Food Recipe Collections & Favorites 9 Healthy Homemade Thanksgiving Sides to Serve This Year Because, balance. By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 8, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Thanksgiving is arguably the best food holiday, as the entire day (not to mention the leftovers you'll be devouring all week) revolves around a rich, hearty homemade meal. And as much as we love roasted turkey drowning in gravy, macaroni and cheese, fresh-baked biscuits, pumpkin pie, and all the whipped cream; we could use a little something that's light-ish in the mix. That's where these healthy Thanksgiving side dishes come in. From loaded sweet potatoes topped with kale to spaghetti squash parm to shaved Brussels sprouts on flatbread, we know you'll find delicious, nutritious recipes here that every one of your guests will love. 01 of 09 Mustardy Kale Salad With Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Packed with protein and fiber, this hearty main course salad is a nutritional powerhouse. Combine the kale, roasted sweet potato, chopped apple, and almonds in a large bowl and drizzle with a tangy mustard vinaigrette. Once dressed, massage the kale with clean hands to make the salad more palatable. Get the recipe:Mustardy Kale Salad With Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple. Roland Bello This healthy, hearty side salad is the ideal companion to Thanksgiving mains. To make, simply combine kale, roasted sweet potatoes, fresh-cut apples, and almonds in a large bowl; and then drizzle with a tangy mustard vinaigrette: the perfect sweet-savory combination of fresh fall produce. Get the Recipe: Mustardy Kale Salad With Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple 02 of 09 Brussels Sprouts Flatbread With Lemon and Pecorino If you've got store-bought pizza dough and a bag of brussels sprouts, you're halfway to zesty, spicy, cheesy nirvana. The best part? Feed a crowd with this flatbread as an appetizer, or cut it into larger pieces to make it a meal. It doesn't get much easier than that. Get the Recipe: Brussels Sprouts Flatbread. Brie Passano This seasonal flatbread feeds a crowd, which makes it a delicious, veggie-packed option for a Thanksgiving side or starter. It comes together quickly, but to make prep even faster, shave Brussels sprouts in your food processor or buy pre-packed shredded sprouts. Get the recipe: Brussels Sprouts Flatbread With Lemon and Pecorino 03 of 09 Buffalo Cauliflower With Yogurt Ranch Whether served as a starter or a side, this craveable buffalo cauliflower dish will rev up your menu. Just roast cauliflower florets and then toss with buffalo sauce spiked with a touch of butter. What really brings it home is the yogurt ranch drizzled on top, taming the cauliflower's heat and adding freshness. Get the recipe: Buffalo Cauliflower With Yogurt Ranch 04 of 09 Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes One taste of this roast Brussels sprouts dish, and you'll be tossing your go-to side out the window. Our version combines the teeny tiny cabbages with red seedless grapes. The result? Crunchy, perfectly browned bites of Brussels sprouts with the occasional bite of roasted grape, which lends a fresh, slightly sweet note to the dish. This one might just bring Brussels sprouts-haters to the other side. Get the recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes 05 of 09 Spaghetti Squash Parmesan This dish is creamy, cheesy, and comforting, but uses spaghetti squash instead of pasta to cut back on carbs (after all, there will be plenty of those on the Thanksgiving table). We guarantee the meat-eaters will be staring longingly at this veggie main, which is served in the hollowed-out squash. Don’t skip the breadcrumbs, which add a salty, crunchy finish. Get the Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Parmesan. Greg DuPree No one will miss white pasta once they taste this creamy, cheesy, comforting rendition (after all, there will be plenty of refined carbs on the Thanksgiving table as-is). Don't skip the breadcrumbs, which add a salty, crunchy finish.Get the Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Parmesan 06 of 09 Zucchini and Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Greg DuPree Making these sweet potatoes in the microwave cuts down on cook time, meaning you can have this fiber-packed side on your Thanksgiving table in just 20 minutes. Guests will be grateful for the healthy addition of black beans and fresh zucchini—plus you can top them with sour cream or Greek yogurt, crunchy tortilla chips, and fresh herbs. Get the recipe: Zucchini and Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 07 of 09 Maple-Roasted Vegetables Maple is one of the biggest flavor trends this year, and we're here for it—even when paired with savory foods like roasted vegetables. Your guests will love this easy-to-make upgrade to a healthy traditional Thanksgiving side: simply toss cauliflower and carrots (or squash, sweet potatoes, or even green beans) with an olive oil-maple syrup mixture, and roast until caramelized and tender (15 to 20 minutes).Get the recipe: Maple-Roasted Vegetables 08 of 09 Loaded Sweet Potatoes With Coconut and Kale These loaded sweet potatoes aren't your average spuds: The filling—mashed up with grapefruit juice, butter, and allspice—is stuffed back into the skins. Piled on top is kale that's cooked in a rich and spicy coconut sauce flavored with lime juice and fragrant curry powder. And to finish it off? Toasted coconut. It's bound to be your family's new holiday tradition. Get the Recipe: Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Coconut and Kale 09 of 09 Every-Citrus Salad With Almonds and Manchego This colorful fruit-packed salad is a welcome way to round out an otherwise rich meal. Bonus: It doesn't hog oven time. Tart blood oranges, bitter grapefruit, and sweet navel oranges come together in this gorgeous recipe, perfect for celebrating in-season citrus. Its original orange dressing is delicious, thanks to a combo of shallots, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. Manchego and roasted almonds round out the dish that hits every note—crunchy, salty, nutty, bright, sharp, and bitter. Get the recipe: Every-Citrus Salad With Almonds and Manchego Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit