Charcuterie salad, cauliflower mash, stuffing made with whole wheat bread: 6 ways to sneak more protein and fiber into your Thanksgiving meal

Maxine Yeung
·6-min read
An overhead of a Thanksgiving meal, with the turkey at center, surrounded by mashed potatoes, green beans with garlic, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and brussels sprouts.
Use fresh cranberries to make a lower sugar sauce, and leave the skins on when making mashed potatoes to add fiber. (Getty Images)

It’s that time of year when seasonal and nostalgic foods come out, social gatherings fill our calendars and feelings of stress or loneliness can lead us to find comfort in food. That can make it harder to navigate eating well during the holidays. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, though, there’s some good news: You don’t have to skip or even completely change your beloved turkey day dishes to eat a bit healthier.

If you’re looking to create a balanced Thanksgiving spread that helps you better enjoy this food-centric holiday, there are simple swaps to try. Rather than focusing on what to eliminate, Elizabeth Shaw, nutrition expert, author and owner of ShawSimpleSwaps, encourages focusing on small changes that add nutrition — like boosting fiber or protein — to your favorite recipes.

Here are six tips from nutrition experts, including myself, on how to have a tasty and more nourishing Thanksgiving meal.

With the focus on turkey, stuffing and pie, vegetables can end up as an afterthought on Thanksgiving. But getting your fiber fix helps you stay satisfied for longer, manage blood sugar and balance out those richer dishes. While your plate might not meet the recommendation of being half-filled with veggies, adding them in festive ways still packs plenty of benefits.

“I’ll add a fun and festive seasonal salad that pops with vibrant colors, like delicata squash and pomegranate arils, attracting even the salad haters of the group,” Shaw tells Yahoo Life. She also dresses up the table with her Charcuterie Salad With Homemade Balsamic Dressing made out of prunes. “Everyone raves about the dressing combo with the salad blend, and I rest easy knowing I’m helping their gut and bones during the meal too,” Shaw adds.

With grandparents from Croatia, Sarah Koszyk, registered dietitian and sports nutritionist, founder of the wellness company MIJA and author of 365 Snacks for Every Day of the Year, enjoys bringing cultural flavors to the table. “Being from the Mediterranean area, we always have roasted vegetables drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, so it’s another dish that is rich with nutrients and very comforting,” she tells Yahoo Life.

We all know that Thanksgiving is full of starch-based items. Adding whole grains to the spread is a simple way to increase the fiber-rich options while introducing different flavors and textures. For example: If you love stuffing, try substituting whole wheat bread cubes for white bread. The dish’s natural moisture keeps the texture fluffy, even with whole grains.

I love adding grains like farro or wheat berries to salads or roasted veggies for a bit of extra texture and a nutty, satisfying twist.

Mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving staple, but how they’re prepared makes a difference in terms of nutrition. An easy way to get more fiber is to leave the skins on when making your potatoes. Or, if you prefer a creamy texture, Shaw suggests swapping in about 1 cup of riced cauliflower for a portion of the potatoes and adding ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt. “This helps provide more fiber, protein and vitamin C to the dish, with most guests not even knowing it’s in there,” she says.

Koszyk recommends a cauliflower mash as a lighter alternative. And if mashed potatoes aren’t your thing, Shaw suggests simply serving oven-roasted baby potatoes, which has the skin on, upping the fiber content.

Want to change up sweet potatoes too? Instead of the classic marshmallow-topped casserole, try roasting sweet potatoes with a touch of cinnamon to bring out their natural sweetness. A sprinkle of chopped pecans on top adds some crunch, protein and healthy fats.

Cottage cheese is definitely having its moment — and for good reason. Just a half cup of low-fat cottage cheese packs 12 grams of protein, along with key minerals like magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. Similarly, just a half cup of low-fat plain Greek yogurt adds more than 11 grams of protein with only about 2 grams of fat and 83 calories.

Koszyk recommends using cottage cheese and Greek yogurt as swaps for heavy creams and butter, which tend to be higher in fat. “The Greek yogurt and cottage cheese reduce the saturated fat while also increasing the protein for a meal that is satiating, tasty and well-balanced,” she says.

For a healthier spin on a classic appetizer, Kosyzk’s Healthy Low-Fat Spinach Dip is made with Greek yogurt instead of cheese, reducing saturated fat while keeping the flavor. In her Cheesy Protein Mashed Potatoes, cottage cheese is the secret to boosting protein.

Cranberry sauce tends to be one of those love-it-or-hate-it dishes. Cranberries are packed with health benefits, particularly antioxidants, but most sauces tend to be loaded with added sugar. For a lower-sugar option, make your own sauce by simmering fresh cranberries with water, orange zest and a splash of orange juice. If you want to sweeten your sauce, add just a touch of honey or maple syrup, controlling how much sugar goes into the dish. For a no-added-sugar option, cinnamon and ginger can also boost flavor.

For some, a crust is a must when it comes to pumpkin pie, while for others, like myself, it’s just a container to hold that delicious pumpkin pie filling. Since pumpkin pie is basically a custard on top of a crust, an easy way to cut down added sugar and carbohydrates is to make a crustless version. Think of it like a creme brulee (minus the brulee). Plus, it can be a great gluten-free option for any guests who need it.

Even with all of these healthy swaps, your Thanksgiving plate might still look different from your typical meal — and that’s OK. Instead of labeling holiday dishes as “too sugary” or “fattening,” simply call them by their names and use neutral, positive language when talking about food, suggests Dani Lebovitz, dietitian, food parenting expert and creator of Kid Food Explorers. This approach helps both adults and kids enjoy the meal without judgment. “And at the end of the day,” Lebovitz tells Yahoo Life, “Thanksgiving is about enjoying each other’s company, so stress less about the food and focus more on joyful connection.”

Maxine Yeung is a dietitian and board-certified health and wellness coach.

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