We love the holiday season. With Halloween in the rearview mirror, we are excited to celebrate the rest of the fall and winter holidays! We love seeing family and friends. We love the decorations and traditions. We love the cool weather — we’re in San Diego, so it’s rarely cold weather.
We don’t love the carb count in some of our favorite foods. No one should feel left out at the buffet table. That’s why we’re sharing delicious low-carb sides you’ll be thrilled to make this Thanksgiving.
This dish can replace mashed sweet potatoes without making you feel like you’re missing out on anything. In fact, one of our team members who doesn’t eat low-carb always has this dish at the holidays. Her family’s reason is simple, “Mashed potatoes were something we ate on Sundays; mashed carrots and parsnips are for Christmas Day.” The color and sweetness make them a perfect stand-in for sweet potatoes, and you won’t feel you’re missing out on anything! A serving has 35 calories, three grams of carbs and two grams of fat. Get the recipe.
We shared a recipe for low-carb green bean casserole in the past. (https://blog.neulivenhealth.com/post/four-low-carb-thanksgiving-recipes-to-share-this-thursday) It’s a good recipe! We also wrote about how not everyone on our team enjoys the dish. This dish is a lot less divisive. It’s so tasty with butter, garlic and onions. Cranberries and nuts make it feel like a holiday dish, and spears of green veggies make it a cousin dish to green beans — it’s stopped bickering in the office. A serving has 141 calories, nine grams of carbs, four grams of fiber and three grams of fat. Get the recipe.
Mashed cauliflower is a good stand-in for mashed potatoes on any given day. When it’s a weeknight and you want potatoes, go for cauliflower. It’s great! But turnips have more flavor, and they are in season. For special occasions, like the holidays, they stand out. You can season them like you treat potatoes, but they have a slight bite and sweetness. Pick small turnips, as large ones can be quite bitter. This is an upgrade from mashed cauliflower, so you’ll feel like you are having a holiday treat rather than having to skip potatoes! A serving has 135 calories, 11 grams of carbs, three grams of fiber and 10 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
Our last recipe today doesn’t stand in for anything. It’s just yummy and simple. It’s an easy extra side dish. Acorn squash has a texture and sweetness that tells you it must be filled with carbs. No veggie that tasty could possibly be low in starches. But this side dish you can slap together won’t upset your blood sugar while being guaranteed to be a hit at your dinner table. A serving has 128 calories, 12 grams of carbs, two grams of fiber and eight grams of fat. Get the recipe.
We hope these dishes help you fill your buffet table with delicious things you will enjoy this holiday season!
