Curtido is a fermented Salvadorian slaw made with cabbage, carrots, onions, and oregano. It is easy to make and is chock-full of beneficial probiotics that encourage healthy digestion. It typically accompanies pupusas, but you can enjoy it on its own as a healthy side dish. In fact, curtido has a slightly crunchy texture and fresh and clean flavor that is highly addicting!

The great thing about curtido is that the flavor only gets better the longer it ferments. It will keep fresh in the fridge for months, so long as you preserve it in an airtight container. Think of this side dish or condiment like the Central American version of sauerkraut. It’s fun and easy to make, and you can customize it based on your taste preferences. For example, this recipe includes optional slices of jalapeño, but you don’t have to include it if you don’t appreciate spice. We have to say that it gives it a powerful kick that is pleasant and addicting.

The key to making a great curtido is slicing the ingredients evenly. Much like coleslaw, you don’t want super think slices of carrot mixed in with thin cabbage slices. For this reason, remove a couple outer leaves of cabbage and save them for jarring. At that point, you can use a mandoline slicer or cheese grater to shred/grate the ingredients. Jar the ingredients and let the fermentation begin!

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A lot of people look forward to the Thanksgiving feast for months. Is it a healthy holiday? Absolutely not, but people excuse themselves from diet restrictions on Turkey Day to gorge on the impressive spread. Between the casseroles, turkey, stuffing, pies, mashed potatoes, and endless selection of other sides, it’s safe to say that you can easily rack up the calories. In fact, the Calorie Control Council estimates that the average American consumes about 4,500 calories during the Thanksgiving feast alone. That doesn’t even include the rest of the day!

Just in case you were wondering, 4,500 calories is more than double the recommended daily calories you should consume in a day. Research has shown that Americans experience an average weight increase of up to 0.2% over Thanksgiving, and 0.4% over Christmas. That may not sound like a lot, but the average person doesn’t lose that weight either. Year after year, this can accumulate and cause a lot of weight gain. 

While there are certain dishes that you can only get on Thanksgiving, exercise moderation and control when you encounter these foods. Most foods are on the “naughty list,” dietarily speaking, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid them entirely. Enter the Thanksgiving feast with a game plan and do your best to control your portions, especially in regards to the following unhealthy dishes. 

Stuffing

People love to gobble up stuffing, which is nothing but a calorically dense, carbohydrate-rich, fattening side dish. It does taste good though, right? Most people use store bought stuffing mixes, which contain preservatives, excess sodium, and processed ingredients. Plus, stuffing often contains bacon, giblets, and sausage, which can increase the calories to 500 per cup. Many people often eat more than two cups, accounting for 1,000 calories with one dish. Get a small portion, or make stuffing a little healthier by using less meat in your stuffing. Consider reducing the butter content by 50% and using lower-calorie and lower-sodium ingredients as well. 

Green Bean Casserole

You either love it or you hate it, but green bean casserole is a staple on many holiday tables. It’s a vegetable dish, so how can it be unhealthy? Even though it may be the only green you see on the Thanksgiving menu, it tends to contain 200 calories, 22 grams of carbs, 8 grams of saturated fat, and 574 milligrams of sodium per serving. Keep in mind that most people use canned creamy soup and fried onions, increasing the sodium, fat, and calorie content. If you do make it, try to use fresh green beans and low-sodium soup to keep the sodium down. 

Pecan Pie

Perhaps the most calorically-dense item at the Thanksgiving feast, pecan pie tends to be a family favorite. You may want to rethink your dessert choice, now that you know a slice of this pie contains over 500 calories and a ton of sugar. Gut health experts agree that pecan pie is one of the worst food options at Thanksgiving. Try something a little lighter, less buttery, and less sugary for dessert. Baked apples with cinnamon topped with Greek yogurt are quite lovely!

Macaroni And Cheese

Traditional mac and cheese recipes call for milk, butter, piles of cheese, and potentially more milk and butter. Plus, you have the enriched flour and carbs from macaroni. That means that this staple side dish can topple over the 1,000-calorie mark per serving. It’s difficult to lighten this serving, but you can do it. Use smaller amounts of flavorful cheese like sharp cheddar or pepper Jack, and consider supplementing with reduced fat cheese. Add vegetables like chopped cauliflower or cubed butternut squash to your mac and cheese to replace some of the pasta. 

