It’s no secret that holiday side dishes and main courses are loaded with unhealthy fats, sodium, sugar, and calories. To put it in perspective, a single one-cup serving of traditional scalloped potatoes contains the following nutrition:

• Calories: 227
• Total fat: 10.5 grams (g)
• Saturated fat: 6.4 g
• Sodium: 835 milligrams (mg)
• Carbohydrates: 31.3 g
• Protein: 5.2 g

Needless to say, you will most likely eat more that a one-cup serving of scalloped potatoes because they are just that tasty. They are incredibly creamy, garlicky, and sensationally delicious, especially when made from scratch. Yes, from scratch! We don’t want to bother with that damn boxed stuff! Those are not real potatoes in that box and the contain too much sodium and preservatives. Instead, make this vegan scalloped potato dish, which will hook your taste buds after the first bite.

When it comes to choosing the type of potato for a scalloped potato dish, we recommend Russets or Yukon Golds. The starch content of these potatoes helps the cashew cream thicken during the cooking process, creating a wonderfully creamy sauce. Russet potatoes have the most starch, while Yukon Golds hold their shape a bit better during baking. Both are great choices, but whichever potato you decide to go with, make sure you use a mandolin slicer to cut them. This will make all the potato slices uniform in thickness, which creates an even texture during the cooking process. Please enjoy this vegan holiday recipe!

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Take a break from the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes this holiday season and try this comforting recipe! This dish will take you back to a good memory, even if you have never eaten it before. It’s just that good! The creamy sweet potatoes pair beautifully with the earthy walnuts, making this a comforting side dish with notes of sophistication. While it may not have you extending your pinky as you sip tea, it will be a big hit at your dinner table. It just adds a little extra deliciousness to your spread!

Sweet potatoes and walnuts go together like peanut butter and jelly. Crunchy walnuts add the perfect textural contrast to luxuriously creamy sweet potatoes. Although sweet potato recipes are more popular doing fall, they are a year-round produce item. Enjoy them whenever you can! Besides their addictive flavor, sweet potatoes are really good for you. They are naturally rich in many vitamins and minerals that contribute to overall health. Specifically, sweet potatoes exhibit the following health benefits:

• They contain sporamins, which are unique proteins that account for over 80% of their total protein content. Researchers note that these proteins exhibit antioxidant properties, which may help protect your cells.
• Like other plant-based foods, sweet potatoes contain a number of plant compounds that may protect the body in one way or another. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid that the body converts to vitamin A. By adding fat to the meal (walnuts in the case of this recipe), you can increase the absorption of this compound.
• Finally, researchers note that the dietary fiber in sweet potatoes can help benefit the gut. One study found that the fiber in sweet potatoes acts as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of healthy gut bacteria. That helps improve both digestion and immune function!

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Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday that brings together friends, family, and, most importantly, flavors. Eating until you can no longer move is almost encouraged on this holiday, but you regret it when you are beyond bloated. Sure, the rolls and mashed potatoes went down smooth with the stuffing and turkey, but was it necessary? Did you have to put your body through that experience again?

In addition to family time and eating, Thanksgiving is really about preparation. The meal is quite a lengthy process, especially if you take on the challenge all by yourself. Between basting the turkey, mashing the potatoes, roasting the Brussels sprouts, and preparing for the onslaught of family members, it’s safe to say that Thanksgiving is overwhelming. That means that you have a lot of preparation to do, especially in regards to your mental health. 

It’s no secret that the Thanksgiving dinner requires a lot of preparation, but it also requires your mental preparation. There are many lies that surround this holiday, and most of them involve why you feel you should stuff your face. Start this year fresh to better assess how you approach this holiday. When you look at common lies surrounding why you eat a lot, you may end up eating less and feeling better about yourself.

It’s Thanksgiving…So You Need To Gorge

Thanksgiving, much like 4th of July or Labor Day Weekend, is a holiday about excess. This holiday primarily focuses on food, and eating leftovers throughout the weekend is highly encouraged, according to the masses. The reality is that you should be extra careful with what you eat because it is Thanksgiving, after all. Eating too much is too easy, so be extra careful with what you select from the big holiday spread.

The Food Is So Good That You Need To Go Back For Seconds

True, the food is extra special on Thanksgiving. That also means that you need to concentrate on thoroughly enjoying each and every bite. Don’t just eat mindlessly and wolf down forkful after forkful, not taking a second to breathe or enjoy food between bites. In all seriousness, you will enjoy yourself (and the food) much more if you savor what you put on your plate. Don’t overcrowd your plate, either, as a large plate of food is harder to fully appreciate. 

You Need To Celebrate By Eating Whatever You Want

Thanksgiving is not your opportunity to fully abandon all of your dietary rules. Is it a time to be appreciative of what you have and for the people who surround you? Yes, absolutely, but that has nothing to do with eating recklessly. You don’t need to express your gratitude via eating excessively. Three pieces of pie doesn’t mean you are more grateful than someone who enjoys food responsibly. 

