These clean eating healthy Thanksgiving sides recipes are perfect for those who don’t want to sacrifice flavor, but also want healthier real food.
Hello, friends! Today I’m popping in after a fun weekend. Why was this weekend fun? BECAUSE WE FINALLY HAVE COUNTERS AND RUNNING WATER IN OUR KITCHEN! It’s not done yet, we still need to get the backsplash installed, but it’s almost done! Just in time for the holidays!
I know that you probably aren’t too serious about nailing down your Thanksgiving menu yet. I feel like if I brought up menu planning to my MIL, she would hit me over the head with a spatula. You might be starting to get ideas, though, right? Like just browsing and bookmarking, nothing too serious? Noncommittal. I get you, so here are a few ideas to save!
Quick Tip: How to Lighten Up Your Thanksgiving Menu Without Being Excommunicated From The Family
All of these healthy Thanksgiving side dish recipes were developed over years of hosting Thanksgiving at my own house. I know that Thanksgiving or holidays, in general, are a time when people are VERY resistant to change. Everybody has that “special” recipe they look forward to and would jump down your throat if you didn’t provide it on said holiday.
What I did with my husband’s family is convince them to swap out ONE recipe per year and maybe add one you want. Often, they liked it so much they would request it the next year. Now, five years later, our Thanksgiving menu has a BUNCH of healthier options and just a couple of traditional sides.
For example, in the first year, we swapped out my roasted green beans with bacon and almonds for green bean casserole. Nobody missed the casserole so that one kept going throughout the years. Another year, we swapped out traditional sweet potato casserole for my clean eating version.
Now, it’s a requested side dish/dessert every year. I also make mashed cauliflower because I love it, and I’m always surprised to see it be the first thing to go. That being said, I don’t begrudge anyone their regular cream and butter filled mash potatoes, so we just added the cauliflower version. Everyone likes both, no one is angered. All is good.
I hope that helps give you some ideas on how to incorporate healthy Thanksgiving side dish recipes into your family’s menu!
PS HH Newsletter friends can find the healthy holiday recipes ebook with all these recipes plus more in the Library of Resources. Not signed up yet? Get access by using the form in this post or click here to sign up!
Healthy Thanksgiving Sides
These clean eating healthy Thanksgiving sides recipes are perfect for those who don't want to sacrifice flavor, but also want healthier real food.
Try whipping up a batch of these mashed cauliflower “faux” potatoes as an easy way to get in more veggies! They are creamy, cheesy, and low carb!
This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is lightly buttery and fluffy with a sweet crunch oatmeal pecan crust that everyone will love!
Roasted Delicata Squash Rings toss with butter (or ghee/coconut oil for dairy free) and savory herbs, roasted to perfection and topped with parmesan cheese!
Oven Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussel Sprout Salad is the perfect side dish, and is filled with delicious goodies like feta cheese, raisins, and wild rice. Also tossed with a balsamic maple dressing!
Want a healthy holiday friendly veggie side dish that everyone will love? These Roasted Green Beans with Bacon will be the first dish to disappear!
Cinnamon Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes are one of the best ways to enjoy the flavors of the fall the healthy way.
Sweet tender carrots glazed in a tangy honey mustard and roasted to perfection. They are the perfect gluten free side dish!
Buttermilk imparts a deeper rich flavor into the cauliflower mash, a low-carb alternative to regular mash potatoes.
Serve up these crockpot carrots for a healthy dose of vegetables, flavor, and nutrition!
Serve up a fall classic this Thanksgiving with this lighten-ed up version of Butternut Squash Pumpkin Soup.
Balsamic Brussel sprouts with bacon and eggs is a delicious versatile holiday meal. Serve it as a side dish without the egg!
This sausage and apple stuffed butternut squash is the perfect festive and healthy high protein breakfast option or delicious healthy Thanksgiving side dish.
[…] thing in this recipe. This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is by far the number one requested healthy Thanksgiving side dish every year, which blows my mind because it’s so simple. It’s significantly lightened up […]