Dana Point Turkey Trot Offers Quick & Healthy Thanksgiving Day Menu

Dana Point, Calif. – Nov. 1, 2013 –Two of the Dana Point Turkey Trot’s leading sponsors, Salt Creek Grille and Moms In Charge, have created a Thanksgiving Day menu specifically designed to be easy and nutritional for the 16,000 race participants who will flock to the 36th Annual Dana Point Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving. Because Turkey Trotters prefer to spend their Thanksgiving morning running the coast, instead of juggling measuring cups and chopping onions, this mouth-watering menu features recipes that can be prepared quickly, and are more nutritious and lower in calories than traditional dishes.

“The health-conscious runners, walkers, spectators, and volunteers who choose to spend their holiday running with family and friends, rather than in the kitchen, prove that Orange County puts health before food,” said Marcos Costas, general manager, Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point. “Thanksgiving no longer means two days of slaving over the stove and spending a lazy day watching football.  In Orange County, it means a fun fitness filled day with loved ones.  It’s great to see that the Turkey Trot has changed the once perceived indulgent holiday to a day focused on health, exercise and family-fun.”

Moms In Charge, a nonprofit that focuses on educating moms about healthy eating and cooking  choices, collaborated with the Salt Creek Grille to make traditional Thanksgiving Day dishes, such as  turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pie, more nutritious and lower in calories.  

“Healthier but delicious alternatives lie in the type of ingredients we choose for our holiday favorites,” said Dotty Hagmier, founder, Moms In Charge. “At Moms In Charge, we focus on finding the healthiest ingredients to swap for health-robbing ones, such as salt, sugar, canned cranberries, butter, and heavy cream.”

Healthy Thanksgiving Day Tips from Moms in Charge:

·         The Turkey: Choose organic, free-range turkey without added hormones or antibiotics. A good brand is Mary’s Free Range Turkeys. Turkeys that have not been crammed together in close quarters, and not fed hormones or antibiotics are actually much more tasty and nutritious. 

·         Skip the table salt. Instead, use Himalayan salt. Table Salt retains water and makes you bloat. No one has time for bloating on a day where going in for seconds is almost required. There are no chemicals or additives in Himalayan salt, which contains 84 essential minerals that balance electrolytes and fluid in the body.

·         No refined sugar.  Satisfy your sweet tooth with raw honey, organic maple syrup, or organic coconut palm sugar instead of refined white sugar. Refined white sugar has been depleted of its vitamins and minerals and actually drains the body of essential vitamins and minerals. Organic coconut palm sugar is highly nutritious with a low glycemic index, which helps prevent the blood sugar crashes that increase hunger. Raw honey and organic maple syrup both have beneficial vitamins and minerals.

·         Use coconut oil, instead of vegetable oil, for frying or sautéing. Vegetable oil is made specifically to have a long shelf life. The process to make this oil produces trans fats, which are toxic to our bodies, causing heart diseases, cancer, and type two diabetes. Coconut is one of the healthiest “good fats.” Coconut oil also boosts immunity and protects against heart disease and cancer, instead of causing it.

·         Go fresh.  Swap canned cranberries or veggies for fresh or frozen produce.

·         Roast veggies instead of combining them with heavy butters and creams for casseroles. Use coconut oil, Himalayan salt and fresh herbs on top of roasted veggies for flavor and health benefits.

·         Use sweet potatoes instead of white mashed potatoes. Roast or mash with coconut butter and coconut milk.

To view the full “Quick & Healthy Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Menu,” and learn more about the Dana Point Turkey Trot, go to http://turkeytrot.com/thanksgiving-recipe/. To learn more about Moms In Charge, go to momsincharge.com. To avoid cooking all together, go to saltcreekgrille.com to order a pre-made Thanksgiving Day feast.

About the Dana Point Turkey Trot

Now in its 36th year, the Dana Point Turkey Trot was recently named one of the top Thanksgiving Day activities in the country by The Huffington Post. The race has been named one of America’s best Thanksgiving Day runs by Fitness Magazine and is the ninth largest Thanksgiving Day race in the nation, and the second largest in California, according to Running USA. An Orange County tradition with more than 16,000 runners, walkers, volunteers, spectators, sponsors and vendors, the course runs through the scenic and picturesque Dana Point Harbor and Doheny State Beach. The race offers walkers and runners a 10K, 5K, Kids’ Gobble Wobble, and the Keurig Health and Wellness Expo. For more information about the 36th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot, visit turkeytrot.com.

2013 Turkey Trot Sponsors

The City of Dana Point, The Resorts of Dana Point, OC Register Magazine, Dana Point Times, Clif Bar, Moms in Charge, Salt Creek Grille, South Coast Water District, 100.3 The Sound, California State Parks, Dana Marina Plaza and OC Harbor Dana Point.