A Healthy Eco-Thanksgiving

Have a healthy eco-friendly Thanksgiving from all of us at Mambo Sprouts!

Thanksgiving is a special time for friends and family to gather and a chance to re-connect with nature, give thanks and share the earth’s abundance. As you prepare for Thanksgiving, consider ways to simplify the holiday, reduce stress and make your holiday healthy and earth friendly.

This Thanksgiving, plan to include seasonal, organic, sustainable and heritage foods as part of your holiday meal, or try a new healthy organic or vegetarian recipe. A healthy potluck can save time and allow guests to share their favorite holiday item. Decorate your table with a homemade earth-friendly table centerpiece made from natural or recycled materials or purchased from a local sustainable store to 'go green' this Thanksgiving.

This issue features easy green tips, time and money saving ideas and healthy organic recipes for a sustainable Thanksgiving celebration. Please share your ideas, tips and recipes for a healthy, green Thanksgiving in the Mambo blog.

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Healthy Thanksgiving Tips, Ideas and Savings for Going Green and Organic This Holiday

Planning ahead can save time and money and lessen the need for last minute shopping for less healthy fare at higher prices. Making a"to do" list can help!

Some holiday food such as appetizers and entrees can be prepared in advance, reducing your "to do" list closer to the holiday. Tip: Save money by buying non-perishable items in advance on sale.

Use healthy substitutes when cooking by replacing high fat conventional processed foods with lower fat and organic alternatives (i.e., use organic 1% milk in place of whole milk, lowfat organic yogurt in place of sour cream).

Practice portion control and plan for leftovers to reduce the chance of over-eating and you’ll save time on future meal preparation too!

Simplify by reducing the number of holiday dishes and desserts that you prepare to save valuable time and for healthy weight control.

Buy organic, seasonal produce locally to enjoy nature’s bounty of perfect whole foods. Buy fresh organic harvest vegetables, which are high in fiber and nutrients such as squash, turnips, kale and beans.

Offer some tasty and healthy appetizers to start the festivities such as: veggies and all natural lowfat dips, fresh fruit salad, organic cheeses, bean salad, salmon and lowfat cream cheese dip with whole grain crackers, or try a new Mambo healthy appetizer recipe

Vegetarian or vegan choices for Thanksgiving abound with excellent alternatives to traditional thanksgiving fare. Check out these Vegetarian resources for some great Vegetarian holiday recipes!

• Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes and Tips From Organic Consumers
• Thanksgiving Recipes In A Vegetarian Kitchen with Neva Atlas

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated near the Atlantic Ocean abundant with fresh fish and seafood; consider a main entrée of sustainable wild-caught fish or shellfish. Here is a list of Thanksgiving foods available to the Pilgrims in 1621

The traditional thanksgiving meal was low in sugar, as the early New England settlers did not have access to sugar. When dessert recipes call for sugar, use less sugar, natural fruit and berries or authentic sweeteners such as honey or syrup used by the settlers in 1621.

Looking to add more veggies to your Thanksgiving meal? Try a new healthy Thanksgiving vegetable recipe: Healthy butternut squash and apple recipe from the lead chef at Canyon Ranch Spa in Arizona

Add organic veggies as toppings for baked potatoes instead of mashed potatoes laden with saturated fats.

Buy an organic free-range or sustainable turkey from your favorite natural or organic food store. Tip: place order early!
Click here to learn more from Sustainable Table"Talking Turkey"

Order a sustainable "‘Heritage Turkey" for home delivery
Heritage Foods USA was formed in 2001 as the sales and marketing arm for Slow Food USA, a non-profit organization founded by Patrick Martins and dedicated to celebrating regional cuisines and products

Try traditional recipes straight from the early settlers and Native Americans Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History, from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie Book

Simplify the holiday meal preparation time by buying a few dishes prepared by your favorite natural or organic market: Call ahead for easy pick up or try the Whole Foods Market newly launched catering menu and online ordering (available in select areas)

Suggest a healthy potluck for your Thanksgiving meal, reducing stress by sharing the cooking and everyone can contribute a special dish to the meal! Bring dishes and share leftovers in eco-friendly reusable containers.

Simplify the holiday and avoid cooking all together by dining out at a local, sustainable restaurant. Use the handy Mambo Marketplace organic restaurant locator to find healthy dining in your area. Take leftovers home in environmentally friendly biodegradable take-out containers.

Fun Family Thanksgiving Activities And Ideas

Send a thank you note or thinking of you card to someone special Click here for free Thanksgiving E-cards from Care2 http://www.care2.com/send/catthanks1.html

Give back to your community by sharing your time as volunteer. Search for volunteer opportunities here http://www.networkforgood.org/volunteer/

Get extra rest and make time for relaxation to boost your immune system to stay healthy during the holiday season.

Take a break with a warm cup of green or herbal organic tea.

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Green Thanksgiving Decorating Tips

Here are some simple, earth-friendly, and money saving ways to decorate your home for the holiday. Bring the beauty of the harvest season indoors with gourds, colored corn, or nuts place in a basket to display the decorations

Take a nature walk and gather signs of the season from your own local environment to create a simple but beautiful nature’s harvest centerpiece. Gather found items such as Pine cones, colored leaves, seed pods, sea shells, colorful leaves, or dried flowers. Place your nature’s treasures in vases or clear bowls accented with a pretty raffia ribbon for a pleasing and naturally green centerpiece

Use soy candles for holiday lighting, make sure you keep flames away from little ones and use basic fire safety precautions.

For an extra touch fill a glass bowl with water and flower petals or seasonal grains, such as colorful corns and place a pillar candle in the center.

Create a thankful tree as a centerpiece; collect a small fallen tree branch from outdoors and place in a ceramic vase. Collect leaves of all shapes and sizes, using recycled paper trace the outline of the leaves, and cut to shape. leaving a space in the center for words- color the paper leaves with crayons or makers. Punch a small hole in the leaf and string with ribbon, string, or colored yard. Next think of those special things you are grateful for such as: family, nature, food, health, laughter, or special people in your life etc. Using a colorful marker, write one word on each"leaf" and hang from the tree. In addition you can use"leaves" as place cards and ask guests to add their own words to a leaf. Place your guests’ leaves on the thankful tree too!

Another easy "handy" and meaningful Thanksgiving decorating idea: trace your hand on colored paper and write notes of thanks to each guest, hang the colored hands with ribbon or yarn on chairs.

Click here for more easy, green and natural decorating tips from Care2

Share your favorite healthy, green, Thanksgiving holiday tips and recipes.

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