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Make the Pie - and eat it too!

Happy Thanksgiving-eve, friends! As we gear up for the holiday season, we wanted to share a few tips to keep in mind to help you enjoy all of the yummy food without those feelings of guilt later. Our friend Miranda Caster is a dietetics student at Iowa State, and she is sharing her best tips and tricks when it comes to moderation, mindfulness, and PIE!  


Miranda:

As the joys of the holiday season are already surrounding us, our thoughts and conversations typically center around a single topic...FOOD!! And rightfully so, the homemade pumpkin pie, creamy mashed potatoes, and all other traditional entrees only come around once a year. Whether your grandma makes the best mashed potatoes or your aunt’s stuffing is to die for, we have an urge to taste it all, past our bodies point of satisfaction. This holiday season, it is a good reminder to listen to our body's hunger cues, to eat when hungry and stop when satisfied. Before your family gathering, keep these 5 simple tips in mind. 


Don’t Skip Meal - Skipping an earlier meal to “save up” for a feast may result in overeating during your family gathering. Start the day with a balanced breakfast (complex carbs, protein, fat), to keep you satisfied throughout the morning hours and not ravenous at the start of the gathering. The same goes for after the family meal, don’t skip dinner that night or breakfast the following morning because of the larger than normal meal you consumed earlier. Listen to your body during these times, if you are hungry, eat! 


Start With Small Portions - Holiday meals tend to be large, buffet style with more than one helping. With your first helping of food start with smaller portions, and see how your body feels after your first plate. Since holiday foods are more calorie-dense, a smaller amount will provide the satisfaction you are looking for. 


Wait 20 Minutes - After eating a meal, it typically takes around 20 minutes for you to feel full from the food you just consumed. Keep this in mind after you finish your first plate of food. Take a break from eating and talk to friends and family, play a game with some of you cousins, or take a quick cat nap (we all know that food can make us sleepy)! After the 20 minutes, evaluate how you feel. If your still hungry grab some more food, and if not continue to enjoy the company that is surrounding you. 


Practice Mindful Eating - During your meal eat slowly and savor every bite. Being aware of what foods you put into your mouth not only allows you to taste every ingredient, but you will be able to maximize your eating experience. Think about the aroma, texture, and taste of every forkful and spoonful, and most importantly be grateful for all this wonderful holiday food you are able to enjoy.    


Keep Moving - After dinner get up and get moving. Whether that may include a family walk or cranking some music up and having a dance party in the living room, these active times together foster family bonding. You may feel a little sluggish at first, but that is expected. The more you move the less sluggish you will feel, and the more fun you will be able to have. 


These tips are great to keep in mind in order to enjoy your holiday meal in moderation. BUT the most important thing this holiday season is that you are truly enjoying your family meal and celebration. Food is more than just fuel for our bodies, it connects us to our family members and provides us joy. Let go of any self-inflicted food rules you have placed on yourself. Yes, you can enjoy a slice of pie without guilt, and the ice cream on top. Spending time worrying about what food item you just consumed is not what your focus should be on this holiday season. Be present with your family members around you and thankful for the many hours it took for all entrees, sides, and desserts to be made. 


As a future Registered Dietitian (RD), I have a philosophy that ALL foods fit into a healthy lifestyle in moderation. So this holiday season, enjoy all entrees, sides, and desserts. If you do happen to overeat or eat foods you typically would not consume on a daily basis that is OKAY. Enjoy your holiday meal, savor every bite, and most importantly be present during your family gathering.  


Miranda’s Favorite Cherry Pie:

The Crust: Makes 2 nine-inch crusts 

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut in to ½ inch cubes 

½ cup of cold water + more as needed 

The cherry pie filling 

1 ¼ cups sugar 

⅓ cup cornstarch 

1 cup cherry juice

4 cups tart cherries, pitted, fresh or frozen 

If using frozen make sure they are fully thawed 

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 

¼ teaspoon almond extract 



To make the pie crust: 

Sift the 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and the chilled, cubed butter. Begin to cut in the fat using a pastry blender. Once all the fat is cut in, slowly add in the ½ cup of cold water. Add as much more water was needed until the dough comes together. Place the ball of dough in the freezer. Chill for at least 2 hours. Remove the dough ball from the freezer when you begin to make your pie filling.


To make the cherry filling:

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and cherry juice. Bring to a boil and continue to cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes or until it has fully thickened. Remove from the heat and add in the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond extract. Set aside. 

While the cherry pie filling is cooling, begin to mold the pie crust. Split the large dough ball into 2 of equal size. On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out one of the dough balls so it will be able to fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Place the rolled out dough into the pie pan and trim so that the pie crust is even with the edges of the pan. Add the cherry filling. 


Roll out the other dough ball so that it will extend beyond the rim of the 9-in pie pan by about a half inch. Cut the dough into 8 even strips, ½-inch to ¾-inch wide, depending on how thick you woul

d like the lattice strips (using a pizza cutter to do this works great). Lay-out 4 parallel strips of pie dough, with about ½-inch to ¾-inch space between them. Fold back every other strip. Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strips. Take the parallel strips that are now running underneath the perpendicular strips and fold back over the perpendicular stip. Lay a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip, leaving some space between the strips. Unfold the folded parallel strip over the second strip. Continue this sequence until the lattice is complete over the top of the entire pie. Trim the edges of the strips to be even with the dough of the underlying pie dish. Fold back the rim of the shell over the edges of the lattice strips. Crimp with a fork to secure the edges of the pie crust.

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