10 Amazing Healthy Sides for Your Thanksgiving Table

From stuffing to mashed potatoes, holiday accompaniments are just as important as the main dish. Here are some healthy options to add to your Thanksgiving menu:

Farro Stuffing with Butternut Squash, Red Onion, and Almonds

View Recipe: Farro Stuffing with Butternut Squash, Red Onion, and Almonds

Side dishes shine during the holiday season, so don’t settle for sub-par accompaniments. From bright, flavorful veggies to creamy mashed potatoes, we’ve got everything you need to make a great plate.

First up is this nontraditional stuffing, in which earthy flavors and starchy comfort come from whole-grain farro, not bread. You can assemble up to 2 days ahead. Take out of the fridge, let stand at room temperature 45 minutes, then bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Sausage and Chestnut Dressing

View Recipe: Sausage and Chestnut Dressing

Chestnuts bring rich, nutty flavor without adding much fat or many calories, as would pecans or walnuts. You can find whole roasted chestnuts in the baking aisle.

Read more: 5 Things We Want to Eat This Month That Aren’t Turkey

Baked Mac and Cheese

View Recipe: Baked Mac and Cheese

We added a surprise ingredient, canola mayonnaise, to make things extra creamy.

Cauliflower Salad

View Recipe: Cauliflower Salad

A fresh, crisp salad balances the lineup of heavier, rich side dishes. You can follow a recipe or just compose one with pretty cuts of your favorite vegetables and herbs tossed with a light vinaigrette. Make this salad a day ahead if you want the flavors to absorb into the cauliflower a little more. Just hold off on adding the cheese until right before serving.

Green Beans with Dried Cranberries and Hazelnuts

View Recipe: Green Beans with Dried Cranberries and Hazelnuts

Every plate needs a little green on it. Blanch the beans ahead, and store in the refrigerator to eliminate a task from the Thanksgiving Day prep list.

Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Gastrique

View Recipe: Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Gastrique

The gastrique, a tangy-sweet glaze, is Thanksgiving worthy but also simple enough to pull off on a weekday.

Read more: Fall Baking Favorites

Classic Corn Bread Dressing

View Recipe: Classic Corn Bread Dressing

This is the quintessential Thanksgiving side dish in the South. It is made from crumbled corn bread, with no added French or sourdough bread to cut it, so the texture is unique. Loads of aromatics give this dressing its flavor; don’t be tempted to use less.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

View Recipe: Cheesy Potato Casserole

Rather than using sodium-loaded canned soup, we made our own creamy sauce to update this dish.

Supersavory Wild Rice Pilaf

View Recipe: Supersavory Wild Rice Pilaf

The fluffy pilaf will soak in all the delicious juices from your plate making it the perfect side dish.

Read more: The Best Techniques for Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

View Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

No Thanksgiving table is complete without this sweetened vegetable. Our modern twist on the classic sweet potato casserole is a fragrant vanilla bean streusel.

Read about the rest of the healthy holiday side dishes at CookingLight.com