Try these tips to lighten up your holiday menus.

• Begin with a veggie tray filled with colorful pepper slices, grape tomatoes, carrot sticks, etc. You might want to arrange them to look like a turkey, Serve with a reduced-calorie dip if desired. 
• Use lower-calorie ingredients such as “light sour cream” or “light cream cheese” when making dips, mashed potatoes or salads. Compare the Nutrition Facts labels.
• Instead of green bean casserole, stir-fry green beans in olive oil with some sliced pecans and a dash of cayenne pepper.
• Go easy on the brown sugar and butter added to sweet potatoes.
• Remove the skin from the roasted turkey before serving and/or eating. Turkey skin is high in fat and calories.
• Serve ice water with the meal. If desired, flavor the water with some orange, lemon or lime slices.
• Serve pumpkin pie instead of higher-calorie apple pie or pecan pie.
• Use smaller serving spoons. People tend to serve themselves larger portions when larger serving spoons are used.