15 Healthy Thanksgiving Sides That Will Make You Stay Fit

Healthy Thanksgiving sides are hard to come by at most Thanksgiving tables. There is nothing like cream corn casserole, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes smothered in butter or gravy.

Thanksgiving sides do not have to be unhealthy. This roundup list provides you with 15 healthy Thanksgiving sides you can make instead.

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Cauliflower Stuffing

Found from Delish

Cauliflower is an underutilized vegetable! Cauliflower is one of my personal favorites. Regular stuffing is pure carbohydrates. Change up your stuffing and try out a vegetable instead of bread.

Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash

Found from Chew Out Loud

This recipe had me at cinnamon. Who doesn’t love to sweeten up a vegetable to make it more enjoyable?

Honey Roasted Carrots

Found from Cooking Classy

With the hustle and bustle in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day, you are going to want an easy and healthy Thanksgiving side like this one.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Balsamic Reduction

Found from Plating and Pairings

Many people shy away from brussel sprouts because they did not like eating them as a child. I was always told, taste buds change every 7 years. If you have not given brussel sprouts a try in many years, this tasteful recipe is one to try.

Skinny Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Maple Pecan Topping

Found from Jessica in the Kitchen

Another very popular vegetable in the fall season is sweet potatoes. Head to a local farmers market to pick up sweet potatoes for this healthy Thanksgiving side at a low cost.

Rosemary Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Found from The Cookie Rookie

Cauliflower again, this time mashed with garlic and rosemary. You can afford to add some butter and gravy to this side.

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash

Found from The Healthy Foodie

Squash is another fall favorite. Squash has many health benefits like improving eyesight, boost your immune system and help with blood circulation.

Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese & Dried Cranberries

Found from Plating and Pairings

If you read my pumpkin article, you know how much I love pumpkin. Combining pumpkin and risotto sounds like a great new healthy Thanksgiving side to me.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Found from Damn Delicious 

Straight from the potato bag to the pan. Another easy and healthy Thanksgiving side for this upcoming Thanksgiving.

Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad

Found from Gimme Some Oven

We have been substituting quinoa for rice and potatoes in our diet. The combination of flavors mixed in this salad make it very healthy to enjoy.

Almond and Cranberry Thanksgiving Slaw

Found from The Kitchn

This slaw salad is easy to throw together. I do not know about you, but our oven is always packed. Having a side dish that frees up space in the oven makes life a little easier.

Healthy Baked Stuffing

Found from Wonderfully Made and Dearly Loved

This stuffing recipe is healthy because the bread is based on a basic yeast or simple soda type bread. Exchanging out unhealthy ingredients for healthy ingredients allows you to enjoy the holiday favorites like stuffing a little more.

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Found from Belly Full

From the head of the cauliflower to the pan, again with a simple and healthy Thanksgiving side.

Winter Fruit Salad with Maple-Lime Dressing

Found from Julia’s Album

Exchange the cranberries for this mixture of winter fruit. This mix has a variety of fruit. With variety, comes healthier benefits for your body. This is certainly one of the healthy Thanksgiving sides that will be on our table this year.

Green Bean Bacon Bundles

Found from The Speckled Palate

I could eat a whole pan of green bean casserole. However, with all of that cream of mushroom soup, the casserole is not a healthy one. This recipe keeps the healthy aspect of the beans and adds a flavor of bacon. Yum!

Healthy Thanksgiving Sides

With all of the holiday parties coming up or all that work you put in over the summer on your summer bod, you do not want it to go to waste with unhealthy eating. Making smart choices on the ingredients you are using when cooking Thanksgiving dinner will keep you on track with your health goals.

Remember to pace yourself. Use a smaller plate and focus on portion sizes. Drink a large glass of water before sitting down to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. Play a family game of football or go for a neighborhood walk to burn off some of those delicious calories. And always, enjoy time with family!

What is your favorite healthy Thanksgiving side?

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