Most of us would like to pretend calories don't exist on food-centric holidays like Thanksgiving, but the writers at Yahoo have highlighted some healthier ways to prepare your turkey so you don't walk away from dinner with regrets.

Marinating or dry brining your turkey with herbs and spices like rosemary, garlic and black pepper has been shown to inhibit the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs) in meat, which can be carcinogenic, according to Yahoo.

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Cooking your turkey at a lower temperature with methods like roasting and smoking can also help minimize the accumulation of PAHs and HCAs versus deep-frying or grilling. Those methods also limit additional fat, which is better for your heart.

Skip out on the turkey skin and limit your gravy. Yahoo said the skin tends to be the most concentrated source of PAHs and HCAs and gravy made from turkey drippings is high in saturated fat.

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Basting with broth or extra virgin olive oil rather than butter can decrease the saturated fat content, experts said. Extra virgin olive oil is also packed with poly- and mono-unsaturated fat, which Yahoo said can have a more desirable effect on blood lipids.