Thanksgiving Calories Can Really Add Up

Gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie ... as delicious as it all is, the calories can really add up. Martha told us that a typical Thanksgiving feast can add up to 4,000 calories. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a bit more forgiving and estimates that most of us consume about 3,000 calories. But that's no less shocking. ACE also estimates that we take in about 229 grams of fat. Or, to look at it another way, it's the caloric equivalent of 5.5 Big Macs. Wow.

Don't let those scary numbers stop you from enjoying the feast, though. Fitz has some great ideas on how you can enjoy Thanksgiving and not regret it later. To help you decide what foods you want to splurge on, consider this list:

• Egg nog -- two cups have 684 calories and 36 grams of fat
• Dark turkey meat -- a 3.5-ounce serving has 187 calories and 7.2 grams of fat
• Candied sweet potatoes -- one cup has 286 calories and 7.8 grams of fat

• Green bean casserole -- one cup has 366 calories and 26 grams of fat
• Mashed potatoes -- one cup has 222 calories and 9 grams of fat (if made with whole milk and butter)
• Gravy -- 1/4 cup has 30 calories and 2 grams of fat
• Corn bread stuffing -- one cup has 180 calories and 9 grams of fat
• Pumpkin pie -- one slice has 316 calories and 14 grams of fat
• Pecan pie -- one slice has 502 calories and 27 grams of fat.

Remember, all calorie and fat counts are estimates and the actual amounts depends on how the dish was prepared. To cut back on your Thanksgiving calorie intake, just splurge on the items you really crave and skip the other unhealthy options, choose white turkey meat over dark, and watch your portion sizes.