Last Updated on December 11, 2024
Thanksgiving is a day dedicated to eating great food and recognizing all of the things you are thankful for in your life. Everybody knows the turkey always gets all the hype, but what is a Thanksgiving dinner without the scrumptious sides? Thanksgiving dishes are not always known to be the healthiest, but there are actually a lot of healthy Thanksgiving options, too.
Diabetics and health conscious people deserve to stuff their faces with delicious food on Thanksgiving as well!
Here are some healthy side dishes and Thanksgiving options for people with Diabetes.
Rosemary Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
This Rosemary Garlic Mashed Cauliflower may be healthier, but tastes just as good as Mashed Potatoes! It’s easy to make and perfect for Thanksgiving!
- Chop 1 large cauliflower into small florets.
- Add to boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Remove and drain the cauliflower.
- Place the cooked cauliflower into a food processor or blender with 3 oz. low-fat cream cheese, 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, 1.5 tsp. minced, sautéed garlic, and 1 tbsp. fresh, chopped rosemary.
- Pulse until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Put them in a bowl, and voila, you’re done!
Honey Maple Roasted Carrots
Take plain, old carrots and transform them into a sweet, scrumptious side that’s also extremely healthy. This is a dish that can be prepared hours in advance and popped back into the oven to heat up before dinner.
- Start by peeling all of your carrots and slicing them diagonally.
- This gives them lots of surfaces to caramelize.
- Next, toss your sliced carrots with 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. maple syrup, 2 tbsp. honey, 1.5 tsp. coriander, and a little salt and pepper.
- On a sheet pan, spread these babies out and pop them in a 450 degree oven.
- Make sure to stir them up every 5-10 minutes.
- In about 25-30 minutes, your carrots should be glistening and caramelized.
- Transfer them to the serving bowl, and you’re done!
If you want to get fancy, you can add a gorgeous garnish of sesame seeds, pomegranate arils and fresh herbs. This easy dish will be sure to be loved by everyone when you present them at the dinner table.
Skinny Sweet Potato Casserole
This Skinny Sweet Potato Casserole is a great healthy side dish option! It puts a healthy twist on the traditional sweet potato casserole. (But it still tastes great!)
- Boil 3.3 lbs of peeled, cubed sweet potatoes for 20 minutes, or until fork soft.
- While the potatoes are boiling, make the maple pecan topping. This is made by mixing 3 tbsp. maple syrup, 6 tbsp. almond flour, 1.5 tbsp. melted vegan butter, and ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans together. Set this aside.
- When the potatoes are done boiling, drain and mash them.
- Add in 3 tbsp. brown sugar, 3 tbsp. maple syrup, ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, 6 tbsp. coconut oil, and 6 tbsp room temperature vegan butter.
- Stir together until all of the ingredients are well mashed and mixed.
- Spoon the potato mixture into a casserole dish and top with the maple pecan topping.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and then remove the casserole from oven.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes and it’s ready to serve!
This recipe is vegan and gluten free.
