Thanksgiving is almost here, can you believe it? With it comes the coziness of fall, delicious seasonal foods, and the opportunity to enjoy more time with friends and family. It’s also the perfect time to focus on gratitude, to realize how many good things and people we have in our lives and express our appreciation for them.

You can only imagine that here at The UltraWellness Center we are busy chatting about our holiday menus. With all of the healthy foodies around, there is no shortage of unique recipes and mouth-watering ideas. Today, we wanted to share five of our favorites with you, to encourage all of our patients to make what can be a overly indulgent day into a healthy celebration of delicious whole foods. Don’t worry, many of your classic recipes with not-so-great ingredients can be reworked into nourishing, wholesome dishes.

+ Coconut Pumpkin Muffins +

Paleo | Nut-Free

Start your Thanksgiving Day off right with a festive breakfast.This recipe is from UWC Functional Medicine Nutritionist Maggie Ward; it was featured in our staff newsletter and has quickly become a team favorite. Pumpkin and coconut flour are both rich in fiber and coconut oil provides medium-chain triglycerides to help boost your energy so you can cook up a storm.

Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:
• 6 eggs
• 1⁄4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1⁄2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1⁄2 cup coconut flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1⁄2 cup fresh cranberries (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, oil, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.
3. Add in coconut flour, sea salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until everything is well combined. Gently fold in cranberries (if using).
4. Divide batter into muffin tin and pop in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

+ 3-Ingredient Creamy Butternut Squash +

Paleo | Vegan | Nut-Free | No Sugar Added

Nutritionist, food blogger, and UWC Content Editor Ailsa Cowell shared this delicious and incredibly easy recipe with us, it’s a great example of how simple healthy cooking can be. Butternut squash is a great source of antioxidant beta-carotene and whips into a rich and creamy puree when blended with coconut milk. This dish pairs perfectly with turkey, fresh cranberry sauce, and Brussels sprouts to make a complete holiday feast

+ Harissa Spiced Cauliflower with Toasted Pistachios +

Paleo | Vegan | Keto

This slightly spicy and savory recipe is from a good friend of Dr. Hyman’s, Dr. Rupy Aujla, a master of using food as medicine and one of the amazing guests featured in the Broken Brain docuseries. Cauliflower is one of Rupy’s favorite brassica vegetables. It’s incredibly versatile, takes on tons of flavor, and contains compounds with anticancer properties. The toasted pistachios add a delightful crunch and extra pop of color to this incredible side dish. It will make a unique and welcome addition to the traditional flavors you normally find on Thanksgiving!

+ Shredded Crucifer Salad +

Paleo | Vegan | Low-Carb | Nut-Free

This colorful salad comes from our friend and Functional Nutritionist Brigid Titgemeier. It’s a beautiful combination of nutrient-dense Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and carrots, studded with crisp apples and drizzled with a tangy Dijon dressing. Most families forget to add greens to their Thanksgiving meal—don’t make the same mistake! Colorful veggies and leafy greens should be the staple of any meal, especially during a celebration

+ Chocolate Maple Pecan Tarts +

Paleo | Refined Sugar-Free

These cute little tarts are another recipe from Nutritionist Ailsa Cowell and they’re the perfect alternative to traditional pecan pie, which is loaded with corn syrup and gluten. An almond flour base and easy filling made of eggs, maple syrup, pecans, and dark chocolate make these mouth-watering mini-pies the perfect finale to a great meal. Plus, their size makes it easy to get that “something sweet” without going overboard.

Start planning your own menu now so that you can spend a little extra time finding healthy alternatives for old but under-serving favorites. For some extra tips on navigating your diet through the holidays, read our article, How to Survive Holiday Food Anxiety. We hope you enjoy the start of this festive season feeling your best and spending time with those you love!