Thanksgiving foods, roast turkey and vegetables, are healthy, said Lewiston nutritionist Sherri Grimmer. It’s what you put on top of them – high-fat gravy and butter – that turns them into less healthful foods, she said. To keep the Thanksgiving meal healthy, she recommends:

Skip the butter: Add more pepper and spices, sprinkle roasted pecans and Parmesan cheese over green vegetables to add flavor but not fat.

Lower-fat gravy: When using pan drippings, cool the pan so the fat forms a layer. Skim and throw out the fat. Use low-fat broth. To add vitamins, keep the water from boiling carrots, onions, turnips and other vegetables and use it to make gravy. Serve half-cup portions of gravy on the side instead of letting everyone go wild with the ladle.

Healthier stuffing: Use whole-grain bread. Instead of butter, use low-fat broth. Add sage and poultry seasoning to enhance the flavor without adding fat. A half-cup of stuffing is an adequate portion size.

Fresh cranberries: Homemade cranberry sauce can be made the night before, has less sugar and more vitamins than canned.

Mashed potatoes: Use a little skim milk, no butter, maybe fat-free sour cream and chives. In recipes that call for heavy cream, substitute canned evaporated skim milk.