This will be my first holiday season since surgery and was wondering if anyone had some good suggestions for holiday recipes. I'm worried about dry turkey, mushy dressing to get stuck etc. Thanks

I just posted a great recipe for pumpkin pie cupcakes on my blog: Violinist With A Band: Happy Halloween! And Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes!

I love these cupcakes, and they are relatively low calories (under 100 calories per cupcake). A great holiday dessert!

I don't eat meat (well I eat seafood, but not poultry, pork, red meat etc) so I can't offer too much info about the turkey. Just take VERY small bites and chew chew chew! And I guess try not to get wrapped up in everyone around you stuffing their faces. Just eat until you feel satisfied and then stop.

This will be my second TG with a band. I don't remember having trouble with anything at all last year and I was 8 months banded by then.

We usually have smoked turkey. Perhaps that's a bit moister than regular roasted? If I do a roast turkey, I use a big turkey roaster that has a lid, comes out moister than just a roasting pan and tinfoil.

You might consider eating the dark meat from the turkey...or putting a tiny bit of gravy on it to help it slide down.

I think I made two dressings, one regular for my son and one with lots and lots of veggies in it.

I made the traditional green bean casserole, but used non fat or reduced fat Soup, cut way back on the fried onions and used ff milk.

I think I made some kind of cranberry/orange sauce from scratch that used splenda instead of the canned stuff.

Baked sweet potatoes in their jackets (in the skins).

Made spinach madeleine..used ff canned milk, soy flour and extra spinach.

A hospital near me is going to have a class Nov. 9 teaching diabetics how to have a healthier thanksgiving. I asked if the class would be beneficial to bariatric patients and they said it should be. So if it fits into my schedule, I'm planning to go and see what tricks/tips I can learn. Maybe a hospital or other health group near you would have something similar.

Just think about how to make food moister or less doughy and reduce fat & calories in your favorite dishes.

Have fun!! We have time to try things out now before the big date. :wink2: