Fall means it’s time for the holidays, including my favorite Thanksgiving Food Ideas.
Autumn is fantastic because the weather cools off, the leaves turn beautiful colors, and my Thanksgiving pies start going in the oven!
Thanksgiving Food Ideas
I can barely contain myself when this holiday comes around.
I love that we have an entire day dedicated to gratitude, and I love celebrating with my darling family.
Is Thanksgiving a Holiday?
So, if you’re wondering, is Thanksgiving a holiday, the answer is yes.
It is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada.
Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October, while American Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November.
Healthy Keto Thanksgiving Recipes
I love that my Thanksgiving meal includes so many delicious superfoods.
With the harvest of fall upon us, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to eat the rainbow.
And so, each year, we have a variety of gorgeous, colorful dishes on the table, from the greens of kale and brussels sprouts to the orange of Pumpkin Pie, and the beautiful bright red of cranberry sauce.
All delicious superfoods that are easy to make, perfectly traditional, and incredibly healthy.
If you’re looking for Keto Diet Healthy Recipes, try my Keto Pumpkin Pie and many other hits below!
Recipe for Roasted Turkey with Balsamic
Stuffing Recipes for Thanksgiving
Vegetable Side Dish for Thanksgiving
My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, other than dessert, is the vegetable sides! Here are some of my favorites:
Sides for Thanksgiving
It’s not all about the turkey and vegetables, there are plenty of other delicious sides for Thanksgiving.
Cranberry Sauce Orange Juice
How to Make Cranberry Sauce
Biscuits with Almond Flour
Thanksgiving Pies
Saying that we love pies in this house is a major understatement!
And we love them even more during fall.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie Homemade
Recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie
Thanksgiving Recipe Desserts
What’s better than a chocolate chip cookie? A nut-free, egg-free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie!
If you’re looking for some other unique recipes for the holidays, check out my Thanksgiving Desserts.
There you’ll find delectable recipes for the below and more!
Thanksgiving Recipe Leftovers
There’s nothing better than waking up the day after Thanksgiving to a fridge full of leftovers.
If you are wondering what to make with turkey leftovers, I’ve got the perfect solutions for you.
Ideas for Leftover Turkey
I love making Turkey Chili, or when the family is in the mood for something more simple, a classic turkey soup.
Alternatively, my Recipe for Turkey Hash is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner folded into a savory leftover Thanksgiving remix.
Onion, squash, and turkey come together to make the most flavorful Thanksgiving recipe leftovers.
Thanksgiving Recipes for Vegans
Don’t worry, I have some great recipes for the vegans in your life too. Check out my:
Thanksgiving Recipes for Vegetarians
And if you’re a vegetarian, you can use the recipes for vegans above as well as the vegetarian items below:
Thanksgiving Recipes Easy
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a time of gorging on unhealthy fare or sitting at the table watching others eat and feeling deprived.
With my healthy Thanksgiving recipes, you can enjoy grazing and being full without the high-carb hangover.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food or tradition? Leave a comment and let me know!
Crystal says
I was surprised to read your giving up agave – its in so many of your recipes. I just started to read a little bit about Paleo. Is there any approved Paleo sweetners?
Colleen Buchanan says
Dear Elena — I have substitued Coconut Nectar for agave as a sweeter in all of your recipes I have tried with great success. It is a think liquid (a little thicker than agave) and is made from the sap of the coconut tree and is loaded with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and is extremely low on glycemic index. I use the same amount as your recipe calls for the agave. I have no idea if it is paleo friendly or not but it works great and is actually healthy! You can google it and find out more about it’s health benefits. the brand i use is Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Nectar
Laelle says
I agree with the coconut nectar. It subs well in most recipes. If I don’t want it quite so thick and caramel-like I will mix with some maple syrup. The vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe is amazing with coconut nectar and melted coconut oil subbed for grapeseed oil. It’s great because it is way lower in fructose than most other sweeteners that are Paleo friendly, including honey and maple syrup. Love it!
Saundra says
I am fairly new to gluten free eating, although we have eaten low glycemic for many years. I have used the sweetener for diabetics by Whey Low. I then began using Agave more and more after finding and reading your blog and purchasing your cookbooks. Be sure to let us know what your substitutions for agave might be.
I am not very familiar with paleo eating. Since I don’t really like eating meat very much, I rely on legumes, brown rice, quinoa, etc. I can see that this would definitely be a huge change. I suffer from several autoimmune diseases and nightshade plants are one of the food items that have come off my food list. My husband is diabetic so my menu planning definitely works around him. However, he loves his potatoes!
Laura C says
Saundra – Please please do not use agave if you have diabetes. It is not low glycemic!! I use a combination of Coconut Palm Sugar and Xylitol in all my baking and cooking.
Amy says
Saundra, giving up nightshades is really hard, but it’s worth it! I have suffered from a variety of symptoms for most of my life, but with the removal of nightshades (white potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants), I’ve been nearly free of chronic pain and headaches. My doctor explained its affects like this: Night shades affect your parasympathetic nervous system. They contain Solanine which is a nerve toxin and can irritate the mucous membranes of your GI system. Solanine turnes into sugar and inhibits the enzyme breakdown of acetylcholine (a nervous system neurotransmitter). Good luck with all this. It can be very overwhelming, but definitely worth the trouble.
Saundra says
Thanks Amy and Laura for your comments and information. I’ll look into the coconut nectar for a sweetener.
Amy, your explanation helps me to understand the nightshade problem. I am having quite the dilemma in cooking for my family now. Being grain-free was one thing — and easy enough to remedy. There are other options in that area. But to cook without tomatoes or potatoes is another thing. I’m not sure where to begin since I am wheat and dairy and sugar free — and now shadeplant free as well. Nothing they are used to eating is on my current eating plan. (wink)
Christina says
Amy,
Have you given up the nightshades too? Are you also eating Paleo? Just wondering how to find out more information. Thank you.
