10 Healthier Thanksgiving Side Dishes and Appetizers!

Thanksgiving and healthy don't usually go together. But it doesn't hurt to have a side or two that taste great and is great for you.

1. Baked Apple Chips


2. Roasted Kidney Beans


3. Roasted Pumpkin Chickpeas


4. Parsnip Chips


5. Baked Potato Soup


6. Baked Parmesan Tomatoes


7. Roasted Peas


8. Spinach Balls


9. Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes


10. Sauteed Kale with Bacon




Enjoy!

Soy Wax Beans with Sesame Seeds

I don't think I had a wax bean until my mother-in-law handed me a big bag of beans (we also walked away with garden fresh kale, cabbage, and cucumbers). I now had to figure out what to do with them. After looking through a dozen recipes, I finally just chose one, nearly at random. It must have been fate because Eric and I devoured our entire supply of wax beans and immediately wanted more so we can make these again.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 pound wax beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pinch ground ginger
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss the wax beans with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until beans are tender and browned in spots. Toss beans halfway through.

Mix together soy sauce, ginger, lemon, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add roasted beans and toss. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Soy wax beans with Melt-your-mouth chicken

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Veggie Recipes:
Parmesan Veggie Crisps
A Basic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Baked Potato Soup
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Cheesy Tomato Zucchini Bake 
Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
Alfredo Green Bean Casserole  

Roasted Kidney Beans

You may have noticed that I've been on a roasted vegetable kick lately. First there were roasted chickpeas, then roasted green peas, then roasted butter beans. The only bean left in my pantry to roast were kidney beans--another healthy snack to add to my repertoire.

Ingredients:
15-ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Lemon pepper seasoning (or seasoning of your choice--you may have noticed I LOVE lemon pepper seasoning)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Pat the beans dry with paper towel. Spread them on the cookie sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the beans half way through cooking.

Season with lemon pepper seasoning.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Healthy Snacks:
Baked Apple Chips
Banana Chips
Kale Chips
Parmesan Garlic Wonton Crackers 
Roasted Butternut Seeds
Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn
Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus 

Crunchy Roasted Butter Beans

I'm always looking for healthier snacks. Roasted chickpeas, roasted peas, zucchini chips are just a few of my favorites. For some reason I had a can of butter beans in my pantry (a gift for our pantry wedding shower, maybe?) and had no idea what to do with them. So I decided to roast them. They're crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and addicting.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
Lemon Pepper Seasoning (or the spice of your choice)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Pat the beans dry with paper towel. Spread them on the cookie sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the beans half way through cooking.

Season with lemon pepper seasoning.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Healthy Snacks: 
Baked Apple Chips
Roasted Butternut Seeds
Kale Chips
Yellow Squash Chips 
Yogurt-Covered Blueberries