With all that stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes and butter-basted turkey, Thanksgiving isn’t the healthiest of holidays. By the end of the day you’ll have consumed too much salt, not a lot of fiber, and as much as 4,000 calories, says Sarah Krieger of the American Dietetic Association. Here’s how to lighten it up:

• Mash potatoes with fat-free sour cream and skim milk and sneak in some steamed and puréed cauliflower.

• Skim the fat off the top of the gravy before you serve it, or buy low-fat gravy.

• Use chicken broth and a bit of olive oil to moisten the stuffing instead of that stick or two of butter. Make it in a pan, instead of in the bird, so it won’t absorb all the turkey fat.

• Stick to white meat and no skin if you don’t want to absorb all the turkey fat yourself.

• Sauté or roast vegetables for a side. If you can’t give up that green-bean casserole, use a low-fat cream soup and sprinkle those french-fried onions over it as a garnish, not a layer.

• Go with an apple crisp and a crustless pumpkin custard instead of pie to avoid the butter-rich pastry.

Find healthy holiday recipes at foodfit.com. And don’t forget to skip the mayo when you make that leftover turkey sandwich.

—Linda Stern