Thanksgiving meals can be a challenge if you want them to be delicious and healthy. There are some things you can do to make intervention without passing the antacids as the last course.

Keep family members in mind who have chronic diseases. As a good host, we cannot leave them to fend for themselves. Make sure that there are tasty healthy nibbles around for them to munch while waiting for the main course. Herbal teas (hot or chilled) sweetened with agave, or stevia are great healthy fillers also.

Build New Traditions
Introduce one or two healthy food items that will hopefully become a new family tradition. You could even have a contest with several family members and friends. Make up the contest rules. For example, must be delicious, low fat, high fiber, no msg and low salt. You could also convert a family recipe to a healthier dish by substituting healthy ingredients.

Purchase a healthy low fat, cholesterol free dessert from a Baltimore vegan bakery. Vegan chefs cook without dairy, eggs or any products made from animals, which reduces fat, cholesterol and calories significantly. You can also prepare a healthy dessert (recipes). Make sure the desserts contain low fat ingredients like low fat milks, skim, soy or rice milk.

Add Color
Make sure the menu includes colorful salads and vegetables, which are always signs of a healthy meal. You could reduce the size of each vegetable into small bite-size pieces and toss with a tasty non-dairy (low fat) dressing.

Do Not Skip Meals
Serve a normal breakfast and lunch. Then have your Thanksgiving meal. Saving calories for the one big meal robs the body of needed fuel during the day. It also increases the chance of overeating and puts a well functioning metabolism at risk.

With a little creativity, you can help make your Thanksgiving meal healthier for everyone.