Keep Servings Small:

Stuffing
Made straight from the box, one-half cup of stuffing packs a not-too-terrible 107 calories, compared with at least 300 calories for homemade batches.

Take a Tiny Spoonful:

Cranberry Sauce
Just one-half cup contains four tablespoons of added sugar and 210 calories. A better bet: unsweetened applesauce, which hits the same cool, fruity note with a quarter of the sugar.

Biscuits or Cornbread
Buttermilk biscuits pack more than 200 calories each (a cornbread muffin runs close behind with 175). Instead, score healthful whole grains with one small whole wheat roll.

Green Bean Casserole
What happens when you douse a vegetable with creamy canned soup and fried onions? You get a dish that contains nearly as much fat as you'd get from a small hamburger—in a single cup.

Guide to the best and worst holiday desserts