One of the first things that come to some students’ minds at the mention of Thanksgiving is food.

The emphasis put on food during Thanksgiving and other holidays can cause some people to overindulge and gain weight. In fact, it has been estimated that some eat as many as 3,000 calories during the Thanksgiving meal alone, said Becky Hammitt, dietitian at the ISU Wellness Center.

However, she said there are many ways to avoid putting on extra pounds without missing out on holiday treats. In fact, many of the foods that adorn Thanksgiving tables, such as turkey and sweet potatoes, are relatively healthy, Hammitt said.

Other holiday favorites, including stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie, are higher in fat. However, Hammitt said there is no need to ban these foods from the meal.

“Thanksgiving is just one meal of the week,” she said. “Don’t get bent out of shape about it.”

In fact, pumpkin pie is one of the healthier desserts people eat, said Jolene Wolf, dietitian at Mary Greeley Medical Center, 1111 Duff Ave. It only has one crust, and pumpkin has many good nutrients in it.

Instead of giving up the mouth-watering dishes, Hammitt said she recommends limiting portion sizes to control food intake during holiday meals.

“You can eat everything you want to, but just take a little bit of each thing,” she said.

Wolf recommends eating “only the goodies most meaningful.” There is no reason to eat foods just because they are associated with Thanksgiving, she said.

Another mistake people make on Thanksgiving morning is skipping breakfast in order to “save room” for the big meal, Wolf said. She said having an empty stomach likely could make people eat so much at the main meal to “make yourself miserable,” she said.

Students tend to eat more during the holidays because of the family and social functions, increased stress due to finals and decreased activity levels, Hammitt said.

Wolf said that by concentrating on the meaning of the holidays instead of the food of the holidays, excess weight gain could be avoided.

However, if all else fails, the experts said to get out of the house and away from the tempting trays of holiday goodies.

“Go for a walk, and get out of the kitchen,” Hammitt said.