Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, peas, rolls... makes your mouth water, doesn't it? Well, you can have your turkey and your pie too, with some small adjustments.

There are several ways to make your Thanksgiving meal healthier, says Casey Wardlaw, registered dietitian at the Durham Health Department.

"It's not really about being ‘good' or ‘bad' on Thanksgiving," she said. "Even diabetics can easily do a Thanksgiving meal. The real control is portion size."

Wardlaw suggests taking a half serving of the things you love, like sweet potatoes. That way, you get the flavors you crave with half the starch. Hosts can help make it easier for people not to overdo by using smaller spoons for serving.

Preparing the Thanksgiving meal also offers some chances to cut back on salt, sugar and fat without depriving yourself of the foods you love.

"Try using half as much sugar and a little more spice in your pumpkin pie," said Wardlaw. "Or use half as many nuts as the recipe calls for in your sweet potato casserole."

Another place you can cut calories and fat is making gravy. Wardlaw suggests draining as much fat as possible from the turkey drippings, adding water to the amount you want and then whisking together flour and a little cold water in a separate container before stirring it together with the drippings to make an almost fat-free gravy.

And good news for those who love a turkey leg. Dark meat has a little more fat than white meat, but it is higher in iron, so you can still enjoy it. In moderation, of course.

"If you do overdo it at Thanksgiving, try to cut back a little the next day," said Wardlaw. "Don't skip meals, but try to get back on track with healthy eating. One day isn't going to make or break you. It's the long-term that counts."

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  More Thanksgiving meal tips:
• *Add more colorful vegetables to your meal and try to serve just one kind of potato or dessert.
• *Offer dishes that have less salt. Drain and rinse canned vegetables and try to resist adding salt when you are cooking. Let your family and guests salt to taste.
• *Try a bone-in turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. It offers more servings for the money and takes less time to cook.