9 Tips For Enjoying Thanksgiving Without Overindulging

People who spend most of the year getting into shape and following healthy diets often overindulge in food and drink on Thanksgiving Day, and end up feeling more stuffed than the actual turkey! But with candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and the various assortments of pies among some of the extremely high-calorie foods on offer, the holiday really can be a dieter's worst nightmare.

Click here to see the 9 Tips for Enjoying Thanksgiving Without Overindulging (Slideshow)

But with a bit of foresight and preparation, it doesn't have to be that way. There are lots of things that you can do that will keep your Thanksgiving dinner healthy and light. "I enjoy a healthy and balanced diet practically every day," says Fernanda Capobianco, owner of Vegan Divas, "but Thanksgiving can be a challenge even for me." 

Brazilian-born Capobianco has a background in nutrition and has been a vegan chef for the past 15 years, and she has developed a unique technique for creating delicious pastries and mousses free of eggs and sugar. Capobianco has just released her first cookbook, The Vegan Divas Cookbook, in which she shares more than 75 recipes for both sweet and savory dishes that are high in protein and fiber but low in fat and calories. "My strategy is to help you limit the damage by picking your holiday foods carefully and healthfully so that you won't feel like you are missing out," she says.

Here are Capobianco's practical and easy tips for handling the big day that will help you to feel fit!

For more turkey talk, visit The Daily Meal's Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving!

Click here for The Vegan Diva's Pumpkin Pie Recipe.

Click here for The Vegan Diva's Smoky Tomato-Bean Soup Recipe.