Thanksgiving, a holiday known for overindulgence at the table, is less than two weeks away. According to a study posted in the New England Journal of Medicine in March of 2000, many Americans gain about a pound during the winter holiday season – courtesy of all those fixings. And this weight is not lost, accumulating through the years and sited as a major contributor to obesity later in life.

In an effort to defy this statistic, I sought help from Marion Browning, work site wellness coordinator at Healthy Androscoggin for some recipes and tips on how to enjoy the wonderful tastes of Thanksgiving without the expanding waistline.

Here is what Browning suggests:

Focus on the social time, not the food. Let Aunt Sally know that her smile and the love she put into making her favorite pie fills you up more than the actual pie ever could.

Focus on vegetables. Fill up on the green beans, salad, squash, etc.

Be mindful of sauces that may be served with vegetables and the amount of gravy and stuffing on your plate.

How much we eat may be more of the problem than what we eat. Go light on the first serving. You can always go back for more. Wait before you go back for more and focus on how your body feels. Ask yourself, “Am I hungry? Content? Stuffed?” Consider what really tasted good and what you want more of versus what others insist you should eat.

Bring a “healthy” dish you know you enjoy. Or, if you are asked to bring pies, bring ones that are not your favorite. It will be easier to resist the temptation.

Try making the “favorite” dish using less sugar and/or fat. For most recipes, you can cut the fat and sugar by half and still retain the flavor and texture. Ever try making a pie crust or bread using whole wheat flour rather than white flour? Use half whole wheat flour and half white flour). Experiment and smile when folks say, “This is the best ever!”

Keep in mind that it is only one day. If you want to go all out, go all out. Plan to get back on track the next day. A friend who has lost nearly 100 pounds recently shared a perspective he learned through Weight Watchers. Basically, give yourself a calendar for the next three months, choosing three days when you eat anything you want – and staying on the program the other days, of course. This will give you permission and the flexibility to stick with your plan.

Energy in, energy out. Come up with a plan to move your body. Healthy Androscoggin’s Web site, www.healthyandroscoggin.org, provides an online version of its recreational guide to Androscoggin County. It’s a great site to find a trail for a walk. Get family members involved. Moving our bodies can also be a stress reliever. Before sitting down to watch football, go outside and throw the football.

Brown suggested checking out the Web site www.eatingwell.com for healthy recipes such as cider gravy for the Thanksgiving meal. I also received a yummy recipe for stuffing from my healthy friend, Anne Boucher. A vegetarian, Boucher is a fabulous cook, and her recipe for stuffing cuts out a lot of the fat in traditional stuffings while adding healthy ingredients like cranberries, apples, celery and onions.

Lastly, check out the recipe for crustless pumpkin pie, a great way to enjoy a Thanksgiving favorite with a lot fewer calories.

Colleen Lunn Scholer is a freelance writer living in Auburn who likes to cook with her husband and two young children.

Cider gravy

(from www.eatingwell.com recommended by Marion Browning at Healthy Androscoggin)

Ingredients:

4 cups turkey giblet stock (recipe follows) or reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups apple cider

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Method:

1. When you remove the turkey from the roasting pan, skim off any visible fat from the pan juices.

2. Whisk ½ cup turkey giblet stock (or chicken broth) and flour in a small bowl until smooth; set aside.

3. Set the roasting pan over two burners on medium-high heat. Add cider and vinegar; bring to a boil and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half, 6 to 8 minutes. Add remaining 3½ cups stock (or broth). Increase heat to high; return to a boil, whisking often. Boil until the liquid is reduced by about half, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Whisk reserved flour mixture into the pan. Boil, whisking constantly, until gravy is thickened, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour gravy through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup. (Discard solids.) Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 2¼ cups.

Nutrition information per 3-tablespoon serving: 28 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 56 mg sodium; 28 mg potassium. 0 carbohydrate servings. Exchanges: free food

Turkey giblet stock

Ingredients:

Neck and giblets from a 10- to 12-pound turkey

6 cups water

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Method:

1. Combine neck and giblets (except liver), water, onion, carrot and celery in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming and discarding any foam, for 1 hour.

2. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and let cool. Discard solids. Makes about 4 cups

Cover and refrigerate for up to one day.

Nutrition information: After straining, the stock has few calories (about 25) and negligible nutrients except sodium (about 23 mg) per cup.

Crustless pumpkin pie

(from www.cookingcache.com)

Ingredients:

1½ cups pumpkin

1 large can evaporated milk

3 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar (packed Firm)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

Blend all together, no strings or lumps. Pour into greased 10-inch pie pan. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake an additional 35-40 minutes.

A medium-size pumpkin makes two pies. A large pumpkin tends to make three or four pies.