How Many Calories Are In Thanksgiving Dinner?

Oh, baby. We just went there. Forewarned is forearmed, right? Or something like that.
You can stick your head in the sand, or you can have some facts and prepare for the onslaught (a little pre-holiday salad or extra workouts, say). So for those who prefer to be informed, here goes:
Thanksgiving dinner can easily be worth 3,150 calories, according to the Calorie Control Council, whose website includes a chart that outlines 159 grams of fat as well. Their sample dinner didn’t even include skin on the turkey and only counted one serving of cornbread, one tablespoon of butter, and one slice of pie. And no booze.
More likely, we’re all headed for more than 4,000 calories, practically two days’ worth of calories in one meal. And our carbs can easily approach an eye-popping 500 grams.
The Council doesn’t recommend avoiding Thanksgiving dinner, but does provide some tips for reducing the calorie count and for preparing yourself. This includes exercise, eating something healthy beforehand so you don’t go into a meal famished, socializing away from the table of food, and using a smaller plate to encourage portion control.