Classic Thanksgiving Menu Made Healthy

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Recipe: Skinny Country Green Beans

Green beans are the perfect side dish to many an entrée, but the problem is that many green bean recipes are laden with fat and extra calories. Let's not forget that we're dealing with green beans here — they're supposed to be nutritious! This Skinny Country Green Beans recipe brings that flavor you remember from your grandma's recipe and combines it with the proper nutrition hers was lacking.

10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 2 slices center-cut low-sodium bacon, baked and crumbled
• 1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and place a cooling rack on top of the foil.
2. Lay the bacon strips on the rack, and bake until desired crispness, 10-15 minutes.
3. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large mixing bowl with ice cubes and water. Set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, carefully drop the green beans into the water and boil for about 2-3 minutes. You want the beans to have a slight crunch and still be bright green.
5. If working in batches, remove the beans with a slotted spoon and transfer directly into the prepared ice bath. If not, simply drain the hot water and quickly transfer the beans to the ice bath.
6. Drain the green beans from the ice bath once they are cooled, and set aside in a colander to dry.
7. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of the oil, and the onions. Cook until the onions begin to become translucent, 4-6 minutes.
8. Add the minced garlic and drained green beans, and cook for 2-3 minutes, moving the beans around frequently.
9. In the last minute of cooking, add the vinegar, salt, black pepper, and bacon crumbles. Toss gently to combine.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (1 cup), Calories: 78, Calories from fat: 31, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 311mg, Carbohydrates: 11g, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Protein: 5g, SmartPoints: 3

Recipe: Whole-Wheat Herb Stuffing

Whether it's Thanksgiving or just another weeknight dinner, this stuffing is the way to go. Low-sodium vegetable broth, eggs, butter, onions, celery and a bunch of other yummy goodness come together to transform whole-wheat bread into a delicious side dish. At only 168 calories and 6 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving, you'll feel great serving this up to your family!

10 minutes + 30-40 minutes to dry out bread
Cook time: 50-60 minutes
Yield: 9 servings
Serving size: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole wheat bread
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced sage
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg + 1 egg white
• 2½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Lay the bread out between 2 baking sheets and bake to dry out, about 30-40 minutes.
2. When cool, stack the slices and cut them into 1-inch cubes.
3. Increase the oven temperature to 350° F and spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter, onions, and celery, cooking until they soften, 8-10 minutes. Add the herbs and cook an additional 2 minutes.
5. Working in batches or split between two large bowls, combine the bread cubes, vegetable mixture, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
6. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg, egg white, and broth. Add this mixture to the bread cube mixture and toss together gently with tongs to moisten all of the bread.
7. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake until brown on top and set in the center, 40-45 minutes.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 168, Calories from fat: 39, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 371mg, Carbohydrates: 25g, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Protein: 6g, SmartPoints: 6

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Recipe: Rosemary Garlic Potato and Parsnip Mash

Parsnips and potatoes come together for a delicious mash. Serve it on Thanksgiving, Christmas or even just a random weeknight — it's that easy. At only 120 calories and 4 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving, you'll want to save this recipe for many meals to come!

15 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Serving size: ¾ cup

Ingredients

• 1 pound baking potatoes (about 4 small)
• 1 pound parsnips (about 2 medium or 1 large)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary
• ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Peel and chop the potatoes and parsnips in 1- or 2-inch pieces.
2. Put them in a large saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, 15-20 minutes.
3. When the vegetables are almost done, heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
4. Add the butter, garlic, and rosemary, and cook until the garlic and butter just start getting browned, about 3 minutes.
5. Drain the potatoes and parsnips, then put them back into the pan they were cooked in.
6. Add the butter mixture and almond milk to the potatoes and parsnips. Use a potato masher to mash to desired consistency.
7. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: ¾ cup, Calories: 120, Calories from fat: 30, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 96mg, Carbohydrates: 22g, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Protein: 2g, SmartPoints: 4

Recipe: Cranberry Apple Relish

This recipe for Cranberry Apple Relish is delicious and super easy. The fresh cranberries bring out a rich cranberry flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness. This recipe is sure to be a Thanksgiving favorite!

