How many calories to America's consumer on Thanksgiving day?

CINCINNATI - It is a holiday based entirely around a dinner so the amount of calories we consume on Thanksgiving is likely hundreds more than on a non-holiday day.

So exactly how many calories on average do we consume on Thanksgiving?

According to the Calorie Control Council we consume more than 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving. This count includes a traditional Turkey dinner of about 3,000 calories and about 1,500 calories from snacks and beverages before the big meal.

This makes our calories on Thanksgiving day about 2 1/4 times the average daily calorie intake and close to 3 1/2 times the fat.

In the The New York Times article the author broke down the meal to see how much we would have to eat to get to 4,500 calories.

• 6 ounces of turkey, 4 ounces of dark and 2 ounces of white - 299 calories
• Sausage stuffing- 310 calories
• Dinner roll with butter- 310 calories
• Mashed sweet potato casserole- 300 calories
• Mashed potatoes with butter and gravy- 140 calories
• Green bean casserole- 100 calories
• Cranberry sauce- 15 calories
• Roasted brussel sprouts- 83 calories
• Pumpkin pie- 316 calories
• Pecan pie- 503 calories
• Whipped cream on each slice- 100 calories

Total: 2,486 calories

Add some appetizers, a few glasses of wine and your breakfast and it's possible you are at 4,500 calories in one day.

Some tips to a healthier Thanksgiving from EmblemHealth :

• Stay active, add a physical activity like a walk or family football to your day
• Control portions, avoid going back for seconds
• Don't rush, eating slow helps people know when they're full
• Limit alcohol, alcohol calories add up quickly
• Modify recipes, making small changes like using less butter and oil or opting for fat-free chicken broth or fat-free yogurt in your recipes