Planning the Family Thanksgiving Meal 2
Step 2: Plan the Meal
Once you know how many guests you’ll have, then the fun begins. You get to dream about food.
Of course there are the old standbys like ham and turkey, but there’s so much more to a wonderful Thanksgiving meal.
Once you have your guest list of who is coming, contact family members to find out what they can each bring. That will help you to adjust your menu plan accordingly.
Take note of everyone willing to bring an item, even if they aren’t sure yet what to bring.
It does not have to be anything specific. Categories will do for now:
Appetizers
Main Dishes
Side Dishes
Breads/Rolls
Salads
Soups
Desserts
Again, we will give you some great recipes for many of these items in case you have to provide them, so no worries.
But there will be some special considerations depending on your number of guests, and who they are.
Do you have anyone who needs special dietary requirements? Perhaps your Uncle John is diabetic or Aunt Mary is allergic to peanuts ot wheat, and your cousin Amy is a vegetarian or even vegan.
Be sure to keep their needs in mind while you’re planning. Try to offer some lighter, lower calorie alternatives to balance out some of the “heavier” traditional dishes.
Then there is the difference between a whole turkey and a turkey breast. Some people love dark meat, some hate it. Also, dark meat is far more fattening. For every one ounce of turkey, we are talking 1 gram of fat for the breast meat, vs 3 grams of fat for the dark meat. If you end up eating 4, 6 or 8 ounces of turkey, that would be the difference between 4 and 12, 6 and 18, or 8 and 24 whopping ounces of fat.
So if anyone is diet-conscious at your house,think about doing a turkey breast, and having the stuffing on the side.
Tags: Thanksgiving
