I’m sure you are thinking of last minute Thanksgiving meal ideas and need some fresh twists on the classics. Thankfully we’ve spoken with Mareya Ibrahim, The Fit Foodie nutrition coach and chef, and author of the new #1 release, Eat Like you Give a Fork: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive where she dives deep into keeping our beloved feasts clean and healthy, too.

It’s hard to come up with ideas that are outside of the normal, we know. That’s why we are here! If you need some tips and ideas, try some of these:

1) Instead of mashed potatoes, try purple sweet potatoes:  The ‘it’ veggie of 2020 gets a star place on the plate, and that gorgeous, opulent purple steals the show for those Tgiving pics.  Not to mention, purple sweet potatoes are full of anthocyanins, with potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity effects (according to the National Institute of Health).  Top them with just a dab of coconut oil and a drizzle of Manuka honey, another big trend for 2020.

2) Instead of turkey, roast beef or ham, try a plant-based main dish.  The ‘Plant-based effect’ is here to stay, and the popularity of a vegan diet is growing in the double digits.  Consider a vegan main dish.  Field Roast makes a ‘Celebration Roast’ which features pea flour, one of the ‘it’ trends of 2020, along with other vegan ingredients and is accompanied by a porcini mushroom gravy for a fit foodie feast.  Another option is the Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk’y or Holiday Roast stuffed with cranberries and wild rice, which also features pea protein, for a festive plant-based focus to the meal.

3) Instead of fried side dishes, try air-frying it.  Hold the splatter and just add air! Some creative holiday-worthy options using different types of fruits and veggies, like sweet potato, taro, green beans, parsnips, crunchy spiced chickpeas (check the recipe in my book, Eat Like You Give a Fork: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive); pear and apple slices make great snacks and sides for your holiday meal, without the extra fat and inflammation fried foods bring.

4) Instead of canola or olive oil, try black seed oil.  Give thanks to the tomb raiders who discovered this ‘miracle seed’ in King Tut’s tomb.  Black seeds, nicknamed the ‘blessed’ seed in Arabic and often called black cumin seed or Nigella Sativa, proves to be quite the little miracle. It’s chock-full of the powerful cancer-fighting antioxidant thymoquinone and is also proven to help with around 100 other conditions based on real scientific data.  It also adds a nice licorice-like punch to foods.  Add black seed oil to your salad dressings and cooked veggies for a big punch of flavor, and use whole black cumin seeds to add crunch and something ‘extra’ to stuffing and grain dishes.

What are you going to be making for Thanksgiving this year?