Food and Diet

A healthier Thanksgiving in 8 traditional, simple, calorie-conscious courses

By Lisa Drayer, CNN

Updated 6:10 AM ET, Tue November 20, 2018

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The centerpiece of most Thanksgiving dinners, a 3-ounce serving of roasted white meat turkey has 125 calories. You bring up the calorie count by opting for dark meat instead of light —it has 147 calories -- and eating the skin, which adds 26 calories.
Photos: 9 Thanksgiving dishes that can pile on the calories
Turkey and gravy – The centerpiece of most Thanksgiving dinners, a 3-ounce serving of roasted white meat turkey has 125 calories. You bring up the calorie count by opting for dark meat instead of light —it has 147 calories -- and eating the skin, which adds 26 calories.
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For all the turkey naysayers out there, there is ham. A 3-ounce serving of roasted ham has about 133 calories, similar to turkey. However, as Sara Haas, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics points out, ham is higher in fat and salt than turkey.
Photos: 9 Thanksgiving dishes that can pile on the calories
Roasted ham – For all the turkey naysayers out there, there is ham. A 3-ounce serving of roasted ham has about 133 calories, similar to turkey. However, as Sara Haas, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics points out, ham is higher in fat and salt than turkey.
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Traditional stuffing is a cornucopia of ingredients, and many of them pack in the calories. Bread stuffing often has sausage, nuts and fruit, and about 350 calories for a one-cup serving. Haas suggests using chicken or turkey sausage, which are lower in calories than pork or beef.
Photos: 9 Thanksgiving dishes that can pile on the calories
Stuffing – Traditional stuffing is a cornucopia of ingredients, and many of them pack in the calories. Bread stuffing often has sausage, nuts and fruit, and about 350 calories for a one-cup serving. Haas suggests using chicken or turkey sausage, which are lower in calories than pork or beef.
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A one-cup serving of mashed potatoes comes in at around 238 calories. Blame the milk and butter or margarine for making this seemingly light, fluffy side one of the heavy lifts on your plate. You can slim down your spuds by using fat-free or low-fat milk instead of whole milk. Haas recommends mixing in pureed steamed cauliflower for low-calorie creaminess.
Photos: 9 Thanksgiving dishes that can pile on the calories
Mashed potatoes – A one-cup serving of mashed potatoes comes in at around 238 calories. Blame the milk and butter or margarine for making this seemingly light, fluffy side one of the heavy lifts on your plate. You can slim down your spuds by using fat-free or low-fat milk instead of whole milk. Haas recommends mixing in pureed steamed cauliflower for low-calorie creaminess.
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Whether you make your own or go for the canned stuff, a quarter-cup serving of cranberry sauce will set you back about 100 calories.
Photos: 9 Thanksgiving dishes that can pile on the calories
Cranberry sauce – Whether you make your own or go for the canned stuff, a quarter-cup serving of cranberry sauce will set you back about 100 calories.
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A one-cup serving of sweet potato casserole can have a whopping 460 calories. Did you really expect anything less from a marshmallow-topped dessert that masquerades as a side dish? You can halve the calories by substituting a pecan topping for the marshmallows and mixing fruit juice and honey instead of butter and sugar into the sweet potatoes.
Photos: 9 Thanksgiving dishes that can pile on the calories
Sweet potato casserole – A one-cup serving of sweet potato casserole can have a whopping 460 calories. Did you really expect anything less from a marshmallow-topped dessert that masquerades as a side dish? You can halve the calories by substituting a pecan topping for the marshmallows and mixing fruit juice and honey instead of butter and sugar into the sweet potatoes.
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What good is all the gravy and sides if you don't have bread to mop it up? One dinner roll or crescent roll has about 78 or 100 calories, respectively. But this can quickly turn into several hundred calories because, really, who can eat just one?
Photos: 9 Thanksgiving dishes that can pile on the calories
Dinner rolls – What good is all the gravy and sides if you don't have bread to mop it up? One dinner roll or crescent roll has about 78 or 100 calories, respectively. But this can quickly turn into several hundred calories because, really, who can eat just one?
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The only green vegetable at many Thanksgiving dinners, a three-quarter cup serving of green bean casserole contains 230 calories. The cream of mushroom soup, milk and crispy, fried onions in the casserole version drive up the calories. Another version, green beans that are topped with grated Parmesan cheese, has about 50 calories.