It's one of the most mouthwatering holidays of the year. We all love to gather around the table, share good will and dig into a traditional Thanksgiving feast.
The chance of feeling too stuffed later rarely slows us down. The idea that we could be eating healthier on Thanksgiving does cross our minds. There's still time to make a few adjustments that can make it all easier to digest.
Join us as we serve up food for thought about how to keep Thanksgiving dinner healthy and delicious.
What Are the Healthiest (and Unhealthiest) Thanksgiving Foods?
From savory casseroles to irresistible desserts, everyone has a holiday favorite. It's easy to put together a list of Thanksgiving classics. It's just as easy to overlook the nutritional value in a traditional dish.
Consider the following lineup on Turkey Day menus.
The Good: Why We Love These Healthy Thanksgiving Dishes
Roasted Turkey
Let's start with the star of this special holiday. A roasted turkey earns its place on the "good" list as an excellent protein source.
We're glad because Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without that golden-brown entree.
As you enjoy tender, juicy bites, your body enjoys a nutritious serving of vitamins, magnesium and niacin.
Brussels Sprouts
While these vegetables are always a healthy choice, Brussels sprouts add special goodness to the holidays.
Their sweet, nut-like flavor pairs perfectly with Thanksgiving turkey and plays well with other side dishes too.
Brussels sprouts deserve a place on our "good" list because they deliver a wide spectrum of health benefits.
From vitamins B-12, C, and D to plant protein, the cruciferous veggies are a tasty source of important nutrients.
Sweet Potatoes
If you leave off the marshmallows, sweet potatoes are still surprisingly sweet vegetables.
Even with the melted puffs on top, the potatoes put bountiful good health into a Thanksgiving dinner.
Sweet potatoes deliver an impressive 15% to 30% of the recommended daily allowance of B vitamins.
The yummy root vegetables are high in fiber, low in fat and packed with beneficial plant proteins.
Cranberries
Fresh cranberries and cranberry sauce are Thanksgiving staples.
They're tricky to enjoy raw because of their bitter-sour flavor, but even when processed, the small red fruits are still very nutritious.
Cranberries are often considered a superfood because they serve up an impressive number of antioxidants.
The berries are thought to lower the risk of coronary heart disease while boosting immune systems.
Corn Bread
It's not just a Southern tradition. Pan corn bread brings a comfort-food warmth to Thanksgiving tables, and it's a go-to stuffing for the turkey.
In a pan or in the bird, corn bread is a very nutritious addition to the meal.
Homemade corn bread is even healthier. Take cooking inspiration from the fresh bread's healthy profile: whole grain fiber; major nutrients; and all 10 essential amino acids.
The Bad: How to Make These Thanksgiving Dishes Healthier
Green Bean Casserole
This Thanksgiving favorite is so easy to prepare. However, the canned beans are usually loaded with sodium. The mushroom soup adds fat, calories and more salt.
Crunchy fried onions on top taste great, but they're not considered a nutritious food.
The Healthy Fix: Make your holiday casserole with fresh green beans drizzled with olive oil. Toss with caramelized onions, and top with whole wheat bread crumbs.
Candied Yams
Lots of butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar turn sweet potatoes into candied yams.
The ingredients ramp up this traditional side's calorie count, and the butter adds extra fat too.
A topping of melted marshmallows enhances the flavor factor, but it doesn't contribute anything else.
The Healthy Fix: Roast the sweet potatoes in an olive oil drizzle, and cut back on the sugar.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a time-honored Thanksgiving dish that's even better bathed in turkey gravy.
The salt, cream and butter combination that creates heavenly mashed potatoes also loads them with sodium, calories and fat.
The Healthy Fix: Consider adding flavor with dill instead of salt and using salt-free butter. A combination of yogurt and milk or mashed cauliflower gives the potatoes a creamy goodness.
Turkey Stuffing
This is another must-have dish for so many Thanksgiving chefs. However, it's another holiday classic that loses nutritional points because of its high sodium and calorie count.
Whether you bake it in a pan or inside the turkey, stuffing can leave everyone feeling overly stuffed.
The Healthy Fix: Make turkey stuffing with whole grain bread or your from-scratch corn bread. Use less salt, and try leaving out the giblets, sausage or bacon.
Pecan Pie
One slice of pecan pie can put 500 calories on your plate. That's easy to understand when you consider the ingredients include corn syrup, refined sugar and butter.
Still, it's hard to turn down a slice of Thanksgiving's most famous dessert.
