50+ Lightened-Up Thanksgiving Recipes For Your Big Feast

This Paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan appetizer makes a great snack when you have guests with a mix of dietary restrictions.

Get the recipe: Brussels sprout chips

Wow your family and friends with these slightly sweet and refreshing edamame bites.

Get the recipe: edamame crostinis

Not only is the creamy filling delicious, it works well as a vegan-friendly dip if mushrooms aren't your favorite.

Get the recipe: stuffed mushrooms

Typically served with a sweet and spicy Asian sauce, this version is paired with something a little creamier and with less sugar. The dip also uses protein-packed Greek yogurt.

Get the recipe: baked coconut shrimp

For a healthy twist on a dip usually loaded with calories, try this low-calorie kale ricotta dip.

Get the recipe: kale ricotta dip

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to get your green on with this nutrient-rich jewel-toned Winter greens salad. Kale and chard provide the hearty base, while pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts add some crunch and sweetness.

Get the recipe: kale and chard salad

Bring kale and sprouts together for salad perfection.

Get the recipe: shredded brussels sprouts salad

Bitter greens like endive taste their best when temperatures drop. Serve this beet, apple, and endive salad to make the most of seasonal produce.

Get the recipe: beet, apple, and endive salad

Guests will go back for seconds of this mildly spicy, satisfying one-pot meal, perfect for vegetarians.

Get the recipe: mushroom pilaf

For a little taste of the South, make this gluten-free corn bread dressing. It's spiced with cumin and cayenne pepper and can also be made vegan with a few simple substitutions.

Get the recipe: gluten-free corn bread dressing

Another gluten-free alternative, this non-traditional stuffing is made with fluffy quinoa with the Fall flavors of zucchini, butternut squash, and dried cranberries.

Get the recipe: quinoa stuffing

The nuttiness of protein-packed wheat berries plus autumnal spices like cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon will complement the rest of your meal.

Get the recipe: spiced wheat berry pilaf

This thick and yummy vegan mushroom gravy is a tasty alternative for the non-meat eaters at your table. It's delicious on seitan, tofurky, or a slice of Field Roast celebration loaf.

Get the recipe: vegan mushroom gravy

Homemade cranberry sauce is so easy to make, not to mention healthier than its store-bought jellied counterpart. Try this citrus twist.

Get the recipe: orange cranberry sauce

Adding pomegranate juice as well as the seeds gives this traditional recipe an extra flavor burst and loads it with antioxidants.

Get the recipe: pomegranate cranberry sauce

A lightened-up celery root and parsnip puree is an excellent lower-calorie and lower-fat substitute to mashed potatoes with the addition of extra fiber and protein.

Get the recipe: celery root and parsnip puree

Say goodbye to the sugar-laden marshmallows, and welcome a pecan crumble to top off sweet potato casserole.

Get the recipe: sweet potato casserole

It's butter, cream, and more butter that traditionally give mashed potatoes their richness, but these ingredients are hardly necessary as proven by these low-carb mashed potatoes that add Greek yogurt and cauliflower to the mix.

Get the recipe: Greek yogurt mashed potatoes

Skip the dessert-like sweet potato casserole for a more whole-foods approach. Sometimes simple is better!

Get the recipe: maple-roasted sweet potatoes and yams

In this fresh and tasty healthy green bean casserole, panko and Parmesan cheese offer a healthier revamp of french-fried onions, and the addition of mushrooms ups the veg factor.

Get the recipe: healthy green bean casserole

Butter- and cream-free Swiss chard tastes decadent and comforting. It's a perfect complement to all the rich and heavy food that'll be at the scene.

Get the recipe: no cream "creamed" Swiss chard

In the past, you may have cooked up your sprouts with bacon or pancetta, but this recipe for balsamic Brussels sprouts with walnuts offers a similar depth of flavor while providing a boost of healthy fat not found in those meaty options.

Get the recipe: balsamic brussels sprouts with walnuts

Sometimes, there's nothing like a warm apple crisp to signal the end of a great Fall meal. This vegan apple cranberry crisp is a cozy way to celebrate the holiday.

Get the recipe: vegan apple cranberry crisp

No butter, eggs, milk, or cream here. This sweet potato pie with whipped coconut cream tastes so creamy, no one at the table will believe it's vegan.

Get the recipe: vegan sweet potato pie

Say it ain't so: a delicious cheeseless cheesecake? This video recipe for soy-free vegan pumpkin cheesecake will make you a believer.

Get the recipe: vegan pumpkin cheesecake

Bread pudding makes for an easy throw-together dessert, and substituting almond milk for regular cuts a few calories as well. This easy recipe for vegan pumpkin bread pudding is the perfect option.

Get the recipe: vegan pumpkin bread pudding

Who needs high-calorie pecan pie when you can make these vegan pecan thumbprint cookies? They're a cinch to make and can be baked ahead of time if your oven is prime real estate on Thanksgiving.

Get the recipe: vegan pecan thumbprint cookies

Since this apple pear crisp is vegan, it's lower in fat and cholesterol than the traditional dessert, and the pear adds a subtle, sweet twist (plus it ups the fiber).

Get the recipe: apple pear crisp