At iFit, our goal is to make living a healthy lifestyle easier...even during the holidays! While I love celebrating with food, it’s important to make sure that you enjoy the holiday season by indulging without overindulging. Easier said than done, right? You might be nervous about trying healthier recipes during such an important food day. That’s why our nutrition team went to work to make your Thanksgiving healthy, easy, and, most importantly, delicious! This iFit Thanksgiving Guide has your recipes, shopping lists, and a timeline to ensure that everything will be hot and ready when it’s dinnertime. Just to make sure, we had an individual follow the guide, step by step, with kids in tow, and cook everything…ALONE. She was raving about having all of the food perfectly ready at the right time, and was even able to start the feast with a clean kitchen! So even if you’re the host doing absolutely everything yourself, this guide makes it easy and stress free. But we do hope that friends and family will help out, too! Our recipes have all been taste-tested by large panels and tweaked to ensure that you love every bite. Our guide focuses on healthy dishes (it’s hard wired into us as nutritionists), but they all still feel indulgent. They’re absolutely delicious, and your whole family will love them. So no more stressful Thanksgiving dinners! Simply print this out and follow along! Download the guide

Ingredients 30 ounces cubed butternut squash 1 large yellow onion, sliced 12 garlic cloves 9 cups vegetable broth 1 tablespoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon white pepper Optional toppings Pumpkin seeds Cream Roasted chickpeas Microgreens Directions In a medium sized pot, add the squash, onions, garlic, and vegetable broth cook until the the squash is tender about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the squash, onions, and garlic and place them in the food processor. Try not to get any broth. Blend the squash, onions, and garlic until smooth. Add all of the spices and blend until smooth. Serve warm and enjoy! NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING Calories 160 (5 from fat) Total fat 0.5g Saturated fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 1250mg Carbohydrate 40g (6g dietary fiber, 11g sugar) Protein 3g WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

Ingredients 1 pound turkey Italian sausage 1 yellow onion, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 4 large carrots, peeled and diced 4 celery ribs, diced 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning ¼ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup flour 9 cups chicken broth 12 ounces cheese tortellini 10 ounces spinach 1 cup half and half Salt to taste Directions In a large pot, cook the Italian sausage over medium heat. Once the sausage is cooked through, remove it from the pot and set aside. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the seasonings and dust the vegetables with flour. Allow to cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, add the tortellini and cook for 8 minutes or until desired tenderness. Turn heat down to medium and add the spinach and half and half. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm. NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING Calories 260 (90 from fat) Total fat 10g Saturated fat 4.5g Cholesterol 50mg Sodium 1430mg Carbohydrate 29g (3g dietary fiber, 6g sugar) Protein 15g WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

Ingredients ½ cup unsalted butter 4 onions, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 bay leaves 2 fresh thyme sprigs 1 cup red wine ¼ cup all purpose flour 8 cups beef broth 8 ounces fresh tortellini Parmesan optional topping Salt and pepper to taste Directions In a large a pot, pelt the butter. Toss in onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for about 30 minutes or until the onions are caramelized. Add the red wine and bring to a boil. Continually stir to keep the onions from burning and cook until the wine has evaporated. When the onions are dry, whisk in the flour and stir continually. Cook on medium low for 10 minutes. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Place in the tortellini and cook for 8 minutes or until the tortellini is cooked to desired tenderness. Serve warm topped with parmesan, if desired. NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING Calories 220 (100 from fat) Total fat 11g Saturated fat 7g Cholesterol 35mg Sodium 550mg Carbohydrate 20g (2g dietary fiber, 3g sugar) Protein 7g WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

Ingredients Crust 1½ cups gingersnap cookies 5 tablespoons melted butter ¼ cup white sugar Filling 1 (8-ounce) package fat-free cream cheese ½ cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée 2 eggs ⅓ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon cloves 1 tablespoon lemon zest 2 teaspoons cornstarch Directions Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with mini cupcake liners. Pulse the gingersnap cookies in a blender or food processor until a crumbly texture. In a large bowl, mix together the gingersnap crumbs, butter, and sugar. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup. Combine all ingredients for the filling in a blender until they’re smooth and creamy. Pour over the crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Chill before serving. NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING Calories 90 (30 from fat) Total fat 3.5g Saturated fat 2g Cholesterol 25mg Sodium 135mg Carbohydrate 13g (1g dietary fiber, 8g sugar) Protein 3g WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

