Healthy Alternatives for Thanksgiving Recipes
It may be hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Many people trying to adhere to a healthy lifestyle or weight loss journey dread this holiday because of all of the food associated with it. But fear not! We have some delicious Thanksgiving recipes for you that won’t ruin your diet.
Easy Quinoa Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 tsp Chili flakes
3 Garlic cloves
1 tbsp Rosemary, dried
1 tbsp Rosemary, fresh
2 tsp Sage, dried
1 Shallot, large
6 cups Sweet potato or butternut squash
1 tbsp Thyme, dried
1 tbsp Thyme, fresh
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups Tri-color quinoa
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1 tsp Salt & pepper
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup Pecans
Instructions
Add quinoa and broth to a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until all the broth has been absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
While the quinoa is cooking, preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Toss your diced sweet potatoes (or squash), shallot, and garlic in a large bowl. Add spices, salt, and pepper, then drizzle with oil and toss to combine. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 15 - 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Assemble stuffing by combining cooked quinoa, potatoes, and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Stir together and add apple cider vinegar, rosemary, and thyme. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve cold or reheat slightly.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
4 tablespoon vegan butter (sub olive oil if desired)
¼ cup diced shallot
2 cloves garlic (medium size), peeled and minced
5 tablespoon chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup full-fat, unsweetened, and unflavored oat milk, at room temperature (use certified GF brand if needed)
1 tablespoon gluten-free, reduced-sodium tamari
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (use certified GF if needed)
fine sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
2 (14.25 oz) cans French-style green beans, drained
1 ½ cups gluten-free crispy onions, divided (aka crispy fried onions)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat butter over medium heat in a 3- or 4-qt. saucepan. When butter is melted, add chopped shallot and garlic. Cook until aromatic and shallot is translucent, stirring frequently (about 3-4 minutes).
Stir in chickpea flour, nutritional yeast pepper until well-combined. Note that clumps of flour will break down during stirring in the next few steps.
Gradually stir in broth and milk.
Stir in tamari and mustard.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat. Taste test and add salt to taste if desired.
Stir in beans and ¾ cup crispy onions.
Transfer to a 2-qt. casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
Stir and top with the remaining crispy onions. Bake for 10 more minutes, until casserole is bubbling and onions are golden brown and crispy.
Thanksgiving Potatoes (Non-Dairy)
Ingredients
Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Parsley
Garlic
Instructions
Peel the skin off 1 bag of potatoes and place them in a pan, bring potatoes to a boil and let them cook for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft
Drain potatoes and mash them. They should look soft but chunky
Sautee 2 garlic bulbs (add more for your liking) in olive oil until light brown, but not burnt
Pour 2 tablespoons over top of the mashed potatoes, add in the sauteed garlic and extra olive oil
Sprinkle in salt to your liking and fresh-cut parsley throughout the batch and mix
We hope you enjoy these healthier takes on some Thanksgiving classics! If you’re looking for a way to kickstart a healthier lifestyle, especially with all of the holiday eating in mind, visit T&C Fitness and check out all of the fitness and lifestyle services we offer— we know there will be something that’s perfect for you!
