23 colorful plant foods • mood-supportive nutrients • family-friendly flavors

Thanksgiving is special opportunity to celebrate nature’s abundance — and to nourish your family’s brain, mood, and energy with real food. Thismenu is rooted in the foundations of a brain health lifestyle: colorful plants, high-quality protein, healthy fats, herbs, and spices that support digestion, blood sugar balance, and emotional well-being.

This delicious feast brings together 23 different plant foods, giving your brain the phytonutrients, fiber, and antioxidants it loves — without sacrificing flavor or tradition.

With the exception of the Pecan Pie and Cranberry–Blueberry Pie crusts, the menu is gluten-free and dairy-free.
Nutrient-dense, brain-supportive, and deeply satisfying.

Why This Thanksgiving Menu Supports Brain Health

This is a brain-healthy Thanksgiving, rooted in science and ancestral wisdom.

• 23 plant foods → better gut-brain connection = calmer mood

• Fiber-rich sides → steadier blood sugar = essential for perimenopause & kids

• Healthy fats + omega-3s → support memory, hormone health, and mood

• Colorful phytonutrients → reduce inflammation + boost resilience

• Protein at the center → supports neurotransmitters for focus and emotional stability

This is holiday food that helps your family feel vibrant, clear-headed, and nourished.

Originally published November 2018

Main

Epicurious: Herb-Roasted Turkey with Shallot Pan Gravy

Turkey provides amino acids that support brain chemicals for mood, focus, and calm.

Cranberry Sauce

Epicurious: Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce

Reduce sugar by half, add fresh orange zest for extra antioxidants.

Stuffing

Wild Rice, Sausage and Leek Stuffing with Walnuts

Wild rice = fiber + steady blood sugar. Walnuts = omega-3s for brain and hormone health.

Sides (Color = Brain Food)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Mushrooms and New Potatoes

Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Plum Tomatoes (slice in half, drizzle with olive oil, sea salt)

Roasted Lemon Green Beans

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Puree

Shredded Kale, Pomegranate, Goat Cheese, Pumpkin Seed Salad

Each dish layers in different phytonutrients, antioxidants, and minerals to support mood, energy, digestion, and resilience through the holiday season.

Desserts – Real Food Treats

Deliciously Organic: Pecan Pie

Epicurious: Cranberry and Wild Blueberry Pie

Sakara: Raw Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate “Turkeys”

These options offer richer nutrients than traditional desserts and make a great fit for a healthy kids holiday menu and family wellness approach.

Thanksgiving Prep Tips (Simplified for Sanity)

TIP 1: Tip 1: Prep Smart, Not More

Reduce dishwashing and chaos:
As you finish prepping each dish, place it directly into the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate.
If fridge space is tight, prep into zip bags (reuse when possible).

Tip 2: One-Oven Strategy

If you working with one oven:

1. Roast Brussels sprouts → green beans first (serve room temp).

2. Bake root vegetable purées next.

3. Reheat purées while turkey rests.

Tip 3: Create Your Baking Timeline

Note which dishes can be served room temperature:

• Red bell peppers & tomatoes

• Brussels sprouts & mushrooms

• Lemon green beans

This frees your oven for the turkey + reheats.

Thanksgiving Week Prep Guide

One Week Out

Grocery shop, review recipes, plan serving dishes, choose beverages.

Weekend Before

Freeze pie crusts, bake-ahead pies, make cranberry sauce, toast seeds, make chocolate turkeys with the kids (fun!), prepare dressings, and freeze vegetable purées.

Two Days Before

Prep wild rice stuffing, chop leeks/celery, roast-ahead veggies, chop herbs, assemble pumpkin pie, thaw purées.

Day Before

Prep and assemble roasted vegetables, finish purées, bake pies, prep salad ingredients.

Thanksgiving Morning

Prep turkey, roast vegetables, bake stuffing, reheat purées, prep gravy, finalize salad, set dessert table.

One Hour Before

Check turkey, make gravy, warm purées, place cranberry sauce, finish salad.

For 12 – 15 people

Produce

Lemon 2

Orange

Red bell pepper

Yellow bell pepper

Green bell pepper

Poblano peppers 2

Walnuts (1 1/2 cups)

Onion 2

Shallots 2 pounds

Celery

Carrot 3 pounds

Leeks 4 large

Parsley

Sage

Thyme

Rosemary

Fresh cranberries 24-ounces

Butternut squash 3 pounds

Sweet potato 2 pounds

Rutabagas (or turnips) 3 pounds

Red potatoes 4 pounds

Baby kale 10 ounces

Green beans 2 pounds

Pantry

Kosher salt

Wild rice

Dried cranberries

White wine (for gravy)

Refrigerated

14 – 16 pound turkey

2 pounds sausage (I use Italian turkey sausage)

Butter

Frozen blueberries

Raw pumpkin seeds