Thanksgiving side dishes offer the perfect opportunity to bring vibrant, nutrient-rich, and healthful options to the table—a fitting tribute to the harvest season and a celebration of the year’s blessings. With a focus on fresh, whole foods, you can create dishes bursting with complex flavors and visual appeal that delight everyone, even the pickiest of eaters.
Thanksgiving Side Dishes: A Celebration of Color, Flavor, and Nutrition
In traditional Thanksgiving spreads, I’ve often been struck by the lack of color and vibrancy. Besides the cranberry sauce, most dishes tend to be brown, mushy, or overcooked—sweet potatoes and green beans included.
In contrast, Mediterranean feasts radiate vibrancy, showcasing a stunning array of fresh, colorful produce that feels as nourishing as it is festive. Why not bring a touch of that inspiration to your Thanksgiving table?
Our curated list of 20+ healthy Thanksgiving side dishes features gluten-free, lectin-free, plant-centered recipes that beautifully complement a traditional Thanksgiving turkey.
Whether you’re looking for vibrant sides to accompany the star of the table or planning a fully vegan holiday feast, these dishes are perfect for any celebration. Many recipes are naturally vegan or can be easily adapted to suit vegan preferences, ensuring everyone has something delicious to enjoy.
Not only do these dishes add visual appeal, but they also celebrate the season’s bounty in the most flavorful and nourishing way.
As you plan your holiday feast, here are a few tips to make your sides as nourishing as they are satisfying.
Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving Feast
- Eat the Rainbow: Incorporate a variety of colorful, wholesome ingredients into your dishes. Different hues in produce signify a diverse range of nutrients, bringing both beauty and health to your table.
- Preparation Matters: Use fresh, whole produce and cooking methods that minimize anti-nutrients while preserving nutritional value. Skip canned vegetables and avoid overcooking to let the natural flavors and textures shine.
- Less is More: While indulgence is part of the holiday spirit, there’s no need to overdo it. A few vibrant, fiber-rich side dishes and condiments can support healthy digestion and help balance those extra indulgences without causing blood sugar spikes.
- Balance Flavors: Create dishes that offer a variety of flavors—savory, sweet, tangy, and spicy. This balance keeps the palate excited and satisfies cravings naturally, reducing the temptation to overindulge in heavier dishes.
- Choose Healthy Fats: Use high-quality fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee for roasting, sautéing, and dressing. These fats not only enhance flavor but also provide essential nutrients and support satiety.
- Eat in the Right Order: To support blood sugar balance, start with fiber-rich and protein-based dishes before indulging in carbohydrate-heavy sides. This helps slow the release of sugars into the bloodstream and prevents post-meal crashes.
20+ Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Gluten-Free Millet Stuffing (Lectin-Free)
Healthy stuffing
Classic stuffing is made with bread and has little nutritional value while being a carb and lectin bomb. This is a more nutritious side dish for your holiday meal and Thanksgiving table, made with millet, lots of vegetables, and fresh herbs.
Fig Salad with Bitter Greens and Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette
Bright, festive, and nutritious
This salad combines a mix of nourishing bitter greens, tangy blue cheese, and crunchy roasted hazelnuts, all brought together with a bright lemon-honey vinaigrette. Whether you’re preparing a simple side dish for everyday meals or a show-stopping salad for larger gatherings, this fig salad is as delicious as it is healthy.
Easy Keto Bread Rolls with Walnuts (Gluten-Free, Lectin-Free)
Healthy dinner rolls
These delicious keto bread rolls with walnuts are the perfect gluten-free and lectin-free option for anyone looking for a healthy alternative to traditional bread. Made with nutrient-rich walnuts and a handful of other wholesome ingredients, these bread rolls are not only easy to make, but they also taste amazing.
Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce, Easy Recipe
Vibrant and healthy
Cranberry sauce is a must-have for Thanksgiving dinner, but did you know only one serving has about 20 grams of sugar? This sugar-free, orange-flavored cranberry sauce is festive and vibrant and will help you stay healthy even during the holidays.
The Ultimate Carrot Salad (With Hemp Hearts, Parsley, and Mint)
Fresh, fiber-packed, hormone-loving
This isn’t just a simple carrot salad. While it offers all the benefits of raw carrots, it’s also packed with plant-based complete protein, healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, it’s flavorful, vibrant, and versatile and will look perfect on your holiday table.
The Ultimate Healthy Potato Salad: Creamy and Nutritious
A healthier way to eat potatoes
This healthy potato salad is creamy, nutritious, and delicious. Made with the best quality ingredients and a few smart preparation techniques, it maximizes nutrients while minimizing antinutrients and blood sugar impact. Perfect as a side dish or even as a complete meal, this potato salad is a flavorful and wholesome addition to any table.
Parsnip Purée with Caramelized Onion and Toasted Hazelnuts
Sweet and fragrant
With their sweet, nutty flavor, parsnips are one of my favorite vegetables to cook with and enjoy during the colder months. This parsnip purée with caramelized onion, rosemary, and toasted hazelnuts is a simple dish perfect for a weeknight dinner, yet sophisticated enough to be a star on a holiday table.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Tasty, nutritious, and versatile
This mushroom sauce goes well with meat, pork, chicken, or turkey, and it’s perfect as a topper for root vegetables or cauliflower puree or as a gluten-free pasta sauce. It is a healthy alternative to any store-bought brown sauce and can successfully replace gravy.
