4 Healthier Side Dishes For Your Thanksgiving Feast

Chances are, Thanksgiving is going to look different for you and your family this year. You may be celebrating solo, or with a smaller group than usual, and that can put a real damper on the holiday. Whatever your predicament, though, I hope you’ll take this year’s Thanksgiving as an opportunity to unwind and indulge a bit with a little comfort food, time off the clock, and self-care. 

That said, we want to indulge mindfully, and not let emotions (good or bad) throw us off our game, especially if we’re in pursuit of health-related goals. With that in mind, I rounded up a few of the healthier Thanksgiving side recipes I love—and I promise, anyone you make them for will love them, too! 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes 

Looking for the perfect side dish to add to your Thanksgiving dinner? Try mashed sweet potatoes! Here’s the simplest way to make them, with a little cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg thrown in for flavor.

Ingredients: 

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 tablespoon salted grass fed butter or coconut oil (for vegan option)

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup whole milk or unsweetened almond milk (for vegan option)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• pinch nutmeg

Directions:

• Put the peeled sweet potatoes in a large pot and add just enough cold water to cover them.

• Bring the pot to a boil and cook potatoes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. 

• Drain and return the potatoes to the pot on the stovetop with the burner turned off. The residual heat from the pot will help any excess water burn off.

• Add the remaining ingredients, using only 1/4 cup liquid to start and adding more if needed, and mash until smooth and well-combined. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: http://www.andiemitchell.com/perfect-mashed-sweet-potatoes/

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Pan sautéed Brussels sprouts are a quick, easy way to make delicious Brussels sprouts you'll want to eat every night! Crispy, caramelized, and addictive!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 to 2 tablespoons raw pine nuts or chopped raw walnuts, almonds, or pecans (optional)

• Chopped fresh herbs like parsley cilantro or mint (optional)

• A handful of Parmesan feta, or goat cheese (optional)

Directions:

• Heat a large cast iron or similar sturdy bottomed skillet over medium high for 4 minutes. 

• Add the oil. As soon as the oil is hot and shining (but before it starts smoking), swirl to coat the pan, then add the halved Brussels sprouts. 

• Shake the skillet a little and move the sprouts around so that as many as possible are cut-side down. Let sit completely undisturbed for 5 to 8 minutes, until they develop a dark, tasty, caramelized sear.

• Next, add the salt and pepper. With a wooden spoon or spatula, give the Brussels sprouts a stir. Continue cooking, stirring every few minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are browned all over and starting to get tender on the inside, about 6 to 8 additional minutes.

• Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vinegar, then the pine nuts or almonds. Let the residual heat of the skillet toast the nuts, stirring them very often so that they toast evenly on all sides and do not burn (if they aren’t toasting, return the skillet to low heat). 

• As soon as the nuts are toasted, transfer the sprouts to a serving plate and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Enjoy these sprouts while they’re hot! 

Recipe source:  wellplated.com

Tater Tot Egg Bake With Bitter Greens Salad

This vegetarian dish is reminiscent of tortilla española, but made with tater tots instead of oil poached potatoes! Make this as a side or serve as a vegetarian main dish. 

Ingredients:

• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced

• 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

• 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

• 7 to 8 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided

• Freshly ground black pepper

• ⅓ cup sliced almonds

• 1 large onion, halved through root end, thinly sliced

• 10 large eggs

• 1 32-oz. bag tater tots, thawed

• 1 small head of radicchio, leaves separated, torn

• 2 cups baby arugula

• 3 oz. Manchego cheese, shaved

Directions:

• Whisk shallot, orange juice, vinegar, 3 Tbsp. oil, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl to combine; season dressing with pepper. Set aside.

• Toast almonds in a dry 10" nonstick skillet (at least 2" deep) over medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

• Wipe out the skillet, pour in 2 Tbsp. oil, and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until very soft but without taking on any color, 10–12 minutes. Let cool slightly.

• Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl with remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt; season with pepper. Fold in tater tots and let sit for 10 minutes.

• Fold onion into egg mixture (try to keep tater tots intact, but it’s okay if some break up). Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in the same skillet over medium-high. Pour egg mixture into the pan and flatten surface with a heatproof rubber spatula to make sure tater tots are mostly submerged. Reduce heat to low; cook, undisturbed, watching edges to make sure the egg isn’t getting too brown, until golden underneath and top is only a little runny, 20–25 minutes.

• Using spatula, loosen edges of egg. Wearing oven mitts, place a large plate upside down over the skillet and swiftly flip over to turn the egg out onto plate. If the skillet is dry, add 1 Tbsp oil. Slide egg back into skillet, top side down, and cook until center is just set, about 5 minutes. Transfer back to plate; let cool if desired.

• To serve, add radicchio, arugula, cheese, and nuts to reserved dressing and toss to combine; season with salt and plenty of pepper. Pile salad on top of tortilla.

Recipe Source: bonappetit.com

Healthy Harvest Stuffing 

Earthy shiitakes, fresh herbs, crunchy walnuts, and chewy dried cranberries all sing together in perfect harmony to bring together this lighter answer to everyone's favorite holiday side.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole-wheat Italian bread, cut into 1-inch pieces 

• 3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped  

• 2/3 cup dried cranberries 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil  

• 1 small onion, finely chopped 

• 1 medium celery stalk with leaves, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup) 

• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and caps chopped 

• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced 

• 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced 

• 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, minced 

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced 

• Coarse salt and ground pepper 

• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (you may not need to use it all) 

• Olive-oil spray (optional) 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with oven rack in middle position. Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl along with walnuts and dried cranberries; set aside.

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, celery, and shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add apple and continue to cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, sage, and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper.

• Add onion mixture to bowl with bread mixture; stir to combine. Add enough of the broth to thoroughly moisten the bread mixture without soaking it (there shouldn't be any excess broth in the bottom of the bowl). Spoon stuffing into a 2-quart casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, mist the top of the stuffing with olive-oil spray, if desired, and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more

• To cook in turkey: Moisten the bread mixture with only 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and spoon half of the mixture into the turkey; cook turkey as preferred. For the rest of the bread mixture, add more of the broth to moisten, being careful not to soak (see above). Transfer the remaining stuffing to a 1-quart baking dish or 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Cover with foil and proceed as above.

Recipe Source: MarthaStewart.com

Wishing you a healthy Thanksgiving and holiday season. Head to our Private Pure Joy Wellness Facebook Group for more recipes like these! 

xo, 

Renata