Groceries are expensive, and Thanksgiving dinner can add up fast. But a beautiful holiday meal doesn’t have to be loaded with sugar or cost a fortune.

With a culinary degree, years in food service and catering, and a master’s in Health and Human Performance, I care about food that tastes like a holiday and still works for your health and your wallet.

This menu sticks to simple ingredients, seasonal vegetables, and pantry staples. Every recipe has real amounts and easy steps, and the desserts stay low in added sugar.

Added sugar amounts are estimates and don’t count the natural sugar in fruit, vegetables, or dairy.

• Check your pantry first. Build your shopping list around what you already have.
• Shop the sales. Choose whichever vegetables are the best deal that week.
• Buy potatoes, apples, and onions by the bag. They usually cost less that way.
• Use day-old bread for stuffing. It soaks up broth better than fresh bread, and bakeries often discount it.
• Match the main dish to your crowd. A turkey breast means less waste for a smaller group.

Need more help? Try my budget-friendly healthy grocery list.

Makes: 8 servings | Added sugar: 0 g

Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots, cut into sticks
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt

Dip

• 1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley or dill
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Toss the vegetables with the oil, garlic powder, and salt. Spread on two lined baking sheets.
3. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and browned at the edges.
4. Stir the dip ingredients together and serve with the vegetables.

Money-saving tip: Use whatever vegetables are on sale.

Makes: 24 halves, 12 servings | Added sugar: 0 g

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• ¼ tsp salt
• Paprika, for topping

Instructions

1. Cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a boil. Cover, turn off the heat, and let sit 12 minutes.
2. Move to ice water for 10 minutes, then peel.
3. Halve the eggs and mash the yolks with the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and salt.
4. Spoon back into the whites and sprinkle with paprika. Keep refrigerated.

Money-saving tip: Eggs feed a crowd for very little.

Makes: 8 to 10 servings | Added sugar: 0 g

Ingredients

• One 6- to 7-lb bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp each chopped rosemary, thyme, and sage (or 1 tbsp poultry seasoning)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

1. If frozen, thaw completely in the refrigerator.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Pat the turkey dry and set it on a rack in a roasting pan.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients and rub all over the turkey.
4. Roast about 2 to 2½ hours, until a thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part. Tent with foil if it browns too quickly.
5. Rest 20 minutes before slicing.

Money-saving tip: A breast means less waste for a small group.

Makes: 8 servings | Added sugar: 0 g

Filling

• 1½ cups dry brown lentils
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup frozen peas

Topping

• 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup reserved potato water
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Simmer the lentils in the broth for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender.
2. Boil the potatoes until soft. Reserve ½ cup of the water, drain, and mash with the oil, water, and salt.
3. Cook the onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in the oil for 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and thyme.
4. Stir in the lentils with their liquid and the peas. Spread in a 9×13-inch dish and top with the potatoes.
5. Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling.

Money-saving tip: Dried lentils are one of the cheapest proteins you can buy.

Makes: 8 servings | Added sugar: 0 g

Ingredients

• 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¾ cup reserved potato water
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes and garlic in salted water until very soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Reserve 1 cup of the water and drain.
3. Mash the potatoes and garlic with the oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Stir in the reserved water a little at a time until creamy.

Money-saving tip: Buy potatoes by the bag.

Makes: 8 servings | Added sugar: 0 g

Ingredients

• 2 lb fresh or frozen green beans
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet for 3 minutes and set aside.
2. Boil the green beans for 4 minutes and drain well.
3. Warm the oil and garlic in the skillet for 1 minute.
4. Add the beans, salt, and lemon juice and toss until hot. Top with the almonds.

Money-saving tip: Frozen beans work well, and a few almonds go a long way.

Makes: 10 servings | Added sugar: about 1 g, depending on the bread

Ingredients

• 12 oz whole-grain bread, cubed and left out overnight
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 to 2½ cups low-sodium broth
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch dish.
2. Cook the onion, celery, and mushrooms in the oil for 10 minutes. Stir in the poultry seasoning and salt.
3. Toss with the bread.
4. Whisk 2 cups of broth with the eggs and pour over, adding more broth if it looks dry.
5. Spread in the dish. Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.

Money-saving tip: Use day-old or discounted bread.

Makes: 8 servings | Added sugar: 0 g

Ingredients

• 2 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Toss the sprouts with the oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Place cut side down on a lined baking sheet.
4. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp and browned.
5. Drizzle with the vinegar.

Money-saving tip: Fresh sprouts are usually a good value in November.

Makes: 8 servings | Added sugar: about 2 g per serving

Ingredients

• 3 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt

Topping

• ½ cup rolled oats
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Boil the sweet potatoes until soft, about 15 minutes, and drain.
3. Mash with the milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Spread in a 2-quart baking dish.
4. Mix the topping and sprinkle over.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden.

Money-saving tip: The potatoes are sweet enough, so only the topping gets maple syrup.

Makes: 8 slices | Added sugar: about 6 g per slice

Ingredients

• One 15-oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
2. Whisk everything until smooth and pour into the plate.
3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the edges are set and the center barely jiggles.
4. Cool, then chill at least 3 hours before slicing.

Money-saving tip: Skipping the crust saves money and effort.

Makes: 6 servings | Added sugar: about 2 g per serving

Ingredients

• 6 apples
• ⅓ cup rolled oats
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ cup water
• Plain Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Core the apples, leaving the bottoms intact, and set in a baking dish.
3. Mix the oats, walnuts, cinnamon, butter, and maple syrup and spoon into the apples.
4. Pour the water into the dish.
5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until tender.

Money-saving tip: Buy apples by the bag.

• The night before cooking: Cube the bread for the stuffing and leave it out to dry.
• 1 day ahead: Bake the crustless pumpkin pie, boil and fill the deviled eggs, and make the yogurt dip. Keep them refrigerated.
• Thanksgiving morning: Prep the vegetables and roast the turkey.
• While the turkey rests: Finish the sides that need a hot oven.

How can I make Thanksgiving dinner cheaper?

Plan around what you already have, buy produce on sale, and choose low-cost ingredients like potatoes, lentils, and eggs.

How do I know when the turkey is done?

Use a thermometer. The thickest part of the breast should reach 165°F.

Is there a vegetarian main dish?

Yes. The lentil and mushroom shepherd’s pie is hearty enough to be the center of the meal. Use vegetable broth and it’s vegan as written.

Which Thanksgiving dishes have the least added sugar?

Most of the savory dishes on this menu have none. The crustless pumpkin pie has the most, at about 6 grams per slice.

The best part of Thanksgiving is who’s around the table. Pick the dishes that fit your family and your budget, and enjoy the day.

Planning ahead for the holidays? Try these 10 healthy Christmas desserts or browse more healthy recipes.