Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (2024)

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (1)

Between the pies, casseroles, and pumpkin beer, Thanksgiving pretty much equals an automatic food coma. Unless, of course, you've filled your festive table with the following better-for-you dishes.

From autumn-inspired salads to cleaned-up desserts, these 26 recipes will completely transform your Thanksgiving—and keep you from feeling like a sloth all day on Black Friday.

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1

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon and Apple Vinaigrette

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (2)

This shredded fall salad is savory and a bit sweet, making it the perfect side salad to go with Thanksgiving meat and potatoes.

Ditch the bacon and it's vegetarian-friendly, too.

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Per serving: 292 calories, 24 g fat (4 g sat), 16 g carbs, 9 g sugar, 148 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein

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2

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (3)

These creamy crab-stuffed mushrooms are the ideal Thanksgiving finger food, providing fats and protein that'll keep you satisfied until dinner.

Plus, they’re super low-carb!

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Per serving: 196 calories, 14 g fat (4 g sat), 4 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 415 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 14 g protein

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3

Low-Carb Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (4)

Brussels sprouts are a super-easy side to pair with turkey, chicken, or ham— and these crispy sprouts pack loads of crunchy goodness.

Add whatever spices you like for extra kick!

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Per serving: 155 calories, 10.6 g fat (1.5 g sat), 13.6 g carbs, 328 mg sodium, 3.3 g sugar, 5.8 g fiber, 5.1 g protein

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4

Three-Ingredient Biscuits

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (5)

Skip the long list of ingredients in many store-bought mixes and make these easy biscuits instead. Made with just three ingredients, they still pack loads of buttery flavor.

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Per serving: 185 calories, 9 g fat (5.4 g sat fat), 22.1 g carbs, 364.6 mg sodium, 1.6 g sugar, 0.8 g fiber, 3.8 g protein

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5

Curry Roasted Cauliflower Sweet Potato Salad

Complete with a creamy curry sauce, this veggie-loaded side dish is packed with fiber and antioxidants.

What’s more, it’s Whole30-approved and vegan.

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Per serving: 213 calories, 10.2 g fat (1.4 g sat), 26.4 g carbs, 10.4 g sugar, 6.3 g fiber, 5.9 g protein

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6

Low-Carb Pumpkin Soup with Bacon

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (7)

This lower-carb, dairy-free soup satisfies your hunger 'til the main courses come out without bogging you down too much.

Top it with your favorite herbs for extra oomph.

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Per serving: 95 calories, 4 g fat (1 g sat), 7 g carbs, 3 g sugar, 282 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein

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7

Classic Ham Steak with Red-Eye Gravy

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (8)

Sick of turkey? This ham steak with coffee-infused gravy is a unique crowd-pleaser.

The best part: It's done in 15 minutes.

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Per serving: 417 calories, 32 g fat, 0.3 g carbs, 0.2 g sugar, 1730 mg sodium, 31 g protein

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8

Paleo Delicata Squash Bake

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (9)

Squash, cranberries, pecans—this colorful side dish screams holiday season! It's packed with antioxidants, fiber, and protein that fill you up (and really pops on the table).

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Per serving: 239 calories, 13 g fat (8 g sat), 28 g carbs, 7 g sugar, 100 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 7 g protein

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9

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (10)

These vegan pumpkin pie cheesecake bars taste just like the real deal. Made with pumpkin, cashews, pecans, cinnamon, and coconut, they pack healthy fats you'll feel good about enjoying.

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Per serving: 435 calories, 34.2 g fat (17.1 g sat), 28.2 g carbs, 13 g sugar, 12 mg sodium, 4.9 g fiber, 7.3 g protein

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10

Cinnamon Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

This sweet and nutty casserole uses coconut oil and coconut sugar to create a still-sweet but lower-sugar version of the classic Thanksgiving side.

Oh yeah, it also comes together in just 30 minutes.

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Per serving: 282 calories, 8.4 g fat (5.5 g sat), 49.4 g carbs, 12.8 g sugar, 49 mg sodium, 5.8 g fiber, 3.1 g protein

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11

Butternut Squash and Beet Harvest Salad

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (12)

This tasty, vegetarian-friendly fall salad gets lots of color and nutrition from beets, squash, seeds, and cheese. It's a great way to sneak some greens into your feast.

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Per serving: 223 calories, 13.9 g fat (9.1 g sat), 20.7 g carbs, 7.3 g sugar, 312 mg sodium, 4.3 g fiber, 7.1 g protein

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12

Low-Carb Loaded 'Potato' Casserole

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (13)

Made with cauliflower instead of potatoes, this casserole delivers on flavor while keeping carbs low. Plus, it's topped with bacon, so enough said.

