Thanksgiving recipes: Delicious and healthy options

Create a healthy Thanksgiving Day menu with these tasty recipes.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for family, friends, good health and great food. This year, instead of serving the old standbys — turkey smothered in gravy, candied yams, buttered corn and pumpkin pie — try healthier recipes.

The following healthy Thanksgiving recipes have all of the taste, but less fat, calories and sodium. So serve up a fresh approach to healthy eating this Thanksgiving.

Soups and salads

  1. Pumpkin soup
  2. Wild rice mushroom soup
  3. Apple salad with figs and almonds
  4. Salad greens with pears, fennel and walnuts

Turkey and stuffing

  1. Herb-rubbed turkey au jus
  2. Roasted turkey with balsamic sauce
  3. Glazed turkey breast with fruit stuffing
  4. Low-fat turkey gravy
  5. Stuffing with cranberries
  6. Wild rice (or quinoa) stuffing

Side dishes

  1. Honey-glazed sweet potatoes
  2. Garlic mashed potatoes
  3. Cauliflower mashed 'potatoes'
  4. Sweet carrots
  5. Acorn squash with apples
  6. Green beans with red pepper and garlic

Bread and muffins

  1. Popovers
  2. Best honey whole-wheat bread
  3. Apple corn muffins

Healthy desserts

  1. Pumpkin-hazelnut tea cake
  2. Rustic apple-cranberry tart
  3. Tasty apple pie
Sept. 30, 2017 See more In-depth

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  8. Fast-food tip: Keep it small
  9. Fast food tip: Opt for grilled items
  10. Fast-food tip: Skip the fries
  11. Fast-food tip: Watch what you drink
  12. Grass-fed beef
  13. Health-boosting nutrients: Antioxidants
  14. Healthy breakfast options
  15. Healthy fast food? Yes, it's possible
  16. Holiday recipes
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  28. Antioxidants
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  32. Sodium nitrate in meat: Heart disease risk factor?
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  44. Where's the lean beef?
  45. White whole wheat