Baked Fonio with Pomegranate and Walnut Salsa
Festive
Perfectly cooked fonio with mint, topped with creamy goat cheese, and a tangy, sweet, and nutty salsa make this dish a vibrant, nutritious, and delicious addition to any meal. It’s so easy; you can make it for a weeknight dinner and sophisticated enough to make it the star of a festive meal. This baked fonio with pomegranate and walnut salsa is perfect as a vegetarian main dish or can be a side dish for any type of meat. Since it can be served warm or cold, it’s perfect for sharing meals, garden parties, and potlucks.
Butter Bean Hummus with Fennel and Leeks
So creamy and flavorful
This creamy and flavorful dip or spread, made with butter beans, fennel, and leeks, is a delicious alternative to the traditional hummus made with chickpeas. We all love chickpea hummus, but sometimes, we need some variety in our menus. Make this butter bean hummus when you want a creamy and nutritious mash of beans that can be served warm or cold.
Easy Sumac Onions (Marinated Red Onions)
Crisp and vibrant
These sumac marinated onions are a healthful condiment that infuses dishes with a burst of tangy flavor. They are simple to prepare and elevate your meals by adding prebiotic fiber, polyphenols, and antioxidants.
Creamy Celeriac Puree (Dairy-Free, Vegan)
Creamy and fragrant
This celeriac puree offers a creamy and sophisticated alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. Not only is it easy to prepare, but it’s also a nutritious, low-carb option. Moreover, this recipe is dairy-free and vegan, making it an excellent choice for various dietary preferences.
Cauliflower Gratin with Pecans and Caramelized Leeks
Your low-carb festive side-dish
Cauliflower is perfect in this combination with cheese, caramelized leeks, and pecans. As this recipe was a request from my sister for her holiday preparations, it was made to be a delicious side dish for a festive meal.
Smashed Broccoli with Parmesan and Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
Your new favorite way to serve broccoli
If you’re searching for innovative methods to cook and present vegetables, look no further than this tempting smashed broccoli recipe. This dish turns each broccoli floret into a crispy, cheesy delight, ensuring every forkful is a gourmet experience. Suitable for any dining occasion, from a casual dinner to a festive holiday gathering, this dish can seamlessly fit in as an appetizer, side dish, or the star attraction that leaves a lasting impression on your guests.
Thyme-Roasted Mushrooms with Millet Polenta
A feast for mushroom lovers
A fairly simple meal with Mediterranean vibes, these thyme-roasted mushrooms with millet polenta will hit the spot for mushroom lovers. Millet polenta is creamy and as good as its corn counterpart.
Flax Seed Crackers with Zaatar Spices
For all your holiday dips
Flax seed crackers and almond crackers met in this recipe and gave the best gluten-free, lectin-free, keto, and vegan crackers I’ve ever had. These crunchy flax seed crackers with almond flour and zaatar spices are super easy to make and tasty.
Nigella’s New Orleans Coleslaw Made Lectin-Free
Full of nutrients
Inspired by one of Nigella Lawson’s slaw recipes and converted to a lectin-free version, this slaw is easy to make, delicious, and healthy.
Mini Bella Mushrooms Stuffed with Almond Ricotta and Oregano
Pretty, delicious, vegan
This is a very easy recipe, plant-centered and plant paradox friendly. The stuffing is made with almond ricotta and fresh oregano.
Millet Bread with Walnuts (Lectin-Free)
Cornbread without the corn
You can serve it warm, out of the oven, with a cube of grass-fed butter or nut butter and a drizzle of raw honey or yacon syrup. My favorite way!!
Creamy Casserole with Asparagus, Cauliflower Rice, and Broccoli Slaw
Move over green bean casserole
This plant-based casserole with asparagus, cauliflower rice, and broccoli slaw is an easy-to-make, nutritious and tasty side dish.
Mashed Cauliflower, Celeriac, and Parsnip
Better than mashed potatoes
Creamy, flavorful, and festive, this mashed cauliflower, celeriac, and parsnip can be both an everyday nutritious staple and a festive side dish for your holiday menu. This recipe is dairy-free, lectin-free, and a low-carb and more nutritious alternative to mashed potatoes.
Bistro Salad with Crispy Prosciutto and Pistachios
Trust me, it’s delicious and so healthy
This bistro salad with bitter greens, crispy prosciutto, and pistachios, dressed with a creamy vinaigrette, is refreshing, tasty, and packed with prebiotic fiber, polyphenols, and healthy fats.
Root Vegetable Puree with Cauliflower and Turmeric
A creamy and healthy delight
Not only is this mash nutritious, delicious, and creamy, but it’s super easy to make in a manual pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Try this root vegetable puree, it will brighten up your festive table.
Sweet and Sour Braised Red Cabbage (Scandinavian Style)
A sweet and sour colorful touch
A Danish holiday staple, this simple dish is such a wonderful addition to any festive meal. Red cabbage, cinnamon, and cloves; it doesn’t get healthier and more festive than this.
Warm Brussels Sprouts and Millet Salad
Creamy like a casserole, full of nutrients
Brussels sprouts will steal the show in this warm salad. If you are looking for a different way to serve this holiday staple vegetable, this salad is comforting, sweet, and grounding.
15+ Healthy Thanksgiving Desserts
Once you are done with planning the side dishes, you can dive into our collection of tasty and healthy gluten-free Thanksgiving desserts that don’t compromise on flavor or texture. Made with wholesome ingredients and no added sugar, these desserts can adorn any festive table and will be loved by (almost) everyone, regardless of their dietary preferences.
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