Many times consumers classify foods as good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, or allowed or forbidden. Instead of classifying foods into positive or negative categories, try evaluating them based on nutrient density. Nutrient density refers to the amount of nutrients for the given volume of food; in other words, containing the most nutrition per bite. The opposite of nutrient density is energy density. By definition energy dense foods have more calories per volume and provide few nutrients.

The typical American holiday season begins on Thanksgiving and continues through New Years Day. During this time, a typical American gains 5-10 pounds. With parties to attend, shopping, baking, cleaning, and other holiday related demands, weight loss efforts tend to get reprioritized. This holiday season can be different and you can start by making Thanksgiving dinner a lot healthier. Here are some great Thanksgiving substitutions and recipes without the excess calories and fat.