Turkey stuffing is a traditional part of Thanksgiving, but there’s another kind of stuffing we’d be better off avoiding. Studies say many of us stuff ourselves with up to 3,000 calories on turkey day. So it’s no wonder the holiday season often results in added pounds.

"Remember that Thanksgiving is just one day of the year not four. It shouldn’t signal the starting line for over-indulging all the way through the holidays," nutrition expert and registered dietician Marisa Moore, MBA, tells Synergy. "It’s estimated that people gain one to two pounds during the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. While that number seems small, multiply it by a few years and you have significant weight gain from excess holiday noshing. "

However that doesn’t mean you have to forego holiday goodies. By simply tweaking your favorite dishes of the season as you prepare them, you can save the typical person at your table a staggering 50 to 60 grams of fat, excess salt and hundreds of calories this turkey day.

Small changes for a healthier Thanksgiving feast

Marisa Moore, who is the national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA), offers these suggestions for still scrumptious but less waist expanding Thanksgiving dishes:

• Add flavor to dressing or stuffing with fresh turkey broth, sage or other fresh herbs that pack a flavorful punch.
• Save fat and calories by skimming the fat from broth before making gravy. To do this, refrigerate the broth overnight and remove any of the solid pieces of fat that you’ll find on top in the morning.
• When roasting your turkey, consider basting with canola oil . It’s heart healthy oil that will allow the flavor of the turkey to shine through. Use plenty of aromatic veggies like onion, garlic and celery inside and outside the bird to add flavor, too.
• Use fiber-rich whole grain bread instead of white to make stuffing. And load the stuffing with lots of onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms. You’ll be adding flavor, lowering the total calories of the dish and increasing your veggie count for the day.
• Lighten up mashed potatoes with fat free or low fat buttermilk milk instead of whole milk or cream. Use just half of the butter the recipe lists. You can also add roasted garlic, fresh basil or low sodium chicken stock to mashed potatoes to increase flavor not fat.
• Canned cranberry sauce is high in sugar because it’s used to keep the sauce together and to balance the tartness of the cranberries. Moore says rinsing the canned variety isn’t the best solution – instead make your own cranberry sauce using less sugar. Add orange juice for a vitamin C boost and sweetness.
• Many recipes for apple and pumpkin pie are overly sweet. Try this: cut the sugar by a third to a half of what is called for in the recipe. Add more pie spice, nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger for rich flavor without extra calories. Also, use good quality ingredients – the freshest apples and fresh roasted pumpkin will produce dishes that are yummy and naturally sweet without needing much added sugar at all.
• Consider a sweet but nutritious way to end your Thanksgiving meal. Pears and apples are in season in the fall. Bake or poach them as a light and natural dessert.

After Thanksgiving advice

Who hasn’t opened the refrigerator the day after Thanksgiving only to be faced with a ton of leftovers. Before you plunge in, consider planning in advance to avoid having so much excess food –and so many diet-busting temptations – readily available. "The leftovers can be tempting. You may want to consider cooking just what you expect to be able to serve to your family and friends this Thankgiving," Moore suggests. "And if there are leftovers at the end of the day, you can send a lot of them home with your guests."

On the other hand, you can also use your leftover turkey, which is a great source of lean protein, to create many healthy, low cal meals. "You can make turkey and vegetable soup with celery, carrots and potatoes," Moore say. "Also, try making turkey and black bean quesadillas over the weekend. Turkey is perfect for healthy snacking with or without Swiss cheese."

And don’t forget that Thanksgiving is a great time to do things other than overeat when your loved ones and friends are gathered together. Consider taking walks after dinner or even getting the family together for a game of flag football . You’ll have fun, get exercise and burn up some of those extra Thanksgiving Day calories.

Sherry Baker is a writer from Atlanta, Georgia. She last wrote the article How to Read and Decipher Food Labels for Synergy.