I’m sitting here, bundled up, watching The Great Christmas Baking Show, and I almost can’t contain myself…I LOVE the holidays! I would watch Christmas movies every night if it was just me. But Thanksgiving comes first… so I am going to try to stay focused. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year… we cook, a lot…and watch the parade…and walk the doggies… and drink champagne…and do NOTHING. So, being one of my favorite days of the year, I have decided to share some of my favorite “clean” alternative recipes to the traditional Thanksgiving sides. Keep in mind, these aren’t actually my recipes, just recipes I have tried and enjoyed in the past. (Big shout out to all of the people out there doing recipe development!! It is not easy– and your household winds up trying the same dish a million times before you get it right, so thanks to all of you who are constantly creating new content) Thanksgiving can be a hard time if you are a particular eater…bread, dairy, Stovetop, all of the pies…YUM! I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t enjoy some of this deliciousness, but I know all of those foods make me feel pretty crappy the next day. If you can pick a couple of “cleaner” recipes to add to your Thanksgiving line up, then you will have some better options for leftovers all week!
One of my favorites to start is this stuffing from Paleomg. This recipe has quickly become one of my favorites and one of the first leftovers I reach for… I may even make extra this year just to have more leftovers! The link below will take you there!
https://paleomg.com/paleo-thanksgiving-stuffing/
Next up, a sweet potato recipe for the big day. This one is from One Lovely Life—Sweet Potato Casserole. Nice to have some crunch with the pecans and generally pretty simple!
https://www.onelovelylife.com/paleo-vegan-sweet-potato-casserole/
For some green bean casserole action, I have used this one from Detoxinista with success before. I do remember having a really hard time with the onions… they took forever and I was being super impatient!
https://detoxinista.com/clean-green-bean-casserole-vegan-paleo/#wprm-recipe-container-23099
Here is another green bean recipe I really like, but it is much simpler than the one above. Yes, it is a Cracker Barrel copy cat recipe from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures. Substitute coconut sugar to make it paleo, or skip the sugar all together. I personally like these green beans better than the casserole’s, but that’s just me.
https://www.reneeskitchenadventures.com/2014/11/cracker-barrel-copycat-country-style.html
PIES
Paleo Running Momma does one of my favorite pumpkin pies. I have had hit or miss luck with the crust for these, but it’s all user error!
https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/classic-paleo-pumpkin-pie-crust-recipe/
And another Pumpkin Pie from Elana’s Pantry that is super simple and delicious!
https://elanaspantry.com/paleo-pumpkin-pie/
And for the pecan pie I use this recipe from Slim Palate. This crust is actually one of the more “crust like” recipes I have tried vs a nut based crust…. But it does have dairy with the butter… so there is that. I substitute coconut oil in the pie itself, but don’t think it would work for the crust.
Cook Eat Paleo gives us a super easy, super simple cranberry sauce recipe! Full disclosure, when I make this I use a very small amount of sweetener… maybe 1 TBS… it’s just so much sugar, and if I’m going to eat all that sugar, I’m going for the pie!
Here is a super simple paleo gravy recipe from Jane’s Healthy Kitchen…it’s so easy, you really can’t go wrong!
I think that sums up some of my favorite Thanksgiving sides. You are on your own for the turkey… ours goes on the smoker and keeps my oven free for all of the sides! Feel free to share some of your favorite healthier alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Side note, I say “healthier” because even though these recipes are a better alternative for me, that doesn’t make them healthy! But they sure are delicious and I can guarantee I will enjoy every bite without guilt!
Also, stay tuned for my “Eating Through the Holidays” seminar and cooking demo on the blog!
Integrated Foods N Fitness 