On Thursday, I wore my tightest jeans to Thanksgiving dinner and made a promise to myself I wouldn't unbuckle them to make more room. It got pretty dicey there for a minute, when my mother-in-law pulled out the coconut cream pie and the Snickers ice cream, but the jeans kept me honest.

There's no shortage of good things to eat this holiday season, that's for sure. But does good (and tasty) always have to be evil? Not necessarily. Prevention has a gallery full of healthier holiday cookie recipes. A few simple substitutions, such as whole wheat flour for white and flaxseed and water for eggs lighten these cookies up just a bit.

I mean, let's face it ... cookies will never be celery, no matter how you mix them up. But you might be able to enjoy one of these without having to loosen your jeans.