It seems to start at Halloween when the kids bring home an endless supply of candy from trick-or-treating. Then comes Thanksgiving with all of its wonderful staples — stuffing, candied yams, gravy and of course the ubiquitous pies. Then before you know it, it’s time for office holiday lunches and dinner parties, neighborhood cookie exchanges, school holiday parties for the kids, Christmas and Hanukkah parties, Christmas dinner and then finally to cap it all off — the big New Year’s feast!

Basically, from the end of October (when we open the Halloween candy BEFORE Halloween starts!) through the beginning of January, we are inundated with higher fat, higher sugar and overall higher calorie foods that are not usually part of our everyday diet. "Everything in moderation" becomes increasingly difficult to adhere to when all the leftover pies, cakes, stuffing and gravy slathered turkey are calling your name! Use some of the following tips to help put some "health" back into your holiday eating, so you and your family can continue your nutritious eating habits all year long.

• Keep variety to a minimum. Less variety is key, especially with sweets. Studies show that you will eat more if there are more choices. Instead of making 4-6 types of holiday cookies or having 3-4 pies at Thanksgiving, try cutting the amount in half.
• De-fat your gravy. By de-fatting your gravy, you will save lots of calories and still retain the rich flavor. The simplest way to de-fat gravy is to place a gallon size bag into a large measuring cup, pour the gravy into the bag and let it rest for 3-5 minutes. Eventually, the fat will separate from the base. Lift the bag out of the cup and snip the very bottom tip of the bag. Let the gravy run out into the cup and stop when you get to the fat layer.
• Forgo the skin. You can save hundreds of calories and not to mention lots of saturated fat and cholesterol by taking off the skin before you eat your turkey. Turkey without skin is very low in fat and very high in protein.
• Avoid family style eating. By plating your food in the kitchen, you will be less tempted for second helpings.
• Use smaller plates — especially when eating dessert! Studies show that people tend to fill their plates, so if your plate is smaller, chances are you will eat less.
• Let starches take the back seat. Fill your plate with lean protein sources such as turkey without skin or baked ham and lots of vegetables. Keep casseroles and starchy sides such as potatoes, peas, beans, and breads to a fist size. Starches tend be calorie dense and easy to overeat.
• Give your guests the treats. Instead of keeping all those tempting desserts around the house, fill festive party favor bags with leftover sweets and you can give your guests yummy take home gifts when they leave.
• Go light. Use 98% fat free soups, 2% cheeses and cut the butter in half when making those delicious holiday casseroles. You won’t compromise the taste, but you will save lots of calories and significantly decrease the amount of saturated fat.
• Enjoy what you eat. The holidays only come around once a year, so focus on those truly "special" treats that you don’t normally eat during the rest of the year. Don't waste your calories on dishes or foods that you have access to all year round.