The Healthy Fix: Reimagine this sweet tradition as a low-cal fruit pie. Go with a sheet pan dessert made with baked apples and topped with cinnamon and yogurt.
11 Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Love
It's always fun to create a new holiday classic, especially when the recipe is simple to make and simply delicious. It's even better when you maximize the results with nutritious ideas.
We offer these 11 recipes that make Thanksgiving dinner healthier.
Nutritious Thanksgiving Salads
1. Roasted and Raw Brussels Sprout Salad
This elegant, healthy salad is destined to become a new holiday tradition. It's easy too, with a 35-minute prep time. Simply shave raw sprouts, and toss them with roasted sprouts.
Dress your Brussels sprout salad with a blend of champagne vinegar, maple syrup and whole grain mustard.
2. Chopped Napa Cabbage Salad
Put extra crunch on the table with a Napa cabbage salad that serves up nutritious crunch and clean, fresh taste.
Combine thin slices of cabbage with shaved Brussels sprouts and chopped kale. Garnish with sweet apple, and christen with apple cider vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard.
3. Warm Squash and Brussels Sprout Salad
We offer this squash and Brussels sprout recipe as a salad, but it makes a wonderful Thanksgiving side dish too. Sprinkle kabocha squash with olive oil, brown sugar and thyme.
Oven roast for 20 minutes, and then quickly spread over the freshly cut Brussels sprout leaves. The hot squash quickly and gently cooks the tender sprout leaves.
Good-For-You Thanksgiving Sides
4. Healthy Green Bean Casserole
Yes, you can serve a green bean casserole without the extra fat and salt. The recipe includes everything you love about the dish, from rich flavors to a crunchy topping.
Stir up your casserole sauce with a blend of 2% milk, a little flour, sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions.
Finish this classic side with a generous sprinkling of Panko bread crumbs and Parmesan.
5. Roasted Purple Brussels Sprouts
Put nutritious roasted Brussels sprouts on your list of quick and easy Thanksgiving dishes.
From prep to holiday table, the sprouts are ready in half an hour. Purple Brussels sprouts compliment festivities with a colorful presentation, and they're packed with healthy goodness too.
6. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
You don't have to give up the sweetness of yams to enjoy them as a nutritious side dish. Just mash the potatoes with unsalted butter, maple syrup and fat-free half-and-half.
Season with a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon, and serve a sensational sweet potato dish that's much lighter than traditional candied yams.
Healthy Thanksgiving Entrees
7. Sheet Chicken and Vegetables
Turkey takes center stage, but there's always room on the menu for an extra main dish. Brussels sprouts and squash make a beautiful, tasty base for roasting chicken breasts or thighs.
This sheet chicken and veggie recipe works well for large Thanksgiving feasts, and it streamlines kitchen time too.
8. Herb and Garlic Turkey
Traditions often take a turn for the better with a new approach. This year, upgrade that classic Thanksgiving turkey with a unique garlic and herb rub.
A pre-roast bath of fresh lemon juice or wine vinegar enhances the flavors and helps keep the turkey tender and juicy as it slowly cooks to perfection.
9. Healthy Thanksgiving Stuffing
Satisfy hearty appetites at the Thanksgiving table with stuffing that's healthy and delicious.
Enjoy guest compliments when you mention that the pan-roasted stuffing is gluten free and vegetarian.
This recipe gives you several creative options that include sourdough bread, crunchy walnuts and homemade broth.
Guilt-Free Thanksgiving Desserts
10. Sweet Potato Pie
Thanksgiving dessert can be rich with vitamin C and beta-carotene and still taste heavenly. It can be low calorie too.
Be sure to tell everyone their slice of sweet potato pie is actually good for them. Enjoy watching the smiles around the table as guests ask for a second slice.
11. Perfect Pecan Pie
No one is ready to skip pecan pie for Thanksgiving. No one has to when the dessert recipe doesn't call for corn syrup or butter. Instead, craft your holiday pie with raw honey and coconut oil.
Substitute coconut sugar for refined sugar, and you have a perfect pecan pie that's perfectly healthy.
Keep the Holidays Healthy and Delicious
It only takes a few changes in a recipe to elevate it from really good to truly healthy. The nutritious results can be just as delicious as the original. That makes it easy for everyone to enjoy your Thanksgiving feast.
All of us here at Hitchcock farms extend our Thanksgiving best wishes from our fields to your tables.
We look forward to sharing more ideas that keep your holiday season healthy and delicious. Check back with us soon.
