Healthier Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes: Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free

This dish makes for a wonderful vegan main course for the Thanksgiving table. The lasagna is baked with layers of whole-wheat noodles, caramelized onions, and velvety smooth tofu ricotta. Get the Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe. (Photo: Johnny Miller)

These aren’t the little round greens you grew up hating. In this pancake-like recipe, Molly Yeh — the blogger behind uber-popular My Name Is Yeh — puts a spin on the sprouts. They’re shredded, browned, and fried with onions, eggs and flour. Serve with a dallop or two of balsamic dijon sour cream, and you’ll forget you ever hated this vegetable in the first place. The recipe includes an easy option to make them gluten-free. Get the Brussels Sprouts Latkes recipe. (Photo: Molly Yeh)

This veggie side is great for Thanksgiving because with all the tasty foods you’ll be serving, it’s nice to balance the meal with a simple, but still delicious, dish that goes with everything. An easy cooking tip: cut corners, not cauliflower; you can buy pre-sliced versions of the vegetable to make preparation one step easier. Get the Vegan Roasted Cauliflower recipe. (Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher)

Lindsey Love of Dolly and Oatmeal puts a Middle Eastern spin on stuffed squash with help from za’atar and zesty lemon-spiked tahini for a delicious vegan side dish. Get the Stuffed Za’atar-Roasted Acorn Squash. (Photo: Lindsey Love)

This one’s for those followers of this ancient-dietary trend. This nutty-and-spicy mix includes walnuts, almonds, thyme, sage, and marjoram among other goods, so its flavors are bound to pump up any bland serving of turkey. It even includes a pound of pork sausage, though that’s an optional ingredient for vegetarian chefs. Get the Paleo Walnut and Butternut Squash Stuffing recipe. (Photo: Sean Dooley)

Consider this the lighter version of mashed potatoes, with vegetable stock and olive oil taking the places of milk and butter. With mixed-in spinach and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, it’s a pretty well-rounded side. Get Food & Wine’s Healthy Potato and Spinach Casserole recipe. (Photo: Phoebe Lapine)

Seemingly converse flavors go hand in hand in this sweet-meets-tangy dish. While the sprouts are roasting, simmer pomegranate juice and maple syrup until the consistency is thick, then drizzle the fruity syrup on your roasted greens. Top with almonds for extra crunch. Get the Vegan Pomegranate Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe. (Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher)

Don’t be fooled by its name; there’s a lot more to this salad than just carrots and avocados. This recipe, which comes from New York City’s ABC Kitchen, also includes baby sprouts, creme fraiche, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds among other factors, which come together for a very textural dish. Get Food52’s Carrot Avocado Salad recipe. (Photo: James Ransom / Food52)

Blood orange makes a unique partner with green beans because it offers raspberry-like hints along with its citrusy taste to the mix. Use the juice from the fruit to combine with honey and balsamic vinegar for a custom dressing to go on top. Get Food & Wine’s Green Bean and Blood Orange Salad recipe. (Photo: Ditte Isager)

This perfect autumn salad is a balance of opposing flavors. Luckily, pomegranate molasses put the acidity of vinaigrette to ease, but don’t overpower its tanginess. Pears, feta cheese, and pistachios are just a few players in this complex yet tasty appetizer. Get Food52’s Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad recipe. (Photo: Food52)

The best thing to whip out during pre-dinner Thanksgiving festivities? Chips and pumpkin hummus. But the best part about this spread is that it isn’t limited to finger foods only; use it as a sauce on roast chicken, pork, or maybe even turkey. Get the Pumpkin Hummus recipe. (Photo: jamiebiss / Instagram)

How good can a cheesecake be if it’s gluten- and dairy-free? With this recipe, it’s just like the real thing. Though it’s hard to believe when it includes factors like zucchini and coconut oil. For a nice tough texture, serve chilled. Get the Vegan Raw Cheesecake recipe. (Photo: Nicole Franzen)

Here, the dressing is just as interesting as the salad itself. With buckwheat, roasted sweet potato, dried cranberries, walnuts, and arugula making up the dry mixture; maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and mustard form the dressing. Toss and dig in. Get the Buckwheat Autumn Salad recipe. (Photo: Elizabeth Stein)

Mushrooms are the ultimate meat replacement. Put them to the test this Thanksgiving by stuffing them with brown rice, breadcrumbs, thyme, and basil among other fillers. Get the Vegan Thyme-Stuffed Portobellos with Rosemary Gravy recipe. (Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher)

Chef Candice Kumai describes this cake as decadent, fudgy, and dense or what she claims “the favorite” of all her baking recipes. Get the Vegan Dark Chocolate-Avocado Cake recipe. (Photo: Evi Abeler)

Why let potatoes have all the fun? For a healthier but equally enjoyable version of the fast food side, slice carrots, beets, parsnips, and celery into fry-sized wedges; dress with herbs and extra virgin olive oil; and roast until they’re light brown. Get the Maple-Balsamic Root Vegetable Fries recipe. (Photo: John Kernick)

This vegetarian and gluten-free dish is makes a warm addition to any fall dinner fare. Plus, its all-natural recipe only contains five ingredients: spaghetti squash, broccoli, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Though short on the ingredients list, it certainly not short on taste. Get the Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Broccoli recipe. (Photo: Elizabeth Stein)

Chickpeas are cooked until they are crispy and smoky in a frying pan before they are tossed with mesclun greens, caramelized onions, and a creamy mustard dressing. It’s so delicious you’ll forget it’s gluten-free. Get the Chickpea Salad With Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette recipe. (Photo: America’s Test Kitchen)

Brooklyn Supper’s Elizabeth Stark switches up the sweet potato casserole by simply roasting them and accentuating their natural sweetness with tangy fresh apples and dried cranberries. Get the Cranberry and Apple Loaded Sweet Potatoes recipe. (Photo: Elizabeth Stark)

This Southern classic is made paleo-friendly and still soulful as ever. The veggie dish is loaded with lots of crispy bacon bits for a heartier flavor. Get the Collard Greens recipe. (Photo: Stephanie Gaudreau)

Russ Crandall, the blogger behind paleo-centric site The Domestic Man, proves that even those in the paleo and gluten-free crowds can enjoy a hearty Thanksgiving stuffing. Get the New Brunswick-Style Potato Stuffing recipe. (Photo: Russ Crandall)