Thanksgiving is about so much more than the turkey: from stuffing to sweet potato casserole, there are so many traditional Thanksgiving sides to think about, and unfortunately, that tends to be where a lot of the empty calories are hiding.

Turkey on its own is actually quite healthy, and there’s no reason you can’t carry that through to the rest of your meal, all the while hanging on to the delicious traditional flavors. With that in mind, here are ten of our favorite healthy Thanksgiving sides to enjoy the holiday without packing on extra pounds.

1. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes and Walnuts

Brussels sprouts are one of our favorite Thanksgiving vegetables, and on their own, they’re super healthy. A member of the cruciferous vegetable family, Brussels sprouts are rich in vitamin C, soluble fiber, and a variety of phytochemicals and other nutrients. The problem comes when they’re cooked in too much butter or with fatty bacon. In this dish, they’re paired with sweet grapes and walnuts and drizzled with sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar, for a healthy dish rich in the flavors of fall.

2. Creamy Fall Soup in Acorn Squash Bowls

This dish is beautiful, tasty, healthy, and easy — what else could you ask for on Thanksgiving? The roasted acorn squash bowls hold a creamy, vegan fall soup made with sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash — all great sources of vitamin A –, and fiber-rich red lentils, which lend this soup some body.

3. Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

This salad includes some of our favorite Thanksgiving ingredients: squash, cranberries, and pepitas. It also features nutty farro, peppery arugula, and a bright citrus dressing with a hint of maple syrup.

4. Green Beans with Almonds

Many of us grew up with heavy green bean casserole, made with cream of mushroom soup and canned fried onions. This easy, lighter green bean recipe pairs the fresh green vegetables with slivered almonds, lemon, and just a touch of butter. Not only will it be one of the quickest recipes to get on your Thanksgiving table, but it’s delicious as well.

5. Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad

This hearty salad is not only a fantastic addition to your selection of healthy Thanksgiving sides, it also serves as the perfect main for vegetarian or vegan guests. Made with wild rice, protein-rich Puy lentils, and roasted sweet potatoes, the salad sings of the autumn harvest.

6. Vegan Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese might not seem like it belongs in the healthy Thanksgiving sides category, but this vegan version absolutely does. With a creamy sauce made with pumpkin purée, almond milk, and nutritional yeast, this pasta bake tastes decadent, but it’s a truly wholesome choice.

7. Healthier Cornbread

It’s tough to make cornbread completely healthy, but this version, made with low-fat and protein-rich Greek yogurt instead of too much butter or oil, is much better for you than the traditional version, and it’s just as moist and tasty, making it one of our favorite healthy Thanskgiving sides.

8. Carrot Soufflé

This carrot- and parsnip-based soufflé is a gourmet addition to any Thanksgiving table. A combination of the sweet spice of cinnamon and a bit of sharp cheddar cheese lends an enormous amount of flavor to this dish, which still manages to be relatively healthy thanks to the use of whole milk in place of cream.

9. Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas, and Herbed Crème Fraiche

This vegetable dish has a bit of a Mediterranean flair, with a base of farro and chickpeas and a sauce made with crème fraiche and fresh parsley. Choose a rainbow of yellow, orange, white, and purple carrots to make this dish even more pleasing to the eye and richer in different vitamins.

10. Beet and Turnip Gratin

Gratins and casseroles are commonly found on Thanksgiving tables, but this healthier version forgoes cream and cheese in favor of a purely vegetable-based dish. This beet and turnip gratin is seasoned simply with red onion, thyme, and fresh orange juice. It’s bright in flavor and rich in vitamins — the perfect healthy Thanksgiving side.

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We’ve rounded up 15 of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Most of them are healthy, opting for vegan, sugar-free, or wheat-free alternatives to traditional ingredients. Regardless of whom you invite over for this year’s Thanksgiving feast, everyone will leave raving about these dishes.

15 EcoSalon-Approved Thanksgiving Recipes

1. Vegan Apple Pie

Forget the butter, white flour, white sugar, and milk. This vegan apple pie recipe is entirely vegan and uses healthier alternatives to traditional apple pie ingredients, including whole-wheat pastry flour, coconut oil, nut milk, and turbinado sugar.

