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Thanksgiving dinner is a meal typically filled with high-calorie flavorful recipes. If you are focused on eating a healthy diet, or on managing calories you may be wondering how to eat healthy on this holiday. But, you can choose to prepare Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes for your holiday meal.
Take a look at these healthier options that you can use to swap out higher-calorie recipes and build your healthy holiday meal.
Healthy Appetizer Plater
Starting with a platter of healthy-cut vegetables, fruit, hard cheese, crackers, and olives starts your meal right. Include a Greek Yogurt Dill Dip, a roasted pepper hummus dip, or a spicy cheese ball.
Include whole wheat crackers, or toasted French bread.
Prepare an eggplant caponata appetizer. It is a sweet and sour eggplant and olive relish to serve on toast with a sprinkle of cheese that your guests will love.
Traditional Turkey Breast Recipe
Most meals will revolve around Thanksgiving Turkey. A full bird is probably required if you are cooking for a crowd. But, if you are only cooking for a few, then you might consider a Bone-In Oven-Baked Turkey Breast.
This recipe will give you the same great flavor of a full bird, but with just the breast meat. A 9-pound breast will feed 5-6 people. Just be aware there won't be much leftover.
For a larger crowd, consider a whole bird. Here is my simple recipe.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Serving turkey, chicken, pork, or ham? Then cranberry sauce is a great relish to compliment your meal.
Made with simple ingredients that you control, this Healthy Cranberry Sauce provides tart and slightly sweet flavors without cane sugar.
Healthy Sweet Potato Recipe
Say Thanksgiving Dinner and the second most common dish that will come to mind is sweet potatoes. Our family's favorite is Sweet Potato Fluff with Pecans, but it is packed with butter and sugar.
A healthy alternative is Sweet Potato Sauté with Apples and Onion.
This flavorful recipe is a lower sugar, lower saturated fat, and lower carbohydrate dish. Filled with flavors of apple, Fall spices, and onion, it is a great savory and lightly sweet dish to add to your Thanksgiving meal.
Not a sweet potato fan? Check out this recipe for Honey-Glazed Carrots and Celery.
Healthy Vegetable Recipes
This is a creamy and cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli side dish. Made with healthy low carbohydrate cauliflower and broccoli, the cheese sauce adds additional flavor.
Prefer a vegetable side without the cheese sauce? Try my recipe for Easy Julienned Vegetables. Sautéed carrots, broccoli, and parsnips are a colorful and flavorful side dish for your meal.
Love green beans? Try this simple Mustard Marinated Green Bean and Tomato dish.
Looking for simple side dish recipes? Nothing could be simpler than this Sauteed Apple and Leek recipe. Perfect Fall side dish.
At our house dinner wouldn't be complete without Cream Corn Casserole. This is a family favorite at our house.
Healthy Side Salad Recipes
A green leafy salad is a must when you are eating a healthy diet.
Adding arugula, pear, walnut, and feta cheese side salad is an easy dish. Dress with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
For a simple earthy salad, perfect for a Thanksgiving feast, try this Apple and Beet Salad. The complex flavors will be a great start to your meal.
For a tasty presentation, you might consider an Apple Pecan Salad. A variety of greens, crunchy apples, and cucumbers, toasted pecans, salty feta cheese, dressed with a raspberry vinaigrette.
Love Caesar Salad? It's easy to make with this simple Mayfair Salad Dressing.
Another idea is a Vegetable Couscous Salad. Fluffy couscous pasta with crispy garden vegetables, and fruit, dressed with white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing. It adds a salty and tart bite to your meal.
Holiday Desserts
To finish off your holiday meal, consider adding your favorite pie. A slice of traditional pumpkin, sweet potato, or pecan pie, will provide a finishing treat.
Crunched for time? An easy make-ahead cake is this Easy Coconut Refrigerator Cake.
Looking for a healthier option? Consider this Moist Pumpkin Cake or Rustic Apple Cake. Serve either with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
So there you have it. Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes to help plan your Thanksgiving meal. Remember to watch your portion size to keep your calories in check.
But, most importantly, remember to enjoy the day, your family, and close friends, and be thankful for the bounty we are about to receive.
August 2022 Update: Added new recipes.
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