Thanksgiving Recipes for Runners

To help you prepare for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, we’ve compiled a list of feast-worthy recipes for runners that we’ve made, tested, and published on our blog. How did we decide they’re runner friendly? Well, because they’re twists on classics with ingredients like tart cherries (known to aid recovery), beets (good for inflammation), and vitamin A-packed pumpkin.

1. Pumpkin can be cubed, mashed, pureed into soup, or baked into pie. It's a fall classic that's equally delicious whether it's prepared sweet or savory. We love these pumpkin bars just as much as pumpkin pie ... and they're made with maple syrup instead of sugar and coconut flour instead of wheat. Win, win. Get the recipe here.

Beets are antioxidant rich, anti-inflammatory, and good for your heart and lungs (they aid endurance and help you recover faster). And that sure makes beets an enticing post-Turkey Trot recovery fuel. Plus, they're a colorful side dish on your dinner plate. Get the recipe for Beets and Barely here or beet salad here.

Tart cherries have long been touted for their athletic benefit. Tart cherry juice increases strength and endurance, aids recovery, and even helps you get a better night of zzzzzs. Nosh on a serving of this baked oatmeal with tart cherries for T-day race fuel.

While many people think of turkey as the Thanksgiving meal centerpiece, that’s just not always the case. Perhaps you’re more of a turducken type of person (that’s literally a chicken stuffed inside of a duck stuffed inside of a turkey). Not into either? That’s cool. Here's a recipe for Squapeppen (aka a vegetarian turkducken). Check it out.

Green Bean Casserole is a Thanksgiving classic. Green beans are a good source of fiber but, unfortunately, most green bean casseroles are made with canned and prepackaged ingredients. So, they’re often a far cry from healthy. We revamped the classic dish with whole-food, gluten-free ingredients (you can also exchange the heavy cream with an alternative milk like coconut milk).

Swap sweet potato casserole for a delish half squash side-dish? Don't mind if we do. This Butternut squash with goat cheese “on the half shell” is simple and delicious.