Thanksgiving is arguably the best food holiday because the entire day—plus the leftovers-laden week after—revolves around a rich, hearty, homemade meal. As much as we love roasted turkey drowning in gravy, macaroni and cheese, fresh-baked biscuits, pumpkin pie, and all the whipped cream; we can use a little something that's light-ish in the mix. That's where these healthy Thanksgiving side dishes come in.
We compiled light recipes that are decidedly healthy but special enough to provide balance to your Thanksgiving table. From loaded sweet potatoes topped with kale to spaghetti squash Parmesan to shaved Brussels sprouts on flatbread, you'll find delicious, nutritious recipes your holiday guests will love and appreciate.
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Maple-Roasted Vegetables
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Maple is an ascending flavor trend, and we're here for it, especially when paired with savory foods like roasted vegetables. For this easy-to-make upgrade to a healthy traditional Thanksgiving side, simply toss cauliflower and carrots (or squash, sweet potatoes, or even green beans) with an olive oil and maple syrup mixture, and roast until veggies are caramelized and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
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Green Bean and Celery Salad
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In just 45 minutes, you can put together this veggie-packed side salad that everyone will love. The toss is refreshing and has a zing to it that will have you going for another spoonful.
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Every-Citrus Salad With Almonds and Manchego
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This colorful fruit-packed salad is a welcome way to round out an otherwise rich Thanksgiving meal. Tart blood oranges, bitter grapefruit, and sweet navel oranges come together in this gorgeous dish that's perfect for celebrating in-season citrus. They're tossed in an original orange dressing made of shallots, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard and then topped with whole almonds and shaved Manchego cheese.
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Roasted Eggplant with Miso and Sesame Seeds
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This recipe may have you wondering why eggplant isn't on everyone's Thanksgiving Day table. Prep the slices ahead of time and then just pop them in the oven 20 minutes before serving. The finishing touch is a brush with a sweet-savory-spicy miso paste and then a quick broil until golden brown with adeliciously melted center.
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Green Beans With Bacon Vinaigrette
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When a traditional green bean casserole doesn't fit in with your Thanksgiving menu, try this lighter, healthier rendition that doesn't require a can of condensed soup. Fresh green beans are dressed in a warm, mustard-vinegar dressing that lends a tang to every bite. Add crispy bacon pieces to finish this delicious, fresh, savory side.
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Wilted Sesame Spinach
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Here's spinach unlike you've ever tasted it before. The secret is a four-ingredient sauce—tahini, maple syrup, tamari, and sesame seeds—that catapult the lowly leaves to stratospheric heights. The best part: 10 minutes is all this dish takes from start to finish.
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Spiced Rice With Crispy Chickpeas
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Here's a Thanksgiving side that can hold up as a hearty main dish for vegetarian guests. It powers up basmati rice with crispy chickpeas, fruity dates, and crunchy pistachios and spices it up with garam masala, turmeric, and cilantro. To balance this dish's Indian-inspired flavors, serve with a dollop of cool, creamy Greek yogurt.
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Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Grapes and Feta
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The problem with this easy-to-make side is that its presentation is likely to steal the show from the main course you labored so hard over. A whole cauliflower in the center roasts with planks of feta and red grapes orbiting around it. A drizzle of chopped shallots and a shower of oregano provide a dramatic finish.
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Salt-and-Vinegar Roasted Potatoes
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If you need a potato dish but want to avoid the cheesy, creamy ones, here's a simple (and healthy) alternative. This recipe transforms the taste of a salt-and-vinegar-flavored chip into a sophisticated side dish that screams "special occasion." Yet the only thing that sets this dish apart from everyday roasted potatoes is a double splash of apple cider vinegar, which is added both pre-roasting and post-roasting.
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Brussels Sprouts Flatbread With Lemon and Pecorino
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This seasonal flatbread feeds a crowd, which makes it a delicious, veggie-packed option for a Thanksgiving side or starter. It comes together quickly, but to make prep even faster, shave Brussels sprouts in your food processor or buy pre-packed shredded sprouts.
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Cacio e Pepe Cauliflower
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Cacio e Pepe is an Italian pasta dish that translates to "cheese and pepper," but here we've swapped out the pasta for roasted cauliflower, making it lighter, healthier, and every bit as delicious. The "cheese" in the recipe is grated Pecorino, which is made from sheep's milk, but Parmesan works well, too.
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Spaghetti Squash Parmesan
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No one will miss white pasta once they taste this creamy, cheesy, comforting rendition. Chances are, there'll be plenty of other refined carbs on the Thanksgiving table. Don't skip the breadcrumbs on this one: They add a salty, crunchy finish.
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Loaded Sweet Potatoes With Coconut and Kale
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These loaded sweet potatoes aren't your average spuds. The filling is mashed up with grapefruit juice, butter, and allspice and then stuffed back into the skins. Piled on top is kale cooked in a rich, curried, coconut sauce and toasted coconut. It's bound to be your family's new holiday tradition.
