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10 sion we have today. The average Thanksgiving meal has around 3,000 calories—and that's not including seconds. But fear not! There are several subtle ways to give your Thanksgiving feast a healthier makeover this year. T Thanksgiving Feast BY KERRY L. PINTO he Pilgrims didn't count Weight Watchers points or try to incorporate The Atkins Diet into their Thanksgiving feast. Probably because their meal was healthier than the ver- 6. Choose your liquids wisely. Sugary drinks, eggnog and alcohol are full of calories. Save the calorie-consump- tion for the food. 1. Don't starve yourself before the feast. By not eating a healthy breakfast and lunch, you are more likely to overeat or make unhealthy choices at the dinner table. 2. Try a low-fat recipe. You don't have to change every course to make it "healthy." Choose one recipe that may be over-indulgent (i.e. candied yams, green bean casserole) and make a healthier version. 3. Exercise. Take a family walk, play flag football or partici- pate in a 5K Turkey Trot to boost metabolism before the meal. Take a walk after dinner to prepare room for dessert. 4. Eat your veggies. Serve several vegetable choices this year. This will allow you to have a greater selection of food on your plate while still eating healthy. 5. Taste everything in small portions. Use the white space rule: help yourself to the Thanksgiving meal, but make sure that you can see plenty of white on your plate (meaning that you don't have nearly as many calories as a full plate!) 7. Stick to light meat. Even though both dark and light meats have the same amount of protein, light meat has half the fat. 8. Skip the seconds. Instead of a second helping, eat leftovers the next day. dessert. This will also save you room for 9. Stick to pumpkin, not pecan. Choosing pumpkin pie over pecan pie will save you half the calories and half the fat. ily, not just food. Walk around the house and socialize with friends family instead of hanging out near the food table. Kerry Pinto is a freelance writer living Stafford with her husband and two chil- dren. Her Thanksgiving guilty pleasure is her Grandma Agnes' homemade stuffing. in Announcing the new practice of MD, FACOG Barbara Mercado Check-ups—Pap smears—Laparoscopic procedures High-risk pregnancy—Menopause—Infertility Outstanding OB-GYN care for women of all ages www.gow.com 540-654-8400 -Call for appointment now Located at 1300 Hospital Dr., Suite 302 Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401 In the Women's Services Building next to the Imaging Center for Women 16 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • November 2012 10. Make Thanksgiving about fam- and for a Healthier, Happier Tips