24 Nov 5 Healthy Thanksgiving Desserts
By Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, Contributing Blogger
Thanksgiving is a holiday that is definitely not synonymous with healthy eating. Instead, it’s a day that’s known for stuffing (pun intended) yourself to an uncomfortable point. But, there are plenty of ways to have a healthier Thanksgiving and still indulge in your favorites–even dessert! I’ve compiled a round-up of healthy Thanksgiving desserts from fellow registered dietitians who understand the importance of making every meal a little bit healthier and also saving room for dessert.
Low Sugar Pecan And Dark Chocolate Pie (pictured above)
By Rachael Hartley, RD, LD, CDE of Avocado A Day Nutrition
I absolutely love pecan pie, but it’s usually one of the unhealthiest pies on the table. Pecan pie is normally loaded with butter and sugar, but this version uses only maple syrup and dark chocolate chips for a hint sweetness. This lighter version won’t make you feel guilty about having seconds.
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Bites
By Karmen Meyer, RD of The Nutrition Adventure
This no-bake dessert combines peanut butter, pumpkin, and coffee. How can those three things not be amazing together? These bites can be made in minutes, and they are naturally sweetened with dates–AKA mother nature’s candy
Rustic Maple Apple Pie
By Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD of Teaspoon of Spice
A Thanksgiving table wouldn’t be complete without apple pie. This pie filling is very light on the sugar and uses apples with the peels, for an added boost of fiber. Making your own pie crust guarantees that there aren’t any unnecessary preservative or additives.
Pumpkin Praline Frozen Yogurt
By Jennifer Pullman, MA, RDN, LDN of Nourished Simply
I always think of Thanksgiving as the last hoorah for pumpkin, and this recipe sends pumpkin out with a bang! Candied pecans, pumpkin spice yogurt, and pureed pumpkin come together to make the most mouth watering pumpkin frozen yogurt. Serve this on turkey day, and I highly doubt your guests will know that this didn’t come from the local ice cream shop.
No Bake Fig Newton Snowballs
By Danielle Omar, RD of Food Confidence
Figs are a delicious low calorie, high fiber fruit. Unfortunately, store bought fig-stuffed cookies are usually loaded with sugar. However, this adorable version keeps the sugar to a minimum. Plus, serving bite-sized desserts is a great way to provide small portions that will help keep overindulging to a minimum.
TELL ME: What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dessert? How do you make it a little bit healthier?
Natalie is a NYC based Registered Dietitian, working in the food service and corporate wellness industry. Natalie believes that healthy food should be tasty food, and her blog, Nutrition à la Natalie, showcases this with many easy, healthy recipes. To stay up to date with Natalie’s recipes or nutrition tips, follow her on Twitter or like her page on Facebook.
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