Traditional Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Does "Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes" sound like an oxymoron? When you think of all that turkey stuffing, the cream-based sauces, the buttered mashed potatoes, and the pumpkin and pecan pies, "healthy" isn't one of the adjectives used to describe the Thanksgiving Day meal.

As good as all the above sound, it's so easy to create a traditional healthy Thanksgiving Day meal for your family. Tradition is something you start. It doesn't have to match every one else. It's yours alone.

Celebrated in the States on the fourth Thursday in November, it is celebrated in Canada on the second Sunday of October.

In Germany, it is often celebrated on the first Sunday in October and is called "Erntedankfest" (meaning harvest festival of thanks).

Using that same thinking, we adopted our own customs.

We chose to celebrate with rouladen, red cabbage, and Potato Dumplings. Dessert was usually whichever torte was the family favorite at the time.

Yes, it really was rouladen - not the easy and cheaper version of Beef Flatladen. It was extra work, but this was for a very special day.

For our family, it is an extra special day. Our middle son's birthday is October 12. We often celebrate both at the same time. Our tradition is that the "birthday child" could choose his dinner. And what does Michael always choose? You guessed it, "rouladen, red cabbage, and potato dumplings." And that's how traditions start!

Our Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner: