Make Thanksgiving Leftovers Safe and Healthy

Welcome to Diet and Fitness Podcast, a free audio podcast sponsored by Diet.com. This is your fit, fun and fabulous host, Lady Diet, ready to give you the skinny on the latest diet, fitness, health tips and news.

If dieting during Thanksgiving isn’t difficult enough by itself, what do you do after the holidays, when all those delicious leftovers are calling your name for the next few days! I love leftovers, almost more than the actual meal. That is why in today’s podcast, I share some of my favorite light leftover ideas, plus a few important steps to storing food post-Thanksgiving.

1) Turkey is the star of the show, but what to do with it after all your guests have left? Instead of just re-heating it in the microwave, spice things up a little. Try shredding turkey and throwing it on top of salads for a bit of lean protein, or even adding it a breakfast burrito wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

2) Cranberries are pretty on the dinner table but dazzling, diet-wise for all the antioxidant properties they carry to keep you healthy. Try mixing leftover cranberry sauce with non-fat vanilla yogurt for a calcium-rich treat, or even spreading it on top of grilled chicken as a delicious glaze.

3) Yams have enough nutrients and complex carbohydrates in them to be nutritional superstars, helping your body beat high blood pressure and more. Enjoy leftover yams in replacement of starchy breakfast potatoes in the morning, or fold them into an omelet.

4) To keep bacteria from forming on Turkey Day leftovers, it’s important that you put food in the fridge in sealed containers no more than 2 hours after they leave the stove or oven. Also, remember to eat dishes as soon as possible, never more than four days. Store extra food in freezer bags if you know you won’t be eating it for awhile. If you are worried you’ll overeat on leftovers, be sure to send guests home with little doggy bags of all the treats from Thanksgiving dinner!

Like I mentioned earlier, leftovers can be even more delicious than the original meal! Be creative and find different ways to spice up leftover foods and you may discover a new favorite dish! Remember to share your recipes on the Diet.com message boards. Have fun and happy holidays!

If you have any comments or suggestions about today’s podcast, or any fun health diet or fitness tip, please feel free to email me at LadyDietPodcast at dietdotcom.

This is Lady Diet signing off…