HEALTHY RECIPES COLLECTIONS
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HEALTHY RECIPES COLLECTIONS
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes, Menus and Cooking Tips
Thanksgiving is all about abundance, or, often, overabundance. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With healthy updates to classic dishes, the recipes showcased here use high-impact flavors like fresh herbs, spices and seasonal fruits and vegetables to minimize the need for gobs of butter, cream and salt. Some dishes are healthy updates on classic dishes, while others are twists on traditional fare.
For the host, we’ve got menus—one even has a bonus planner and wine pairings—as well as new ways to use up all those turkey leftovers. If you’ve always felt daunted by the turkey carving process, our step-by-step photos illustrate simple instructions for success, plus other tips for a terrific stress-free holiday. If you’re not hosting this year, choose from our selection of healthy sides and scrumptious desserts. You’ll find nearly everything here to enjoy a delicious, healthy Thanksgiving.
Make-Ahead Menu Planner
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Use this planner for our Easy Thanksgiving Menu (at left) to help you get most of the work done in advance so you can enjoy Thanksgiving Day while tending the bird and putting the finishing touches on the meal.
Up to 3 days ahead:
- Make the marmalade.
- Make the pie.
- Bake cornbread for the stuffing.
Up to 1 day ahead:
- Make stock for the gravy.
- Prepare the stuffing through Step 3.
- Make the sweet potatoes.
- Prepare filling and topping for the crumble.
Up to 8 hours before serving:
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts through Step 1.
4 hours before serving:
- Put the turkey in the oven.
2 hours before serving:
- Assemble crumble and let come to room temperature.
1 hour or less before serving:
- Reheat the stuffing.
- Make the gravy.
- Finish the Brussels sprouts.
- Reheat the sweet potatoes.
- Carve the turkey.
- Bake the crumble.
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Wine Pairings by
Andrea Robinson
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There are so many flavors to match at Thanksgiving that I always encourage hosts to put the wines on the table and let guests help themselves to what they want. Adventurous ones will try a bit of each over the meal, discovering how different flavors come through in a dish according to what wine you try with it.
To me, sparkling wine is a must on the Thanksgiving table. Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs NV ($35) is a thrilling option—made from 100% chardonnay grapes, its delicacy and lively acidity pairs fabulously with everything.
The herbal quality, juicy Fuji apple fruit flavor and citrusy acidity make Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($18) an ideal match.
Grgich Hills wines are all biodynamically farmed—meaning they use both organic practices as well as techniques that are keyed to the cosmic cycle. Their Estate Grown Zinfandel 2003 ($30) is hands down the best one on the market. Chewy, cherry-earth flavors and a meaty, fennel-oregano hint pair perfectly with the turkey and Brussels sprouts.
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EatingWell's Easy Thanksgiving Menu
More Stuffings | More Sides | More Desserts | More Menus |
Wine pairings
Healthy Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes
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Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
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Healthy Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
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More Healthy Thanksgiving Menus
Our Favorite Thanksgiving Menu
An Intimate Thanksgiving Celebration
Vegetarian Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving for Two
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Healthy Turkey Cooking Tips
- Use herbs, rather than extra fat, for flavor.
- We found conventional turkeys (with added salt solution) do stay moister but if you’re watching your sodium intake, avoid them.
- For a golden skin, roast at high heat—475°F—for the first 45 minutes, then reduce to 350°F.
- Leave the cavity stuffing-free. It’s safer.
- A 3-ounce portion of light meat without skin has only 132 calories and 3 grams of fat. With the skin, that jumps to 168 calories and 6 grams of fat.
- Dark meat is higher in calories and has more fat.
- Three ounces of dark meat supplies 15% of the recommended daily intake of iron; white meat has only 8%.
- Turkey contains slightly less fat and cholesterol than chicken.
- Turkey meat (and chicken) can be pink even when it’s fully cooked. Why? The bones of young birds are porous and allow red pigmentation (hemoglobin) to leach out into the meat.
- Smoking and grilling can also make the meat pink.
- Feeling lethargic? Don’t blame tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey. Other amino acids in the food block tryptophan’s absorption into the brain before it can make serotonin, which in turn would make you feel sleepy.
- Still sleepy? You probably just overindulged. That’s OK. It’s Thanksgiving, after all.
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| USER COMMENTS — Add Your Comment |
I would like to print all recipes but without changing to each individual recipe. Can that be done? Marion
Marion Guggenheim, Taylorville, IL |
To Lynda from SC: Click on the "Add to my EatingWell" button at the top of the individual recipe page.
Penelope, Burlington, VT |
I'm trying to save recipes to my account. How do i do this?
Lynda Madaris, North Augusta, SC |
To print only specific items on the web...highlight what you want to print. Right click over the highlighted area and select 'print'. The print dialog box will come up, go to where it says 'Page Range' and click 'Selection'. Then 'Print'. Voila...you have only printed the things you highlighted!
Heidi Messner, Bothell, WA |
I agree with the above lady, Marion Guggenheim, Taylorville , Ill. For instance : I want to just print out the healthy turkey cooking tips..... ??
Maddy, Bushnell, FL |
I would like to see some healthy recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers.
Sonja Steis, Grosse Pointe Park, MI |
Does someone have recipes cooking with honey and other healthy web sites?
Janis, Houston, TX |
I would like to see some healthy desserts.
Marina Stanley, Youngstown, NY |
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