Many bemoan the calories in a typical Thanksgiving meal but traditional foods at this feast can be among the healthiest foods you can eat. Here are the top five foods that should make an appearance at your holiday table.

•  Cranberries: These tart berries were said to be served at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 and for good reason. They are loaded with the antioxidant vitamin C, but our ancestors did not know that they are also a rich source of plant chemicals called bioflavonoids that help fight cancer. Cranberries are also used to treat urinary tract infections.

Sweet potatoes: Although not related to the white potato, these beautiful tubers should replace white potatoes this Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes, with their deep orange flesh, are excellent sources of beta-carotene (the plant precursor to vitamin A) and vitamin C. Both of these antioxidant nutrients are needed to strengthen your immune system and fight off that winter cold. Sweet potatoes also provide fiber and potassium -- two nutrients that are deficient in the diet of most Americans.

Turkey: Not the pre-basted frozen variety, but more like the one our ancestors ate. Most of us won't hunt our own Thanksgiving turkey, but we can buy a fresh turkey that is not pumped with basting juices and sodium-laden additives. Fresh turkey is low in fat (less than 5 grams per serving) and rich in the vitamins niacin and B6. Dark meat is slightly higher in fat than breast meat, but it also provides more iron than white meat. Make sure to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Don't rely on the pop-up timer. Turkey should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure thorough cooking.

Greens: Mustard, turnip, collard or kale -- greens are full of healthy nutrients like beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, fiber and calcium. Green leaf plants are the best source of folate -- whose name is derived from foliage -- a nutrient that can prevent birth defects.

Pumpkin pie: Thanksgiving would not be complete without pumpkin pie. This fleshy edible fruit (even though most would classify it as a vegetable) is rich in antioxidant nutrients that are associated with deep orange color -- beta-carotene and vitamin C -- but is also rich in potassium and fiber. One slice of pumpkin pie has 350 calories but the same size slice of pecan pie has 520 calories.

-- CHRIS ROSENBLOOM

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