A Healthy Thanksgiving Menu

Create a satisfying Thanksgiving feast with all of the foods you love and none of the guilt. Here, we’ve gathered our favorite healthy dishes for every course of the holiday meal — low in fat, high in nutrients and fall flavor, and sure to please the people you share them with.

 

White Bean and Arugula Crostini These rustic Italian-inspired toasts are simple to prepare, with creamy (and nutritious) cannellini beans, baby arugula and a drizzle of heart-healthy olive oil.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars and intensifies the flavors of squash, apples and leeks, giving this soup a rich character that is highlighted by aromatic spices. No butter necessary!

Spinach, Pear and Pomegranate Salad Pomegranate seeds and walnuts add extra antioxidant power to this seriously nutritious—and delicious—salad. Crumbled blue cheese lends tanginess; you don’t need much for a big impact.

Spice-Rubbed Turkey Here, a bold spice blend and creative technique add flavor to turkey, without a bit of extra fat or oil. A meat tenderizer is used to score the skin of the turkey so the seasonings penetrate throughout and the fat naturally renders.

Herbed Quinoa and Red Rice Stuffing with Kale and Pine Nuts Nutrient-rice kale and quinoa form the base of this stuffing, while dried cranberries and pine nuts add flavor and texture. Bonus: it’s gluten-free.

Braised Potatoes & Escarole Escarole and potatoes emerge meltingly tender from the slow cooker in this recipe before being drizzled with a bright, zesty vinaigrette. The machine does all the work, creating delicious flavor and texture without much fat.

Roasted Broccolini with Lemon You’ll be surprised at the wonderful, complex flavor created by only six ingredients in this recipe. Roasted lemon and garlic perk up fresh broccolini for a light, lively dish.

Apple-Cranberry Crisp These two cool-weather fruits top the nutritional charts, and the oat-and-nut topping delivers even more antioxidant power. Make an extra batch of the crisp topping and freeze it in a zippered plastic bag; that way, you can bake a great fruit dessert at a moment’s notice.

 

Find more healthy Thanksgiving recipes here.