I know the last thing you're thinking about right now are facts about your favorite Thanksgiving foods. If you're like me, you're simply thinking about sleeping in, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, (or football, if that's your thing) spending time with people you love and yes, taking on the true nature of a Thanksgiving turkey, by stuffing yourself.

Not that it will make any difference in how much you enjoy what may be your largest meal of the year, but I found these facts provided by Consumer Reports about some of our favorite Thanksgiving foods, pretty interesting.

  • Turkey - My mom always relied on that pop-up timer and thank God, no one ever got food poisoning, because the truth is- -they're not that reliable! Different parts of the turkey cook faster than others. So you should always use those handy-dandy instant-read thermometers to check & make sure all the parts are at a toasty 165 degrees before you nosh on them!
  • Potatoes - Yukon Golds make better mashed taters because they're more nutritious, thanks to carotenoids (which give them their color), the same healthy anti-oxidants you find in carrots & yams. They're also loaded with potassium which helps keep your blood pressure low. Plus they have a naturally buttery flavor , so you can add less butter, and sour cream and cream cheese and bacon bits. (So I've been told).
  • Yams - Yup, loaded with anti-oxidants and yup again- -they are sweet potatoes, but not all sweet potatoes are yams. Real yams are white starchy vegetables with brown skin which are native to the Caribbean! What we know as "yams" come in multiple colors from the familiar orange all the way to purple!
  • Pumpkin - A vegie, not a fruit, loaded with vital vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and delicious to boot! Yes it's great in pie, but I mixed it with sage, heavy cream, salt & pepper and a little garlic & served it over pumpkin gnocchi just this week and it was awesome!
  • Cranberries - A fruit rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins & minerals and not just great for Thanksgiving, but year-round! They freeze really well, so buy them now & keep them for use in the weeks ahead.

For more info about your food favorites from this delightful holiday check out this article from Consumer Reports.


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