What healthy foods can I take to my inlaws...

that they will actually eat? For the holidays I want to bring dishes that are good for me so I can try to fill up on that stuff rather than all the junk that they eat.

I love them dearly but they are country cookers and eat things that I prefer not to. If I (you folks) could come up with a couple of yummy things to take that this crowd might also like that would save me from looking like a jerk because I take my own meals.

[Robin Garr]

that they will actually eat? For the holidays I want to bring dishes that are good for me so I can try to fill up on that stuff rather than all the junk that they eat.

I love them dearly but they are country cookers and eat things that I prefer not to. If I (you folks) could come up with a couple of yummy things to take that this crowd might also like that would save me from looking like a jerk because I take my own meals.

How about baked beans? Make 'em hearty, just hold down the fat and sugar.

- A huge bowl of tossed green salad.
- Country Style Green Beans
- Oven roasted veggies - squash, onions, eggplant, corn, cauliflower, asparagus, etc.
- Caprese (if you can find any decent tomatoes right now)
- Spaghetti squash (So easy too - you can make it in the microwave!)

Go to http://www.weightwatchers.com and do a search for thanksgiving recipes. Or you can go to the community boards and search the recipe review thread. Their community boards are open to the public. There are lots of great ideas there. (Even for times other than Thanksgiving)

Also a big hit at most gatherings is 7 layer salad
Take a big bowl and layer with (in ascending order) lettuce ,shredded carrots, your favorite low fat shredded cheese, grated hard boiled eggs(you can leave the yolks out if you like)diced red onions, a layer of "ranch" dressing made with a ranch packet a little milk and no-fat sour cream or yogurt, peas(I use thawed out frozen), diced tomatoes, and as a final option some imitation bacon bits(Yep, they are a little high in sodium but are usually soy based). Or you could substitute say diced cucumbers, sliced olives, marinated artichokes,etc... for anything that you don't like... It's really up to you what you put in.
Some what healthy (low fat but a little high calorie) but people really seem to like it.

Michelle- I too, have a family that eats like yours. Last year during a major weight loss I brought these two dishes- which they have asked me to bring again this year.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes- I bake them at a high temp so that they get a smokey taste, remove the flesh, add orange zest and some juice, salt and pepper. A little butter couldn't hurt- but I didn't miss it.

Poached pears- Most any receipe would do- I served it with store bought macroons

Oh, these are FANTASTIC!

Keep em' coming, please!

If we only went there for Thanksgiving I'd say what the heck and eat all kinds of bad stuff, but we're there for the whole four day weekend and if I am not careful I will eat four pecan pies.

Curried Pumpkin Soup
Chestnut Soup
Fruit salad dressed with honey and lemon juice
Roasted Root Vegetables (I had a mix of rutabagas, sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, and red onions that I roasted with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil for dinner this evening that was most satisfying and, at least to me, screamed of fall. I will be making this for part of my Thanksgiving dinner.)
Baked sweet potatoes
Roasted asparagus with sun dried tomatoes
Petite peas in lettuce cups
Make a dressing with whole grain bread, toasted walnuts, onions, garlic and chicken stock.
Take some great whole grain bread. (Good bread doesn't need butter.)
Pumpkin squares (Mix up pumpkin pie filling as usual, but bake in round or square cake pan, no crust!)

Check out the Thanksgiving recipes from Food fit’s Chefs http://www.foodfit.com/cooking/archive/celebrateThanksgiving.asp#vegetarian

I think I like the sound of the food that your inlaws make. Country cooking? Sign me up.

Here's a fantastic brown rice salad recipe. It's great warm or room temp.

Brown Rice Salad Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Do The Rice Thing


6 slices bacon
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Baked Brown Rice, recipe follows
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

In a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain, crumble, and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
Add the red onion to the pan and cook until translucent, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the vinegar, chicken broth, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir to combine. Add the bacon back to the pan along with the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the dill. Allow to cool slightly before serving.


Baked Brown Rice:
1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.

Michelle- Here is another thought if you need healthy munchies. The CJ ran this recipe about two years ago, and I used it again and again during and since my weight loss. It is stupid easy:

Light Dairy Dressing
2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 cup plain non or lowfat yogurt. ( Greek Tage brand works really well-very thick)
2 Teaspoons lemon juice
Throw into a food processor and whirl away.

This is the base for any number of dips and spreads. You can make it Curry with some powder and chutney; Southwest with some chipolte and garlic and cumin; Asian with ginger, miso, garlic and a touch of sesame oil; etc.

My favorite that I came up with adds roasted red peppers, tarragon, garlic, dijon mustard, anise seed, and a little honey. The whole family loved this variation.

I use SparkRecipes.com for such occasions. Made some salsa off of there and people loved it (though admittedly, salsa isn't an unhealthy dish to begin with.) Just be sure to get a recipe that has more than one or two ratings so you can be sure it's tested and approved!