Eat As Much As You Can Now While It’s Here

For the most part, Thanksgiving food is not eaten any other time of year, except for Christmas, maybe. The truth is that you will get to eat the same thing the following day for leftovers. And the even bigger truth is that if you don’t get to eat a side dish on Thanksgiving, you can always make it again some other time. There is no need to stuff your face just because this meal happens once a year. That is a foolish way of thinking!

You Don’t Need To Follow Boundaries On Holidays

Ahhh, this is potentially the biggest lie that surrounds the holiday season. In fact, people know that they gain more weight during this time of year than the rest of the year. New Year’s resolutions will take care of it, right? Wrong! Boundaries protect you and your life, and your overall health, will benefit if you don’t stuff yourself on Thanksgiving. You will also feel better the next morning when you wake up knowing that you followed your boundaries. Be strong and your body will thank you!

It’s There And You Can’t Help Yourself

If you fill your mind with the truth before you sit down to eat, the likelihood of you stuffing your face is much lower. Don’t believe the common lies surrounding Thanksgiving and prepare yourself mentally to have a healthier, less-bloated experience.

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Who is ready to do away with the classic holiday side dishes? Before we offend anyone, you do not have to get rid of grandma’s recipes or anything like that. Instead, maybe you can include different sides at your holiday meals or parties this year. Too often do vegetables take a back seat at the holiday spread. If you see veggies on the table, they are most likely stripped of nutrients and prepared in an unhealthy way. This recipe departs from a dish of boring steamed carrots and pivots to change peoples’ minds about carrots. They will be an instant classic at your table!

It is very easy to roast vegetables that have a lot of flavor. The tricky part of roasting vegetables is cooking them evenly. The easiest way to get an even cook is to cut them uniformly. Thicker pieces will obviously take a lot longer to cook than thinner pieces. For this carrot recipe, you cook the carrots whole after peeling them. If the carrots you purchase are thick, feel free to cut them in even sticks to ensure an even roast. By the time the carrots are done, you want them to be fork-tender and caramelized, but not mushy. That is why the roasting time depends on the size of the carrots.

Now, tarragon is an underutilized herb in most households, but a lot of people don’t know how to use it. You only see fresh tarragon in teh spring and summer, but you can purchase dried tarragon any time of year. Tarragon has a subtle taste and is popular for flavoring, its medicinal properties, and for its fragrance. It pairs well with asparagus and carrots and goes great in soups and stocks. It is also rich in manganese, which is an essential nutrient that reduces oxidative stress in the body and plays several roles relating to metabolism, growth, and brain health.

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Finally, a potato side dish that does not have dairy! Potatoes are a staple ingredient in many kitchens around the world. There are Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, Russet potatoes, red skin potatoes, and purple sweet potatoes. You can use potatoes in myriad ways, roasting them, boiling them for a mash, frying them, etc. We think, and although this recipe is a bit more tedious, that Hasselback potatoes are top tier. Do they contend with your favorite potato side dish? You’ll have to be the judge of that.

We love these Hasselbacks because they are visually exciting and taste incredible. Load them up with spices and feel free to add your own set of herbs to enhance the dish. As far as cooking goes, the process is very easy. You roast the potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes and that’s that. The tedious element is how you cut the potatoes. The first thing you have to do is make sure that your knife is sharp. If your knife isn’t sharp, the preparation will be a lot more difficult. Once you have a sharp knife, take two wooden spoons and lay them flat on a cutting board.

One by one, place your potatoes between the handles of the spoons, ensuring that the potato is elevated about the cutting surface. Slice eighth-inch thick slices along each potato, making sure that you hit the spoon handles, not the cutting surface. Once your potatoes are successfully cut, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil and seasonings. Make sure you coat them liberally! Bake in the oven until soft (about 20 minutes) and then enjoy immediately.

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There aren’t many vegetables that are as versatile, nutritious, and addictive as roasted Brussels sprouts. If you disagree, then you have not had the perfect roasted Brussels sprouts. They can be tricky to roast, so you often end up with overly soggy, overcooked Brussels sprouts. You’ll be amazed at what a little olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper can do to your sprouts. The exteriors will caramelize and the interiors will be beautifully soft. Feel free to add a squeeze of lemon juice to the Brussels sprouts when you serve them.

Should you cut your Brussels sprouts in half before you roast them? Well, we’ve got all the secrets to cooking a great pan of Brussels sprouts. If you want your sprouts to have a crunchy exterior, you should cut them in half before you roast them. If they are very large, you can quarter them. Cutting them allows water to escape, which prevents them from being soggy inside. At 425 degrees Fahrenheit, roast your Brussels sprouts for roughly 18-20 minutes tops. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning or undercooking them.

Spread them out into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. If the Brussels are too close together or overlapping then thy will steam instead of crisping. Place them cut-side down to start the roasting process. About halfway through the roasting process, make sure to flip them to ensure an evenly crisp exterior. Once you remove them from the oven, you can serve them with your entree. These make for a great Thanksgiving side dish, and don’t contain the calories and fats that other classic sides have. Elevate the flavor with a little lemon juice or balsamic glaze. Please enjoy!

