To eat, or not to eat? 
The decision on whether to eat before Thanksgiving or not is a difficult one. Breakfast is a no-brainer if only for the coffee infusion. I mean how’re ya gonna handle the semi-controlled chaos of Thanksgiving without a strong cup o’ joe? It’s the hours after breakfast and before the main event that can be difficult to navigate calorie-wise.

The decision to eat or not to eat is incredibly personal. There are a number of issues to consider, the first one being what time will you be eating your Thanksgiving meal? The later you eat, the more the challenge. Some see it as blasphemous to eat anything other than Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving. If it ain’t a bird and sweet potatoes, it ain’t goin’ in their mouth. And still, others don’t want to eat anything so that when the time comes, they are ensured of the maximum amount of room to fit all of their favorites. My son is this person. He can eat a frightening amount on any given day but Thanksgiving is a source of pride for him. He weighs himself before and after the meal. There’s this whole ceremony… It’s weird, but I still love him.

Personally, I have to have something to tide me over or risk getting a headache. It doesn’t have to be a big meal it just has to be something grab and go that I can snack on from time to time. This is why I like to make my homemade hummus and serve it with cut veggies. It’s a healthy snack and gets a few more veggies in you before the wave of carbs hits your plate. It’s quick to make the day before and you can put it out on a platter for the rest of the folks. Then you can walk away to attend to the cooking while the rest of ‘em watch football or calibrate the bathroom scale or whatever!

No matter what you choose, to nosh or not, have a very happy Thanksgiving and a magical holiday season.

Amy’s Hummus Recipe
Yields about 3 cups

Ingredients
2 14-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or 1-1/4 cups dried garbanzo beans, soaked in water overnight, and cooked.
1/4 cup tahini
Juice of two Lemons, or to taste
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions
Drain the canned garbanzo beans in a colander over a bowl to retain the liquid.

Put the drained beans into a food processor. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cumin (if using).

Process the ingredients until a thick paste forms. While the processor is running, add the olive oil. Add some of the reserved liquid until the preferred consistency is achieved. Enjoy!