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Thanksgiving dinner calories breakdown can be as much as 2,500 calories per meal, contributing to persistent weight gain during the holidays. Find out how to eat healthy through a seemingly Thanksgiving food smorgasbord.

Thanksgiving is one of the most festive American traditions not only because it brings the family together, but also because of the variety of food served and made from age-old family recipes. It is not surprising that many dieters often experience a relapse during this period because of the inability to stop over-eating.

Here is a Thanksgiving dinner calories breakdown to give you an idea of what you are eating as listed in IFL Science.

• Turkey meat: dark meat has 160 calories for every 3 oz. while white meat only has 115 calories for every 3 oz. consumed;
• Sausage stuffing has 405 calories for every one cup;
• Mashed potatoes with 214 calories for every cup and gravy at 30 calories for every ¼ cup totaling to 244 calories for the combo;
• Brussels sprouts with 56 calories for every one cup;
• Sweet potatoes casserole has 285 calories for every ¾ cup while the green bean casserole has only 161 calories for every ¾ cup;
• Cranberry sauce with 110 calories for every ¼ cup;
• Roll and butter has 140 calories for every 1 roll;
• Pecan pie and whipped cream with 603 calories for every slice; and the
• Pumpkin pie with only 140 calories for every slice.

Lisa Sasson, a nutritionist from the New York University offers healthy eating tips to help dieters get through a Thanksgiving dinner without feeling left out or guilty as reported by The Business Insider.

Sasson starts with this very important advice, which is to eat a filling snack before sitting down for the Thanksgiving meal. The snack could be a choice among nuts, yogurt, cheese, salad with avocado, or even eggs and toast. In doing so, a dieter will not be ravenous and lose the willpower to curb overeating.

A good way to avoid crashing a diet is to opt for veggies, making a Thanksgiving dinner plate colorful with an array of vegetables. Keep starchy veggies at a minimum with a serving similar to once scoop of ice cream.

It is also wise to avoid heavy recipes or make it lighter by stuffing the turkey with more vegetables instead of sausage stuffing. Avoid sugary beverages or limit intake to only one glass of cider.

For dessert, choose the healthier pumpkin pie, but leave the crust. By choosing to eat healthy, the Thanksgiving dinner calories breakdown is kept at a minimum.