“What is a holiday meal without a side of potatoes? But just one cup of garlic mashed potatoes and half a cup of gravy totals 420 calories,” says Shapiro. If you can’t give up your spuds, opt for only a small lump on your plate.
Or, try less creamy options. “By substituting one baked sweet potato, eight boiled new potatoes and one ear of corn, you can have double the amount of food for only 440 calories, with more food, more fiber and more diversity of taste,” says Shapiro.
Another alternative? Slash the calories in mashed potatoes by substituting vegetable oil spread for butter, and nonfat milk for the heavy cream in many traditional recipes.