Candied Yams

For some people, Thanksgiving is not complete without a dish of yams topped with golden-brown marshmallows. Unfortunately, this dish contains about 450 calories per serving due to the artery-clogging fat from all the cream and butter. Plus, the processed, sugary marshmallows only add unhealthy preservatives and chemicals to the mix. There are so many ways to make this sweet potato dish a lot healthier! Use low-fat milk and flour for thickening instead of using heavy cream. Lastly, make a lighter, crunchy topping with some chopped pecans and a few pinches of brown sugar. 

Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes have an impressive nutritional profile, but the copious amounts of butter, cream, and milk make mashed potatoes quite an unhealthy dish. In fact, an average serving of mashed potatoes contains 400 calories. Drizzle a hefty amount of gravy on the potatoes and you raise the calorie count by 200. There are so many alternatives to mashed potatoes that offer more nutritional value, so long as you skip all the butter and cream. Opt for mashed cauliflower or a combination of potatoes and root vegetables like parsnips. Celeriac is another great potato alternative!

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Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday that brings together friends, family, and, most importantly, flavors. Eating until you can no longer move is almost encouraged on this holiday, but you regret it when you are beyond bloated. Sure, the rolls and mashed potatoes went down smooth with the stuffing and turkey, but was it necessary? Did you have to put your body through that experience again?

In addition to family time and eating, Thanksgiving is really about preparation. The meal is quite a lengthy process, especially if you take on the challenge all by yourself. Between basting the turkey, mashing the potatoes, roasting the Brussels sprouts, and preparing for the onslaught of family members, it’s safe to say that Thanksgiving is overwhelming. That means that you have a lot of preparation to do, especially in regards to your mental health. 

It’s no secret that the Thanksgiving dinner requires a lot of preparation, but it also requires your mental preparation. There are many lies that surround this holiday, and most of them involve why you feel you should stuff your face. Start this year fresh to better assess how you approach this holiday. When you look at common lies surrounding why you eat a lot, you may end up eating less and feeling better about yourself.

It’s Thanksgiving…So You Need To Gorge

Thanksgiving, much like 4th of July or Labor Day Weekend, is a holiday about excess. This holiday primarily focuses on food, and eating leftovers throughout the weekend is highly encouraged, according to the masses. The reality is that you should be extra careful with what you eat because it is Thanksgiving, after all. Eating too much is too easy, so be extra careful with what you select from the big holiday spread.

The Food Is So Good That You Need To Go Back For Seconds

True, the food is extra special on Thanksgiving. That also means that you need to concentrate on thoroughly enjoying each and every bite. Don’t just eat mindlessly and wolf down forkful after forkful, not taking a second to breathe or enjoy food between bites. In all seriousness, you will enjoy yourself (and the food) much more if you savor what you put on your plate. Don’t overcrowd your plate, either, as a large plate of food is harder to fully appreciate. 

You Need To Celebrate By Eating Whatever You Want

Thanksgiving is not your opportunity to fully abandon all of your dietary rules. Is it a time to be appreciative of what you have and for the people who surround you? Yes, absolutely, but that has nothing to do with eating recklessly. You don’t need to express your gratitude via eating excessively. Three pieces of pie doesn’t mean you are more grateful than someone who enjoys food responsibly. 

Eat As Much As You Can Now While It’s Here

For the most part, Thanksgiving food is not eaten any other time of year, except for Christmas, maybe. The truth is that you will get to eat the same thing the following day for leftovers. And the even bigger truth is that if you don’t get to eat a side dish on Thanksgiving, you can always make it again some other time. There is no need to stuff your face just because this meal happens once a year. That is a foolish way of thinking!

