November 1, 2024

At the first chill in the air in autumn, my thoughts inevitably turn to the question: What will I cook for a low carb Thanksgiving this year? It can take me weeks to decide.

While nothing in our family is set in stone, we do observe certain traditions. For example, we don’t gather for dinner on Thanksgiving Day proper, but the day after. The grocery stores have reopened for last minute needs, and our guests don’t have to endure the worst of the holiday traffic. It also allows for any of our guests with significant others to observe the holiday with our family and theirs.

The typical American Thanksgiving dinner averages well over 200g of net carbs, between the gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato and green bean casseroles, cornbread or rolls, cranberry sauce and a slice of pumpkin (or other) pie. That’s before you add cocktails, wine or sugary soft drinks.

Our first menu on Low Carb for Lovers, begins with a Negroni-inspired cocktail. It’s followed by a low carb Thanksgiving feast of truffled turkey with crispy skin shards and cognac cream gravy, 4 elegant side dishes and a delightfully zingy lingonberry sauce. Dessert is a gorgeous pumpkin flan cake. The entire meal comes to a mere 35g net carbs! A glass of brut champagne adds less than 2g carbs per 5 oz serving.