What to Do with Thanksgiving Leftovers

This Easy Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pozole Verde is a bold and flavorful departure from simply reheating Thanksgiving Dinner. It’s a great use of leftover turkey meat and brings a change of pace for a brand-new meal.

Good and Good for You™

Welcome to the Good and Good for You™ newsletter, a quick 5-minute read with ideas and info on ways to help improve your life – including a tasty and healthful recipe.

This issue shares:

• Best Life Living Tip: Go Green for Gut Health 🥬
• Self-Care Strategy: Leg Strength and Longevity⌛️
• Ideas and Inspiration: Giving Tuesday for Mercy Chefs👩🏼‍🍳
• Good and Good for You™ Recipe: Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pozole🦃

Thanks for reading! It’s awesome to see so many people, mainly women, tap into this letter as an inspirational boost. I’m glad you’re here!

My philosophy is to fill up with the good so you push out the bad. Consumption is not just food and drink — it’s what you read, hear, and watch.

Read on for more — including this easy-to-make, delicious Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pozole Verde. You’re going to love it!

Best Life Living Tip

Good and Good for You shares the power of behavior and represents my real-life approach to health and wellness, inspired by my personal experiences with weight loss and body image.

• Deprivation doesn’t work.
• Food that tastes bad doesn’t work.
• Going straight from a couch potato to an Iron (Wo)man competition doesn’t work.

It’s about health gain, not weight loss — and the best part is BIG change is not necessary; little things add up.

As long as you’re doing what’s Good and Good for You™ more often than not, you’re on the right track.

Go Green for Gut Health

One right track to consider is gut health. Leafy greens like cabbage, collard greens, kale, and spinach are great for gut health because they are packed with fiber for bowel regularity and prebiotics that feed beneficial gut bacteria. 

Cabbage is a superfood. Yes, lowly, inexpensive cabbage is a superfood.  Like other cruciferous vegetables, it is packed with vitamins and minerals that your body craves, while remaining low in calories.

• Aids digestion: The high fiber content supports a healthy digestive system,  adds bulk to stools, and promotes regularity, helping to prevent constipation. 
• Feeds good bacteria: Soluble fiber acts as a food source for beneficial gut microbes, which helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome and supports the immune system.
• Promotes a healthy gut barrier: Regular consumption can help prevent the “leaky gut” syndrome by improving the balance of gut bacteria

Self-Care Strategy

Strong legs are a powerful form of self-care. Research shows that leg strength is one of the best predictors of healthy aging.

Leg Strength and Longevity

Strong legs support better recovery and increased independence. According to Duke University, one good leg-strengthening exercise is a squat. Squatting is one of the best resistance workouts you can do.

I recently added 30 squats to my morning routine between getting my coffee and brushing my teeth — before I go for a walk or hit the gym. This exercise works almost all of the muscles in the lower body and is a great way to build leg strength.

If squats are too much, try this simple chair exercise:

1. Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Stand up without using your hands.
3. Sit back down with control.
4. Do 5–10 repetitions, once or twice a day.
5. Aim to complete 5 stands in under 15 seconds as a strength and mobility benchmark.

Small effort, big impact! Remember, little things add up. You can do it!

Ideas and Inspiration

Mercy Chefs is a faith-based hunger and disaster relief agency. This year,  I am partnering with this amazing organization for Giving Tuesday on December 2nd.

They provide hot, chef-prepared meals and clean drinking water to victims, volunteers, and first responders in the aftermath of natural disasters and emergencies. Their mission is to “just go feed people,” whether in the wake of disasters or beyond.

Founder Chef Gary LeBlanc believes, “Something amazing happens over a shared meal” – and I do, too.

Mercy Chefs has served over 30 million meals and responded to more than 220 disasters in the US and 33 countries.

Thanks to a generous friend of Mercy Chefs, every dollar you give this Giving Tuesday will be matched—up to $100,000—making your gift go twice as far.

Your support will help Mercy Chefs provide nutritious, chef-prepared meals to communities facing hardship this holiday season. Together, we can reach thousands of individuals and families worldwide, reminding them that they are seen, valued, and cared for.

Please check them out online to learn more and give them a follow on Instagram at @mercychefs

Good and Good for You Living Spotlight

Good and Good for You™ Living merchandise checks at least one of these boxes: ecologically friendly, certified organic, and made or assembled in the USA.

Made from 100% cotton, this cap offers a soft, breathable feel that’s perfect for all-day wear. Its unstructured design and low-profile fit give it a laid-back vibe, while the antique brass buckle closure adds a touch of vintage charm.

For more info, check out GoodandGoodforYouLiving.com

Make it Count

This Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pozole comes in at less than 184 calories a cup. It’s a great use of leftover Thanksgiving turkey and a bold and bright departure from heating up leftovers in the microwave.

The secret ingredient is a bottle of ready-made salsa verde! Made from tomatillos, chilies, and herbs it’s a great one-stop add-in for Pozole Verde.

Follow Me on Instagram

Thank you for reading! Take a snap and tag me if you post it. And, for more tips, inspiration, and healthy recipes, follow @virginiawillis on Instagram

If you choose what’s Good and Good for You™ most of the time, you’re headed in the right direction. You’ve got this!

Bon Appétit, Y’all!

Virginia Willis

• WP Recipe Maker #29737remove Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pozole Prep Time: 20m Cook Time: 20m Servings: 12 cups Author: <a href=”https://virginiawillis.com/” target=”_blank”>Virginia Willis</a> – 1 tablespoon pure olive oil – 1 onion chopped – 3 garlic cloves finely chopped – 1 tablespoon dried oregano – 2 teaspoons ground cumin – ½ teaspoon kosher salt – ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper – 4 cups reduced-fat low-sodium chicken stock – 1 16-ounce jar salsa verde – 1 25-ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed – 2 zucchini cut into 1-inch cubes – 1 pound cooked turkey cut into 1-inch cubes – 2 cups shredded cabbage for serving – 1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs loosely packed, for serving – 4 radishes sliced, for serving – 4 green onions chopped, for serving – 2 avocados diced, for serving – 1 jalapeno sliced, for serving – 1 lime quartered, for serving – Salsa for serving – Baked Tortilla Chips for serving 1) Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the oregano and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. 2) Add the chicken stock, salsa verde, hominy and zucchini. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook over low heat until the pork and vegetables are tender and the flavors have married, about 10 minutes. 3) Ladle into bowls and serve the cabbage, cilantro, radishes, green onions, avocado, jalapeno, lime and salsa with optional tortilla chips on the side.