57 Healthy Thanksgiving Dishes

Want a healthy Thanksgiving but love traditional Thanksgiving food and Thanksgiving treats? You’re in luck with these delicious but nutritious Thanksgiving dishes!

Wondering what to make for Thanksgiving dinner? Well, you’re in luck because here are 57 healthy recipes for Thanksgiving that your guests will love, including healthy appetizers for Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving pie recipes. 

Whip up a few of these healthy Thanksgiving recipes, and you’ll have an easy, nutritious menu ready in no time. You’ll find healthy takes on traditional Thanksgiving foods, delicious side dishes, and Thanksgiving treats.

If you love Thanksgiving feast recipes like roast turkey, roasted cauliflower, green bean casserole, roasted beets, apple fritters with sour cream, apple pie, and pumpkin pie with maple syrup, don’t worry! You can eat all these classic Thanksgiving foods, just with a healthier spin. Now, read on to get the fun Thanksgiving recipes. 

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. Yes, I love it even more than the December holidays!

I look forward to it every single year, and I’m always daydreaming about the menu of healthy Thanksgiving ideas that my family serves up weeks before the holiday happens. Your guests will love these healthy recipes for Thanksgiving dinner as much as my family and friends love them.

Every year, my parents host a big, 30-something-person holiday dinner. We’ve been doing this with the same five or six families since I was in kindergarten, and the kids still sit at the kids’ table, with their kids now. 

Above, you can see us kids at a Thanksgiving a few years ago. We love Thanksgiving so much in my family that my best friend and I put together a picture book of all the years of Thanksgiving photos.

While my family always has must-have eats on the menu–like the Cinnamon Spice Muffins below–I’m always looking for some new easy, healthy Thanksgiving recipes to whip up.

Although, I suppose, this year will be very different with a pandemic Thanksgiving. But we still want healthy recipes to whip up for what will likely be a festive Zoom dinner!

This is all why I asked my dietitian colleagues for their favorite healthy Thanksgiving appetizers, soups, breads, sides, and desserts to center around the main turkey–or in my case, Tofurkey–event. You’re getting the best of easy dinner ideas, and I can’t wait to hear which ones you’ve tried.

Many of these ideas also make great cooking projects for kids. Enjoy these healthy recipes for Thanksgiving and get ready to eat a healthy Thanksgiving meal.

1. Turkey Veggie Platter from my own kitchen

2. Chai Walnuts from Judy Barbe, RD, author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest: Simple Solutions for Fresh Food & Well-Being

3. Spicy Cocoa Popcorn from Natalie Rizzo, RD, at Nutrition a la Natalie 

4. Pistachio and Wild Blueberry No-Bake Brie from my own kitchen

5. Yogurt Veggie Dip from my own kitchen

6. Cauliflower Poppers with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce from Natalie Rizzo 

7. Vegan Cranberry Ginger Quick Bread from Chelsey Amer, RD, author of The 28 Day Pescatarian Meal Plan & Cookbook

8. Creamy Carrot Cauliflower Soup from my own kitchen

9. Spiced Pumpkin Bread from Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN co-author of We Can Cook: Introduce Your Child to the Joy of Eating with 75 Simple Recipes and Activities

10. Roasted Butternut Squash and Chipotle Soup from Ashley Munro, RD, at A Pinch of Grace

11. Pumpkin Crescent Rolls from Anne Dunaway Teh, RD, and Lesley Baradel, RD, at My Menu Pal 

12. Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup from Jessica Levinson 

13. Spice Muffins from my own kitchen 

14. Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins with No Added Sugar from Chelsey Amer 

15. Simply Roasted Parsnips with Rosemary from Jenny Shea Rawn, RD, at My Cape Cod Kitchen

16. Roasted Chestnut, Mushroom, and Cranberry Stuffing from Victoria Shanta Retelny, RD, author of Total Body Diet for Dummies

17. Brussels Sprouts, Pancetta, and Apple Saute from Katie Cavuto, RD, author of Whole Cooking and Nutrition

18. Freekeh-Stuffed Acorn Squash from Maria Westberg-Adams, RD, at Halsa Nutrition

19. Orange Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes from Amanda Hernandez, RD, at The Nutritionist Reviews

20. Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic from Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game Changers

21. Creamy Rice with Parsnip, Onion, and Pepper from my own kitchen

22. Healthy Mashed Potatoes with Rosemary and Goat Cheese from EA Stewart, RD, at Spicy RD Nutrition

23. Cinnamon Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes from Kelli Shallal, author of Make Ahead High Protein Breakfast Recipes 

24. Broccoli Slaw Salad with Flaxseeds and Hemp Seeds from my own kitchen

25. Winter Roasted Vegetables from Christy Brissette, RD, author of Everyday Low Carb

26. Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine and Vinegar from Marie Dittmer, RD, at Healthy Ideas Place