2. Heirloom Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread with Pecan Streusel

When it comes to Thanksgiving, regular bread and butter just won’t cut it. This heirloom pumpkin cream cheese bread with pecan streusel recipe speaks for itself.

3. Duck in Port

Getting bored of turkey, year after year? Why not spice things up with none other than duck? Duck is fattier than turkey and rarely dries out, so you are practically promised to have a melt-in-your-mouth centerpiece. This duck in Port recipe is lightly seasoned and stuffed with prunes, dried figs, Port, and thyme.

4. Whole-Grain Vegan Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs and Olive Oil

If it’s not the side dishes that are weighing you down, it most certainly is the stuffing. Lighten the butter load with this delicious vegan stuffing recipe.

5. Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie Recipe with Chickpeas and Currants

Load up on the good stuff with this sweet potato shepherd’s pie recipe. Lentils, chickpeas, and veggies join forces to create a textured and an earthy shepherd’s pie. Topped with a sweet potato mash that is infused with coconut milk, cumin, and garlic, the pie’s flavors will explode in your mouth and fill you up without weighing you down.

6. Light Green Bean Casserole

Regular green bean casserole includes the likes of condensed cream of mushroom soup and French-fried onions. Nix the hard-to-digest, processed, and packaged ingredients in favor of all-natural, made-from-scratch ones. This green bean casserole recipe makes for a delicious vegetarian side dish at the Thanksgiving table, using nutritional yeast and just a tad of butter for extra richness. You can transform this recipe into a vegan one by replacing the butter component with a vegan version, such as Earth Balance’s vegan butter.

7. Escarole Salad with Oranges and Spiced Pecans

Don’t just serve any ol’ tossed salad at the Thanksgiving table. Instead, incorporate seasonal ingredients into the mix. This escarole salad with oranges and spiced pecans is a testament to autumn.

8. Vegan Pumpkin Pie

You can achieve the decadent and creamy texture of pumpkin pie without all the animal-based ingredients. This vegan pumpkin pie recipe retains the buttery flavors of regular pastry crust (only without the butter) and the warm spicy aromas and dense texture of classic pumpkin pie filling, all without compromising your dietary goals.

9. Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

Who said Thanksgiving was just about the evening meal? These vegan pumpkin pancakes bring some of the festivities to your morning meal. They are completely vegan, sweetened with coconut palm sugar, and textured with almond milk and coconut oil.

10. Sweet Corn Recipe with Miso Butter and Scallions

Butter and corn is a match made in heaven. This recipe takes sweet corn to a whole new level with the addition of miso and scallions.

11. Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thanksgiving dessert can, in fact, be healthy. With this raw pumpkin cheesecake recipe, you can make sure you and your kids are following up on the Thanksgiving feast with the right kind of stuff: dates, coconut oil, coconut meat, carrots, pumpkin, dried fruit, and nuts.

12. Vegan Scalloped Sweet Potato Gratin

A cashew sauce is the perfect creamy complement to this sweet potato gratin recipe, forcing you to wonder why dairy was ever necessary. Fresh sage, garlic, and thyme bring added depth to this mellow, warm dish.

13. Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Za’atar Spiced Almonds

Brussels sprouts are low in calories but high in bulk, making you feel fuller, faster, so you don’t overindulge in other Thanksgiving treats. This caramelized Brussels sprouts with lemon and Za’atar spiced almonds recipe brings Middle Eastern notes to an otherwise simple side dish.

14. Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Pair traditional with exotic in this butternut squash coconut curry recipe. The flavors are intense, invigorating, and inviting. There’s no better way to start a Thanksgiving meal than with a soup like this!

15. Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

If you’re itching for the dinner bells to ring, it’s a good idea to have something light to nosh on while you wait so you don’t spoil your appetite too soon. These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are a tease, but a comforting and satisfying tease at that.

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Thanksgiving table image from Shutterstock

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Mashed potatoes are a holiday classic. They are creamy, smooth and full of buttery overtones. However, they don’t do your body the best of favors.