You Don’t Need To Follow Boundaries On Holidays

Ahhh, this is potentially the biggest lie that surrounds the holiday season. In fact, people know that they gain more weight during this time of year than the rest of the year. New Year’s resolutions will take care of it, right? Wrong! Boundaries protect you and your life, and your overall health, will benefit if you don’t stuff yourself on Thanksgiving. You will also feel better the next morning when you wake up knowing that you followed your boundaries. Be strong and your body will thank you!

It’s There And You Can’t Help Yourself

If you fill your mind with the truth before you sit down to eat, the likelihood of you stuffing your face is much lower. Don’t believe the common lies surrounding Thanksgiving and prepare yourself mentally to have a healthier, less-bloated experience.

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If you are looking for a few healthy options to have as side dishes at your Thanksgiving feast, welcome to your one stop shop. Not only are these recipes much lighter than traditional Thanksgiving sides, but they are also sure to impress your dinner crowd. We are all about easy, healthy, and foolproof recipes! There is no need to complicate things on a day that is bound to have a little bit of stress.

A perfectly golden, roasted turkey is typically the star of the show at the Thanksgiving table. The truth is, though, having a great assortment of side dishes can make or break your big meal. The best side dishes even outshine the turkey, provided they have the right amount of flavor! That is why executing your textures, flavors, and colors is paramount for the best Thanksgiving side dishes.

In this article, we will not provide mainstays like mashed potatoes or roasted Brussels sprouts. You probably have recipes for those items, or you already have your preference on how to make them. Instead, we want to lighten what is a classically heavy meal and provide you with vegetable-forward dishes that offer lots of nutrition, and even more flavor. Even though they may be root vegetable or squash dishes, they are still much lighter than fattening sides you usually see at the table.

Rainbow Roasted Carrots With Maple Tahini Sauce

What a great side dish for the upcoming holiday feast! These roasted rainbow carrots with maple tahini dressing boast big time flavors! Don’t forget the freshly chopped parsley and pomegranate arils for extra flavor and flair.

Click here to make the recipe. 

Baked Butternut Squash Fries

Crispy on the outside and sweet and soft on the inside, baked butternut squash fries are a great low-carb, healthy side dish to bring for Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to make the lemon garlic dipping sauce that accompanies the fries!

Click here to make the recipe. 

Herb-Roasted Acorn Squash

We don’t want to sound overconfident, but this is a near perfect recipe. Roasted to perfection, you just can’t get enough of this squash, which goes above and beyond the typical combination of butter and brown sugar. This recipe takes an herbaceous turn to play off the squash’s inherent sweetness.

Click here to make the recipe. 

Sautéed Garlic Green Beans

Get ready to experience green beans like you’ve never experienced them before. Perfectly blistered with an amazing garlicky punch, these green beans are far from that creamy, fattening casserole that grandma makes. Full of flavor and easy to digest!

Click here to make the recipe. 

Baked Parsnip Fries

Paleo, Whole30, and nightshade-free, these baked parsnip fries are the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving spread. If you feel like going the extra mile, consider making your own ketchup or dipping sauce from scratch to pair with the fries. 

Click here to make the recipe. 

Holiday Honeycrisp Salad

It’s rare that a salad makes it to the Thanksgiving spread, but let’s change that this year. Gorgeous, refreshing, crispy, zesty, and slightly sweet, this holiday Honeycrisp salad will go great at your big holiday feast, or even a regular weeknight dinner.

Click here to make the recipe. 

Mashed Butternut Squash

You’ve never seen a butternut squash recipe like this one! This mashed butternut squash is creamy, comforting, and exhibits subtly sweet and earthy flavors. This is an excellent last-minute dish because it requires very little cooking effort on your part. Just have a sharp knife and be careful when cutting the butternut squash in half.

Click here to make the recipe.

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We want to make a claim right out of the gate: there is nothing wrong with existing holiday side dishes. We simply want to help you take your side dish game to the next level with these roasted rainbow carrots. Not only do they provide an assortment of colors, but they also provide a new set of flavors that are quite autumnal. With each bite, you get notes of sweetness, nuttiness, tanginess, and aromatic herbs.

