Healthy, Low Carb Thanksgiving Sides
Oh, those glorious Thanksgiving side dishes! Mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, rolls, gravy and stuffing (or “dressing,” depending on where you are from) really make the holiday meal special – unless you are on a keto diet or just cutting your carbohydrates, that is. In fact, the turkey is really the only low carb option in the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Fortunately, you can still have a great holiday meal that helps you reach your health goals.
Most low-carb diets limit carbohydrate intake to 50 to 100 grams (g) each day. Just one serving of stuffing can gobble up 22 g of your daily carbs, and eating a single serving of mashed potatoes with gravy can provide another 39 grams of carbohydrates – you exceed your daily carb intake with just two side dishes.
Finding side dishes that are delicious, low in carbohydrates, and fitting for a healthy Thanksgiving meal can be challenging. After all, low carb foods have an undeserved reputation for being too bland and boring for a holiday spread.
Here are some low-carb sides that leave you and your holiday guests happy, satisfied, and truly thankful. Most are fast and easy to make, even for seniors or cooks with a large guest list.
Delicious Low-Carb Sides You’ll Be Thankful for This Holiday Season
Sweet Potato Vegetarian Chili
Sweet potato vegetarian chili is a delicious way to enjoy the holiday season. While a sweet potato has about 27 grams of carbs, it makes for a very filling and healthy chili. The tasty tubers provide about 16 percent of your daily fiber intake, 15 percent of your vitamin B6 intake, and 12 percent of your potassium. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of magnesium, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Cauliflower saves Thanksgiving once again! Garlic mashed cauliflower is the perfect addition to any low-carb holiday meal that you can make on your stovetop or in your Instant Pot. You can even roast the garlic for extra flavor and pizzazz.
Steam the cauliflower on your stovetop or in your Instant Pot or microwave. Transfer the steamed cauliflower, garlic and a little butter to a bowl for hand-mashing or to a blender, and mash or process the cauliflower to the desired consistency. Season to taste then transfer the garlic mashed cauliflower to a serving bowl. While you could serve the garlic mashed cauliflower as-is in an everyday meal, adding truffles, chives or other fresh garden herbs makes the dish worthy of your Thanksgiving table – without adding unwanted carbs. While you can serve it warm right away, garlic mashed cauliflower holds up well when refrigerated overnight.
Depending on the ingredients you add, but your carb count could come in as low as 7 grams per ½ cup serving – definitely something to be grateful for on a keto friendly Thanksgiving!
Cauliflower Rice and Sausage Stuffing
Crazy delicious and low in carbohydrates, cauliflower rice and sausage stuffing is your new go-to holiday dressing.
Brown your favorite sausage, drain, and set aside. In a separate pan, sauté onions and garlic and olive oil; after about a minute, add mushrooms and stir on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir the sautéed garlic and onions into the browned sausage then add cauliflower rice, chopped parsley, and sage – you can even add red pepper flakes for extra zing!
Everyone from kids to older adults will love cauliflower rice and sausage stuffing.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Bacon
Roasted sweet potatoes with maple and bacon will be a guaranteed hit among your Thanksgiving Day guests – whether or not they are on a low-carb diet!
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½-inch cubes, and put them into a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Toss the sweet potatoes with oil and maple syrup, and sprinkle with a generous dose of uncooked bacon. Bake for 20 minutes at 425°F, stir, and then bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and delightfully caramelized. Be sure to season with salt and pepper before serving.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Made with regular pasta, macaroni and cheese is incredibly high in carbohydrates. Swapping out macaroni for some cauliflower, on the other hand, makes for a fabulous low-carb side that looks as beautiful on your Thanksgiving table as it tastes.