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This recipe is just one of those recipes, folks. It is so refreshing, filling, and will make your raw vegan diet experience that much more exciting. Considering cauliflower is not a vegetable that you would usually eat raw, this recipe helps you overcome that hurdle. It shows you how versatile it can be. To get the cauliflower just right, roughly chop it into florets and toss them into a food processor to pulse until you achieve a rice-like consistency. You do not want to blend the cauliflower into a puree. If you have access to health food stores, you may be able to find bagged cauliflower rice. You can have it, provided the cauliflower is not cooked and there are no added preservatives.

Because this recipe uses cauliflower, it is a low-carb version to the traditional side dish. Besides being lower in carbs than bulgur wheat, cauliflower is rich in an assortment of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. For reference, one cup of cauliflower contains the following nutritional profile:

• 25 calories
• 5 grams (g) of fat
• 2 g of fiber
• 57% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin C
• 14% of the DV of vitamin K
• 12% of the DV of vitamin B6
• 7% of the DV of potassium
• 9% of the DV of choline
• 15% of the DV of folate
• 4% of the DV of magnesium
• 14% of the DV of vitamin B5

This is also served with crunchy romaine, butter lettuce, or cabbage leaves to enjoy as cups. It takes the classic side and turns it into a uniquely filling raw vegan entree. Plus, the almond tahini sauce makes it slightly different than your average recipe, which usually calls for olive oil and lemon juice. The tahini dressing makes this cauliflower tabbouleh much creamier and richer, and we hope you like it as much as we do.

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Sometimes, you stumble upon a salad recipe that you enjoy eating once per week. It is a recipe that you look forward to and crave deep within your bones. There is just something about it! Perhaps it hits the right sweet and salty notes and provides varying textures that create excellent mouth feel. A salad also doesn’t have to be any of those things. Maybe it contains six ingredients and a simple dressing. Is it this salad, perhaps? That’s for you to decide.

Tabbouleh is thought to have originated in the mountains of Syria and Lebanon as far back as the Middle Ages. It is a parsley-based dish that most commonly contains tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, mint, olive oil, salt, pepper, and bulgur wheat. This grain-free tabbouleh salad is non-traditional, but still very similar to the original. It bursts with a bright parsley flavor. Parsley is naturally rich in antioxidants and aids the body with its natural detoxification efforts.

Unlike the traditional recipe, this one contains the addition of bell pepper. It contains red onion, but you can also use shallot if you prefer that flavor, which can be a bit intense for some people. It’s also a no-mix dressing, meaning that you just add all of the ingredients to the bowl and mix. Keep it easy, people! This salad is fresh, citrusy, crunchy, versatile, extremely healthy, easy to make, and incredibly delicious. Enjoy it on its own or as a side dish that accompanies a more filling entree. We hope you love it as much as we do!

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Hot summer days have arrived, so you need a refreshing dish to cool you off. This crisp watermelon mint salad comes together comes together in under 10 minutes with just six simple ingredients. It’s a great side dish for a family dinner or a great option for your next gathering or summer potluck.

Watermelon is the quintessential summer fruit. It is always on the summer menu and aids your hydration efforts, given that it is more than 90% water. Watermelon is light, healthy, and incredibly easy to eat. Not to mention, watermelon is a very versatile ingredient, pairing well with different flavors. You can grill slices and drizzle a balsamic glaze over them. Add watermelon to juices, detox waters, salads, and more!

In the case of this recipe, you pair watermelon with fresh mint, sea salt, fresh lime juice, raw agave nectar, and olive oil. You can cut the watermelon into cubes, bite-size pieces, triangles, or whichever shape you like. The primary goal with this salad, besides creating delicious flavors, is to make it quickly. Once you do that, you can be fancy and chiffonade the mint. Chiffonade is a fancy term for thinly slicing herbs after rolling up the leaves. You can also tear the mint leaves if you do not want to slice them thinly. Combine the mint and watermelon in a bowl and then add the dressing ingredients. Toss to coat and enjoy!

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You have to love a sheet pan meal or side dish. Much like a one pot meal, a sheet pan meal is convenient, easy, and doesn’t require many dishes. No need for separate pots and pans! Ain’t nobody got time to do all of those dishes! So…we are pulling off this trusty side dish that requires minimal prep time and very few dishes. Unsurprisingly, it tastes pretty amazing straight off the pan!

This side dish features tender roasted baby potatoes, a flavorful and zesty lemon dressing, and soft asparagus that have a slight crunch. The addition of fresh lemon wedges on the sheet pan helps impart more lemon flavor into the potatoes and asparagus. It’s a great entree or side dish for anyone following a vegan or vegetarian diet. Should you want to add different vegetables to this pan, you can do so, but make sure not to overcrowd the pan. If you find that your pan is too crowded, divide the vegetable mixture across two separate sheet pans.

The only thing to keep in mind with this recipe is that you may want to cut the vegetables so that they are uniform in size. If the baby potatoes are small enough, you may want to halve or quarter them so they cook evenly with the asparagus. Otherwise, you can boil the baby potatoes for about five minutes before baking them. Cutting them into smaller pieces means no boiling and fewer dishes for you to wash. Choose wisely and enjoy the recipe!

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