EASY WAYS TO CUT CALORIES IN 6 THANKSGIVING FAVORITES

Thanksgiving comes only once a year and is a special cause for celebration. But beware: the average Thanksgiving meal can contain up to 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat!

Still, I don’t advise you skip this tradition while you are losing weight, but to make sure to enjoy it mindfully, watch your portions, and get right back to the plan the next day.

Here are some ways you can shave hundreds of calories off the usual fare without sacrificing everyone’s favorite holiday meal:

Turkey: White turkey meat contains 44 calories per ounce while dark meat contains 53 calories per ounce. Enjoy either but skip the skin which contains an additional 50 calories and 6 fat grams per serving.

Mashed Potatoes: Try whipping in plain yogurt instead of butter and cream in your mashed potatoes to cut calories and fat while still enjoying the same creamy taste. Aim for a 2/3 cup serving.

Gravy: Gravy made from juices and dripping from the bird weighs in at around 70 calories per tablespoon. You can cut that by 80 percent by using a powdered gravy mix. Mix in a small amount of juice with the fat skimmed off to add homemade flavor.

Stuffing: Cook your stuffing outside of the bird and cut the calories in half. But watch out a one-cup portion of stuffing still packs a whopping 350 calories so keep this Thanksgiving favorite in moderation. You can cook pre-measured amounts in a muffin tin for easy portion control.

Sweet potatoes: Skip the butter and marshmallow-drenched version of this dish and enjoy your sweet potatoes roasted and sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon. This swap will take them from 460 calories and 17 fat grams down to 130 calories and 0 fat grams per cup.

Pie: Apple and pumpkin pie contain half the calories and fat of pecan. Skip the crust and you trim 82 calories and 5 grams of fat per slice. Top with non-fat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream or skip extras altogether.

See, you can still lose weight and enjoy the holidays, too!