Do multi-colored carrots taste different than the orange ones you are familiar with? Some people say that all of the colors taste the same, while others argue against that notion. Typically, yellow carrots have a sweeter flavor with a slightly earthy undertone. White carrots are quite mild, while purple carrots may have a peppery flavor, but they can also be quite sweet. The contrasting flavors makes each bite a unique experience, especially when you have the maple tahini drizzle, fresh parsley, and pomegranate arils on top.

You roast the carrots on their own, seasoning them with sea salt, black pepper, and a little olive oil. Once they are soft and browned, you can remove them from the oven. When it comes time to plate the carrots, drizzle the maple tahini sauce over them, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, and optional pomegranate arils. The parsley adds an herbaceous flavor, while the pomegranate complements the sweet carrots with a slightly tart flavor. It is visually stunning and the perfect side dish for your holiday meals.

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Is it too early to be talking about the holidays? Just visit any store, supermarket, or mall and you will see that holiday decorations are aplenty. The earworm holiday songs that play on loop can be a lot, but holidays aren’t all about shopping malls. One thing we love about the holidays is all the unique produce! From cranberries and apples to pomegranates and winter squash, there is not shortage of fresh, seasonal produce during this time of year.

This gorgeous holiday salad features crunchy pecans, juicy pomegranate seeds, crisp apple slices, and curly kale. To top it off, drizzle all of those ingredients with a sweet and tangy apple cider vinaigrette. You can enjoy this salad as an entree, serve it as a Thanksgiving side dish, or include it as part of your weeknight dinner. Because most meals during the fall and winter tend to be heavier, this salad provides a light and decadent relief. Fit it in somewhere between the roasted or mashed potatoes, stuffing, and the 12 dessert varieties.

Featuring Honeycrisp apples, which are both crispy and juicy, this salad is absolutely to die for. Because it includes a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll get a ton of antioxidant compounds. On top of the captivating colors, this salad offers contrasting textures and sweet, salty, and tangy flavors. We hope you love it as much as we do and that it brings a little lightness to your holiday season.

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Perhaps the crunchiest duo in the salad game, cabbage and cucumber are hydrating, refreshing, and low in calories. Although this recipe is very basic, it is quite popular in various cuisines, especially as a side dish. Not only is this salad easy to make, but it also preps well, meaning that you can make it ahead of time to bring to a picnic. We aren’t saying that picnicking is the most popular winter activity, but we’re just saying it’s a possibility when the weather permits.

Although this salad has a short ingredients list, it manages to feed a small family as a side dish. If you are cleansing, then you can enjoy the entire salad, or half of it, as your full entree. Just make sure that the cabbage you choose is bright green with tight, crisp leaves. You don’t want a head of cabbage that looks damaged and withered. As for the cucumbers, Persian cucumbers work best because they are perfectly crunchy and offer a bright flavor. English cucumbers work well, but they aren’t as crispy as hot house or Persian cucumbers. Finally, the addition of freshly chopped green onions and dill gives this salad an added depth of flavor and powerful aroma that entices your taste buds.

What would a salad be without a dressing? Just a bowl of ingredients, is the correct answer. Whisk together a few simple ingredients to make a flavorful vinaigrette. Olive oil plumes as you whisk it with raw apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. Should you feel so inclined, add some paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to your vinaigrette to spice it up. That’s your decision, though. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

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How much do you love a recipe that only contains five ingredients? It is easy to prep, which means that it comes together in no time, especially when you don’t have to cook. As is very common with most salsas, this salsa contains freshly squeezed lime juice, red onion, and cilantro. It then take a sharp left turn differentiate itself from the other recipes.

The remaining two ingredients in this salsa are pomegranates and pears. Pomegranates, which contain high amounts of antioxidants, provide a sweet and tart flavor, but they also add a textural component. The pears, so juice and sweet, balance the intensity of the red onion and citrusy lime juice. Now, you may be wondering where the spice is. The answer: nowhere, unless you decide to finely dice some jalapeño and incorporate it into the salsa.

Not all salsas have to be spicy. Sometimes, you can enjoy a refreshing blend of ingredients! And the great thing about this salsa is that you can actually enjoy it as a salad. It is a great appetizer or side dish as well! On a final note, if you are cleansing, please understand that you cannot eat chips, like the one that’s in the recipe picture.

