November 2009

A few weeks ago, in an earlier blog post, I joked that the most authentic way to find a pasture-raised, grass-fed turkey for Thanksgiving dinner was to hunt for it with a bow and arrow or rifle.

According to a recent article in the New York Times a new generation of meat eaters, who are interested in local, free-range, organic food, are doing just that.

I love vegetables. My family and friends make fun of me, but when I look at their kaleidoscope of colors and shapes, they delight my senses in ways I can’t explain. So imagine my joy when I opened my CSA box yesterday and pulled out this Romanesco cauliflower!

Now I’m a registered dietitian and have been touting the benefits of eating your veggies for years, but I had never seen anything like this fluorescent green head of swirling spirals. I actually squealed with surprise when I pulled it out of the box. My husband and daughter came running to see what all the excitement was about. They both burst out laughing when they saw the thrilled look on my face, although you’d think they would be used to my exclamations by now.

Ask most Americans what they’re having for Thanksgiving dinner, and they'll recite the standard list of dishes: roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams, pumpkin pie, etc.

But then ask what’s for Thanksgiving breakfast, and you’ll likely get blank stares.

Breakfast?

Oh, no. Have you, too, overlooked the second most important meal of the year? Even worse, are you actually planning to skip breakfast on Thanksgiving, thinking you’ll save the calories for later? That would be a huge mistake. Why? Three reasons: