Not that you're likely to choose Thanksgiving as a day to start your diet, but here are some ways to lighten things up from Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D., a contributor to Women's Health Magazine.

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Pigs in a blanket are small and cute but at 66 calories each, these little piggies can really add up. They're also loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat and cancer-causing nitrates. A better appetizer is half a cup of steamed or boiled shrimp.

Chips and dip are a dangerous liaison because you eat them mindlessly. If you must hear a crunch from your appetizer, park yourself near the crudité plate and munch on carrots and red peppers instead.

One slim glass of eggnog contains as many calories as 3 glasses of wine: 343. What's more, there are nearly 12 grams of fat and 22 grams of sugar. Enjoy a single glass of wine instead.

A simple bread stuffing is already loaded with 178 calories per cup. But when you toss in the sausage, you make matters worse by adding an additional hundred calories and a ton of fat.

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When you take sweet potatoes, drench them in butter and sugar, you kill their nutritional value and turn them into a dieter's nightmare. You're better off with mashed potatoes, which, at 118 calories per serving, have half the calories and less fat.

Three ounces of dark meat turkey with skin deliver nearly 200 calories and a double whammy of saturated fat. If you can't forego the dark, at least peel the skin off. Better yet, stick with light meat, which is lower in fat and has just 114 calories.

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Pumpkin pie is a better choice than either pecan or apple. One slice of pecan pie contains a whopping 780 calories; apple pie, about 415. Pumpkin pie will only set you back about 350 calories, and that's if you splurge on a dollop of whipped cream.