If you need some ideas for healthy Thanksgiving recipes to make and share, below are sixteen to consider for incorporation into your Holiday meal!
Thanksgiving is a very special holiday for this blog, as it marks the anniversary of filming and posting videos of how to incorporate Traditional Cooking techniques in your home.
The very first video I posted five years ago was of me making turkey broth with my leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones.
That video was a total lark (not to mention my crazy hairstyle) but people responded so positively that I decided to start doing them regularly.
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
I thought it might be nice to round up all the healthy Thanksgiving recipes into one place including any videos. I hope you find something in this list that makes your Thanksgiving hosting duties a bit more manageable … and nutritious!
Best of all, even the folks who eat the Standard American Diet (SAD) will find these recipes tasty. Healthy does not mean unappetizing; it should and can mean delicious and satisfying. That is what the essence of Traditional Cooking is all about.
Turkey Prep and Using Leftovers
How to Wet or Dry Brine a Turkey: This recipe for making pastured turkey brine is great for wet brining a turkey. If you want to dry brine a turkey or any other type of meat, the linked article is a complete guide to the process.
How to Make Turkey Stock: Don’t laugh – this was my VERY FIRST video for this blog 5 years ago. The info is great but I am a serious dweeb on camera! I’ve hopefully improved a bit since then.
Turkey Salad Recipe: This post is a recipe for my homemade turkey salad using healthy mayo (yes, there is such a thing).
Side Dishes
Fermented Potatoes Recipe: If you have trouble with mashed potatoes, try this recipe. It makes all that starch a lot more digestible with the bonus of enzymes and probiotics from the fermentation process.
How to Make Traditional Gravy: My hubby gets into the act and shows you his awesome gravy making skills in this video! Don’t forget to use those incredibly nutritious turkey giblets!
Sprouted Stuffing Recipe: Very digestible and yummy. Won’t put you on the couch for a 2 hour nap afterward.
Keto Stuffing: This grain-free stuffing rendition contains only 4 carbs per serving!
Sweet Potato Casserole: You will love this recipe that uses no sugar and is still sweet and tasty made with coconut cream with no coconut-y taste. Makes a great baby food too.
Pumpkin Bread: Anything pumpkin is a go for Thanksgiving, so if you have some leftover pumpkin puree from making the pies or cookies, try this pumpkin bread recipe.
Pumpkin Soup: This soup recipe uses up any leftover pumpkin puree you have on hand from making pies, muffins or bread.
Desserts
Pumpkin Pie (dairy-free): What is Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? This recipe shows you how to make the best tasting pumpkin pie without that nasty evaporated milk from the supermarket! Be sure to use this homemade graham cracker crust too!
Healthy Sweetened Condensed Milk: Skip the canned stuff even if organic. The heavy processing to make sweetened condensed milk is highly denaturing and renders it very allergenic (fast path to the post-holiday cold). Make this instead.
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream: The perfect topping for your holiday pies! And yes, ice cream CAN be healthy!
Key Lime Pie: This is what I always make at Thanksgiving. It’s our family’s favorite holiday pie as key limes come into season. It is best made using this homemade chocolate cookie crust to really pop the zest of the lime.
No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe: This recipe is a great one for any raw foodies that are coming to dinner although any cheesecake fan will gobble it up.
Grain-Free Ginger Snaps: For those that are paleo or otherwise low carb, these grain-free ginger snaps are a great option.
Molasses Cookies: So maybe these are more for Christmas, but in our home, gingerbread cookies make the cut for November celebrations too!
Crustless Pumpkin Pie: A pumpkin pie option for Paleos or those who are just cutting back on the carbs.
Pumpkin Cookies: If pumpkin pie is not your thing, try these festive pumpkin cookies instead! Or hey, make both. Your guests will be happy I’m sure.
Bon appetit!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Thanks for all your work on putting all these videos. I love them. They really help me to understand things better. I like the way you explain things, there are really easy to follow.
God Bless you,
Luisa
Any great Cranberry recipes? I look forward to using some of these this week 🙂
The recipes sound fantastic and I always looking for new recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Good collection! They sounds like perfectly wonderful to me!
Thank you for the recipes. We really do have similar taste. First thing I noticed were my plates included in this photog!!
I’ve used this soaked pie crust recipe with great results. http://www.cookinggodsway.com/pate-brisee-pie-crust-soaked/. I thought I’d share in case anyone was looking for a soaked crust. I used spelt instead of whole wheat (increased the flour by a few TBSP) and it was very good. Next time I may reduce the butter by a TBSP or so.
Unrelated question, I hope you don’t mind. My grandfather is 80 and going through chemo therpay for bladder cancer. Would the Beiler Broth or Potassium Broth be good options for him? Is one better than another? Is there an article that you might be able to point me to for reading? Thank you all you do. You affecting numerous generations!
Oh no….did you go through the scanners at DFW? I refused them at both O’hare to Dallas and at DFW back to O’Hare! Got the pat down, no big deal. Don’t wear a skirt or dress, wear jeans and a tshirt and things are ok.
Just like the vaccines, they make you think there is no option to opt out with them!
No Shots, No School…..NOT TRUE!!!! All states have exemptions! http://www.vaclib.org or http://www.nvic.org or http://www.vaxtruth.org (I may have gotten the .org mixed up on the first 2 try .com if .org does not work).
Fantastic collection!
I don’t see one of my favorites included in your roundup… fermented mashed potatoes. Love those!
Oh yes!!!!! I totally forgot that one … will go and add. Thanks for reminding me Barbara 🙂