Cauliflower mac and cheese is easier to make than you might think. Microwave macaroni-size bites in a bit of water for 10 minutes while you whisk up butter, heavy whipping cream, softened cream cheese, and garlic together in a pan. Add your favorite melted cheeses to the pan then pour over the cauliflower, transfer the cheesy cauliflower to a casserole, top with a little more cheese and any seasonings you like, and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
Coconut Flour Biscuits
Bread is an important part of every Thanksgiving meal, but rolls and biscuits are notoriously high in carbohydrates. Fortunately, coconut flour biscuits have only 2g net carbs and are chock full of flavor – they also provide some potassium, fiber, iron, vitamin A, and calcium. The best part is that making coconut flour biscuits could not be easier!
Preheat your oven to 370°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix coconut flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together coconut oil and eggs until smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients and any other low carb ingredients that sound tasty, such as cheese. Mix thoroughly then let sit for 10 minutes to allow the batter to thicken.
Spoon out 12 portions of dough and press each one down on the baking sheet to form a thick disk. Bake until golden brown, which takes 27 to 30 minutes.
If you have a busy holiday schedule, you can even make coconut flour biscuits ahead of time and freeze them. Simply pop them into the microwave for 30 seconds or warm them in a pre-heated oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
Easy Green Beans
Packed with vitamins and minerals, green beans are a Thanksgiving staple in many households and especially for anyone interested in low-calorie, healthy side dish. While you might be tempted to microwave canned green beans to save a little work on a busy day, making fresh green beans is fast and easy – and fresh green beans have far less salt than their canned counterparts. Easy green beans take only about 20 minutes to prepare start to finish, and most of that time is “hands off” as the beans cook.
To make 4 servings, trim the ends of about a pound of fresh green beans and add to a large pot of boiling water. Boil until the beans are half-cooked, which should take about 3 or 4 minutes, and then drain. Add the half-cooked beans and some garlic to a bit of hot oil in a large frying pan or wok and stir until the beans are thoroughly cooked; splash with soy sauce and stir for a few more minutes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Easy green beans are just so much better than canned!
Cheesy Brussels Sprouts in the Slow Cooker
Cheesy Brussels sprouts in the slow cooker is an unbeatable low carb Thanksgiving side dish: it’s easy, takes almost no prep time, is low in carbohydrates, packed with nutrients, and oh so delicious.
Simply dump a couple of pounds of Brussels sprouts into a buttered slow cooker and add garlic, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine, cover, and cook on the LOW setting until the Brussels sprouts are tender, which takes 2 to 3 hours. Turn off the slow cooker or switch it to the WARM setting (if it has one), and stir in parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and nutmeg until the Brussels sprouts are completely coated in sauce.
Tight on time? Make cheese Brussels sprouts the day before Thanksgiving and refrigerate in an air-tight container.
Butternut Squash Soup
You can serve butternut squash soup as an appetizer, side dish, sauce for low carb or veggie noodles, or even as a substitute for macaroni and cheese.
Butternut squash soup takes about a half hour to prepare, and it requires very few ingredients. Toss peeled, cubed butternut squash into a pot and cover with lightly salted water. Boil the squash for about 10 minutes, or until you can pierce it easily with a fork. Drain the squash and add it to a blender or food processor along with some low-sodium chicken stock, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder; season with salt and pepper as desired then blend until smooth.
Not a fan of butternut squash? Use sweet potatoes instead!
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Roasted eggplant dip, also known as baba ghanoush, may become your family’s next Thanksgiving tradition.
Slice an eggplant lengthwise, salt well, and let sit for about 15 minutes to draw out the bitter juices of eggplant. Rinse sparingly and pat dry before placing the eggplant, cut side down, onto a roasting pan. Roast at 400 until the eggplant is completely tender, which takes about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Scoop out the tender eggplant pulp into a food processor and pulse to break it up. Add Greek yogurt, tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, and season to taste; run the processor until the roasted eggplant dip is smooth, creamy, and delectable.
More with Mighty
For more low-carb, healthy recipes to share with your guests on Thanksgiving and other holidays, consult with your Mighty Health Coach. We can help you create healthy, low carb meals that are delicious, filling, and easy to make.