The Whole Foods Thanksgiving Challenge: A Tale of Two Tables

I started with the basics, which for me included one roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and cranberry sauce. Easy peasy, right? But then when I really got into it, I ran into a few snags. For one, my usual mashed potato recipe called for both butter and cream, which I replaced with coconut milk and olive oil, respectively. It was pretty good, but just not creamy like what I'm used to.

And then, of course, there was the gravy. Forget traditional roux-what a treat to have to find a whole-foods substitute for that little doozy. I ended up using some sort of combination of almond flour, vegetable broth, and some herbs. It was fine, not great. I even made my own homemade cranberry sauce, but just couldn't seem to get that right balance of tart and sweetness that I love in the store-bought versions.

Reality Check: It's Not About Perfection

Honestly, the whole process was sort of a learning curve. I learned that the whole-foods approach is not about perfection; it's about making better choices when one can. I'm not saying you should just chuck all your favorite recipes or utterly avoid processed food. It's all about finding that balance that works for you.

The Takeaway: Whole-Foods Are About Making Choices

My Thanksgiving adventure taught me that embracing whole foods is about making active decisions about the things that go into our body. It's about paying closer attention to what ingredients are in what we eat, and, more often than not, cooking from scratch. Sometimes not as easy, but well worth it.

So next time you plan that big meal, try substituting some of those dishes with whole-foods alternatives. You may get a great surprise at how delicious and satisfying they can be. And if something doesn't go exactly the way you had it in mind, don't worry about it! It's all about the experience, love, and company-not about perfection. What matters is that you're trying!