You don’t want to miss mashed potatoes at the dinner table this year, no doubt, but you also want to keep yourself in shape and prevent overeating all those simple carbs. This is where the sweet potato shines. Not only is the sweet potato complementary to the holiday season, but it’s also a better choice in terms of your health and overall well-being.

Regular mashed potatoes contain about 214 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1.4 grams of saturated fat, 35 grams of sugar, and 741 milligrams of sodium in each cup. These aren’t the most dismal of stats, especially given the bounty of nutrients inherent in white potato. The stickler is more so the quality of the ingredients. Traditional mashed potatoes use white potatoes, which pale in comparison to the nutrient value of sweet potatoes. Additionally, mashed potatoes tend to involve the addition of butter and milk.

This mashed sweet potatoes recipe will give you the satisfaction of the traditional dish but with even more taste and nutrition. This recipe is also animal-friendly, which makes for even more reason to celebrate. Enjoy!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 6-8 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon thick coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans and walnuts, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork several times. This will allow for steam to release during the cooking process.

Place the sweet potatoes in the oven and let cook for about 1 hour. They should be cooked all the way through the center.

Remove from the oven, letting the sweet potatoes cool so they are able to be handled safely. Peel off the skin and place the potato flesh into a large bowl.

Add orange juice, coconut milk, maple syrup and salt. Use a masher to mash all the ingredient together until they are evenly distributed and the potatoes have reached desired consistency.

Serve topped with toasted nuts. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: michelle@tns

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Before you get too enthusiastic and begin shaping a tofu or nut-based mixture into the shape of a turkey, redefine your arsenal of vegan Thanksgiving recipes so that you are completely satisfied come the holiday dinner.

These plant-based recipes should tantalize your taste buds, fill your belly with joy and be diverse enough in flavor and texture so you don’t feel like something is missing. The following plant-based Thanksgiving recipes are for those of you who don’t have turkey or other animal-based foods on the menu.

One of the slippery slopes inherent in any plant-based diet, especially a vegan or raw food diet, is the ability to become dependent on dense foods, such as nuts, dried fruits, avocados, and soy. Without meat, how do you fill up? In terms of your body’s ability to process certain foods, too many nuts will just fall like a rock in your system and leave you bloated, constipated, and bored. Dried fruit, eaten in excess, will spike blood sugar levels and avocados, despite bearing healthy fats, shouldn’t be over-consume as they are still just that – fats. Soy-based products are also a slippery slope if they are not fermented.

This is where you are required to get creative, using simple fruits and vegetables, greens, legumes, beans, lentils, and grains to fill the void. Choose high-quality plant-based ingredients and you’ll never get bored of, especially during the holiday season.

Scouring the internet for a list of vegan Thanksgiving recipes, I quickly realized that it wouldn’t just be me that I would be satisfying – the recipes I found were simply universal in appeal. The trick is to buff up the side dishes and eating a little bit of each to make a beautifully diverse meal.

1. Warm your tummy with a deep-flavored, lightly-sweet butternut squash soup. Use vegetable broth and coconut milk where suggested and Tasty Kitchen’s recipe for butternut squash soup fits the bill. I love the addition of leeks in this – they offer a crave-worthy overtone that’ll have you licking the bowl and asking for a second round.
2. One of my priorities is a vegan recipe for a classic green bean casserole. This green bean casserole recipe from C’est La Vegan says it all. It’s simple and traditional, but makes the appropriate swaps where a vegan would want them.
3. Next, I was looking for a hearty grain/seed salad that held a multitude of colors and textures – easy on the eyes and figure. This recipe for quinoa salad with pears, baby spinach and chickpeas in a maple vinaigrette checked off some of my favorite holiday flavors in one dish.
4. What’s a Thanksgiving meal without mashed potatoes? No need for the butters and creams, or even the white potato! Add some more nutrition and beautiful color to your mashed potatoes by opting for a pumpkin and sweet potato based variation.
5. As for vegan desserts, there is no reason you can’t indulge to the brim. Make our very own vegan pumpkin pie. Set it aside a fresh-out-of-the-oven vegan apple pie. Serve each slice with a scoop of vegan ice cream, either a coconut-based one that you can find at the grocery store or one you’ve made yourself.

Photo Credit: Tom Censani

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