One of the Sleuth's favorite scenes in literature -- OK, in chick lit -- comes when the working-woman protagonist of I Don't Know How She Does It ''distresses'' a store-bought pie in order to pass it off as homemade at a school party.

If this is your situation as Thanksgiving approaches, the Sleuth has some options for you. But, as the character of Kate Reddy found out in Allison Pearson's novel, you can't have it all: Two of three of these desserts come loaded with fat and calories. (The one that isn't might come as a surprise.) So make up your own mind about how much to splurge at a holiday meal.

KIRKLAND SIGNATURE APPLE RASPBERRY SLAB PIE

Cost: $9.99 for a 12-serving pie

Nutrition (per 131 g slice): 250 calories, 11 g fat (17 percent daily value), 7 g saturated (35 percent), 40 mg cholesterol (13 percent), 10 g sugars.

The verdict: This is a Martha Stewart product bearing the Costco private label, Kirkland Signature. The first thing you need to do is read the directions carefully: The frozen pie needs to be partly thawed for an hour at room temperature, then baked for another 50 minutes or so, then allowed to rest for another hour before serving. So, plan ahead.

Once baked, the pie has a gleaming, golden pastry crust covering a mixture of apples and raspberries. All but one of our 10 our tasters found the tartness refreshing in a dessert. The apples in particular were singled out as being very much like fresh fruit, unlike the mushy versions in most pies. But, speaking of mushy, the bottom crust was soggy and a bit ''gummy,'' several tasters agreed. That was the only criticism of a dessert that generally got top marks.

Note: Available only at Costco warehouse stores.

GRADE: A for taste

SARA LEE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

COST: $5.17 for a six-serving cake.

NUTRITION (per 142 g serving): 460 calories, 29 g fat (44 percent daily value), 16 g saturated (78 percent), 2.5 g trans fat, 130 mg cholesterol (43 percent), 28 g sugars.

THE VERDICT: This was the crowd favorite, with just enough pumpkin flavor to remind tasters of pumpkin pie without the overabundance of spices that one taster said she sometimes finds in that the traditional Thanksgiving dessert. On the other hand, there is an overabundance of fat and calories: One slice will give you almost a fourth of your daily calories on a 2,000 calorie diet, with close to half the recommended amount of fat and three-fourths the allotment of saturated fat.

GRADE: A for taste

ROYAL FLAN WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

COST: 68 cents for an eight-serving family size box

NUTRITION (per ½ cup serving, prepared with 2 percent milk): 130 calories, 4 percent daily value fat, 7 percent daily value of saturated fat, 4 percent daily value sodium, 18 g sugars.

THE VERDICT: No flan from a box is ever going to compare with the homemade variety one can find at almost any Miami Latin restaurant. And, even though it's not truly homemade, this flan does require more work than simply taking a pie or cake out of a box and thawing or baking. (Basically, you add milk to the mix and cook it on the stove, but there's no caramelizing the sugar for syrup. And to account for varying tastes, Royal thoughtfully provides variations for a firmer, sweeter or richer version.)

However, it turns out that flan is practically a Thanksgiving health food compared with desserts traditional in other parts of the country. And, for those who like pumpkin pie, flan provides a similar comfort-food feel, with the smoothness of its not-too-sweet custard.

GRADE: C for taste, A for fat and calories

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you can be thankful for the state of your health the rest of the year, you might feel OK about indulging; if you need to watch fat or calories, stay away from the pie and cheesecake.

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