Healthy Thanksgiving Side & Dessert
Many people think it’s extremely difficult or nearly impossible to eat healthily during the holidays. Fortunately, we can still enjoy all our favorite holiday foods, just in a healthier way! While you may choose to enjoy the mashed potatoes and a slice of pecan pie this Thanksgiving, try adding roasted brussels sprouts with butternut squash as a side dish and baked apples for dessert. This year make the decision to add a colorful, healthy side dish and delicious dessert that are both rich in fiber and vitamins and won’t ruin a healthy diet.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries
Ingredients:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
3 cups Brussels sprouts ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon Salt to taste
Roasted Butternut Squash:
1 ½ lb butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes (Yields about 4 cups of uncooked cubed butternut squash)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Other Ingredients:
2 cups pecan halves
1 cup dried cranberries
How to Roast Brussels Sprouts:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Trim ends of Brussels sprouts and remove yellow leaves.
Then, slice all Brussels sprouts in half.
In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine.
Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).
How to roast Butternut Squash:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
Note: You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven – that’s what I did.
How to toast pecans:
Toast pecans in the preheated oven at 350 F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit longer) in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color.
Note: pecans burn really fast, so make sure to check the nuts after 5 minutes and frequently afterwords.
Assembly:
In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine.
Healthy Baked Apple Dessert
Ingredients:
apples
old fashioned oats
coconut oil
maple syrup
cinnamon, ground ginger
pecans
How to Core Apples:
To core apples, first, slice off the top to make it flat – removing the stem. You can eat the tops – don’t throw them away!
Take a sharp paring knife (this is the one I have– it’s expensive but SO worth it) and cut out the center of the apple.
The center doesn’t have to be perfectly cut out or rounded, you just want to get the seeds out. You’re going to fill this with the oat mixture so you won’t even see it.
How To Make Baked Apples:
Core your apples. See above for instructions on how to do this. If you don’t want to core your apples, try our Apple Crisp recipe, or just slice your apples and put them in a baking dish.
Mix together your apple filling.
Stuff the apples with the filling + bake!