Healthy, flavorful side dishes for Thanksgiving

This holiday, give your traditional feast a twist with some delicious and healthy side dishes from The Healthy Cook Kate Sherwood. Picture vibrant roasted winter squash with a maple glaze, creamy winter vegetable mash with make-ahead turkey gravy, or a crunchy salad with nutrient-rich kale and crisp apples to brighten up your plate. These nutritious additions balance the indulgence of holiday meals and add a pop of color and flavor to your table. Your guests (and your taste buds) will thank you for the festive and fun variety!

Heartier sides

Mushroom Lentil Dressing. When you’re planning a holiday meal, this hearty vegetarian Mushroom Lentil Dressing makes a fabulous side dish. But it can also serve as a satisfying main course for the plant-based eaters at your Thanksgiving table! Kate recommends using seeded whole-grain bread for extra flavor and texture. Plus, yummy, nutritious lentils add value to your diet; your heart and gut will thank you!

Quinoa & Winter Fruit Salad. Sure, it’s a salad, but it’s also so much more: Hearty tricolor quinoa, beautiful in-season citrus fruit, fresh herbs, and pomegranate arils will bring some color, bright flavor, and plenty of whole-grain goodness to your holiday menu.

Maple Sesame Winter Squash. Something magic happens when you combine maple syrup, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. This dynamite flavor combo works beautifully with any winter squash; try it with butternut, honeynut, or delicata squash. If you’re looking to make this recipe even more festive for the holiday, try it with in-season pumpkin.

Creamy Mushroom Farro. This is a simple, comforting, and decadent side dish that will delight your Thanksgiving guests. If you have cooked grains on hand, this hearty dish comes together in just 15 minutes! What’s better than a little extra time during the holidays?

Stuffed Mushrooms. Kate’s made this familiar favorite a bit healthier (and vegetarian-friendly!), which means your dinner guests will all enjoy this appetizer-turned-side. The spinach, parm, and cream cheese stuffing will surely please even the pickiest eaters.  

Roasted Vegetables over White Bean Puree. You'll want to make this filling and nutritious recipe again and again! Roasting brings out the best in vegetables and serving them atop creamy white beans is healthy and fast comfort food to add to your Thanksgiving feast.

For more creative recipes full of nutrients, check out The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Whole Grains & The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Beans & Lentils. Check out our monthly produce guides for more recipes using grains and lentils alongside this month's best produce.

Veggie-forward and delicious

Smoky Green Bean Almondine. Full of flavor and crunch, with a bit of protein and fiber, this Smoky Green Bean Almondine will knock your socks off. A double batch of this dish will be right at home amidst your Thanksgiving spread. Plus, it’s delicious when hot or at room temperature. To keep the almonds crunchy, though, add them right before you serve.

Winter Vegetable Mash. No added fat or browning are the keys to this flavorful yet light-tasting holiday side dish. It perfectly contrasts the rich turkey and dressing with gravy on a Thanksgiving table.

Roasted Garlic Mushrooms. These simple mushrooms are so delicious that Kate eats them straight off the pan! Plus, they make a perfect companion for roasted turkey.

Pan-Seared Mini Bell Peppers. If you can find seedless mini peppers at your supermarket, this simple recipe is effortless to prepare and enjoy on Thanksgiving. It’s great as a side dish or chopped and added to a hearty salad.

Roasted Ratatouille. Turkey and stuffing aren’t the only reasons to turn on that oven this Thanksgiving. Roasted vegetables are just as hearty and filling as any main course. So, add a twist to your traditional Thanksgiving feast with this fabulous side dish where eggplant (a good source of fiber) really shines. Choose your favorite autumn seasonal vegetables to make it uniquely your own this holiday. And Kate’s best tip? For the most flavorful tomato purée, look for Italian passata (typically sold in glass bottles).

For more filling, flavorful ideas, check out The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Fall & Winter Vegetables. For more autumn recipes using in-season produce like pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes, and artichokes, take a peek at our monthly produce guides.

Healthy, vibrant salads

When planning a holiday meal, a salad is an excellent addition for anyone who wants a healthy and nutrient-dense side dish. Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to try a new and colorful salad recipe that’s sure to please, so don’t be afraid to try these exciting salads.

Beet Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette. Explore the earthy sweetness of roasted beets, full of folate and fiber, tossed in a tangy mustard vinaigrette – the perfect balance of flavors this holiday!

Roasted Eggplant & Pepper Salad. This beautiful salad features the earthy flavors of roasted eggplant, a good source of fiber. A quick flash under the broiler yields tender eggplant and silky bell peppers—a perfect complement to lightly dressed, pungent arugula.

Citrus & Winter Greens Salad. Not only is this Citrus & Winter Greens Salad sweet and hearty, but it can also hang out in the fridge while you’re putting the finishing touches on the other dishes. Delicious and convenient!

Sweet & Sour Winter Salad. If you prefer a salad that’s both sweet and tart, this recipe will delight! Though any apple will do, pick a sweet-tart one like Pink Lady or Honeycrisp to pump up the sweet & sour. Or, for a dazzling mix, use half a sweet apple (Fuji or Gala) plus half a tart Granny Smith.

For more colorful and healthful salad ideas, check out The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Main Dish Salads & Salad Days! The Healthy Cook Turns Salad into Supper. In-season fruits and veggies are often more affordable than their hot-house or imported counterparts, so be sure to check out each month’s produce guide.

Thanksgiving staples

Whether you make one or both of these recipes, Kate’s take on these Thanksgiving staples brings variety, flavor, and a little excitement to your dining table this holiday!

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy. Preparing this Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy ahead of time means you can chill the broth, so it’s easy to remove the fat. And it gives you one less thing last-minute thing to do for the holidays.

Zesty Cranberry-Orange Relish. This no-cook Zesty Cranberry-Orange Relish is zingy and refreshing. You can use any type of orange: Cara Caras are a bit sweeter, and blood oranges are a bit more tart. You can also substitute two clementines or mandarins for a tangier relish everyone will love. But if you prefer a more traditional (yet still zippy) cranberry sauce, Kate’s got you covered; just use the second set of instructions.

On the sweeter side

Kate's Apple Raspberry Almond Crisp should not be missed if you’re in the mood for a sweet Thanksgiving addition to the table. The star of this dessert is the perfect harmony between tender, sweet apples (full of fiber) and tart raspberries (full of Vitamin C), topped with crunchy almond slivers. And maybe the best part? You can swap the raspberries for your favorite fruit as you wish. Your guests might also love a decadent Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal or some seasonal fruit over Kate’s Chocolate Chia Pudding.

For more heart-healthy recipes, check out From the Heart: Heart-Healthy Dishes from the Healthy Cook.

Use it all

If, after all that Thanksgiving cooking, you’ve found yourself with an abundance of vegetable scraps—turnip greens or peels, skins, cores or tops from carrots, mushrooms, onions, celery, or tomatoes, for example—you’ve also got the base for a quart or two of Vegetable Stock for future meals; it makes a perfect start for soup, can give grains of all kinds more flavor when used instead of water, and is easy to freeze for quick and tasty weeknight meals in the future.

Find more No-Waste Kitchen Tips from The Healthy Cook in Nutrition Action. And be sure to use our monthly produce guides to enjoy produce when it’s most delicious and most affordable.