Keeping Your Diet on Track During the Holidays

Thanksgiving

It's supposed to be about giving thanks and feeling grateful for all the positive things in your life. But come on, we know it's really about the fine art of American gluttony: mounds of turkey, rich gravy, starchy stuffing, cranberry sauce, four kinds of potatoes, veggies soaked in butter and oil, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and going in for round two a few hours after your stomach finally settles. Then, there are all those leftovers: Thanksgiving eating goes on for days!

Keep your family traditions and indulge. If you make minor alterations in your meal, you'll feel a whole lot better in the morning—and maybe even have the energy to make it outside for your own game of football instead of just watching it on the tube.

Traditional Meal

• Roast turkey
• Stuffing with onions and sausage
• Yams with marshmallows
• Green bean casserole
• Creamed onions
• Cranberry jelly
• Vanilla ice cream
• Pumpkin pie

Nutrition Information

• Calories: 1,713
• Total fat: 59 grams
• Saturated fat: 21 grams
• Cholesterol: 246 mg
• Sodium: 2,904 mg
• Dietary fiber: 13 grams
• Protein: 79 grams

Healthier Meal

• Roast turkey (no skin)
• Cornbread stuffing with apples, celery, and cranberries
• Baked yams
• Mashed potatoes made with buttermilk and roasted garlic
• Roasted vegetables (drizzled with olive oil)
• Cranberry chutney
• Cinnamon frozen yogurt
• Pumpkin chiffon pie

Nutrition Information

• Calories: 1,090
• Total fat: 39 grams
• Saturated fat: 9 grams
• Cholesterol: 143 mg
• Sodium: 1,238 mg
• Dietary fiber: 18 grams
• Protein: 72 grams

With Thanksgiving leftovers coming out of your ears, here are some creative ways to have seconds and thirds:

Ready-Made Menu

• Turkey and cranberry risotto
• Turkey and roasted vegetables stuffed in a pita
• Turkey and rice soup