By Carley Bine, Staff Writer
Carly Farris, Staff Writer

America is known for large portions and for consuming mass quantities of food. Healthy balances of key foods are essential to a healthy lifestyle. Do not let the holiday hinder you from eating good nutritious food. Simply learn when your body has had enough and distinguish which foods are right for you. Make sure you take at least one vegetable that is not covered in sauce or breading. With these two essential components this holiday will not bump up the digits on your scale or leave your stomach aching.

With the holiday season coming up, some of you may have decided you want to make dinner for everyone without loading up on fat and sugar. There are many alternatives to take without skipping out on your seasonal traditions. Changing up the ingredients and way you cook your food will cut out half the calories and fat your family will consume.

The first Thanksgiving classic is the turkey and dressing. Your best solution would be to buy just the turkey breast because it is lower in calories and fat than dark meat. Celery, onions, and carrots are healthier alternatives to stuffing for your turkey. For your mashed potatoes and gravy, use turkey or chicken broth, evaporated skim milk, or fat free sour cream. For the gravy, use vegetable oil instead of turkey drippings.

Here are some more tips for healthy baking:
• Swap apple sauce for the fat a recipe calls for.
• For butter, switch to a light butter or and oil based margarine.
• Try two egg whites or egg substitute for a single whole egg