Bread-Free Paleo Holiday Stuffing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

Wild Rice Pilaf

This simple pilaf is flecked with tender roasted sweet potatoes, shaved Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, and herbs. It would be a fresh, festive alternative to sweet potato casserole–or even stuffing–on a Thanksgiving menu.

Coconut oil, olive oil, safflower oil, and coconut butter are some of the most used butter alternatives. Depending on temperature, coconut oil can be both a solid and a liquid.

The only ingredient you need to make these bread cubes is, drumroll please… bread! You can use any kind; store-bought white bread works well and would probably be my #1 suggestion for stuffing.

Another product from a well-known brand, Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoning Stuffing, gets a “5” in EWG's Food Scores. That's not too bad, but it's in the “yellow” range because of its nutritional content.

Stuffing Safety

Despite the benefits of stuffing a turkey, it's not a safe practice, says Baker. That's because the turkey and stuffing might cook at different rates, often leaving the stuffing uncooked and unsafe to eat by the time the turkey is ready.

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

Most stuffing uses Egg and/or butter to bind the ingredients together, and consequently it is not suitable for vegans - though it is suitable for vegetarians.

The Healthpath view. The results of this study indicate that even though coconut oil and butter are both saturated fats, they appear to have different biochemical effects. Based on the data from this study, it seems that coconut oil may be more favourable for cardiovascular health.

Like many convenience foods, Stove Top stuffing has gotten a bad rap in recent years, especially from people who have *opinions* about what is healthy to eat. It's got too much sodium, there are weird ingredients that you can't pronounce, and it's just better to make your own stuffing. But “better” is subjective.

Is bread stuffing unhealthy? ›

Stuffing is essentially bread, salt, and butter, so it probably comes as no surprise that it isn't the healthiest food served on Thanksgiving. But you can cut its sodium and saturated fat, and pump up its nutritional profile.

No matter where you fall, getting a head start on what can be prepared before the big day is essential. One question that always crops up: Can you make stuffing ahead of time? The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes.

Breads such as sour dough, French bread or Italian loaves are for the best bread for stuffing. Their soft-but-sturdy interiors are the perfect texture for stuffing. The pieces retain their shape without crumbling.

(Sources: Campbell's Pepperidge Farm Web site 9/23: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 9/23; U.S. FDA 2023) Pepperidge Farm Stuffing contains two FDA-recognized Chemical Preservatives: Calcium Propionate and Ascorbic Acid, two added sweeteners, 1-2 added “Vegetable Oils” and Soy Lecithin.

It's got too much sodium, there are weird ingredients that you can't pronounce, and it's just better to make your own stuffing. But “better” is subjective.

It's Got a Lot of Salt. One serving of the Kraft's Stove Top Stuffing mix contains about 29 percent of your recommended daily sodium intake. If you have seconds. that's more than half of the salt you should be eating in a day.

The traditional turkey-day feast, replete with fatty, high-cholesterol, high-fat, and starchy foods like drumsticks, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, is generally anything but heart-healthy.