• Shop locally. Food can travel 1,500 miles or more to get to your plate! She recommends getting to your farmers' market, like the Union Square Greenmarket, early to beat holiday crowds. (In addition to fresh produce, check out the Greenmarket Turkey Guide.)

• Go for grass-fed. Even butter is better when it comes from grass-fed cows. It's higher in antioxidants, cancer-fighting CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), and Omega-3 and-6 fatty acids. (Try Organic Valley Pasture Butter available at Whole Foods.) 

• Think outside the box. Items like boxed stuffing and packaged gravy can contain loads of sodium, along with scary-sounding ingredients like hydrolyzed plant protein, autolyzed yeast extract, and more. Instead, of pre-made, go for homemade. (Get Beaman's herbed turkey gravy recipe.) 

Check out another recipe courtesy of Beaman--beet, apple and goat cheese salad with steamed curly kale. Gobble, gobble!