Thanksgiving is one of the greatest holidays of the year. It means we are surrounded by lots of yummy food and our closest family and friends. What’s there not to love?! Well, maybe the food coma we’re all familiar with feeling afterwards. Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to mean we eat until we’re stuffed like the turkey on the table. Here’s how to enjoy your holiday without feeling bad afterwards.

Skip out on the appetizers lying around the table

It’s as simple as this: save room for the good stuff. We all know the feeling – you walk into a Thanksgiving day dinner party and there before your eyes lies a large, eclectic spread of appetizers. Socialize away from that table to ensure you aren’t tempted to dig in. Even if you do fill yourself up on appetizers, it is very unlikely that you’ll choose to forgo the main course dinner. This means double, triple, maybe quadruple the calories! So to err on the safe side, don’t munch on any appetizers.

Eat until you’re full, then STOP

Aside from the protein and veggies, fill your plate up with a little of everything so you don’t feel like you’re missing out on something. But – emphasis on the little. Eat slowly, talk with family and friends, and finish putting food in your mouth once you feel full. There’s no reason to stuff yourself!

Pick and choose what you eat

Fill the majority of your plate up with skinless white turkey breast. With far less calories than the thighs, you’ll set yourself up to indulge in a source of delicious lean protein.

Veggies, veggies, veggies. Skip the traditional green been casserole that is doused in butter, creaminess, and fried onions. All of this essentially takes away all the nutritious aspects of the veggies themselves. Instead, lightly sprinkle some salt over the green beans if you feel that they taste too plain on their own.

Replace mashed potatoes with sweet potatoes. These are an excellent source of fiber and are far less caloric. Add some zest by sprinkling a dash of cinnamon on top. After all, cinnamon is great for lowering blood sugar levels.

Swap out the cranberry sauce for some unsweetened applesauce. Just one cup of cranberry sauce has nearly 4 tbsp of added sugar, nearing around 210 calories. Unsweetened applesauce will provide you with the same cool and fruity taste with only a quarter of the sugar.

Feeling the need to drink? Pour yourself a glass of red wine – preferably Pinot Noir – as it is richest in resveratrol, an agent that acts similarly to an antioxidant.

Lastly, dessert. Let’s be honest, it’s the part we all crave. Eat a slice of pumpkin pie instead of pecan pie. With nearly 540 less calories than the latter, pumpkin pie is also far lower in sugar. So swap out the pecan for the pumpkin. That doesn’t seem too hard, now does it?