Taking the fat out of Thanksgiving

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 21 (UPI) -- A person can consume a staggering 50 to 60 grams of fat during a Thanksgiving meal, but Turkey Day need not be high fat, a U.S. dietitian says.

Kathy Goldberg of the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor says a typical Thanksgiving meal can contain between 2,000 and 3,000 calories -- the number of calories an average person shouldn't exceed in an entire day of eating.

To cut down on Thanksgiving fat and calories, Goldberg advises to:

-- Drink lots of water and exchange high-calorie beverages such as beer, wine or soft drinks with sparkling water with a dash of fruit juice.

-- Use chicken broth for more flavor and fewer calories than butter in dressing. Use dried-out whole grain English muffins instead of a bag of stuffing mix and add vegetables or dried fruits.

-- Skip the marshmallow topping in sweet potatoes and use skim milk and low-fat sour cream instead of whole milk, creams and butter in mashed potatoes.

-- Avoid the skin of turkey.

-- Provide apple crisp instead of an apple pie with a high-fat crust.

Pumpkin pie is low in fat and high in the antioxidant beta carotene -- just don't eat all of the crust.