USO class highlights low-fat Thanksgiving foods

By Titus Ledbetter III, Belvoir EagleNovember 27, 2013

Cooking
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (NOV. 27) -- Family members learned how to cook some healthy Thanksgiving dishes including a fat-free pumpkin pie parfait, Nov. 20 at the USO Warrior and Family Center.

The class, taught by Janet MacLure, is part of the monthly Healthy Cooking series at the center. MacLure is the spouse of a U.S. Air Force member who served 26 years.

"I looked it up and a regular Thanksgiving meal is between 3,000 to 4,000 calories," she said. "So what I tried to do is just come up with some alternatives. You can have a little, tiny apple pie instead of a whole piece of apple pie."

In addition, MacLure taught people how to make spiced apple tarts, wild rice and butternut squash dip. She also helped those in attendance make individual sweet potato casseroles, without added butter or sugar, which are 107 calories. Some of the military spouses also brought their children, who ate some of the dishes.

"It is fun to watch the kids try new things," MacLure said. "They are willing to try all of this stuff, pretty much."

Military spouse, Wanda Johnson, brought her son, Marquis, 9, to the class. She said it was exciting to learn how to make new dishes because she does not want to cook the same thing all of the time.

"I really like them," Johnson said. "I love the fat-free stuff. My son, he is my chef in the Family and he enjoys cooking. So we got to do something together."

Military spouse, Shelly Neal, came to the event with her daughter, Amiah, 4, and her 2-year-old son, Joshua. Her son won the door prize raffle at the cooking class. He won cookie cutters, a Starbucks gift card and some candy.

Neal said she loved the tarts. She also enjoyed learning how to make butternut squash, which she has never cooked before.

"It was fun and I learned a lot," Neal said.

Thanksgiving Day food usually includes a lot of bread and shortening, which is not very healthy, MacLure said. She said it made her feel great to teach people alternatives to some traditional Thanksgiving Day dishes.

MacLure has been teaching classes at the USO since August. She said that she has been impressed with the turnout for her monthly classes, which usually take place Wednesdays at 5 p.m. In September, she taught a class that provided healthy alternatives for traditional football watch parties. Buffalo shrimp, which is low in fat, can be a good alternative to Buffalo wings, she said.

However, most of the people who come to her classes are military spouses and their children. She hopes that one day the Soldiers, and other men, will attend her classes.

The 20,000 square-foot USO Warrior and Family Center opened in 2013 and it is the largest facility the organization has ever constructed. The state-of-the art facility provides programs for servicemembers, wounded warriors and their Families. It was designed to promote physical health, positive mental health, education, employment and community reintegration.