With winter quickly approaching and the holidays just around the corner, the thought of gaining extra pounds over the holidays is something college students have a hard time avoiding.

Forget the butter, salt and cream in your favorite dishes and make a few of these all-time favorite holiday comfort foods into a healthier choice. Try a few of these ideas your family is sure to love.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a super-food ideal for autumn, rich in antioxidants and the perfect ingredient to any recipe.

• Substitute pumpkin for the eggs and  butter in your baked goods, like cookies and cake batters.
• Add pumpkin puree — canned or fresh — to your favorite pancake mix. Scratch the butter and sugary syrups, add a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy.
• Combine fresh pumpkin, chicken broth and fat-free half-and-half with nutmeg, other spices and vegetables or even fruits for a delicious pumpkin stew.
• Layer a baking sheet evenly with seeds and top with Cajun and cayenne spices for a zesty taste, ranch or other dry dip seasoning packets for a creamier flavor, or cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat.
• Mix pumpkin puree in a crock pot with a broth of your choice, vegetables, garlic powder, onion powder and sage for a creamy, nutritious pasta sauce.
• Try this delicious recipe for a sweet holiday dessert: Substitute and combine vanilla Greek yogurt with pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie puree, add apple pie spice or pumpkin spice, mix and fill Filo shells with the mixture to make bit size pumpkin bites. Chef Andrew at Hy-Vee suggested this relationship.

Turkey

Turkey is the center of attention at a Thanksgiving feast. Turkey is a lean meat containing less fat, especially saturated fat (the bad kind) than its other holiday meaty counterparts and is also rich in protein, which helps build muscle.

• Turkey chili is a great way to use leftover turkey from the holidays. Add beans — black, kidney, and garbanzo — with tomato sauce (try the no-salt-added versions of beans and tomato sauces) and add your favorite fresh peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and vegetables of your choice. Top with your favorite spices, such as crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, oregano and a touch of hot sauce to add some spice.
• Turkey tacos are an easy meal for your Turkey Day leftovers. Add spices to flavor the turkey (Cajun adds a zesty flavor) on a whole-grain flour tortilla, and top with lettuce, tomatoes, your choice of cheese and a mixture of plain Greek yogurt with salsa and chili powder for a sour cream-like sauce.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great substitute for mashed potatoes, which are normally filled with butter and cream. They are delicious and easily prepared, rich in antioxidants to keeping your immune system in check for the cold months ahead, full of fiber to fulfill your appetite and taste great sweet or spicy.

• Boiled or mashed sweet potatoes topped with cinnamon and nutmeg add the perfect extra sweetness for a wonderful side dish.
• Combine sweet potatoes into your chili with black beans for a Southwest kick.
• Add half sweet potatoes to your regular potatoes mash and serve a super food for your family.