The holiday season is a time for giving, family gatherings and general goodwill. The holidays are also a time for enjoying decadent meals that are larger and possibly more fattening than the typical family dinner.

According to The University of Akron’s Nutrition Center, eating healthy is not impossible during the holidays.

For stuffing recipes, whole wheat bread can be used instead of white in order to get the benefits of whole grain.

Dishes that include a lot of butter can use evaporated milk and Greek yogurt in place of butter.

Instead of unhealthy appetizers, vegetables and hummus will curb appetites before those holiday meals.

Another important thing to monitor is the amount of high-calorie drinks, specifically alcoholic beverages. These can add up quickly during the holiday festivities.

When having Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday, be sure to monitor the amount of sauces and gravy used on turkey and mashed potatoes as they can be high in saturated fat and sodium.

The Nutrition Center is located in Schrank Hall South room 210 and can be reached at 330-972-2836. Students with a university meal plan can take advantage of a variety of services at no cost provided by the Partners In Nutrition, an organization which helps students on meal plans with their nutrition.