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Toasted Israeli Couscous With Corn and Herbs
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A cross between a salad and a starchy side, this dish features couscous, but any hearty grain—like wild rice or barley—works. Savory herbs pair with sweet corn kernels and caramelized yellow onion for this make-ahead Thanksgiving dish that can be served cold or at room temperature.
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Caramelized Veggies With Poppy Seed Dressing
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This Thanksgiving side dish elevates plain roasted vegetables—namely golden beets, rainbow carrots, parsnips, and fennel—with a lemony-tahini-poppy seed dressing that brightens the dish with a pop of flavor. Fast, easy, and flavorful, this recipe has it all.
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Spinach-and-Artichoke Quinoa Casserole
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If you're a fan of ordering a creamy spinach-and-artichoke dip when eating out, you'll love how this recipe converts that popular appetizer into a healthy side dish worthy of a holiday feast. Yes, it's healthy: Its creaminess comes from a blend of cashew butter and non-dairy milk, making it vegan, too!
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Barley Risotto and Purple Slaw
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Who says a healthy side dish can't also be creamy and luscious? This recipe doesn't. It's barley-based (instead of the usual Arborio rice-based risotto), which means it brings whole-grain goodness and a toothsome bite to the table. Add to that a radicchio and parsley slaw that adds freshness, color, and balance to the dish.
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Buffalo Cauliflower With Yogurt Ranch
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Whether served as a starter or a side, this crave-able buffalo cauliflower dish will rev up your menu. Just roast cauliflower florets and then toss with buffalo sauce spiked with a touch of butter. What really brings it home is the yogurt ranch drizzled on top, taming the cauliflower's heat and adding freshness.
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Carrot Apple Slaw
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Eating fermented foods aids your digestion process, and that function is tested on Thanksgiving, perhaps more than any other day of the year. Enter this healthy side that's packed with beneficial microbes thanks to a jar of already fermented sauerkraut. Freshly grated carrots, apple matchsticks, and plump raisins help tone down the sauerkraut's intensity to make this slaw universally loved by your tastebuds as well as your gut microbiome.
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Beet-Radicchio Salad
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When an ordinary mixed-greens salad just won't do, like on Thanksgiving Day, go to this fresh, vibrant salad instead. Leafy arugula and radicchio mingle with red beets and blood oranges for a kaleidoscope of color and textures. They're coated in a maple-miso dressing that's sweet, spicy, and oh-so good.
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta
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Cubes of rich pancetta and lemon zest give roasted Brussels sprouts a holiday makeover in this savory side. While often compared to bacon, pancetta—an Italian pork belly product—is lower in fat and calories, making it a slightly healthier choice.
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Zucchini and Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
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Making these sweet potatoes in the microwave cuts down on cook time, meaning you can have this fiber-packed side on your Thanksgiving table in just 20 minutes. Guests will be grateful for the healthy addition of black beans and fresh zucchini. Top these with sour cream or Greek yogurt, crunchy tortilla chips, and fresh herbs.
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Coconut Creamed Greens
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Here's a creamed greens dish that vegans can get behind. Its rich creaminess is thanks to a garlicky coconut milk sauce, while its greens are a mix of kale, chard, and spinach. These greens are special enough for a holiday meal yet easy enough to serve as a weeknight staple.
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Mustardy Kale Salad With Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple
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This healthy, hearty side salad is the ideal companion to Thanksgiving mains. To make it, simply combine kale, roasted sweet potatoes, fresh-cut apples, and almonds in a large bowl, and then drizzle with a tangy mustard vinaigrette. The result is a perfect sweet-savory combination of fresh fall produce.
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Crispy Roasted Mushrooms
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Healthy and versatile, mushrooms go with just about any main dish you can think of. Using a mix of whatever mushrooms are in season, this recipe turns them out crispy and luscious after just 30 minutes in the oven.
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Spiced Carrot Salad
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For an innovative, healthful, colorful side, you can hardly do better than this carrot salad spiked with Moroccan-inspired flavors. To save time, purchase bags of pre-shredded carrots and chopped parsley to take the place of fresh rainbow carrots and their tops. If you do, this dish comes together in a jiffy.
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes
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One taste of this dish, and you'll be tossing your go-to Thanksgiving side out the window (metaphorically, of course). This version features crunchy, perfectly browned bites of Brussels sprouts with the occasional roasted grape that lends a fresh, slightly sweet note. This dish might just be the one to turn Brussels sprouts-haters to the other side.
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Rosemary-Roasted Golden Beets and Carrots
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This is essentially another simple roasted veggie dish, but its dramatic color combo and red wine vinegar dressing elevate it to holiday table status. Peel the beets and carrots a day or two ahead so that you can just toss and roast them on Thanksgiving morning.
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Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffing
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With butternut squash in the mix, your must-have Thanksgiving side gets a healthy upgrade. Looking to go meatless? Swap out the sausage for sliced mushrooms and the chicken broth for vegetable broth for a vegetarian option.
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Homemade Cranberry Sauce
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No Thanksgiving table is complete without cranberry sauce, and why buy the can if you can make it homemade and healthier in just 30 minutes? If that's too much time to devote to cranberry sauce on the day of Thanksgiving, don't fret: You can make it up to a week in advance.
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