Thanksgiving Leftovers Can Provide Healthy Options

Once the turkey has been carved, what's one to do with all the leftovers? Since turkey is a lean meat, leftover options can be healthy.  Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Trisha Hardy provides five meal ideas::

• Turkey sandwiches: Sure, these may not seem too exciting, but when you have turkey that is not deli meat turkey, it does seem more exciting. Try cutting the bread (whole grain) into fun shapes or serve on leftover dinner rolls (wheat). Add mustard, lettuce, and your favorite sliced veggies to change the flavor. And you can easily pack these to go in case your family is heading out for a hike or an afternoon at the park.
• Harvest salad: Put together some romaine lettuce, turkey slices, raisins, pecans, apple slices, and your favorite cheese. Top with a balsamic dressing. 
• Turkey and squash soup: This Southwestern-inspired turkey-and-squash soup gets a little kick from crushed red pepper and some zing from fresh lime juice. Make your money stretch more by freezing this soup for the winter months.
• Turkey enchiladas: Turn turkey into a fiesta with this delicious recipe. We suggest adding black beans for fiber and mushrooms for more vitamins and minerals.
• Turkey Niçoise salad: Here is a Thanksgiving twist on a classic French dish.  Chop leftover turkey, boil some small red potatoes, slice in quarters then add some halved grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and thin blanched green beans. Toss in a lemon or balsamic vinaigrette and serve over mixed greens with a side of whole grain bread.

Visit Strong4Life.com for more healthy holiday tips.