasing dishes that also happen to be brain-healthy. I don’t have a problem indulging a little on traditional holiday foods, but a whole day of eating this way does not sit well with my brain or my gut. The combo of carbohydrates, sweets, alcohol, and inactivity is a recipe for a food coma that has nothing to do with the tryptophan in the turkey. I have a few thoughts on approaching a food-centered holiday with a brain-healthy mindset. If Thanksgiving is not your thing, file these ideas away for any big meal in the upcoming holidays.
11 Ideas For a Brain-Healthy Thanksgiving Day
Start with a brain-healthy charcuterie board. Thanksgiving dinner is already full of more saturated fat foods than your typical brain-healthy meal. Meat and cheese are the typical suspects found on a holiday snack board, but I suggest a new twist—create a better-for-you board with marinated vegetables, tinned fish, whole grain crackers, berries, and olives. Include a special cheese if you like, too. (Or, try the nut-based Lemony Cashew Ricotta on page 373 of my book.) Check out my guide to building a brain-healthy charcuterie board here.
Offer a signature mocktail. As a brain health expert, I love the trend that more people are cutting back on alcohol or giving it up altogether. I wrote about why your brain loves a break from booze here. But that doesn’t mean giving up festive drinks. This Spiced Apple Mocktail is one of my favorites, and the apple cider vinegar helps mitigate the spike in both insulin and glucose that inevitably accompanies a holiday meal.
Savory Olive Quick Bread with Tomatoes and Olives
Upgrade the dinner rolls. I usually skip serving bread at Thanksgiving. But if swiping gravy with bread is essential for you, opt for good-quality whole-grain bread or rolls. Choosing bread that’s rich in complex carbohydrates and high in fiber helps your body absorb glucose more slowly from the meal. For a special homemade bread, try the Savory Olive Quick Bread with Tomatoes and Olives on page 327 of my book. This bread makes tasty turkey sandwiches, too. This year, just for fun, I’m making blue corn tortillas. Will report back!
Schedule a walk. Take a tip from my Italian friends: walking after a meal (especially a big meal) is essential. Walking substantially reduces the glucose peak and resultant crash that spurs the typical post-Thanksgiving food coma. Besides, it feels good to get fresh air after sitting at the table for hours. Ideally this is a group activity that happens just before or after the dessert course. Like we discussed earlier this year: Exercise is just as important as brain-healthy eating.
Revamp the mashed potatoes. Your mashed potatoes don’t need 2 sticks of butter to be good. Really! My Garlicky Miso Butter Mashed Potatoes employ a few simple swaps that not only make them better for you, they are more delicious, too. Find the recipe below.
Get a good night’s sleep. The most important factor in creating a brain-healthy sleep routine? Go to bed and get up at the same time. While this may go sideways when social engagements fill the calendar, try your best to keep to your sleep routine. This is especially true the night before a big food holiday—being well-rested means you’ll make better food choices throughout the day.
Let the cranberries shine. Cranberries could be the brain-healthiest food on the Thanksgiving table! It’s a myth that cranberries need a mountain of sugar to be transformed into a delicious relish. Case in point: I have 3 cranberry sauce recipes that use small amounts of natural sweetener instead, letting the flavors of the cranberries really shine. This year I’m making Mom’s Classic Cranberry Sauce, but you could also consider this Chai-Spiced Cranberry Apple Compote or this jalapeño-spiked Cranberry Chutney.
Don’t skimp on the leafy greens. Try my Italian-inspired take on collard greens. It’s easy to make-ahead, can be served warm or at room temperature, and keeps well if there are leftovers. Chestnuts make it feel holiday special, but you could substitute walnuts or hazelnuts instead. Find the recipe here: Rome-Inspired Collard Greens with Chestnuts.
Cultivate young cooks. I view cooking as an essential life skill. Kids who know their way around the kitchen are more likely to develop brain-healthy eating habits later. Instead of just giving them a job to do, put them in charge of a dish. Give them creative license over how it is plated and presented. You may be surprised at how seriously they will take this assignment! And, if they mess up, it’s a safe place to fail. There is usually plenty of other food on the table.
Create a gratitude bowl. Here’s a fun family tradition: have everyone write down what they are grateful for on a small piece of paper. People are welcome to submit more than one. Place these in a bowl. Sometime during the meal, have the youngest member of the group read each one aloud as everyone guesses who wrote what. There are usually some fun surprises and twists. I will never forget when my then 12-year-old son wrote that he was grateful for his parents’ friends. That prompted a lot of happy tears!
Enjoy the dessert course. If you are looking for a healthier twist on traditional pumpkin pie, check out this recipe I shared last time: Pumpkin Tahini Pie with a Maple Oat Crust.
I’d Love To Hear From You
What are your tips for balancing brain health and a holiday meal?
Recipe: Garlicky Miso Butter Mashed Potatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil and almond milk shift the fat-profile of these mashed potatoes in a brain-friendlier direction. Plus, adding miso paste not only adds rich umami flavor, it provides the benefits of a probiotic-rich fermented food.