How to Make Thanksgiving a Little Healthier (Without Taking the Fun Out of It)

How to Make Thanksgiving a Little Healthier (Without Taking the Fun Out of It)

Thanksgiving doesn’t have to mean throwing all your habits out the window. If you’re helping cook this year — or just want to be a little more mindful — a few small changes can make a big difference in how you feel during and after the meal.

Better oils = better base for your food

If you’re cooking, try swapping out canola oil or generic vegetable oil for avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.

Most vegetable and canola oils are highly processed seed oils that can contribute to inflammation in the body, especially when heated. They’re unstable at high temperatures and can create compounds that stress the body and disrupt normal cellular function over time.

Avocado oil and olive oil are much more stable and contain healthier fats that support your body instead of working against it. They’re easy swaps that don’t change the flavor in a negative way — just the quality.

Use:

  • Avocado oil for higher heat cooking or roasting

  • Olive oil for sautéing, drizzling, or lower heat dishes

Swap refined sugar for better sweeteners

If you’re making any desserts or sides, try replacing white refined sugar with:

  • Honey

  • Coconut sugar

  • Pure maple syrup

  • Stevia

These are more natural options and tend to be gentler on your blood sugar than heavily refined sugar, which can cause big spikes and crashes.

You still get sweetness — just without the same level of stress on your system.

How you eat matters too

When it’s time to fill your plate, a simple trick that helps a lot:

Start with:

  1. Vegetables

  2. Protein

  3. Then carbs

This makes you less likely to overdo it on stuffing, bread, and sugary sides because you’re already satisfied from the nutrients your body actually needs. It keeps things more balanced and helps prevent that overly stuffed, sluggish feeling afterward.

A cleaner pumpkin pie option

If you still want dessert (because… obviously), here’s a pumpkin pie recipe that uses maple syrup instead of refined sugar and still tastes like real Thanksgiving:

Healthy Maple-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie:

https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/best-ever-healthy-pumpkin-pie/

The bottom line

You don’t need to be perfect on Thanksgiving. Just being a little more intentional with ingredients and how you build your plate can help you enjoy the meal without feeling wrecked afterward.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Back to blog