Better choice: Whole grain stuffing with extra herbs, fruit and vegetables, cooked on the stovetop

Poorer choice: Traditional stuffing cooked inside the bird

On average, half a cup of traditional stuffing has approximately 200 calories and 2 grams of fat. You can reduce this by trying some of the following tips:

• Rather than stuff your bird with traditional bread stuffing – try this idea instead: boil some lemons, spike them with a skewer to release the liquid, and stuff the bird with the lemons. As the turkey cooks, it absorbs the juicy lemon marinade.
• If you can't live without bread stuffing, cook it on the stovetop instead of in the bird. Stuffing inside your bird absorbs extra fat during cooking.
• Use fresh bread crumbs instead of packaged stuffing mixes or cubes.
• Use whole grain bread for extra fiber.
• Chop up plenty of herbs (sage, parsley, thyme and marjoram), onions, celery, carrots, peppers and add dried fruit such as raisins, dates or apples for fat-free flavor.

Better choice: Mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes/yams - made with nonfat milk or lowfat buttermilk and without butter

Poorer choice: Candied sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, brown sugar and butter

Candied sweet potatoes add extra calories, carbohydrates and fat to an already delicious, sweet vegetable! Instead, simply mash potatoes and sweet potatoes with skim milk or lowfat buttermilk instead of whole milk. Skip the butter! Instead, garnish with parsley or other herbs, or sprinkle with chopped apples or cranberry for a sweeter touch.

Better choice: Fat-free homemade or canned gravy

Poorer choice: High-fat, thick gravy, made with pan juices

If it just wouldn't be a holiday meal without gravy, try these fat-saving tips:

• Use a powdered gravy product with water or a fat-free, low-sodium broth to make gravy
• Refrigerate the turkey juices and skim the solidified fat off the top, adding the remaining juices to the gravy
• Use a gravy cup that skims off the fat

If you're a fan of cranberry sauce, keep in mind that it's laden with sugar and calories! Instead, try a homemade sauce made from fresh, mashed cranberries with a generous splash of balsamic vinegar or apple juice concentrate.