How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

American Thanksgiving is observed on the 4th Thursday of November every year. [Thanksgiving was made official by President Lincoln in 1863.] Although a Day of Thanksgiving was held at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621, that was more of a First Nations Harvest Festival than what we would call Thanksgiving. After all, the early settlers were always holding ‘Days of Thanksgiving’ when things were going well. Turkey is native to the Americas, so it has become the main course for most everybody. [Turkey was made official by the Norman Rockwell painting “Freedom from Want”] It is so ubiquitous that many people refer to Thanksgiving as “Turkey Day.” Turkey meat, white and dark, is delicious and nutritious; low in fat and high in protein. One can roast it with stuffing, spatch-cook it with dressing on the side, prepare it as a roulade, or confit the legs. The pounds are added the day after due to 1] fatty, caloric side dishes and 2] unrestrained eating. More than food, Thanksgiving is about being with family and friends. Enjoy the day.

For breakfast, those traditional Thanksgiving ingredients are baked with eggs. So easy! For dinner, a nod to the Indigenous People with a dinner of squash and venison [sausage]. The combination of autumn flavors is wonderful.

Turkey/Stuffing Bake: 135 calories 6.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 11 g protein 9 g carbs 44 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  GF- if using GF bread  Here’s a breakfast to use Thanksgiving leftovers! Another in the dinner-for-breakfast series.

1 two-oz egg ½ oz turkey breast, raw or cooked, diced finely 0.75 oz prepared turkey stuffing —OR— ¼ slice of 70-calorie whole-grain bread [¼ oz] + 1-2 Tbsp onions + 1-2 Tbsp celery lots of rosemary + thyme + sage + salt + pepper 1 oz pear Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Without pre-made stuffing + raw turkey: In a saute pan, cook onions, seasonings, celery, and turkey [if it is raw] in a little water and a spray of cooking spray until vegetables are softened. Cut bread in ¼” dice and add it to the pan of cooked vegetables. Stir to mix all ingredients completely. Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray. Distribute turkey-stuffing mixture over bottom. Whisk egg thoroughly and pour into the ramekin. Bake at 350F until puffed and starting to brown. About 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the pear and prepare the optional beverages. With pre-made stuffing + cooked turkey: Dice turkey finely and add to stuffing and herbs. Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray. Distribute turkey-stuffing mixture over bottom. Whisk egg thoroughly and pour into the ramekin. Bake at 350F until puffed and starting to brown. About 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the pear and prepare the optional beverages. Be thankful for the start of another good day.

Venison Sausage w/ Roasted Vegetables:  295 calories 12 g fat 5 g fiber 9 g protein 36.4 g carbs 88 mg Calcium  PB GF  “Sheet Pan” meals seem to be all the rage now. Roasting everything together, while keeping all the elements separate, makes for a simple process with the flavors intact yet blended. This version is very good and rich and makes a small amount of meat punch above its weight.  HINT: As written, this recipe serves two [2] people.

1 venison sausage, 290 calories or less 10.5 oz/300 g delicata squash, seeds removed 6.5 oz sweet potato 1 oz/28 g parsnip, cut as coins 10 fresh cranberries crushed red pepper thyme sprigs salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 450F. Cut the sausage into 8-10 slices. Cut the squash into ½” slices, and remove the seeds. Peel and slice sweet potato ¼” thick, then cut into half-moons, if very large. Peel parsnips and cut into coins. Spray a cast iron skillet with cooking spray or olive oil. Put all the vegetables in the pan in one layer. Spritz it all over with olive oil or cooking spray. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper. Liberally top with thyme sprigs. Heat oven to 425F, and pop the pan in. Roast for 10 minutes, then remove from oven. Turn oven down to 400F. Turn over the vegetables in the pan, then place the sausage and cranberries in the centers of squash slices. Spritz again with oil/cooking spray and return to oven for 10-15 minutes. Voila: pleasing to the eye and palate.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain cereal or equivalent	bulk sausage meat
low-fat or non-fat milk	chickpeas + onions
blueberries	scallions
	potato + [Savoy] cabbage
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

delicata squash	veal + pork + turkey
Chili Non Carne	milk + sage + cabbage leaves
melon	fresh bread crumbs + pickled beets
	mustard + egg white
Sparkling water	Sparkling water