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7 Perfect Thanksgiving Side Dishes: From Soup to Dessert

By Holly Darnell, RD

November 17, 2025

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it's time to put planning into overdrive, including for all of those side dishes that some folks expect alongside some other recipes that will surprise your loved ones in the best of ways.

Each of these recipes uses one of our dear Ancient Nutrition products in order to provide more healthy protein as well as valuable components. Some you can do without if you don't have it on hand but do your best to include to get the most from each dish.

Click through to the link for each recipe to learn about the ingredients and directions. Enjoy!

1. Sweet potato hummus

You can kick off Thanksgiving with this great appetizer that uses sweet potato in a novel way: sweet potato hummus. You've probably had plenty of baked sweet potatoes or mashed but this is just as delicious. This recipe packs an extra punch with the addition of Bone Broth Protein.

Pair with cut-up fresh vegetables like sweet peppers, celery or carrots, or go with some crackers.

2. Creamy pumpkin soup

Enjoy the flavors of fall in this puréed pumpkin soup. Blended together as one thick and creamy soup, you’d never guess all of the nutrients hiding in your bowl.

Bone Broth Protein Butternut Squash infuses this soup with protein, collagen and a delicious butternut squash flavor that compliments the pumpkin. One cup of this delicious delivers a perfect balanced macronutrient dish, at 209 calories and with 19 grams of healthy carbs, 13 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein.

3. Parsnip soup

Want a departure from pumpkin? Then try this parsnip soup. You get a little bit of the sweetness of carrot alongside the earthy, nutty flavor of parsnips for a complex, rich soup.

This is one of the more balanced and nutritious soups. One serving of this parsnip soup is 334 calories and contains 23 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of fat and 16 grams of protein.

4. Superfood stuffing

Stuffing often comes from a box or if homemade, from white bread. Both are nutritionally bankrupt and loaded with calories. Not this superfood stuffing recipe! It includes wonderful ingredients (including several that take this one over the top in flavor and nutritional value) and won't weigh you down.

One serving provides 154 calories, including 21 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein.

5. Sweet potato casserole

The No. 1 Thanksgiving side dish is often the sweet potato, so why not try this sweet potato casserole recipe to up the flavor another notch as well as the presentation.

Sweet potatoes are one of the tastiest fall vegetables, and it's packed with a variety of vitamins and potassium. In addition, it ranks much lower on the glycemic scale than regular old potatoes, which makes this vegetable a great alternative to starchy carbs. Meanwhile, this sweet potato also features the go-to fall nut: the pecan. Yum.

One serving is 220 calories, including 25 grams of carbs, 11 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein.

6. Green bean casserole

The only issue with this traditional version of this recipe is that it can be heavy and that's not what you want when you have many dishes on the table next to that big bird. This healthier, lighter green bean casserole is entirely vegan and includes the best ingredients. The results are divine. It includes a mushroom sauce that relies on cremini mushrooms.

Each serving is 214 calories, including 27 grams of carbs, 9 grams of fat and 9 grams of protein.

7. Gluten-free apple pie

Looking for a healthier apple pie recipe without gluten that's still delicious? This is your ticket. With hints of lemon, apple cider vinegar and several spices, it hits all the right notes … and even includes some collagen for good measure.

One slice is 375 calories (go with half a slice if you're stuffed!), with 48 grams of carbs, 18 grams of fat and 6 grams of fat.

Recipes developed by Holly Darnell, RD. Holly is a registered dietitian nutritionist who unlocked self-love at the intersection of exceptional food and practical solutions for healthy living. She’s passionate about helping others make simple, positive lifestyle changes on their individual path to healing.