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A traditional Thanksgiving dinner isn’t the epitome of health. In fact, it is the antithesis of health, and gorging oneself into a food coma is the ultimate goal. The giant spread usually consists of holiday pies and carb-centric sides that are loaded with sugar and fat. But if you want to lighten up the menu this year, we have some great Thanksgiving side dishes that will do the trick. 

It can be scary to divert from the familiar, but sometimes you need to jump into the deep end. You can search for new twists on green bean and sweet potato dishes, for example, and invite new flavors to the party. Feature seasonal produce items like Brussels sprouts or replace potatoes with celeriac, another seasonal produce item. One of the primary things that we encourage you to do is add more greens and refreshing dishes to your Thanksgiving spread. Not only does this increase your vegetable intake, but it also nourishes the body and makes the digestive system happier.

Ahead, you’ll find seven easy and healthy recipes that will go great with your Thanksgiving feast. Not only are they scrumptious, but they are a lot lighter than the traditional sides that accompany the big meal. They include more vegetables, some of which are seasonal, and aim to help you feel lighter on the day. 

Pomegranate, Avocado, & Citrus Brussels Sprouts Salad

Brussels sprouts make a great canvas for the color and flavor of fresh pomegranate arils, creamy avocado, and citrus dressing.

Click here to make the recipe. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Cranberries & Pecans

Making Brussels sprouts taste good can be a challenge, but this recipe will have you craving them every day during the holiday season.

Click here to make the recipe. 

Quick And Simple Roasted Broccolini

This roasted broccolini side dish pairs well with just about every meal. No, seriously, it does and you’ll have to try it to believe us. Simplicity is the name of the game in this recipe!

Click here to make the recipe. 

Rainbow Roasted Carrots

Are you ready to taste the rainbow? Far from Skittles, these herbaceous, roasted rainbow carrots are the perfect Thanksgiving side.

Click here to make the recipe.

Mashed Butternut Squash

You’ve never seen a butternut squash recipe like this one. This mashed butternut squash is creamy, comforting, and the perfect side to accompany any feast.

Click here to make the recipe. 

Quinoa Stuffing With Apple, Sweet Potato, & Hazelnuts

This is a healthy twist on a holiday classic. If you are trying to go gluten-free this Thanksgiving, this is the stuffing recipe you need.

Click here to make the recipe.

Cinnamon Maple Instant Potato Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Get a healthy dose of beta-carotene and complex carbohydrates when you indulge in this dish. The maple syrup enhances the inherent sweetness of the sweet potatoes.

Click here to make the recipe.

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There are so many delicious recipes that utilize the mighty potato. Smashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, grilled potato wedges, mashed potatoes, and potato salad are just some of the many culinary creations. When it comes to potato salad, there are many recipes that don’t quite hit the mark. Rather than creating an unhealthy side dish that contains eggs and fattening mayonnaise, make this herbaceous potato salad with a lemon dijon vinaigrette.

We love this recipe because it’s the perfect side dish when the weather is warm. You can bet that it will be a hit on any table that shares it! This potato salad only contains a handful of ingredients and it comes together in a quick 20 minutes. While most of the flavor comes from the herbs and dressing, the potatoes also bring some mild flavor to the dish. For this recipe, we used baby red potatoes, but you can use other potatoes if you prefer them. Leave the skin on to add both texture and color to the dish. The red potato skins offer a beautiful contrast to green parsley, fresh thyme, and scallion.

The dressing for this potato salad may be the true star of the dish. It offers a bright, citrusy flare that pairs beautifully with the herbs, and it also has a subtle bite from the dijon mustard. That signature mustard flavor comes through and helps to tame the raw garlic. The last thing to keep in mind about the potato salad is that you don’t want to overcook the potatoes. Ideally, the potatoes should be al dente, meaning you can poke them with a fork, but they shouldn’t fall apart when poked. If you overcook the potatoes, the peels will fall apart when you toss them with the herbs and dressing. Make this recipe ahead of time and refrigerate it for a few hours so that the flavors can intensify!

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