Well, first off, I intend on having a continuous stream of ginger ale. It's the only thing that helps me :)
A trick I learned from my childhood is to get food and clump it together at the center of the plate. Eat what you want and then push the remnants to the outer edge of the plate. Since the center of the plate is clear, it will look like you've eaten your food even if you haven't touched most of it. I'm a pretty picky eater, so I've been doing this a long time.
Also, if your family drinks, you can substitute all sorts of things as long as they are in a fancy glass. Good luck to you and Happy Thanksgiving.