Eating healthy shouldn’t mean missing out on Thanksgiving. Your Thanksgiving menu can be healthy without sacrificing amazing fall flavor. Whether it's a roast turkey, a protein-packed side dish or a heart-healthy dessert, these recipes take classic holiday dishes and give them a healthy spin. Try some of these lightened-up versions of your favorite classics instead. This is the year Thanksgiving isn’t going to kill your diet.
Turkey may be the centerpiece, but good stuffing is the heart and soul. In this healthy stuffing recipe, we show you how to take one of the most eagerly anticipated dishes at the Thanksgiving table and transform it into a dish you won’t feel guilty about indulging in. Fantastic by itself, we guaranteed that your guests will be requesting seconds.
STUFFING
Bread Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp zero-calorie sweetener
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 bags Quest Sea Salt Protein Chips, crushed
- 1/3 cup Quest Multi-Purpose Mix Protein Powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Non-stick cooking spray
Stuffing Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 bag Quest Sea Salt Protein Chips
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dry thyme
Directions:
Bread: Preheat oven to 375° F. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together water, sweetener, butter, eggs and baking powder. Add crushed Quest Sea Salt Protein Chips and mix with wet ingredients. Add all-purpose flour, Quest Multi-Purpose Mix Protein Powder and salt. Mix everything together until incorporated. Form into a smooth ball of dough. (Note: dough will be sticky). Spray a sheet pan with non-stick spray and place dough in the middle of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes; cool for 10 minutes. Slice the loaf in half. Reserve half for another use. Cut remaining half into ½” slices, then cube the bread into small pieces; set aside.
Stuffing: Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add butter. Once butter is melted, add carrots, onions, salt and thyme; cook about 5 minutes. Take cubed bread and place in medium-sized bowl; whisk 1 egg and toss cubed bread pieces in egg. Add chicken stock to sauté pan and bring to simmer. Add bread and crushed chips to pan and incorporate with other ingredients; simmer for an additional 3 minutes or until bread begins to absorb chicken stock. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and add stuffing mixture into pan. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered or until golden brown and crispy on top.
Nutrition (Per Serving):
- Calories: 210 | Protein: 22g | Net Carbs: 12g | Fat: 8g
GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cauliflower (340g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy milk, rice milk, cow milk, hemp milk, etc.)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- salt to taste
Directions:
Microwave cauliflower in a bowl and cover for 5 minutes, then blend all ingredients together.
You can add any other spices you like.
Nutrition (Per Serving):
- Calories: 110 | Protein: 9g | Net Carbs: 6g | Fat: 4g
Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
Potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 Cinnamon Roll Quest Bars
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 scoop Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
- ¼ cup sugar-free maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons zero-calorie sweetener
- ½ teaspoon butter extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Topping
- 1 tablespoon zero-calorie sweetener
- Pinch cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons crushed pecans
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Poke several holes in each potato and wrap each in tin foil.
Bake for 45 minutes or until soft and tender. Remove from the oven.
Peel off the skin of the potatoes and place them inside a large food processor.
Unwrap and break up the Quest Bars into small pieces and place into a small microwave safe bowl with the almond milk and butter. Heat for 80 seconds.
Stir until the bar is soft and melted. Heat longer if needed.
Add the melted bar to the food processor along with the Greek yogurt, Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder, 1/3 cup syrup, zero-calorie sweetener, butter extract and cinnamon. Pulse several times as you incorporate all of the ingredients. Don’t over-process or the potatoes will become smooth and thin. Simply pulse to achieve a mashed sweet potato consistency.
Topping
Heat the tablespoon of zero-calorie sweetener and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the pecans and coat. Sweetener should begin to melt and caramelize in 3-4 minutes.
Remove when the pecans have become candied. Sprinkle in the salt.
Scoop the potatoes into a medium serving dish. Sprinkle pecans on top.
Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons syrup. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (Per Serving):
- Calories: 120 | Protein: 9g | Net Carbs: 6g | Fat: 5g
DINNER ROLLS & GRAVY
This is the time of year that we get to spend the most time with the people we love, which is a wonderful feeling as the year comes to an end. But don’t forget to continue to love yourself and continue with your healthy eating habits.
Nothing brings a smile to the Thanksgiving table like the sight of dinner rolls and gravy.
In this healthy holiday recipe, we show you how to recreate one of your holiday mainstays. Pouring gravy over your biscuits has never been so guilt-free. Your smile will be even bigger.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup warm water (100°F -115°F)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active yeast
- ½ cup all-purpose baking flour
- 1 ½ scoops Quest Multi-Purpose Mix Protein Powder
- 1 scoop Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons zero-calorie sweetener
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup butternut squash puree (baby food jar)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the yeast into the warm water for about 10 minutes or until it gets bubbly and activated. (Be sure the water isn’t too hot or too cold).
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, Quest Multi-Purpose Mix Protein Powder and Quest® Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder, coconut flour, zero-calorie sweetener and salt. With a hook attachment on the mixer, pour in the yeast, 2 tablespoons softened butter, egg and squash puree. Mix about 5 minutes or until well combined. Mixture will be sticky.
- Coat your hands with more Quest® Multi-Purpose Mix Protein Powder. Form the dough into 8 even balls and place on parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Brush the tops with the remaining melted butter and return to oven for 3-4 minutes or until no longer doughy inside.
GRAVY
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup sweet yellow onions, chopped
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free syrup
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 5 tablespoons Quest® Multi-Purpose Mix Protein Powder
Directions:
Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8 minutes, or until caramelized.Pour into a mini blender and add the cornstarch and protein powder. Blend a few seconds until smooth. Serve immediately or reheat.
Nutrition (Per Serving):
- Calories: 150 | Protein: 13g | Net Carbs: 7g | Fat: 6g
PUMPKIN PIE
Who says you can't have your pie and eat it, too? Cut carbs and fat—and keep the taste—with this healthy take on traditional pumpkin pie. The best part? If you whip it up for Thanksgiving, you can help yourself to a guilt-free serving of seconds.
Ingredients:
Base:
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 2 1/2 tbsp almond sesame seed, peanut butter
- 2 tbsp agave syrup or regular honey
Filling:
- 1/2 can pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup quest vanilla protein powder
- 3/4 cup liquid eggs
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp toffee flavoring
Directions:
Make the base by blending the base ingredients until you get compact dough. Press the dough down into the bottom and along the sides of a pie mold. Remember to use a mold with a removable bottom that allows you to unmold your pie easily.
Bake the crust at 360 F (180 C) for 10-15 minutes, and then remove it from the oven. This step is optional, but it ensures your base cooks a bit longer than the pie so it's nice and crispy.
Make your filling by blending the filling ingredients together using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor. Pour this onto the base.
Bake at 320 F (160 C) for 45-50 minutes, or until the filling has cooked through. Be careful not to over bake it. To ensure a creamy center, remove your pie as soon as it's cooked through—you'll know when an inserted knife comes out clean.
Let the pie cool before slicing and … that's it! Eat with abandon!
Nutrition (Per Serving):
- Calories: 162 | Protein: 10g | Carbs: 11g | Fat: 9g