5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 24 servings
Serving size: 2 tablespoons

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
• 1 small apple, diced
• ½ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• zest + juice of 1 orange
• 1 cup water, cold
• ¼ cup sugar-free Maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients except the syrup and cinnamon to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until the cranberries have popped and the relish has thickened.
3. When the relish is nearly thickened, stir in the syrup and cinnamon.
4. Serve warm over turkey, or by itself as a side.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (2 tablespoons), Calories: 36, Calories from fat: 0, Fat: 0g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 6mg, Carbohydrates: 10g, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 8g, Protein: 0, SmartPoints: 2

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Recipe: Balsamic Orange Brussels Sprouts

Cross Brussels sprouts off your list of gross veggies you'll never eat again; this recipe will definitely redeem them! And it's super easy to make, at that. Simply toss your Brussels and shallots with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, the juice and zest of an orange, and salt and pepper and toss them in the oven. At only 84 calories per serving, these will be a side dish you make again and again.

10 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• zest + juice of one orange
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a rimmed baking sheets with foil. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the Brussels sprouts, shallots, vinegar, oil, orange juice, and orange zest.
3. Spread the coated Brussels sprouts evenly on the prepared baking sheet and season them with salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, moving them around with tongs halfway through cooking time to ensure even browning.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: ½ cup, Calories: 84, Calories from fat: 32, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 94mg, Carbohydrates: 12g, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Protein: 3g, SmartPoints: 3

Recipe: Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

This is a fun alternative to a sweet potato casserole, since the contents will be served back in the potato skin. Instead of a calorie and fat-laden casserole recipe, we scooped out the centers of our sweet potatoes, added some non-fat Greek yogurt, cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg, mixed it all together and came up with these sweet and delicious sweet potatoes. The yogurt adds a slight tang that controls the sweetness of the brown sugar and potato.

10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour + 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Serving size: 1 filled potato half

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 64 mini marshmallows

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Wash the potatoes and dry them on a paper towel, then poke several holes in them with a fork, and brush the oil on the outsides of them.
3. Wrap each potato in foil, place them on a baking sheet, and bake until fork-tender, 40-60 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F after taking the potatoes out of the oven.
4. When the potatoes are cool enough to touch, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out the centers into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add the yogurt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the mixing bowl with the scooped-out potato centers. Mix in a stand mixer (or handheld mixer) until smooth.
6. Evenly spoon the mixture back into the potato skins, and top with chopped pecans and 8 mini marshmallows.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the marshmallows are toasted and melting.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (1 filled potato half), Calories: 91, Calories from fat: 22, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 36mg, Carbohydrates: 14g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar 7g, Protein: 3g, SmartPoints: 4

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Recipe: Skinny Pumpkin Pie

When you think of autumn, does the warm, lingering, house-filling aroma of pumpkin pie fill your nose? Maybe it reminds you of your grandma's recipe passed down throughout the generations? The only problem with Grandma's recipe? It's the definition of "holiday indulgence." This slimmed down pumpkin pie recipe will only put you out 175 calories and 11 grams of sugar per slice! So go ahead and relive the old days, this time just a bit more health-conscious.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Serving size: 1 slice

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3½ tablespoons canola oil
• 2-3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 (15-ounce) can 100% pumpkin puree
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 egg whites, beaten
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon clove

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, stir together the oil and water with a fork to combine.
3. Pour the oil and water mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together with a fork until evenly moistened. Add more cold water 1 teaspoon at a time if needed, until moistened.
4. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish and press the dough evenly along the bottom and sides of the pie dish. The crust is going to be very thin, so be careful not to tear holes in it.
5. Crimp the edges, or press with the tines of a fork as desired, then set aside until ready to fill.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
7. In a large mixing bowl, stir all of the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
8. Pour the filling in the set-aside pie shell and place the pie on a cookie sheet to put into the oven.
9. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue baking until the center is set, 1½ hours.
10. Allow the pie to come up to room temperature on a cooling rack for at least an hour before serving.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (1 slice), Calories: 175, Calories from fat: 61, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 88mg, Carbohydrates: 26g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar 11g, Protein: 4, SmartPoints: 7

The nutrition content of recipes on PopCulture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.