Turkey Day is almost here, and JC Food Mart is here to help you plan to make the day with your family and friends special.

Getting ready for the day can be less stressful if planning in advance. Here are some tips to help make the day full of fun.

PLANNING IS THE KEY

The most important step is planning in advance. Plan your menu, plan your shopping and plan what you can make in advance. Remember, simple is usually better.

Get all your shopping done as early as possible. One way to save time and money is by getting all your WIC foods at JC Food Mart early in the week. Click on our blog post here for our special Thanksgiving Week hours.

Use your WIC fruit and vegetable allowance to pick up produce for your Thanksgiving sides: potatoes, onions, carrots, frozen vegetables and fruit just to name a few. Beans, another WIC-approved food, also make a great Thanksgiving Day side. Cheese can add excitement to a side like broccoli. Looking for a good recipe, check this one out: broccoli and cheese.

Stuffing is also a Thanksgiving Day favorite. Check out this favorite: Stuffing Recipe.

Potatoes also make very comforting side dishes. We rounded up some of our favorites here: Potato Recipes.

There are so many recipes options for creating a Thanksgiving Day menu, and they don’t have to be complicated or use 100 ingredients. Simple is usually better. Use ingredients you have to plan your menu. You can make a list on your phone or the old-fashioned way with paper and pencil. Making a list will help you make sure you have everything you need, and help plan out your recipes.

If you are looking for a few places online to find healthy, simple recipes check out these websites:

Texas WIC: Texas WIC has some great healthy recipes using WIC foods. Here are some of our favorites for Thanksgiving: Apple Crisp, Sweet Potato Balls, Citrus Glazed Carrots, Fruit Salad & Fruit Dip and Carrot Bread

Cooking Matters: This website is full of great, healthy recipes. Here are a few your family might like for Thanksgiving: Banana Pudding, baked apples and tips for cooking beans.

USDA: This website offers several recipes for Thanksgiving Day and they even have recipes for your leftovers.

SIMPLE IS BETTER

Does the thought of cooking turkey stress you out? You don’t have to cook an entire turkey. Make a small turkey breast or turkey tenderloin. They are much less intimidating and usually cost less than cooking an entire bird. Or, roast a chicken. You could also skip making a traditional Thanksgiving and opt for making your family’s favorite meal.

If you are making a turkey, check out the USDA’s tips for cooking a bird here.

ENJOY ALL THE MOMENTS

Spending time with your kids, family and friends is the best part of the day. After your meal, find time to play outside or go for a walk. It’s a great activity for the whole family. Everyone at JC Food Mart wishes you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving. All of our locations will be open regular hours on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Find a location here. We also accept SNAP. Hope to see you soon.