Your Dietitian: Eat well with holiday superfoods

November is the beginning of the holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and the holiday season — with their many high-calorie goodies — aren't an easy time of the year for persons trying not to gain weight. It's especially challenging for persons with diabetes, trying to limit their carbohydrate intake to control their blood sugar. Besides being high in calories, many typical Thanksgiving dinner side dishes are excessively high in carbohydrates. With obesity and diabetes being the most common underlying conditions for coronavirus complications, now is not a time to indulge and gain weight. Rather, there has never been a more important time to eat healthfully and exercise to strengthen our immune systems. Here are some Thanksgiving dinner side dishes that are low in calories and carbohydrates, easy to prepare — and simply delicious. These superfoods are high in health-giving nutrients to help keep you well and strengthen the immune system. Sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes top the list of healthiest foods for Thanksgiving dinner. Sweet potatoes are very high in soluble fiber. Besides lowering harmful LDL cholesterol, soluble fiber feeds the beneficial bacteria in our GI tract. The GI tract is where most of our immune system lies. Getting plenty of soluble fiber for a stronger immune system is especially important this fall. They are also one of the richest sources of beta carotene. Just one cup delivers more than 280 percent of the daily recommended beta carotene. Beta carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A helps keep the mucus lining of our respiratory tract healthy. This is important for fighting off viruses which enter through our nose (such as the coronavirus and flu viruses). A study recently published in the BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health identified vitamin A as one of the key nutrients (along with vitamins D and E) for strengthening our respiratory and immune systems. Fat is needed to absorb beta carotene. An Ohio State University study found that without fat, zero beta carotene is absorbed. When fat was added to a meal, four times as much beta carotene was absorbed. So, add a bit of butter, margarine and/or pecans atop your sweet potato. Pecans Pecans are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Among nuts, pecans are one of the highest in antioxidant vitamin E — one of the key nutrients for a stronger immune system. Instead of topping sweet potatoes with marshmallows — which are sugar — try topping them with delicious, crunchy pecans. (See recipe. Due to the coronavirus, many of us will not be hosting large family gatherings. So, smaller sized recipes are featured.) Unlike marshmallows, nuts are carbohydrate-free — so they don't raise blood-sugar levels. The fat in pecans also helps to slow down the absorption of nutrients, including carbs. This helps prevent high blood sugars after meals — something especially important for persons with diabetes. Brussels sprouts Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts go perfectly with turkey. Or, try making a wonderful kale and Brussels sprouts salad. (See recipes.) Besides being low in calories and very low in carbohydrates, Brussels sprouts are incredibly nutritious. Similar to broccoli, Brussels sprouts contain a wealth of antioxidants such as glucoraphanin, which form cancer-fighting sulforaphanes. This powerful nutrient acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent and a detoxifier. In fact, it helps the body detoxify air pollutants and toxins for up to 72 hours. But that's not all. They're high in vitamin C for a stronger immune system and an excellent source of vitamin K for blood clotting and bone formation. Brussels sprouts also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants important for vision and reducing the progression of aged-related macular degeneration. And lastly, Brussels sprouts are a great source of soluble fiber to feed the beneficial bacteria in our GI tract and strengthen our immune system Stuffing with fiber Apples are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber. Adding a chopped apple to bread stuffing is an easy and delicious way to add more immune-strengthening soluble fiber to your meal. Pumpkin or sweet potato pie Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be complete without pumpkin or sweet potato pie. These are two of the healthiest pies — rich in antioxidant beta carotene and soluble fiber. And since pie contains fat in the crust, the beta carotene is well absorbed. For those of us watching our weight and/or carbohydrate intake, pass on the rolls and take a small serving of stuffing. That saves calories and carbs for enjoying a traditional piece of pie. Happy Thanksgiving! Sweet potatoes with toasted pecans topping 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) pecan halves 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed well About 4 teaspoons butter or tub margarine A few dashes of cinnamon, optional Toast pecans Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven (or toaster oven) for 8 minutes. Allow to cool, then roughly chop pecans and set aside. Toasting makes nuts crunchier and taste a little sweeter without having to add lots of sugar. Bake potatoes Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spray with cooking oil. Poke a few holes in potatoes to prevent them from bursting. Place potatoes on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour or until potatoes are soft. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. If desired, scrap and fluff inside of sweet potato using a fork, being careful not to break skin. Top each half with a small dollop (about 1 teaspoon) of butter or tub margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Top each half with toasted pecans. Nutrition note: Half a sweet potato is a serving. Makes: 4 servings (4 one-half sweet potatoes). Recipe can be doubled or cut in half. SOURCE: Phyllis Molnar Oven roasted Brussels sprouts 12 ounces (3/4 pound) small-size Brussels sprouts 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ¼ plus 1/8 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off ends of Brussels sprouts and pull off any outer leaves. Mix them in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them onto a baking sheet with a rim. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes until crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Serve immediately. Makes: 3 servings (This recipe was halved.) SOURCE: Ina Garten, the Food Network Fresh greens and Brussels sprouts salad with Dijon dressing for two Dressing 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt Salad 3 cups baby salad greens (or thinly sliced kale leaves) 1 cup very thinly sliced Brussels sprouts ½ cup halved grape tomatoes Whisk dressing ingredients together. Place greens, thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and tomatoes in a salad bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat evenly. Makes: 2 servings (Recipe may be doubled or tripled) SOURCE: www.cookinglight.com Kale and Brussels sprouts salad Dressings ¼ cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot 1 small clove garlic, minced (about ¼ teaspoon minced garlic) ¼ teaspoon salt Dash of black pepper 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salad 1½ pounds kale, preferably Tuscan kale, washed and thinly sliced 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded with a knife Topping 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted* 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Cheese or Pecorino-Romano cheese *To toast almonds: Place in a dry skillet and cook on medium-low heat stirring continuously. Cook just until starting to turn golden brown and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Toasting brings out their nutty flavor. Whisk together salad dressing ingredients. Set aside. Remove center ribs of kale leaves. Thinly slice kale. Massage kale leaves to tenderize. Place in salad bowl. Thinly slice Brussels sprouts and add to kale. Toss to combine. Drizzle dressing over kale-sprout salad mixture. Toss to coat. Top with almonds and cheese. Makes: 8 to 10 servings SOURCE: Bon Appetite