Thanksgiving Meals Pack A Surprising Calorie Punch

I don't know about your Thanksgiving meal, but mine usually includes turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, a glass of wine, and then of course - pie. Lots of pie!

Get our free mobile app

READ MORE: Join the fight against hunger with the Lewis Drug Holiday Food Drive.

How many calories does that typical meal include? Pigeon 605 got together with Avera Health to count those calories, and this was their breakdown:

• 8 ounces of turkey – 480 calories.
• 1 cup serving of mashed potatoes and gravy – 257 calories.
• 1 cup of stuffing – 350 calories.
• 1 cup of cranberry sauce – 257 calories.
• 1 slice of pumpkin pie – 350 calories.
• 6-ounce glass of wine –120 calories.

That is 1,814 calories for just one meal, and you'd have to work out for an hour to burn that many calories. I don't know, but somehow on Thanksgiving, I don't count calories; unfortunately and honestly, I don't even think about them.

But if you'd like to be a bit more health-conscious, there are things you can do.

For instance:

• Remove the skin from the turkey; eat the white meat.
• Whip mashed potatoes with skim milk and roasted garlic instead of butter and whole milk or cream.
• Oven-bake stuffing with sauteed onions and celery.
• Skip the green bean casserole and enjoy fresh, steamed green beans, topped with slivered almonds.
• Instead of brown sugar and marshmallows, flavor sweet potatoes with honey, apple juice, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Lighter whipped toppings can have full flavor with less than half the calories.
• Use whole cranberry sauce rather than jellied cranberry sauce.
• Choose whole-wheat, high-fiber breads and rolls.

Or...you could go calorie-crazy like I'm going to do, and contemplate the error of your ways while you're slipping into a turkey-induced nap.

Source: Pigeon 605 and Avera Health