First, a warning about the keto diet.
Turkey is definitely keto-friendly.
Keto diets are designed to be high-fat, which means that you can even slather your turkey with as much butter as you like.
Just don't put any bread in the stuffing.
Instead of mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, try a cauliflower mash.
Boil the cauliflower and add butter, parmesan and cream, Taste of Home suggests. Mashed cauliflower that's dripping with butter could fool your grandmother into thinking there are potatoes on the table.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdGravy that uses flour for thickener is out of the question. But you can make a keto-friendly dressing using drippings, broth, and cream.
Ketologic, a popular keto diet website, suggests thickening gravy up by adding some xantham gum. But you don't have to go that far if you're fine eating a soupier gravy.
Green beans are one of the few beans that are low-carb enough to include in your meal.
Simplysohealthy.com offers a keto-friendly twist on traditional green bean casserole that features fresh mushrooms, parmesan, and garlic cream cheese.
Other beans aren't generally allowed on the keto diet because they're high-carb. But a cup of green beans has about seven grams of carbs, and half of those are in the form of fiber (which doesn't count for keto-ers). So a serving of the greens won't put you anywhere near your daily carb limit.
Get creative with appetizers, salads, and crudités.
Keto diets aren't meant to be protein-rich, but it can be easy to forget veggies on Thanksgiving, when meats and dairy abound.
A keto feast could include a salad with avocado, onions, green peppers, cucumber, and tomatoes, or a crudité platter.
Deviled eggs are also a keto-friendly hors d'oeuvre.
Cheese is always a tasty option, too.
One vegetable-focused side to try is Brussels sprouts with bacon.
Dress up Brussels sprouts with bacon, garlic, and cheese, suggests CafeDelights. (Skip the cornstarch in this recipe if you're keto.)
You could also consider a side dish of asparagus or broccoli.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdYou could also make creamed kale or spinach.
Kale and spinach leaves are loaded with potassium, vitamins, and magnesium, which are important nutrients that keto dieters sometimes neglect. Many recipes for creamed greens call for butter, cream, and cheese — those are fine on the keto plan, but regular milk has sugar so is generally avoided.
A glass of wine with dinner is fine.
Apples are a high-carb fruit, so keto dieters can't eat apple pie. Berries with cream are a more fitting dessert option.
Blackberries and raspberries served with whipped (unsweetened) cream is a satisfying low-carb dessert option.
If you're dying for an apple-pie substitute, there are some squash recipes out there. GnomGnom.com suggests using the Mexican squash chayote topped with a crumble made from coconut and almond flours.
You could also opt for cheesecake.
A New York-style cheesecake, like the one from alldayidreamaboutfood.com calls for cream cheese, butter, eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract — all keto-approved ingredients. You'd have to make one substitution, though: instead of regular sugar, a keto-friendly artificial sweetener like Stevia. (It's also best to opt for crustless cheesecake if you're going keto.)
Throughout the meal, remember to stay hydrated.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdWhatever your eating plan is this Thanksgiving, remember that the food is only part of the feast.
In addition to prepping a feast, remember that holidays are also about social support. Connect with friends or family — even a simple gesture like a hug can be important.
In fact, researchers recently surveyed over 400 adults about how often they'd been hugged over a two-week period. The results suggested that people who got a consensual hug now and then were less bugged by interpersonal conflicts in their lives.