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Per serving: 334 calories, 28 g fat (14.6 g sat), 11.3 g carbs, 597 mg sodium, 5.3 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 11.5 g protein

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13

Roasted Pumpkin and Halloumi Salad

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (14)

Salty Halloumi cheese pairs beautifully with fall flavors like pumpkin and almonds in this meatless salad. Chock-full of color and nutrition, it's another feel-good side dish.

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Per serving: 537.6 calories, 43.9 g fat, 17.8 g carbs, 6.7 g fiber, 19.4 g protein

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14

Mashed Potato Cones

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (15)

Honestly, these mashed potato cones are just plain fun. They're also a great way to enjoy biscuits and mashed potatoes without going totally overboard on portions.

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Per serving: 399 calories, 23.1 g fat (7.5 g sat fat), 42.3 g carbs, 386.5 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 3.5 g fiber, 5.9 g protein

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15

Mushroom and Sage Rolled Turkey Breasts

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (16)

Feeling fancy? Make this stuffed turkey for Thanksgiving this year. That mushroom and sage filling is absolutely to-die-for.

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Per serving: 311 calories, 11.39 g fat (5.66 g sat fat), 1.9 g carbs, 1130 mg sodium, 0 g sugar, 0.7 g fiber, 45.3 g protein

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16

Crispy Oven-Fried Green Beans

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (17)

Introducing green beans your Thanksgiving guests will actually want to eat. These 'fried' beans offer a satisfying crunchy, crispy texture without tons of breading or frying oils.

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Per serving: 145 calories, 11.6 g fat (7 g sat), 7.6 g carbs, 465 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 5.2 g protein

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17

Paleo Stuffing

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (18)

Because a Thanksgiving without stuffing just ain't right...swap that usual box recipe with this paleo stuffing. It provides a balance of fat, carbs, and protein, so you feel satisfied but not, well, stuffed.

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Per serving: 269 calories, 19 g fat (3 g sat), 18 g carbs, 8 g sugar, 19 3mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 9 g protein

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18

Paleo Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (19)

Made with maple syrup, these paleo and vegan-friendly pumpkin pie bars feature an ooey-gooey caramel topping and sweet, crunchy pecans.

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Per serving: 328 calories, 15 g fat, 45 g carbs, 28 g sugar, 191 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 2 g protein

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19

Paleo and Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (20)

Ice cream is officially a Thanksgiving staple with this paleo and vegan pumpkin pie blend. It's great atop a slice of pie, or you know, just in a bowl.

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Per serving: 150 calories, 13 g fat (7 g sat), 7 g carbs, 4 g sugar, 6 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein

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20

Healthy Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Bread

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (21)

With a sweet maple glaze and soft center, this clean pumpkin bread is plenty flavorful, complete with spices like ginger and nutmeg, and a little vanilla.

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Per serving: 202 calories, 7.2 g fat (4 g sat), 31.7 g carbs, 16.4 g sugar, 3.4 g fiber, 3.1 g protein

Healthier Thanksgiving Recipes for a Guilt-Free Feast (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest food for Thanksgiving? ›

Healthy: Roasted Vegetables

Licensed medical acupuncturist and nutritional consultant Jamie Bacharach of Acupuncture Jerusalem said that roasted potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, and asparagus all make great, healthy Thanksgiving sides.

What items from Thanksgiving dinners could be used to provide you with a balanced diet? ›

6 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Plate This Thanksgiving
  • Roasted vegetables. It shouldn't come as any surprise that roasted vegetables top the list of healthy Thanksgiving foods. ...
  • A seasonal salad. ...
  • Turkey. ...
  • Brussels sprouts. ...
  • Butternut squash. ...
  • Fresh bread. ...
  • And don't forget...
Nov 1, 2023

How to make a low calorie Thanksgiving plate? ›

Foods like white turkey meat, roasted veggies, salad, sweet potato casseroles, thin gravy, and pumpkin pie are usually the healthiest options on the table, however, eating anything in moderation is always the healthiest thing you can do.

What is the unhealthiest Thanksgiving food? ›

Worst: Sausage Stuffing

It's often made with fatty processed meat, butter or margarine, and refined bread or rice. It's a high-calorie food that packs a load of fat, carbs, and nitrates, which are cancer-causing. If you add dried cranberries, there's a good chance they're sweetened and add sugar to your stuffing.

