Breath-taking fall colors….pumpkins….scarecrows….warm fires in the fireplace….leaf raking….the first frost….enticing fragrances from the kitchen. All indicators of the Thanksgiving season when Americans pause to give thanks for the many blessings and freedoms that we are fortunate to experience. Most of us think of the holiday season as being anything but a time to concentrate on health. However, a “green” Thanksgiving is doable and one in which I think you will find very enjoyable! Below are ten suggestions for a healthy and “green” Thanksgiving season.
1) Purchase a locally-grown free-range or organic turkey.
2) Use organic baking ingredients to bake with as much as possible.
3) Prepare salads and vegetable trays with locally grown or organic vegetables and herbs.
4) Prepare an organic vegetable tray with organic dressing for guests and family members to snack on before the big feast. Offer healthy drinks or hot tea made with organic fruits and juices.
5) Decorate your table with items from nature. Pumpkins, dried leaves, fruits, pine cones, berries, fresh flowers, dried grape vines, non-toxic candles placed in cored large red apples, etc. To provide a warm and inviting home, simmer a few sticks of cinnamon and a few cloves of allspice on the stove. Dab a few drops of pine essential oil or other favorite fragrance on pinecones that are part of your centerpiece (be careful not to dab too much as a little goes a long way).
6) When grocery shopping for the Thanksgiving menu be sure to take along your reuseable cloth bags in which to put your groceries.
7) Roast or bake your organic turkey in a reuseable roasting pan. One website indicates that if everyone in the United States used a disposable roasting pan to cook their Thanksgiving turkey, there would be 46 million tinfoil pans heading to the landfill every year. In the long run, a reuseable roasting pan will save you money and help our environment.
8) Dress the table up with nice dishes, silverware and glasses. Purchase cloth napkins or make your own. The average American uses 2,200 two-ply paper napkins per year — adding up to 662 billion napkins being added to the landfill on an annual basis. Make napkin holders out of grapevine or ribbon. This will save trees and make less plastics that clog our landfills.
9) Have some activities prepared for younger children that includes them in the preparation and festivities. Children can find colorful leaves for the table, design place cards for the table, watch a Thanksgiving movie, etc. If including a “children’s table” let them choose and make the decorations for “their” Thanksgiving table.
10) Most important! Create a special time to give thanks for your many blessings. Upon arrival hand each guest (young and old) an index card and pen. Instruct them to write two things they are most thankful for and then either before or after the Thanksgiving meal have each person read their card aloud. Place all cards in a “Basket of Thanks” and have someone express a verbal prayer of thanksgiving.
Bonus Suggestion: Don’t forget to recycle and re-use. Use leftover turkey meat and vegetables to make a healthy turkey soup for the next week. Compost potato skins, egg shells, vegetable clippings, etc. Recycle glass containers, newspapers, boxes, etc.
Tags: compost, giving thanks, green living, green Thanksgiving, healthy Thanksgiving, organic turkey, recycle, suggestions for a green Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving season
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