After a heavy Thanksgiving meal, many of us are craving meals on the lighter side the following week — especially those of us who are trying to make it through the holidays without the inevitable weight gain! So for something lighter, make a salad with plenty of fresh vegetables topped with cubed or sliced leftover turkey.

Other ingredients to consider are dark purple salad greens, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, celery, leftover peas, chopped almonds, and hard-boiled eggs.

Top with a cranberry salad dressing that you can make on your own by mixing some leftover cranberry sauce with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar.

Why I love this salad:

• Turkey is high in protein, and I have a lot of it lying around.
• Cranberry is among our list of favorite seasonal foods.
• Mixed veggies provide you with a natural source of fabulous nutrients like vitamin c and lycopene, to name a few.
• Olive oil and almonds are great sources for monounsaturated fat (aka the good fat).

Fit's Tip: Love cheese on your salad? Cheese is a great source of calcium but can be high in fat, so try topping with a cheese that is a little bit lower in fat naturally like Parmesan or Sap Sago (made from whey).