High-Protein Thanksgiving Recipes

First off, I want to be clear that I don't have anything against carbs, but I think we can all agree that most Thanksgiving foods are super high-carb and low in protein.

This is why we usually feel like we're going into a food coma 15-min into our meal and need to unbutton our pants (if we're staying at home this year are sweatpants acceptable? Asking for a friend).

Anyways, I wanted so share some high-protein recipes just in case you want to switch things up this year!

Higher protein foods will fill you up longer without making you feel like a giant potato. This way you can stop counting down the hours until you can take off your pants, and enjoy your time with friends and family.

These recipes also contain smaller portion sizes and are well-suited for small gatherings or individual servings!

Let's get to it.

High-Protein Appetizer: Quick & Easy Meatballs (Serves 4)

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 20 min

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Carb, High Protein

What you need:

• 1 lb. (500g) lean ground beef

• 1 small onion, finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 egg

• ½ cup (30g) buckwheat flour

• ¼ cup coriander, chopped

• 1 tsp. oregano

• 12 slices streaky bacon

What you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place all the ingredients apart from the bacon in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix well using your hands. Once everything is well combined, form 12 meatballs the size of a golf ball (use a ¼ cup for measuring). Wrap each meatball in a slice of bacon and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. For the last 4-5 minutes, set the oven to grill/broil for the meatballs to have a crispy outside layer.

Macros per serving:

• Cals: 309

• Fat: 14g

• Carbs: 9g

• Protein: 36g

High-Protein Salad: Chicken & Orange Walnut Salad (serves 2)

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 10 min

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, High Protein, Contains Nuts

What you need:

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp. of honey

• 2 tbsp. mustard

• 1 tbsp. olive oil