Adding Up Thanksgiving Calories
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: November 22, 2012
JOPLIN, MO-- A serving of turkey here, some mashed potatoes and gravy there... and the Thanksgiving calories can really add up. In fact, one local dietitian says the average intake for the day comes in at a whopping 4500 calories. When you consider that 6 ounces of turkey is 340 calories... and a half cup of cranberry sauce adds almost 200 more, it's not hard to do.
Dietitian Andrea McGrew says you should watch out for items with a lot of butter or cream. "A lot of it is going to be the casseroles we tend to eat over the holidays. Green bean casserole, to make it healthier, you could use low fat cream of mushroom soup instead of regular fat. Instead of fried onions on top, use bread crumbs."
You can add up the calories from your own Thanksgiving meal online by clicking here.
