Thanks for Good Food

Ah, Thanksgiving,
that day of the year when we eat so much
that we need a nap to make it through the day.

It's almost treasonous to suggest that people not indulge at least a little bit on this most feastly day. But there's a way to have your cake -- and pie and all those other Thanksgiving goodies -- and eat reasonably healthfully, too. Here's how:

• Fowl Is Fair. If the choice is between glazed nitrate-cured ham or traditional big bird, opt for the poultry. Although the dark meat has higher fat content, it's also richer in iron and zinc, two important minerals most Americans don't get enough of. A smaller portion will take you farther nutritionally than an equal portion of white meat.

• Stay On The Sides. Most of your holiday sides are where the nutrition action is -- at least when they're done right. Winter squash, such as butternut squash and pumpkin, is loaded with vitamin A as beta-carotene and other antioxidants to help prevent heart disease and cancer. They're also a good source of potassium and brimming with fiber. Fiber helps prevent a number of cancers while acting as a probiotic and feeding the helpful microorganisms in the digestive tract.

• Stand By Your Yams (and Sweet Potatoes). Like the other yellow, orange, and gold root veggies, they have the vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and fiber. But they also are one of the best sources of food energy. According to Mark Anthony, Ph.D., a nutritional scientist at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, "Boiled or steamed sweet potatoes and yams are one of the healthiest foods people can eat. The low-heat cooking helps them retain more nutrients and provide the type of carbohydrates must suited for weight management and blood-sugar control."

• Keep In the Red. Red fruits and vegetables are some of the best sources of vitamins and antioxidants. Berries contain proanthocyanidins that can prevent the adhesion of various bacteria associated with urinary tract infections, gum disease, and stomach ulcers.

• Cut And Dried. Look to dried fruits -- dried plums, figs, raisins, and cherries -- for more than iron, zinc and other minerals. They have plenty of calcium, too. And of course, they're famous for fiber and potassium. You can make pies from most of them, add them to stuffing, sauces, and compotes, or eat them out of hand with nuts.