What is healthier than turkey for Thanksgiving? ›

Try it out on Thanksgiving by substituting tofu for your turkey. Tofu can be cooked in a variety of flavorful ways and comes with a ton of nutritional benefits including a lot of calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin B, and protein.

What is the key ingredient to a perfect Thanksgiving Day dinner? ›

The classic Thanksgiving dinner includes old-time favorites that never change: turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, and pie. But the way these dishes are made or added to is everchanging because of food trends and different dietary requirements.

What is the most important food on a Thanksgiving table? ›

Stuffing. Good stuffing is key to a successful Thanksgiving dinner. At its simplest, stuffing is seasoned bread cubes mixed with onions and herbs. The stuffing is traditionally baked inside the bird but can also be baked in a separate baking dish.

How do you simplify Thanksgiving dinner? ›

These tips, tricks and timesavers can be a Thanksgiving host's saving grace.
  1. Pick the menu early. Don't leave menu planning and shopping to the last minute. ...
  2. Brine your bird. ...
  3. Start prep work a few days before Thanksgiving. ...
  4. Serve batched co*cktails. ...
  5. Create simple centerpieces.
Nov 1, 2023

What is one of the most fattening items on the Thanksgiving menu? ›

Stuffing

Stuffing packs a one-two punch of refined carbs from white bread and fat from butter. Some versions also include fatty sausage or other meats.

What are 3 main foods on Thanksgiving? ›

Many Americans would regard Thanksgiving dinner as "incomplete" without stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. A recipe for cranberry sauce to be served with turkey appeared in the first American cookbook, American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons.

What can I eat instead of Thanksgiving dinner? ›

25 Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas
  • 01 of 25. Artichoke Hearts Gratin. ...
  • 02 of 25. Roasted Pumpkin Soup. ...
  • 03 of 25. Roasted Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Crostini. ...
  • 04 of 25. Apple Pie Shot. ...
  • 05 of 25. Citrus Turkey Brine. ...
  • 06 of 25. Bacon-Wrapped Pork Medallions. ...
  • 07 of 25. Tangy Honey-Glazed Ham. ...
  • 08 of 25.
Oct 3, 2023

What is the most filling non fattening food? ›

High-fiber foods not only provide volume but also take longer to digest, making you feel full longer on fewer calories. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains all contain fiber. Popcorn is a good example of a high-volume, low-calorie whole grain. One cup of air-popped popcorn has about 30 calories.

How can I make Thanksgiving more healthy? ›

Lighten Your Recipes
  1. Skip the cream. Use Greek yogurt or whole milk instead in mashed potatoes, creamy soups, and creamed onion or spinach recipes.
  2. Reduce the sugar. Cut it back by 10 to 25 percent in baking recipes. ...
  3. Add some fiber. ...
  4. Upgrade the stuffing. ...
  5. Be sodium savvy. ...
  6. Boost nutrition.
Nov 22, 2021

What can I use instead of turkey for Thanksgiving cheap? ›

Here are our best budget alternatives so you can still enjoy Thanksgiving, without the hefty price tag!
  • Swap your turkey for a rotisserie chicken. ...
  • The free turkey program. ...
  • Get fancy with Cornish game hens. ...
  • Opt for turkey cuts. ...
  • Butterball roast. ...
  • Tofu. ...
  • Whole roasted cauliflower.
Oct 11, 2023

How healthy is Thanksgiving dinner? ›

The traditional turkey-day feast, replete with fatty, high-cholesterol foods like drumsticks, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, is generally anything but heart-healthy. Try a healthy roasted turkey and gravy recipe for your Thanksgiving meal.

What can I eat instead of turkey on Thanksgiving? ›

Whatever the reason, here are 20 Thanksgiving recipes for a turkey-free table.
  • Roast Chicken With Maple Butter and Rosemary. Image. ...
  • Beef Wellington. Image. ...
  • Ombré Gratin. Image. ...
  • Skillet Pork Chops and Apples With Miso Caramel. Image. ...
  • Samosa Pie. Image. ...
  • Maple-Baked Salmon. Image. ...
  • Lasagna. Image. ...
  • Ina Garten's Make-Ahead Coquilles St.
Nov 10, 2022

How can I enjoy Thanksgiving without gaining weight? ›

Enjoy the holiday feast without the guilt – or the weight gain.
  1. Workout when you can. ...
  2. Eat breakfast. ...
  3. Bring a healthy dish to pass (and eat). ...
  4. Pick and choose your indulgences. ...
  5. Slow it down. ...
  6. Go easy on the adult beverages. ...
  7. Get active. ...
  8. Shift your focus.
Oct 29, 2018

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