30 Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes That'll Help You Save Room For Dessert
Your guests will be extra thankful.
When it comes to planning our Thanksgiving spread, we get very strategic, especially when we have guests with dietary restrictions (or are trying to eat a bit healthier). Even if you're just all about the Thanksgiving desserts, you may not want the hearty, classic Thanksgiving sides to take up too much room on your table (and in your belly). We've rounded up our best healthy Thanksgiving side dishes so you can complete your spread with something a bit lighter without sacrificing on any flavor. We know health looks different to everyone, so we’ve included options for every diet, like low-carb, vegan, gluten-free, and keto. These 30 recipes have a little something for everybody, without sacrificing any of those classic Thanksgiving flavors (and that's something to be thankful for).
Thanksgiving dinner often brings to mind plenty of filling and decadent recipes, from sweet potato casserole to classic stuffing to creamy corn casserole. But if you're following a special diet, you might often miss out on some of the holiday staples. That's why we've included plenty of health-conscious options so that everyone gets a taste of the staple Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you're in the mood for vegan green bean casserole or gluten-free stuffing, we've got delicious recipes that are so good, we believe they'd hold up next to any of the classics.
If you're simply looking for something a bit lighter, we've got you covered! Fresh and roasted veggies break up any heavy dinner spread, and our roasted delicata squash, honey balsamic glazed Brussels sprouts and roasted parsnips do just that. Sometimes simple and straightforward is best when it comes to the sides for your main bird, and our refreshing salads and fresh veggies won't distract from the star dish while also delivering on fall flavors.
Looking for more health-conscious holiday sides? Check out our vegetarian Thanksgiving sides and gluten-free holiday recipes for even more turkey day options.
Roasted Green Beans
For a vegetable side to reach the holiday rotation, it has to be delicious and a no-brainer—just like these shallot-y roasted green beans. Simply toss fresh beans in olive oil and season with some salt and pepper before roasting on high heat, then finish under the broiler.
Get the Roasted Green Beans recipe.
Stuffed Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is filled with good for you veggies and protein, including quinoa, kale, chickpeas, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds in this hearty side. Fall flavors have never tasted so good.
Get the Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe.
Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Carrots
This recipe made us wonder, Why don’t we roast carrots more often? When they roast, their flavor concentrates and sweetens. Pair that with copious amounts of umami-packed Parmesan and just a touch of lemon, and you’ve got a super-irresistible side.
Whole Roasted Cabbage
This gorgeous, whole-roasted stunner is the perfect holiday substitute for vegetarians. It's savory, sweet, and salty on the outside and super-tender on the inside. Topped with lots of silky mushroom gravy, we doubt anyone at your table will be missing meat.
Get the Whole Roasted Cabbage recipe.
Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash & Kale Salad with Balsamic-Maple Dressing
When you're looking for something both healthy and easy, look no further than this salad. Tossed with an irresistible maple-balsamic dressing, this recipe makes the most of fall produce, and does it all in the cleverest kitchen gadget ever: the air fryer.
Get the Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash & Kale Salad with Balsamic-Maple Dressing recipe.
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
This cauliflower mash recipe is the perfect low-carb substitute to mashed potatoes. Want to speed up the process? You can buy pre-riced cauliflower and boil the same way. This will help make the mash even smoother. It's the perfect, lighter alternative to the classic comfort food.
Get the Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes recipe.
Best-Ever Farro Salad
With pecans, Parm, green apples, and leafy arugula, this salad is hearty and holds up well—AKA a make-ahead dream. It's got ALL the elements you need: sweet, salty, soft, crunchy, fatty, fresh, but feel free to make it your own with your preferred mix-ins.
Get the Farro Salad recipe.
Butternut Squash Mac 'N' Cheese
Creamy, sweet, and pleasantly orange, butternut squash adds extra body, richness, and color to mac & cheese. A little thyme does some heavy lifting, making the homey comfort classic a little fancy. Make this to bring some fall flavors and bonus veggies to your table this Thanksgiving.
Cauliflower Stuffing
This low-carb cauliflower stuffing proves that you don’t always need bread to make an amazing stuffing. Cauliflower is basically a sponge: It’ll soak up the flavor of whatever you cook it with, so we recommend going heavy on the herbs!
Get the Cauliflower Stuffing recipe.
Baked Sweet Potato
Adding sweet potatoes to your Thanksgiving spread is an easy and delicious way to eat healthy during the holidays—the vegetable is a total superfood, packed with vitamin C and fiber. They're also totally versatile, but baking them whole in the oven is arguably the simplest way to prepare them, and they will be the perfect base for all types of toppings.
Get the Perfect Baked Sweet Potato recipe.
Gluten-Free Stuffing
Many would argue that the table just isn’t complete without a big dish of classic Thanksgiving stuffing. But you might not usually get to enjoy it if someone in your crew has a gluten allergy—or your trying to cut back on your intake. That's where this stuffing enters. Spoiler alert: It tastes just as good as the original!
Get the Gluten-Free Stuffing recipe.
Air Fryer Moroccan-Spiced Carrots
A combo of spices adds a riot of flavor to those carrots that may or may not have been sitting in the crisper for too long. We especially love these serve alongside our grilled turkey.
Cauliflower Au Gratin
We'll never be able to get enough of our potatoes au gratin, but when we want something a bit lighter and more veggie-focused, we turn to this cauliflower version. Creamy, decadent, and cheesy without the heaviness of potatoes, you've never had cauliflower like this before.
Get the Cauliflower Au Gratin recipe.
Sweet Potato Salad
This sweet potato salad is the perfect way to lighten up any autumnal dinner, especially your Thanksgiving spread. Feta, dried cranberries, and red onions pair really nicely with the earthy sweetness of the orange superfood. Did we mention it's great warm or cold (which means you can make it ahead!)?
Get the Sweet Potato Salad recipe.
Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Salad
Making this salad might seem intimidating, but it doesn't actually require much prep. Tossed with a combo of toasted almonds, shaved Parmesan, and pomegranate seeds, Brussels make a great side for any variety of Thanksgiving dinner.
Acorn Squash
When it comes to winter squash, we usually focus on butternut squash and pumpkin. Both are great, but acorn squash deserves its share of the spotlight is well. The squash is healthy and full of fiber; plus, its size makes it far easier to cut open and work with.
Get the Acorn Squash recipe.
Holiday Roasted Vegetables
The dried cranberries in this veggie medley add a tartness while the pecans add an extra crunch, making it possibly the most perfect side dish of all time.
Get the Holiday Roasted Vegetables recipe.
Miso Roasted Carrots
These sweet-savory carrots are topped with the most delicious mix of crunchy nuts and spices. We like pistachios and black and white sesame seeds, but feel free to swap in your favorites.
Get the Miso Roasted Carrots recipe.
Roasted Parsnips
Parsnips don't get nearly enough attention as they deserve, but that ends with this recipe. Roasting them makes them slightly sweet and perfectly tender for a quick and light side dish that will still leave plenty of room for dessert.
Get the Roasted Parsnips recipe.
Mashed Butternut Squash
Butternut squash has an advantage on potatoes when it comes to a puree. After roasting, butternut squash becomes extremely smooth and creamy. Instead of the added milk or cream, the squash gets blended with just a little butter to complete the velvety smooth side dish. It's one of our favorite ways to serve the vegetable (and it takes very little effort!).
Get the Mashed Butternut Squash recipe.
