Why I Eat Thanksgiving Dinner Four Times in November

I want to share something I do every November because I think it might help you more than any holiday "tip" you'll see this year.
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Watch the video here.

Once a week, all month long, I make a simple Thanksgiving-style dinner. Turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, the whole vibe, just easier, cleaner, with 10 fewer side dishes.

I started doing this because Thanksgiving was a disaster for me for years. I'd show up starving, eat like it was the final supper, then decide I'd already ruined everything, so I might as well keep eating whatever I wanted through New Year's.

SCARCITY = OVERCONSUMPTION

Make something scarce, and we want more of it. It's going away, so we need as much of it as possible.

We need to reframe that.

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I wrote about this in Feed Your Soul. We overeat when we think something is going away. It's the same reason you finish a whole plate at your favorite restaurant even when you're full. Your brain forgets that the restaurant will still be open tomorrow.

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Thanksgiving food is available all year too; we just don't let ourselves have it.

So I let myself have it. Here are the four dinners I rotate through, all paleo-friendly:

Week 1: Harvest Salad with Creamy Balsamic and Turkey

Arugula, roasted butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, toasted pecans, and balsamic (olive oil, balsamic, a little Dijon, salt, and pepper). Sliced roasted turkey breast on top (you can use ground if easier). Serve with sweet potato wedges tossed in avocado oil, cinnamon, and sea salt.

Week 2: Brisket with Mashed Potato and Green Beans

Brisket in the crock pot with gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes with ghee and a splash of coconut milk. Roast green beans with spices until crispy. Nothing's worse than a limp green bean.

Week 3: Turkey, Stuffing, and Cranberry Sauce

Roast turkey thighs with rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, and ghee. For the stuffing, brown some breakfast sausage and add diced apple, celery, onion, mushrooms, and chopped pecans. Cranberry sauce is just fresh cranberries, orange zest and juice, and a little maple syrup, simmered for about 10 minutes until they pop.

Week 4: Cider Apple Chicken with Sweet Potato Casserole and Roasted Brussels

Buy a ready-made roasted chicken and shred it. Quickly saute some sliced apples, onion, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Sweet potato casserole with ghee and cinnamon, topped with pecans, a little coconut sugar, and a sprinkle of almond flour. Roasted Brussels sprouts.

Here are some recipes to follow:

Homemade Paleo Cranberry Sauce. It has only five ingredients, is sweetened with orange juice, and freezes well, so you can make it once and use it for a few weeks in a row.

Best Paleo Gravy. Thickened with onions, garlic, and arrowroot.

Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole. Creamy sweet potato layer with a crunchy topping; it also has make-ahead options.

"Cornbread" Paleo Thanksgiving Stuffing. Uses a grain-free sweet potato bread baked with sausage, apples, celery, onion, mushrooms, pecans, and herbs.

Paleo Stuffing with Pumpkin Bread. The meatless option with apples, cranberries, and fresh herbs. Heads up that the bread has to be made the day before.

Paleo Whole30 Green Bean Casserole. Uses a homemade cream of mushroom and is topped with bacon.

Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes. Uses Yukon Golds, ghee, and almond milk.

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If pie is your weakness, grocery stores sell it by the slice this time of year. Grab one, sit down, and eat it slowly with zero guilt.

By Thanksgiving, you've had it all, so it just feels like a nice dinner with people you love. You eat a normal plate, go on with your night, and don't wake up Friday ready to throw in the towel until 2027.

I'm here for you all holiday season. Leave me a comment and tell me what you want to see me cover to help keep you grounded and on track.

Xoxo,

Carly

P.S. If the holidays knock you off track every year, this is exactly what we work on in my Wellness Starter Program. We look at your labs, your habits, and the stuff going on in your head around food, and build a plan that fits your real life (pie included). Book a call here.