27. Pesto Parmesan Spaghetti Squash from my own kitchen

28. Cheesy Corn Casserole from Anne Dunaway Teh and Lesley Baradel 

29. Mashed Sweet Potatoes from Jennifer Lynn-Pullman, RD, at Nourished Simply

30. Roasted Maple-Mustard Glazed Brussels Sprouts from Julie Harrington, RD, co-author of The Healing Soup Cookbook

31. Creamy Buttermilk Mashed Cauliflower from Kelli Shallal 

32. Lowfat Apple Bacon Gouda Macaroni and Cheese from Jamie Vespa, RD, at Dishing Out Health

33. Caramelized Onion Gravy from Denise Shepherd Barratt, RD, at Vine Ripe Nutrition

34. Freekeh Butternut Squash from Tracee Yablon Brenner, RD, co-author of Simple Food for Busy Families

35. Sweet Cranberry and Apple Lentils from my own kitchen

36. Citrus Glazed Carrots from Angela Grassi, RD, author of The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook: 100 Easy and Delicious Whole Food Recipes to Beat PCOS

37. Green Beans with Pecans, Cranberries, and Parmesan from Karman Meyer, RD, author of Eat to Sleep

38. Fall Farro Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Maple Apple Cider Dressing from Chelsey Amer

39. Cranberry Ginger Sauce from Tawnie Kroll, RD, at Kroll’s Korner

40. Maple Balsamic Roasted Winter Vegetables from Marie Dittmer

41. Roasted Acorn Squash with Pomegranate and Pistachios from Stephanie McKercher, RD, author of The College Vegetarian Cookbook

42. Cranberry, Walnut, and Apple Arugula Salad from Anne Dunaway Teh and Lesley Baradel 

43. Orange Cranberry Sauce from Allison Stevens Schaaf, RD, at Prep Dish

44. Quinoa Mung Bean Salad from Shahzadi Devje, RD, at Desi-licious RD 

45. Gluten-Free Egg Casserole from my own kitchen

46. Orange Cranberry Tart from Judy Barbe 

47. No-Bake Nutty Pumpkin Squares from Shahzadi Devje 

48. Avocado Chocolate Brownies from my own kitchen

49. Spiced Cheesecake with Roasted Cranberries from Jenny Shea Rawn 

50. Nutty Apple Cake from Lauren Harris-Pincus, RD, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club

51. Baked Mini Pumpkins from Christy Brissette 

52. Chocolate Pecan Bites from Jennifer Lynn-Pullman 

53. Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie from Alice Henneman, RD, at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

54. Almond Raspberry Banana Baked Rice from my own kitchen

55. Holiday Fruit Compote from Denise Shepherd Barratt

56. So-Simple Cinnamon Roasted Apples from my own kitchen

57. Pumpkin Spice Cake Roll from Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, and Lyssie Lakatos, RD, co-authors of Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure: Expert Advice and Tantalizing Recipes for Health, Energy, and Beauty

This blog post was updated in November 2020.

• Judy Barbe, RD, author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest: Simple Solutions for Fresh Food & Well-Being
• Natalie Rizzo, RD, at Nutrition a la Natalie
• Chelsey Amer, RD, author of The 28 Day Pescatarian Meal Plan & Cookbook
• Jessica Levinson, co-author of We Can Cook: Introduce Your Child to the Joy of Eating with 75 Simple Recipes and Activities
• Ashley Munro, RD, at A Pinch of Grace
• Anne Dunaway Teh, RD, and Lesley Baradel, RD, at My Menu Pal 
• Jenny Shea Rawn, RD, at My Cape Cod Kitchen
• Victoria Shanta Retelny, RD, author of Total Body Diet for Dummies
• Katie Cavuto, RD, author of Whole Cooking and Nutrition
• Maria Westberg-Adams, RD, at Halsa Nutrition
• Amanda Hernandez, RD, at The Nutritionist Reviews
• Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game Changers
• EA Stewart, RD, at Spicy RD Nutrition
• Christy Brissette, RD, author of Everyday Low Carb
• Marie Dittmer, RD, at Healthy Ideas Place
• Jennifer Lynn-Pullman, RD, at Nourished Simply
• Julie Harrington, RD, co-author of The Healing Soup Cookbook
• Jamie Vespa, RD, at Dishing Out Health
• Denise Shepherd Barratt, RD, at Vine Ripe Nutrition
• Tracee Yablon Brenner, RD, co-author of Simple Food for Busy Families
• Angela Grassi, RD, author of The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook: 100 Easy and Delicious Whole Food Recipes to Beat PCOS
• Karman Meyer, RD, author of Eat to Sleep
• Tawnie Kroll, RD, at Kroll’s Korner
• Stephanie McKercher, RD, author of The College Vegetarian Cookbook
• Allison Stevens Schaaf, RD, at Prep Dish
• Shahzadi Devje, RD, at Desi-licious RD
• Lauren Harris-Pincus, RD, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club
• Alice Henneman, RD, at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, and Lyssie Lakatos, RD, co-authors of Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure: Expert Advice and Tantalizing Recipes for Health, Energy, and Beauty

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I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if you have any favorite healthy recipes for Thanksgiving to add to this list. Which popular Thanksgiving dishes make your mouth water the most?

What are your other Thanksgiving healthy recipes, including healthy Thanksgiving dinner options and healthy Thanksgiving recipes for kids? Do you have any go-to slow cooker, fresh herb, or sweet potato casserole recipes?

Comment below, or tag @amydgorin on Instagram and Pinterest and @amygorin on Twitter and Facebook.

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