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Home , Cranberry sauce, Pecan pie, Pumpkin pie, Stuffing, Sweet potato pie

Cheat Sheet

Article By: Leslie Fink, MS, RD

For some of us, Thanksgiving is a simple turkey dinner anda time to give thanks. But for many, it's an eating "fest" and a six-week countdown to the same lose-weight-and-get-back-in-shape New Year's resolution that we make year after year…after year.

Break the cycle this holiday season. Enjoy Thanksgiving but don't overindulge; head into the New Year feeling confident, slimmer and in control.

Ready, set, eat

Consider the worst-case scenario: If you were to eat a serving of dark-meat turkey with all the fixings and sides, it would total a whopping 40 PointsPlus®values. Here's how to slash that number:

Make classic recipes light

If you're hosting dinner or bringing a dish to someone else's house, consider trimming the from your recipes. For instance:

• Make your mashed potatoes creamy with naturally low-fat buttermilk instead of • Pour your turkey pan drippings into a large glass bowl (or you can use a /fat separator) and allow them to sit for 5 minutes so you can skim off a layer of fat. Use some of the fat in your gravy, or not at all • Slim down your by making a light cookie-crumb layer instead of a traditional pie crust • Leave off the top (or bottom) crust instead of using both. Or forget all about the crusts and bake your pie filling in small ramekins for mini soufflés instead • Use whole-wheat , not white, for to increase the fiber and decrease the PointsPlus values (not to mention upping its vitamin and mineral profile)

Opt for tasty Weight Watchers recipes

Compare the PointsPlus values for some traditional Thanksgiving dishes versus our sure-to- please renovated recipes:

Traditional Recipe PointsPlusValue Weight Watchers PointsPlusValu Recipe e Green beans with (3/4 cup) 5 2 (3/4 cup) Candied sweet Candied sweet potatoes (1 cup) 11 5 potatoes(1 cup) Garlic mashed Garlic mashed potatoes (3/4 cup) 8 4 potatoes(3/4 cup)

Mashed sweet potatoes, canned (1/2 Mashed sweet cup) 3 2 potatoes(1/2 cup) - Canned (1/3 cup) 8 3 relish(1/3 cup) Bread stuffing (1 cup) 9 Bread stuffing (1 cup) 3

8 pie (1 slice) (1 slice) 4

Pecan tartlets (1 pie (1 slice) 14 4 item)

Know your portions To help you size up your servings, come armed with some visuals:

• 1 cup of mashed potatoes is about the size of a tennis ball or your fist • 3 ounces of turkey equal a computer mouse or a checkbook • 1/2 cup of green bean casserole fits into a small cupcake wrapper or an scoop • 1/4 cup of gravy equals 4 tablespoons; measure out some water in your gravy ladle to see how many tablespoons one full ladle holds

Comparison shop Look up the PointsPlus values of common foods before the meal so you can make smarter choices. Here's a mini guide:

Item PointsPlusValue Item PointsPlusValu e White meat turkey (no skin; 4 4 Turkey leg (with skin; 4 oz) 6 oz) Candied sweet potatoes (1 Mashed sweet potatoes (1 cup) 7 11 cup) (1 slice store- (1 slice store-bought) 8 12 bought)

Wine (4 fl oz) 4 Vodka (2 fl oz) 5

Go for the two-for-one side dish special Hopefully not all the are drenched in butter. Opt for two spoonfulsof side dishes for each -based one that you take (and no,potatoes are not a vegetable in this case). Plan on eating leftovers There are usually more than enough side dishes for a few meals. Whatever you don't taste today, you can taste tomorrow.

Seek satisfaction Think about what's worth eating and what's not. You can make yourself a baked anytime, but your aunt's is a once-a-year specialty.

Fend off food-pushing relatives Don't eat something just because your mom wants you to. Compliment her outfit,ask for a recipe, inquire about an old friend — anything to change the topicf rom why you didn't touch either her pecan pie or pumpkin .