This blog post was originally published on FitAfterFifty.com.

Imagine not feeling bloated, heavy and guilty after dinner this year!

Take a deep breath and close your eyes for a minute. I want you to imagine something very cool. You are sitting around the Thanksgiving table this year eating sublimely delicious food that is – drumroll please – actually GOOD for you!

Imagine that! Imagine actually being healthier after your dinner because you’ve just indulged in whole, natural food that’s packed only with good things like vitamins, minerals and fiber, and has none or very little of the usual junk associated with Thanksgiving dinners.

Imagine NO GUILT! 

Imagine no high fat, high sodium. empty calorie, processed sugar, preservative filled excuse for food this Thanksgiving.

Imagine not feeling bloated, heavy and guilty after your big dinner.

Out with the marshmallow topped casseroles (are you kidding me?), out with the fatty bad-for-you desserts and in with super healthy and super ridiculously delicious Thanksgiving food.

Who knew?

Ready? Here are some very yummy and healthy recipes you can try this year:

• Butternut Squash Soup makes a great starter side dish for your Thanksgiving table. Butternut Squash is super high in vitamin A and a great source of dietary fiber.
• Lentil and Red Pepper Bake is delicious and colorful, low in calories and high in protein.
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with Walnuts is another high fiber dish, and the walnuts add a lovely depth of flavor. Only six ingredients and things couldn’t be simpler.
• Sweet Potato Gratin is a fresh new twist on an old standby. High in dietary fiber, vitamin A, and easily prepared as a baked dish, this one gives you more time to spend with your loved ones, it’s so easy.
• Green Beans & Pancetta with Whole-Grain Mustard Dressing is a much healthier, lower sodium option than a typical canned beans and canned soup recipe. Green beans are full of vitamin C and dietary fiber. The pancetta is a flavorful bacon alternative.

…and now for your ‘just desserts’!

• Pumpkin Pie with Rum is hard to beat for your traditional Thanksgiving dessert. Dark molasses for the sweetener adds iron and nonfat evaporated milk replaces the heavy cream and really cuts calories but no loss on flavor.
• Squash and Cheesecake Bars will give your typical pumpkin pie a run for the money in flavor, yet they have far fewer calories and lower sugar. The oats and low sugar graham crackers make a lovely, crunchy crust to the smooth squash.

We are willing to bet once you try some of these, they will easily replace your standard less healthy options and all you will “miss” this holiday season are the calories and the guilt. Let us know your favorites!

Featured photo source: POPSugar.com