Thanksgiving is quickly approaching – if you are searching for Paleo friendly Thanksgiving sides for you or your guests we put together a list of the 10 most popular sides to get you started.
While some people put their diets on pause on Thanksgiving while others craft their meals around the strict standards of Paleo. Fortunately, there are many traditional and tasty Thanksgiving sides that you can cook with your Turkey.
Keep reading to learn more about our 10 favorite Paleo friendly side dishes.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving favorite across the country – and best of all they are Paleo-friendly. Since most Mashed Potato recipes are a just boiled Potatoes you are in the clear. Just make sure to keep an eye out for lots of Salt or other non-paleo seasonings that might be in the Gravy or Cheese on top!
Green Beans
Green Beans are another all time classic Thanksgiving side. These can be prepared from a can if you are short on time or fresh from the market for best results.
If someone brings a side of Green Bean Casserole double check all the ingredients – some casserole recipes use non-paleo ingredients.
Asparagus
Asparagus might not excite the kids at Thanksgiving but there are plenty of tasty ways to cook this green vegetable. We recommend trying a recipe that incorporates Bacon for extra flavor and crunch. For the BBQ lovers, you can even cook these outside on the grill – just make sure not to leave them on too long or they will catch fire!
Stuffing
You can’t have Thanksgiving without Stuffing. Fortunately for Paleo lovers most Stuffing recipes are Paleo friendly. Be sure to double-check all the ingredients. The best stuffing recipes use parts of Turkey, but you can use a box if you are in a rush.
Cranberry Sauce
No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a sign of cranberry sauce. Some people prefer this jiggly fruit spread from a can while others make it by hand with fresh cranberries. Either way this side dish it is safe to eat on the fourth Thursday of November.
Gravy
Thanksgiving gravy goes great on mashed potatoes, turkey, rolls, and most other side dishes. No Thanksgiving day meal is complete without A ladle for a hot gravy. Like most other turkey day side gravy can be made from a can or using fresh parts for on your turkey. In my house the only option is made from scratch gravy – don’t forget to save the leftovers for a delicious sandwich topping the day after.
Peas
Peas are a favorite Paleo vegetable. Most people prepare a pack of frozen peas just before dinner with a pot of water and Butter. We think frozen peas are OK – but a fresh peas from the pod are always better. Our favorite way to eat Peas at Thanksgiving is to combine them with our next favorite side dish – Carrots!
Carrots
Carrots are popular all year and can always be found at the dinner table. At Thanksgiving, some families choose to have them raw while other cook and season these orange veggies in a variety of ways – almost all of which all OK for paleo!
Non Paleo Thanksgiving Sides
Not every popular Thanksgiving side is safe to eat on the Paleo diet. Some of the most popular’s that are seemingly healthy options are actually not Paleo friendly. Side dishes like corn, Mike, Frank are all Thanksgiving classics but do not meet the standards of the Paleo diet.
Butter – Butter is not allowed on Paleo – which may make it difficult to season some of your favorite sides. Luckily – if you are eating healthy most things taste great on their own or with a dash of Salt and Pepper.
Corn – Many popular Thanksgiving day sites include Corn as their primary ingredient. Unfortunately, corn is not part of the Paleo diet which means side dishes like corn on the cob, cream corn, and corn by itself are off-limits.
Wine or alcohol – A glass of wine pairs well with a turkey dinner, unfortunately, wine and other kinds of alcohol are not allowed on the Paleo diet
Rolls and Biscuits – Grains are not allowed on the Paleo diet which means buttered rolls are off the menu at Thanksgiving. Rolls might seem to be a semi-healthy option but the grains are not Paleo-friendly.
How We Picked
Picking favorite side dishes is no easy task especially at Thanksgiving. Our team started by making a list of all of our favorite Thanksgiving sides, then eliminating everything that was non-Paleo.
After that we voted and ranked each side dish to come up with our list of favorites!
Estelle Russo
Paleo Lover
Hi there! My name is Estelle and I am a Paleo Lover! I like helping other people learn about the health benefits of the paleo diet.