Thanksgiving recipes that won't add holiday bulge

TAMPA - We all look forward to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner but don’t we all worry about gaining a little weight over the holidays?  We’ve turned to the experts to get tips on how to eat a little healthier  this Thanksgiving.  In studio this morning, we were joined by  our ABC Action News fitness consultant, Pete Williams and Chef Andrew Ruga from Fitlife Foods.

Here are some of Pete’s tips to keeping the pounds off this Thanksgiving:

1) Eat breakfast

2) Run a Turkey Trot

or running on your own - is a great way not to feel guilty about overeating)

3) Give away leftovers

4) Indulge a little – it’s okay if you are leading a healthy lifestyle 11 months of the year.

Chef Andrew, from Fitlife Foods, shared two healthy recipes with us:

Quick and Easy Carrot Cake

The secret to this dessert is giving you more fruit and carrot and less cake but losing none of the flavor.

Yield: 8-4oz cakes

Prep Time: 10 min

Bake time: 15 to 20 min

For Cake:

1 cup AP Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp vanilla extract

½ cup sugar

1 whole egg

¼ cup egg white

3 Tablespoons prune puree or apple sauce

1 cup grated carrot

3 cups canned diced pear in light syrup that is drained (or fruit of choice)

2 Tablespoons of golden ground flax meal

For frosting:

8 oz of 1/3 ^rd less fat cream cheese

½ cup powder sugar

3 tablespoons of water

½ tablespoon of vanilla extract

(Note: frosting is enough for 16 cakes)

1.   To make cake combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Portion evenly into 8 lightly sprayed 4 oz baking ramekins and bake in a 325*F oven until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

2.   Allow cakes to cool or refrigerate up to 5 days

3.   When cakes are cool whip up the frosting and pipe approximately 1 Tablespoon per cake.

New Mexico Turkey Tacos

Flavor packed tacos that are quick and easy to put together. Especially after spending all thanksgiving day cooking!

Yield: 12 tacos

Serving size 3 tacos

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 1 to 2 min

For taco meat:

1 ½ pounds of cooked turkey

¼ tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp fine ground coffee

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

For Taco Filling:

1 - 14oz can of low sodium pinto beans, drained (or beans of choice)

1 tsp dried oregano

2 Tablespoons lime juice

½ tsp salt

1 cup of grated cheddar cheese

For Taco Topping:

2 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup diced tomato

½ cup diced red onion

12 soft taco shells -either flour or corn

To assemble:

1.   Shred turkey meat and toss well with spices and olive oil.

2.   Toss taco filling ingredients together

3.   Divide taco filling across the 12 taco shells and the top with turkey mix.

4.   At this point tacos can be refrigerated until ready to eat or heated in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until hot and then topped with the lettuce, tomato and onion.

Fitlife Foods ( www.eatfitlifefoods.com ) was founded by a former Outback executive and opened in Palma Ceia in February and then last week in Carrollwood.  Two locations will open in  Pinellas early next year.  

For more information on Pete Williams click here