Healthy Thanksgiving Sides With Protein: 7 Easy Ideas

How many times have you heard "skip lunch to save room for tonight"? Then you get to dinner starving, and everything on the table is gone before anyone has carved the turkey.

I've done that more Thanksgivings than I'd like to admit. Then I'd feel heavy and annoyed with myself all evening, and the whole next day too. The problem was my plan, because nothing on the table except the turkey kept me full.

So this year, try a different plan: healthy Thanksgiving sides that still taste like Thanksgiving, with a little protein in them, so the meal fills you up before it fills you past comfortable. Here are 7 easy ones, plus a simple way to build your plate. And yes, there's still pie.

What makes a Thanksgiving side healthy?

Most lists of healthy Thanksgiving side dishes just take the butter out. That makes the food worse, and it doesn't fill you up any better.

What actually keeps you full is protein, fiber and volume. Protein is the most filling of the three macronutrients, calorie for calorie. Foods with lots of water and fiber, like vegetables, beans and lentils, fill your stomach for fewer calories. Rolls and pie sit at the other end: they taste amazing, and they're easy to keep eating before you feel full.

Most tables have one Thanksgiving protein (the turkey) and six or seven sides that are mostly carbs. So a side that brings its own protein changes the whole plate.

A healthy Thanksgiving side keeps the flavor and adds protein or vegetables.

7 healthy Thanksgiving sides with protein

All of these are easy. Most use one pan or one pot, and none of them needs a new skill.

1. Garlic white bean mash

Swap half the potatoes for white beans. It's the same creamy mash, with more protein and fiber, and nobody at the table will notice it.

• Boil about 1.5 lb (700 g) of potatoes like you always do.
• Warm 1 can of white beans (15 oz / 400 g, drained) with 2 cloves of garlic and a little olive oil.
• Mash it all together with a splash of milk, salt and pepper.

2. Green bean casserole with a Greek yogurt sauce

Skip the canned soup. Cook sliced mushrooms and onion in a pan, take it off the heat, and stir in plain Greek yogurt with a little broth. Mix with cooked green beans and bake. Keep the crispy onions on top. That's the best part, and it stays.

Tip: add the yogurt off the heat. If it boils, it splits.

3. Roasted Brussels sprouts with crispy chickpeas

Halve the sprouts, add 1 can of drained chickpeas (15 oz / 400 g) to the same tray, and toss both with oil and salt. Roast at 425°F (220°C, or 200°C fan) for about 25 minutes. Finish with a small drizzle of maple syrup.

4. Lentil stuffing

Make your usual stuffing and fold in 1 can of lentils (15 oz / 400 g, drained) before it goes in the oven. It keeps the taste you grew up with and adds protein and fiber to the side people take the most of.

5. Edamame and corn succotash

Warm frozen edamame, corn and a diced red pepper in a little butter, then add salt and fresh herbs. Edamame is soy, and soy is one of the few plant foods with complete protein. It takes 10 minutes and it's bright green on a very brown table.

6. Greek yogurt herb dip with a vegetable platter

Mix plain Greek yogurt with lemon, garlic, dill and salt. Put it out with carrots, cucumber, peppers and radishes while people wait for the turkey. Snacking on vegetables first takes the edge off before the big meal, and the dip brings protein.

7. Big green salad with roasted squash, feta and pumpkin seeds

Roast cubes of butternut squash, then toss them with greens, crumbled feta, pumpkin seeds and a simple vinaigrette. Serve it first if you can. Starting a meal with a salad or soup helps you eat less of what comes after, without trying.

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How to eat healthy on Thanksgiving without saying no to pie

The sides help. How you fill your plate helps more. Here's the order I'd use, with your hand as the measuring cup:

• 1 palm of protein first. For most women, that's 3 to 4 oz (85 to 115 g) of turkey, about 20 to 30 g of protein.
• 1 fist of vegetables. The Brussels sprouts, the green beans, the salad.
• Then the sides you really love. The ones you wait all year for, not the ones you eat because they're there.

Then eat slowly, and stop when you feel satisfied, not stuffed. Think about 80% full. Pie is better when you have room for it.

And don't skip breakfast to "save room." In my experience, that's the plan that makes you arrive starving. A normal breakfast with some protein, like eggs or Greek yogurt, makes it much easier to enjoy dinner without overdoing it.

One plate of turkey and vegetables first is better than a whole day of "being good" that ends with you standing at the pie table.

Healthy Thanksgiving sides for vegetarians and vegans

Last week someone asked me for a vegan swap for the yogurt in a soup. My answer was white beans. They blend smooth, they add protein, and they don't change the taste much.

The same idea works for Thanksgiving. If you don't eat turkey, your sides have to do the protein job:

• The white bean mash, the chickpeas and the lentil stuffing are already vegan if you use olive oil and a plant milk.
• Edamame gives you complete protein, the same as dairy.
• Swap the Greek yogurt in the dip for blended white beans with lemon and garlic.

Plant protein works just fine. Getting enough of it matters more than where it comes from.

Your Thanksgiving week, without the guilt

You don't have to "earn" this meal or burn it off after. What ends a streak is stopping everything for the rest of the week after one big dinner.

If the house is full and your normal routine is gone, a quiet 10 minutes in the guest room still counts. Here's a home workout with no equipment that works anywhere. And when the leftovers run out, these easy weeknight dinner recipes get you back to normal meals without a big plan.

Healthy Thanksgiving sides: your questions

What are good healthy Thanksgiving sides?

The best ones keep the flavor and add protein or vegetables: white bean mash, roasted Brussels sprouts with chickpeas, lentil stuffing, edamame succotash and a big salad with squash and feta. They fill you up, so you enjoy the meal without feeling stuffed after.

What healthy side can I bring to Thanksgiving?

Bring something that travels well and needs no oven space when you arrive. The Greek yogurt dip with a vegetable platter or the green salad (dressing on the side) are easy, and they give everyone something fresh to start with.

What are high protein Thanksgiving side dishes?

Anything built on beans, lentils, chickpeas, edamame or Greek yogurt. Swapping half the potatoes for white beans and adding lentils to your stuffing are the two easiest changes, because they keep dishes people already love.

How much protein should I eat at Thanksgiving dinner?

A simple guide for women is 1 palm of protein per meal, about 20 to 30 g. That's roughly 3 to 4 oz (85 to 115 g) of turkey, or 1 cup (about 225 g) of Greek yogurt. Put it on your plate first, then add the sides.

This year, build the plate that keeps you full

Aim for a Thanksgiving where you get to the table hungry but not starving, fill your plate with the turkey and a side that brings protein, and still have room for pie.

Pick one side from this list and bring it this year.

Start with the free 7-Day Kickstart Plan, inside the Kettlebee app, with 10-minute doses that fit the life you already have.

Which side would you never give up on Thanksgiving? Tell me in the comments. I read every one.