I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for Thanksgiving. The magical time when no one is allowed to judge you for how many servings you have, or fuss about portion control. A day that you’re actually willing to accept all the food your Grandmother encourages that you eat, because you’re “growing”. (Gram, that definitely came to a screeching halt at sixteen but you’re certainly off the hook in this case). This is our free day. Pie for breakfast and thanksgiving dinner in a sandwich for lunch, what’s not to love?
Despite the sometimes overwhelming ‘all you can eat’ culture of Thanksgiving, there are some creative ways to create healthier recipes that might just keep you from unbuttoning your pants at the end of the meal. These recipes are so sneaky you won’t even realize that the only thing you’re sacrificing are those couple hundred extra calories.
Better-for-you Green Bean Casserole
This might seem like an antiquated dish at the Thanksgiving table, but if your strange aunt who always brings her cat is going to insist on making it every year, you might as well pass along a less calorically detrimental recipe, right?
Check out the recipe from YouBeauty.
“Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes”
Now, I realize this one might be a bit of a stretch, cauliflower as mashed potatoes?! But from personal experience I can vouch for the taste of mashed cauliflower! Maybe this will be best suited to those taking their healthy Thanksgiving extremely seriously, but healthy or not, this smooth side dish can serve as a wonderful addition to any meal! Check out the recipe from Food Network.
Pecan Pie
This revamped pecan pie from Shape Magazine it doesn’t matter how you pronounce pecan, it has no butter or corn syrup. The pie even features coconut oil, which is known for it’s many health benefits. Just click the link for the recipe!
Slimmed Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is a staple at the Thanksgiving table and I feel personally victimized by anyone who tells me differently. So in light of this, there was no way I was leaving out the next obvious recipe. Cooking Light creates a great recipe that keeps all the flavor but loses some of the calories.
Hopefully you were inspired by some of these lightened up recipes, but regardless we are all wishing you a delicious Thanksgiving!