As a child, I never got very excited about Thanksgiving. I come from a large family, so we usually did it potluck style and everyone brought a dish. Stuffing was often from a box or just a simple recipe without much flavor. I often skipped it and opted for more mashed potatoes (my favorite!). Then, one year my sister was in charge of the stuffing and made the most delicious roasted brussel sprout and sausage stuffing. Some family members mourned the loss of the boxed stuffing, but for me, it was the first time I was actually tempted to eat stuffing! After that experience, I realized that I actually like stuffing, just not the boxed stuff. So this year Michelle and I decided to go on a quest to create the best stuffing. We looked all over for ideas and came up with a bunch of new recipes that we brought into the office for taste testing. Some failed, like our butternut squash stuffing. But at the end of the day, we had four recipes that beat out the rest. It basically came down to what people preferred: sweet, spicy, savory, or simple. We did decide on a winner, but since the other three stuffings were also popular, we included links to their recipes down below. So here they are: Sweet-’n-savory Stuffing (Winner!) Bacon Jalapeño Stuffing Sausage Kale Fennel Stuffing Simple Stuffing While some taste testers were passionate about a few of the other stuffings, they still voted Sweet-’n-savory Stuffing as their first or second pick. Filled with bacon, pine nuts, leeks, and apples, it’s the perfect blend of sweet and savory, so you really can’t go wrong! If I was going to make a stuffing dish for Thanksgiving, this would be the one. Now, if I was going to a friendsgiving with a bunch of foodies, I’d probably go with the Sausage Kale Fennel Stuffing. This one was the most surprising to the taste testers and super popular. It’s a bit unusual, but super delicious, so if you have more open-minded friends and family members who really like the heat, then this stuffing is the way to go. For the Bacon Jalapeño Stuffing, we only added one jalapeño, so it wasn’t too spicy. (Michelle likes to make hers with three jalapeños for extra heat!) This one’s a great recipe if you want to switch things up. Plus, it tastes even better in leftovers! We threw it in frittatas and breakfast waffles, and it was amazing. Lastly, some taste testers were adamant that basic is best. And our Simple Stuffing is just what you would expect in a stuffing—onions, celery, and fresh herbs all sauteed in butter to bring out that classic stuffing flavor. This recipe is a great option for traditionalists or those looking for a vegetarian stuffing. So, which stuffing will you make? Megan Ostler MS, RDN iFit Dietitian

Ingredients 1 (12–14-pound) turkey, at room temperature 2 tablespoons rubbed sage 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 large onion, cut into wedges 6 bay leaves 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Directions Remove all oven racks except one. Place the remaining rack on the lowest position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the neck and giblets, then rinse the turkey with cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, mix together sage, paprika, salt, garlic, and pepper together. Use a butter knife to separate the skin from the breast. Be careful not to tear the skin. Rub half of the seasoning under the skin and around the cavity. Rub the tablespoon of vegetable oil on top of the turkey. Rub the other half of the seasonings on top of the turkey. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Stuff the onion and bay leaves inside of the cavity. Tuck the wings behind the thighs. Cover the turkey loosely with tin foil. Bake for 3 hours and 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 30 minutes, or until the turkey’s internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let the turkey rest before carving. NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING Calories 140 (25 from fat) Total fat 2.5g Saturated fat 0g Cholesterol 65mg Sodium 390mg Carbohydrate 2g (0g dietary fiber, 1g sugar) Protein 27g WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

Ingredients ½ cup quinoa 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (vegetable for vegetarian) 1 large Granny Smith apple, chopped 1 teaspoon lemon juice ¼ cup pistachios ¼ cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons dried wild blueberries 6 cups baby arugula ¼ cup feta cheese Dressing 1 tablespoon olive oil 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons raspberry jam ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard Directions Rinse quinoa, then cook it with the chicken broth (instead of water) according to package directions. Toss chopped apple with lemon juice to prevent browning. In a large bowl, toss together apple, pistachios, dried fruit, arugula, and feta. Once quinoa is cooked and has had time to cool, toss with the other ingredients. Mix together dressing ingredients, then toss with salad. NUTRITIONAL INFO PER SERVING Calories 290 (100 from fat) Total fat 11g Saturated fat 2.5g Cholesterol 10mg Sodium 130mg Carbohydrate 42g (6g dietary fiber, 21g sugar) Protein 8g WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

These adorably spooky tealight bats make for a fun craft night with family and friends, and add a little fun to your Halloween decor. But the best part? They’re super easy to make. For this craft, you'll need: Flameless tealights Clear nail polish Black and gray felt Black and/or gray glitter Googly eyes Black ribbon or magnet Hot glue gun Hair dryer (optional) Instructions Begin by painting the tealight with a thin layer of clear nail polish. Then sprinkle the tealight with gray or black glitter. Set aside to dry for about 30 minutes. While your tealight is drying, cut out four triangular ears from the felt. You can use the first triangle as a stencil for the other three. Take your hot glue gun and glue two ears together. This will make the wings more sturdy when you attach them to the tealight. Do this to the other set of ears. Next, you’ll need to make the bat wings. Cut out four felt bat wings in any shape you'd like. Again, you can cut one and then use that as a stencil for the other three! Like the ears, you’ll also need to make the wings sturdy, so go ahead and glue two wings together with the hot glue gun. Do this to the other set of wings as well. Make sure you leave the section where the wings attach to the tealight unglued. This will help connect the wings to the tealight later on. Once your tealight is dry, paint a generous amount of clear nail polish over the glitter. You can use a blowdryer to speed up the drying time! Then, it's time to put all the pieces together. With your hot glue gun, attach the wings to the sides of the tealight candle. Then, attach the bat ears to the top of the candle. And for the best part, give the bat some googly eyes! To finish, you can use your hot glue gun to attach a ribbon or a magnet to the back of your adorable bat. We hope you enjoyed this fun craft and will try it at home! If you do, please share a picture on social media and tag us @ifit. We’d love to see your creations!