34 Diabetic-Friendly Recipes for Thanksgiving

From the Recipe Creator: I created this recipe in an attempt to use up a great turnip harvest from our garden, and to lighten up one of our favorite dishes. By using turnips in place of potatoes, I made a low-carb side. Now we rarely serve plain mashed potatoes! —Courtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas. Looking for more? Check out our collection of the best Thanksgiving recipes for diets.

From the Recipe Creator: The first time my friends tasted my new side dish, they said it was phenomenal. The longer you let it chill in the fridge, the more tender the sprouts will be. —Nick Iverson, Denver, Colorado

From the Recipe Creator: This is a traditional Kentucky recipe. It’s a popular side dish served all year long. If you’ve never tried spoon bread before, I think you’ll find it’s tasty and comforting. —Caroline Brown, Lexington, Kentucky

From the Recipe Creator: For a simple side dish, I use a slow cooker and let the beets mellow with rosemary and thyme. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

From the Recipe Creator: I discovered this fragrant salad in a cooking class. If you can, try to find orange flower water (also called orange blossom water), which perks up the orange segments. But orange juice adds a nice zip, too! —Carol Richardson Marty, Lynwood, Washington

From the Recipe Creator: I recently started experimenting with new soup recipes, and finally created a rich squash version that omits heavy cream altogether, making it a healthier way to curb my creamy-tooth. —Nithya Kumar, Davis, California

From the Recipe Creator: One day, company was on the way, and I forgot to buy salad fixings. Scavenging the fridge for ingredients, I pulled these together and invented a salad superstar. —Kelly Walsh, Aviston, Illinois

From the Recipe Creator: At a holiday dinner recently, I had the best Brussels sprouts ever! They were seasoned to perfection and lightly sweetened. I've tried to re-create the dish, and this comes very close. It has just the right amount of garlic and sweetness. —Robin Haas, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

From the Recipe Creator: I like to change things up during the holidays with pork loin recipes that incorporate my favorite herbs and veggies. This showpiece dish really dazzles my family. —Kim Palmer, Kingston, Georgia

From the Recipe Creator: Fresh green broccoli turns tangy and tasty when roasted with lemon juice and pepper. A sprinkle of almonds adds crunch. —Liz Bellville, Jacksonville, North Carolina

From the Recipe Creator: Everything's better with cheese, right? This cheesy two-potato mash is no exception. If you cube the cheese, you’ll discover delicious pockets of melted cheese throughout the dish. —Shelby Goddard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

From the Recipe Creator: In an effort to add more greens to our meals, I created this dish—and my kids eat it up. The crispy salami is the "hook." —Jennifer Mcnabb, Brentwood, Tennessee

From the Recipe Creator: The sparkling pomegranate gems make this salad irresistibly beautiful. My family loves it at holiday gatherings when pomegranates are in season. Even the children can't get enough of this antioxidant-rich delight. —Emily Jamison, Champaign, Illinois

From the Recipe Creator: This tasty potato gratin side dish combines great garlic and onion flavor, and kids love the nice crispy topping, too! —Jennifer Olson, Pleasanton, California

From the Recipe Creator: Even though these are whole wheat rolls they have a light texture and are soft and tender. This recipe reminds me of lots of happy meals with my family. —Wilma Orlano, Carroll, Iowa

From the Recipe Creator: This golden, honey-sweetened squash is just as hearty and comforting as your favorite potato dish. With its bright color, it makes an attractive side for special autumn meals. —Bianca Noiseux, Bristol, Connecticut

From the Recipe Creator: My sweet and chunky applesauce is a perfect snack or side dish with your favorite entree. Because it's prepared in the slow cooker, you can fix it and forget it before you and the family head out for some fun. —Susanne Wasson, Montgomery, New York

From the Recipe Creator: Stuffed with a succulent combination of wild rice, mushrooms and dried cranberries, these golden hens are sure to become a special-occasion entree in your home. They're a wonderful change of pace from traditional turkey. —Nancy Horsburgh, Everett, Ontario

From the Recipe Creator: It's nice to prepare a cold salad like this when entertaining because it can be made ahead and doesn't take up valuable oven space. —Debra Walter, Huntington Woods, Michigan

From the Recipe Creator: This appealing soup harvests the fall flavors of just-picked pumpkins and tart apples and is sure to warm you up on a crisp autumn day. I top the creamy puree with a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds. —Jane Shapton, Irvine, California

From the Recipe Creator: Brown sugar, bacon and cider vinegar season this simple side. I often make it for family and friends, and it never fails to please!—Jill Heatwole, Pittsville, Maryland

From the Recipe Creator: Sweet potatoes take a different twist in this whipped side dish that pairs them with carrots. Subtly sweet, it has just a hint of garlic, while the nut and crumb topping adds a fun crunch to any holiday meal. —Diane Molberg, Calgary, Alberta

From the Recipe Creator: We have neighbors who share vegetables from their garden, and every year my husband and I look forward to their beets. My interest in Mediterranean food inspired this beet salad recipe—the vinegar and oil dressing with fresh mint tones down the sweetness of the beets, and the kalamata olives add a salty touch. —Barbara Estabrook, Appleton, Wisconsin

From the Recipe Creator: We had leftover roasted butternut squash one night, so I threw it on a salad and topped it with cheese. My family loved it! Now we also add caramelized pumpkin seeds (my brother's idea) and a homemade dressing. —Nicole Sadowsky, Rancho Santa Fe, California

From the Recipe Creator: Here's a holiday side dish you can feel good about serving. Kale packs a mighty punch of vitamins, while quinoa delivers a hearty serving of protein. Best of all, the flavor of this kale quinoa salad can't be beat! —Lisa Warren, Washington, DC

From the Recipe Creator: Classic American mashed potatoes take a trip to Italy with the flavors of olive oil, garlic, and pancetta. —Bryan Kennedy, Kaneohe, Hawaii

From the Recipe Creator: I order cauliflower mash every time we visit our favorite restaurant. Lucky us; one night, I figured out how to make it at home. It was so easy! —Jean Keiser, West Chester, Pennsylvania

From the Recipe Creator: These tender rolls are relatively quick to make. Whole wheat flour and oats make them nutritious, too.—Arlene Butler, Ogden, Utah

From the Recipe Creator: I love serving this tender veggie side dish as part of a comforting dinner on a chilly night. The cayenne pepper lends zippy flavor that's not overpowering. —Juli Meyers, Hinesville, Georgia

From the Recipe Creator: We have an apple-picking party every year. It's a bushel of fun, and I always look forward to cooking a batch of this easy applesauce seasoned with cinnamon, cloves and allspice. —Marian Platt, Sequim, Washington

From the Recipe Creator: With a light sweet-tangy dressing, the spinach doesn’t wilt and the apples retain their crunch. We serve this salad with homemade bread. —Denise Albers, Freeburg, Illinois

From the Recipe Creator: My husband and I like Brussels sprouts, so I'm always looking for new ways to use them. I most often serve this colorful salad with roast pork or duck. —Nancy Korondan, Yorkville, Illinois

From the Recipe Creator: These rolls have been a favorite of ours for nearly 25 years. I even baked them in an old wood stove when we lived on a farm. I developed the recipe using several techniques I learned while studying the art of bread making. The recipe won a blue ribbon at our county fair. —Mary Ann Evans, Tarpon Springs, Florida