23 Healthy Recipes To Try Out During Thanksgiving

Posted: November 5, 2021 10:23 am

This Thanksgiving, skip the temptation of a heaping plate of fatty foods and create a holiday meal that is both delicious and within your diet. Here are some recipes from Food Network Kitchen that are perfect for those looking to stay healthy without sacrificing flavor.

#1. Asparagus with Parmesan Dip

This is an excellent Thanksgiving appetizer because, despite its cheesy flavor, it is both low in calories and high in nutrients. It’s perfect for those trying to stay on track with their diet but still want to indulge themselves during this holiday of feasting.

#2. Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash

This delicious dish is easy to prepare for all of your guests. It provides a hearty meal that everyone will enjoy without sacrificing any of the nutritional benefits of the ingredients used. The quinoa stuffed acorn squash makes an excellent substitution for mashed potatoes or stuffing! In addition, it also contains beans, which contain fiber and phytochemicals that have been shown to reduce risk factors associated with heart disease and cancer.

#3. Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

This soup is gluten-free and loaded with beta carotene, which contributes vitamins to the body vital to maintaining good eyesight. It also contains potassium, which can help reduce high blood pressure for better heart health. The roasted sweet potato soup will go perfectly with your main dish!

#4. Miniature Pumpkin Pies

This is a wonderful dessert that will be the perfect end to your Thanksgiving spread. Not only are they delectable, but these mini pumpkin pies are also low in calories and fat. They also include a flaxseed meal, which provides essential fatty acids that your body needs for energy to burn throughout the day! These tasty treats make a great option for everyone at your table this Thanksgiving.

#5. Chicken Pot Pie

Our chicken pot pie recipe keeps it healthy by using lean protein like white meat chicken and vegetables like peas and carrots while loading up on flavor with creamy mashed potatoes topping off this dish. This delicious version of classic comfort food has all of the warmth you love about pot pie with fewer calories and fat.

#6. Wild Rice Salad

Wild rice also provides nutrients vital to keeping the body healthy – like fiber, B-vitamins, manganese, selenium, iron, and phosphorus. It is also high in antioxidants which help fight against free radicals, which can cause cancer or other chronic diseases. This wild rice salad is gluten-free for those with allergies as well as a vegetarian!

#7. Fennel and Golden Beet Salad

This salad is full of flavor while also being healthy. The ingredients used, like apples, fennel, and beets, are all low in calories but high in essential nutrients for the body, making this salad delicious and nutritious!

#8. Sourdough Biscuits

These light and fluffy biscuits are made with whole wheat flour to keep them on the healthier side. These will go great with your turkey or ham dinner without ruining any of your hard work maintaining that diet you set out on before the holidays started!

#9. Cider-Glazed Carrots

Eating just a half-cup of these carrots will give you almost 100% of your daily intake of vitamins A and K. These delicious vegetables are also filled with fiber which helps keep blood sugar levels balanced and prevent diabetes, as well as carotenoids, which is an antioxidant that can reduce cancer risk.

#10. Roasted Green Beans

Healthy never tasted so good! The trick to making these green beans the perfect complement for all of your family’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes is to roast them until they are crispy without over-cooking them. This method locks in their fresh flavor while giving them a satisfying crunch!

#11. Pumpkin Pie

This Thanksgiving staple is also healthy for you, but only if it’s made right! We lightened up our pie recipe by using evaporated low-fat milk instead of cream and cutting back on the sugar to make room for other flavors like pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger. All these ingredients will leave your taste buds satisfied without any guilt about calories or the damage to your diet that excessive holiday treats might cause!

#12. The Perfect Pumpkin Bread

This delicious recipe makes everyone’s favorite fall dessert – pumpkin bread – even healthier than before, so everyone can enjoy this treat without ruining their day of healthy eating.

#13. Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

These roasted sweet potatoes are a great way to get the fall flavors of Thanksgiving into a protein-packed, nutritious soup! We added chicken broth, Greek yogurt, and spices for a flavorful and healthy dish!

#14. Gluten-Free Rolls

You can still enjoy bread on Thanksgiving without gluten from wheat flour with these simple recipes for delicious gluten-free rolls! They’re just as soft and fluffy as traditional white dinner rolls but will leave your guests wondering how they could be gluten-free!

#15. Maple-Glazed Baked Ham

This fantastic take on the traditional holiday ham is both simple and healthy! We used maple syrup instead of sugar to make this dish lower in calories while also adding additional flavor with less guilt about ruining your diet!

#16. Green Bean Casserole

These French-style green beans are not only healthier than their American counterparts but much easier to make as well! Just follow the instructions below, and you will have this classic dish prepped for Thanksgiving dinner without all that extra fat or sodium found in many traditional recipes!

#17. The Perfect Sourdough Bread

This recipe teaches you how to create the perfect sourdough bread, a great substitute for regular white bread in many dishes. The trick is to keep the starter going for a long time to develop a deep, complex flavor similar to ordinary bread but with a much better nutrient profile!

#18. Shrimp Scampi

This popular dish is traditionally loaded with butter and cheese, but our healthier version will ensure you can enjoy your meal guilt-free while keeping on track with your diet! We used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose white, so you still get the comforting taste of classic shrimp scampi without any of the empty calories or fat found in some recipes.

#19. Pumpkin Cheesecake

This delectable treat is as tasty as pumpkin pie but easier to make and swaps out sugar for Stevia, a natural sugar substitute that won’t affect your blood sugar or leave you feeling guilty about the holiday splurge! We also used fat-free cream cheese and Greek yogurt to lighten up this classic dessert without compromising flavor.

#20. Apple Pie

This fall-inspired version of a classic apple pie uses fresh sliced apples and swaps out the sugar for Stevia so you can enjoy this dish without ruining your diet! Just be sure to follow our step-by-step instructions so that it turns out perfectly!

#21. Light Turkey Gravy

Gravies are another thing many people tend to add more fat than necessary when preparing. Still, we’ve got you covered with this delicious and healthy alternative to the high-fat brown gravies found in most restaurants! This gravy doesn’t skimp on flavor either – use low sodium broth to keep it light while adding turkey drippings from the cooked bird for that amazing Thanksgiving taste!

#22. Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Creamy mashed potatoes are a must on Thanksgiving, but they’re not very healthy for you! We’ve got a solution that will add flavor and nutrients while keeping the calories in check. Follow our easy steps below to create this delicious side dish without the extra fat and sodium most restaurants use!

#23. Gluten-Free Pie Crust

This fantastic gluten-free pie crust is both healthier and more flavorful than your average store-bought version, which can leave you feeling bloated or weighed down later in the day. Perfect for lighter pies, this dough is just as tasty when baked with fruit inside, so it’s perfectly sweet with no additional sugar required!

In conclusion, the holiday season with its festive atmosphere is when people are more open to trying new things. These diet-friendly recipes offer tasty alternatives to traditional foods while keeping them healthy and guilt-free! You can enjoy your meals without ruining your diet this Thanksgiving with these delicious dishes!