Thriving During the Holidays: Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Published: November 19, 2020

There are many ways to celebrate the Holidays while staying healthy! Below are some fun healthier recipes to try out this Thanksgiving. 

Healthy Stuffing:

• Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp light butter
  • 14 oz stuffing bread
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced mushroom
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • 2- 2 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • poultry seasoning to taste (1-2 tsp)
  • pepper to taste (1 tsp)
• Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Heat a large sauté pan once heated add butter and spray with cooking spray add carrots and sauté add celery, onion, garlic and mushroom add additional cooking spray if needed continue cooking until veggies are tender remove from heat transfer to bowl and allow to cool slightly
  • In a large bowl add bread stuffing and veggies toss together season with pepper and poultry seasoning add chicken broth mixing until moist but not soaking taste and adjust seasoning
  • Spray casserole dish with cooking spray add stuffing mix and cover with foil bake 20-25 minutes uncover and cook additional 10 minutes or until slightly crispy on top

Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes: 

• Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes chopped in one-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, nonfat, plain
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
  • 5 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp rosemary finely chopped
• Directions:
  • If desired, peel potatoes. Chop into one-inch pieces.
  • Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, boil 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
  • Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Mash thoroughly. Add Greek yogurt, milk, butter or olive oil, salt, and rosemary; mash or stir to combine.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy! Alternatively you can make up to 24 hours in advance and reheat prior to serving.

Healthy Pumpkin Pie: 

• Ingredients:
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats, or 3 tbsp flour of choice
  • 2 tbsp ground flax
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp sweetener of choice
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 400F.
  • Blend all ingredients together until smooth
  • Pour into a prepared pie crust in a 10-inch round pan.
  • Bake 27 minutes, let it cool, then refrigerate at least 5 hours uncovered for the pie

Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce: 

• Ingredients:
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • ½ cup honey or maple syrup
  • ½ cup water
  • Zest of 1 medium orange (about 1 teaspoon)
  • Optional add-ins: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and/or ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• Directions:
  • First, rinse the cranberries well and drain off excess water. Pick through the cranberries and discard any squishy ones.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, honey and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped, and the mixture has thickened to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove the pot from heat and stir in the orange zest. If you’d like to add cinnamon or orange juice, add it now. Taste and, if the mixture is too tart (keeping in mind that cranberry sauce is supposed to be a little tart!), add more orange juice, honey or maple syrup to taste.
  • The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. It will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks