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(Bellingham, WA) - The season between Thanksgiving and Christmas can do a number on your waistline. Sure, there are treats, chocolates, and candies everywhere - but did you know that the biggest weight-gain culprits may be your traditional holiday dinners?

According to Registered Dietitian Gloria Tsang, one holiday dinner can pack on more calories than most people should eat in an entire day. "A Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner featuring turkey and all the fixings can pack in up to 2000 calories in just one sitting," says Tsang, founder of online nutrition community HealthCastle.com.

Fortunately, if you plan ahead, you can serve up a traditional turkey holiday dinner - and save your waistline. Tsang offers these simple strategies to help you cut loads of fat and 400 calories from your holiday meal - and still make it seem like a feast!

1. Potatoes: Mashed potatoes are loaded with fat-heavy cream and butter. Try using buttermilk instead of cream, and use light butter instead of regular.

• Calories saved: about 140

2. Cakes and pies, tip #1: Yes, you can still serve dessert! Try substituting unsweetened applesauce or pureed prunes for half the sugar in your baking recipes. Or, try using no-calorie artificial sweeteners like Splenda.

• Calories saved per 1/8 cake or pie piece: up to 96

3. Cakes and pies, tip #2: To make your cake even leaner, try substituting egg whites or egg substitute for the eggs in recipes. If the eggs are used as an emulsifier, it's best to use egg substitute (1/4 cup = 1 egg).

• Calories saved per 1/8 cake or pie piece: up to 13

4. Whipped cream: Cutting whipped cream from a holiday meal seems a bit cruel - but this tasty topping is loaded fat. Try making your own whipped cream using evaporated milk, or use non-dairy Cool Whip Free. Both offer a similar taste and texture without the fat and guilt.

• Calories saved per 2 Tbsp serving: up to 90
• Calories saved per serving: 45 - 63

No matter what you choose to serve at your holiday dinner, you can use these tips to lighten things up without dampening the festive mood. When your family digs into creamy mashed potatoes, roasted turkey, and desserts complete with whipped topping, they'll never suspect you've gone light.

More healthy eating tips from registered dietitians, including more strategies for healthy eating during the holidays, are available at http://www.HealthCastle.com.

About HealthCastle.com: HealthCastle.com is the most comprehensive nutrition community run by Registered Dietitians on the web. The dietitians at HealthCastle.com have been sharing their passion for nutrition and health since 1997. For fun and practical healthy eating tips, exclusive nutrition guides, and nutrition podcasts, visit www.HealthCastle.com.

For more information or to interview Gloria Tsang, please contact Tracey Johnston at .