Edie says
Hi Elana,
I went to Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach a few years ago where they drink wheatgrass juice and eat only raw foods and they are definitely against tomatoes. The reasons: They are nightshade, most of them are ripened artificially and they are really a fruit and do not combine well with many foods. A lot of people get heartburn from cooked tomatoes due to the acid. So I think you are doing the right thing.
Also, I’m glad that you went Paleo, it is the closest way to the foods eaten by our ancestors who ate only what they found out in nature that was edible. I was Paleo for several years and felt the best I’ve ever felt, then fell off the wagon and now you are motivating me to go back.
Thanks !
Christina says
Edie,
If you went raw vegan why are you now eating Paleo/meat? Thank you.
Lisa says
Roasted turkey Brined in apple cider, butter pecan sweet potatoes (most Paleo people are okay with sweet potatoes and butter), sausage stuffing, broccoli salad, raw cherry apple pie AND Paleo rolls! I can’t wait!
Stephanie says
@Lisa – What’s your recipe for butter pecan sweet potatoes?!?!
Rebecca says
Yes, yes please tell.
Cindy says
Lisa, your Thanksgiving dinner sounds delicious!
Mama Baba says
Elana.
Your heart and diet are after mine.
We have so many similarities in our intolerances.
Always love your research and fantastically inspiring recipes!!
Keep up the good work ;)
Patty says
I am so excited about your change in diet!
I found your website when I was eating no gluten no diary, but when I was diagnosed with prediabetes and had to go gluten free, dairy free low carb there was less and less on the website I could eat-but NOW I am going to pay attention again.
sandy g says
I encourage you to experiment. I was diagnosed diabetic in April, 2011 (A1C was 13). I did not want to “suffer along” as many people do when they learn they are diabetic. I began looking at alternatives and discovered this blog.(thank you Elana for sharing) I take her recipes and tweak them to suit my needs. Low carb and loving it! My A1C is now 5.7 and I have lost 88 lbs. I eat good food that is good for me.So you can do it .I am living proof.
Heather @ Bake, Run, Live says
I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner for both sides of the family, so there will be Paleo dishes and non-Paleo dishes.
A few weeks ago, I stopped eating tomatoes and I have noticed a difference (my stomach used to get upset after eating them- raw, at least). I haven’t noticed the same reaction to white potatoes- which is good cause I love eating them. As a runner, they are my main source of carbs after my long run.
Happy Thanksgiving Elana- to you and your family!
Janell says
I never heard that about tomatoes. Thanks for the tip! Although, I never really was a big fan in the first place :) All your thanksgiving recipes look fabulous! Can’t wait to try some!
Victoria says
“nightshade” vegetables sometimes have a reaction in people. Especially if they are “leptin” resistant. Google both nightshade and leptin you’ll find that both may cause issues in different people.
http://www.naturalnews.com/027978_nightshade_vegetables.html
Alec says
I don’t recall reading anything about tomatoes and lectin in The Paleo Solution. I’ve also found a number of recipes/dishes using tomatoes on Robb’s site. You sure about the lectin thing?
PB says
The issue with nightshades is actually the alkaloid content (I’m not aware that they contain any appreciable lectin levels–lectins are a protein, and alkaloids, while similar chemically in that they contain nitrogen, are not really classified as such). Alkaloids can aggravate inflammatory conditions, and many folks (Robb Wolf included) recommend avoiding them if you are dealing with such issues. [I don’t remember if this is in his book, or if I heard it on his podcast…]
nicolette @ momnivore's dilemma says
I’m going to start GAPS/SCD {which is a bit like paleo}…just with more fermented foods and broths…
Have you tried those for healing, Elana? If you are Paleo already, doing that my help with any food intolerances…{of which I still am loaded with}.
I’m moving my 4 year old on GAPS/SCD too. He’s addicted to GF carbs. Not good. I know it will help with the remaining autism I see…
Thanks for your recipes!
Sharing on pinterest…
Elyse Early says
I tried SCD recently, but I found out that the initial diet limited me so much that I become allergic to some of the stage 1 foods that were allowable. I think my system is extra sensitive, but lack of rotation on the initial stages of the diet were difficult for me because with so few allowable foods, I developed allergies to those foods. I never even considered that this might be the case in the beginning. I love the yogurt, though! Just a tip–you may not need to buy a yogurt maker. We can get the right temp by putting a 90 watt bulb in our oven and we culture the yogurt in those Weck canning jars that you can get from Crate & Barrel with glass lids. It’s the easiest thing and then we just pop the jars in the fridge and they are ready to serve!
Rebecca says
Wow, such a creative idea!!! Thanks, Elyse!
Amy says
Elana, I was interested to see you gave up tomatoes. I was diagnosed with nightshade allergies (white potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants) last year because of extreme inflammation, headaches and swelling to name a few. I’m so much better without these ingredients, many of which were the last to be cultivated for human consumption. I’m interested to learn more about the paleo diet, although I believe I have been doing a modified form of it for almost 10 years. Thanks for all your helpful info. Happy Thanksgiving!
Janice says
Have you considered taking systemic enzymes for inflammation? AST Enzymes has two systemic enzymes that have begun to help me – Exclzyme 2AF and Serracor NK. Their website is http://www.astenzymes.com/
Ralph Faneus says
Amy & Elana I’m curious to know if your blood types are O – In my reading I see that some of those thing are mentioned to avoid.
Wanda Ball says
Hi, I’m just wondering about the allergy who said you were diagnosed with. I’m constantly having issues with inflammation. How did you get the diagnoses?