Are you planning a Thanksgiving dinner this year and feeling guilty silently about the high calorie intake that is sure to push your favorite pair of jeans to the back of your closet. But can you believe it, there are a number of Thanksgiving meals that are low of calories and great on taste.  And hey! before we start off on these tips, weight gain and weight loss doesn’t happen in a single day indulgence. So, probably you just need to strike the balance.

Stuff on Thanksgiving…but the Turkey

Before you sit on the dinner table for enjoying the Thanksgiving meal, keep a mental calculation to eat less throughout the day. This will first give you adequate space in your stomach for the grand Thanksgiving dinner and also not make you feel bloated for the entire day. We are not suggesting that you deprive yourself from the Thanksgiving treat, but little servings are going to be helpful. Fill the gaps in your plate with green vegetables and salads.

De-calorize your Thanksgiving dinner

For all those who love cooking, putting together a de-calorize Thanksgiving dinner is none less than a unspoken prayer getting answered. Here are simple ways to put together a great meal on this Thanksgiving.

• Reduce the number of side dishes: don’t focus on serving a big sausage dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy or candied sweet potatoes. Just pick one starch item, one green vegetable or the final one can be a less starchy salad.  
• Keep your veggies simple: Thanksgiving dinner generally includes green vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, French style green beans or even Chinese mixed vegetables. Your salad base should be a combination of mixed greens or any other type of vegetable in yellow or orange like peas, carrots etc.  
• Control the Sauce: the look of your Thanksgiving feast will definitely change with yellow or green colored vegetables, but if we talk about calories then the sauce, dressing and seasonings make all the difference. I am very sure; you already know but still like to tell you, each tablespoon of butter or mayonnaise adds 100 calories to your diet chart. On the other hand, each tablespoon of sour cream, medium white sauce or cheese sauce adds around 30 calories and simple plain yogurt only 10 calories. If you mix yogurt or cheese sauce with herbs like basil, garlic salt and minced onions you can put together a delicious gourmet dressing for any vegetable.
• So, what about Dessert? Another important aspect of Thanksgiving dinner is dessert. A small serve of pecan pie can be around 600 calories. It is actually equivalent to the amount of calories we intake in an entire meal. On the other hand, pumpkin pie provides half the amount. So you can put together a great dessert with adding just a dollop of whipped cream.

So, this Thanksgiving have a divine indulgence but still fit in your jeans….