Thanksgiving is the day we spend time with family, practice gratitude, and stuff ourselves with good food. While we want to enjoy our day without guilt and practice food freedom, that doesn’t necessarily mean stuffing ourselves with whatever we want without consequence. One thing I find helpful is ensuring that there are some solid food choices available that will help me fill up on veggies and much needed micronutrients before digging into the pie. Allotting a majority of your plate to lean protein and veggies allows you to still enjoy the foods you want without eating to the point of discomfort.

Here are three super easy side dishes you can bring along to any family or holiday dinner this season. They are lower-calorie options to traditional side dishes you may normally have at Thanksgiving dinner and are a great swap if you’re not crazy about the traditional casseroles and calorie-dense sides.

HONEY THYME ROASTED CARROTS

If you’re not a fan of glazed or creamed carrots, try this beautiful (and simple) dish of roasted rainbow carrots.

PREP TIME: 5  minutes || COOK TIME: 30 minutes || Makes 6 servings

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 2 lbs Trader Joe’s carrots of many colors

• 1 T raw honey

• 1 T olive oil

• 1 T apple cider vinegar

• ½ t salt

• ½ t thyme

WHAT TO DO:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2. Whisk together honey, olive oil, ACV, salt, and thyme. Toss carrots in mixture until evenly coated.

3.  Arrange on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes until brown and caramelized.

MACROS PER SERVING: 2P | 2F | 16C (90 CALS)

BUTTER DIJON GREEN BEANS

If you don’t love the traditional high-calorie green bean casserole, try this tangy and flavorful dish that takes only minutes to prepare but still satisfies the craving for crunchy fried onions.

PREP TIME:  5 minutes || COOK TIME: 15 minutes || Makes 6 servings

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 ½ lb fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed

• 1T coarse grain mustard

• 2T dijon mustard (or Trader Joe’s Pale Ale mustard for added flavor)

• 2T butter, melted

• 1T lemon juice
  

WHAT TO DO:

1. Blanch clean green beans by boiling in salted water for about 2 minutes until bright green in color. Immediately transfer green beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

2. Whisk together melted butter, lemon juice, and mustard. Heat a pan on stovetop on medium-high heat and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until beans are slightly browned.

3. Optional: top with a sprinkle of fried onions

MACROS PER SERVING: 2.5P | 4F | 8C (75 CALS)

PARMESAN PARSLEY DELICATA

Instead of cheesy scalloped potatoes or a sugary sweet potato casserole, try this beautiful parmesan crusted delicata squash so you can get your sugar rush for dessert.

PREP TIME:  10 minutes || COOK TIME: 20 minutes || Makes 6 servings

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 2lb delicata squash (or acorn squash)

• 1T olive oil

• 1T crushed or minced garlic

• ½ T Italian seasoning

• 1C grated parmesan cheese

• Fresh parsley

• Salt and pepper to taste

WHAT TO DO:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare squash by cutting lengthwise, removing seeds, and slicing halves into ¼ inch slices.

3. In a bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and half of the parmesan cheese. 

4. Toss sliced squash in seasoning until evenly coated. Lay seasoned squash flat on a baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. 

5. Bake until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Garnish cooked squash with fresh parsley before serving. 

MACROS PER SERVING: 13P | 11F | 16C (215 CALS)

We love cooking up easy recipes and we love sharing them even more. If you enjoy these, here are a few other macro-friendly Thanksgiving dishes from last year’s 2018 holiday series, or check out Dinner Party, our new cookbook packed with macro-friendly three-course dinner recipes. Both digital and hard copies are available in The Shop!