Top tips for a healthy Christmas
Enjoy yourself and eat some of your favourite foods
Watching what you eat is probably not at the top of your list at Christmas. But if you’re training for an event or you're focused on meeting long-term health goals, there is a middle ground to be met between indulging and missing out.
Many of us assume that the food we eat at Christmas has to be unhealthy and bad for us. The truth is that the basic Christmas dinner of turkey and plenty of vegetables is actually a healthy and balanced meal.
1. Be mindful of the sugar in snacks
Try to limit how much sugar you consume throughout the day by keeping tabs on the sweets, biscuits, chocolates, cakes and mince pies you're having. Keep these tempting snacks out of easy reach or in another room to prevent mindless munching.
2. Balance your Christmas dinner
When it comes to the main meal of the day, think about how you balance your plate.
As a quick rule, aim to fill a little over half the plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter of the plate with protein, and slightly less than a quarter with carbohydrates like potatoes and stuffing.
If you're not sure how to create a balanced plate, take a look below to find out how many calories are in some of your Christmas favourites:
- Skinless Turkey (100g) - 153kcal
- Boiled potatoes (100g) - 75kcal
- Brussel sprouts (50g) - 18kcal
- Carrots (80g) - 19kcal
- Broccoli (80g) - 30kcal
- Parsnips (50g) - 53kcal
- Pigs in blankets (14g) - 42kcal
- Homemade stuffing (50g) - 48kcal
- Homemade gravy (50g) - 27kcal
3. Substitute fattier meats for Turkey
Turkey is a leaner meat and higher in protein than duck or goose. Turkey is full of zinc, which is an important vitamin for keeping your immune system strong.
It's also high in tryptophan - an essential amino acid that's been reported to improve quality of sleep. This may explain why so many of us go for a nap after our Christmas dinner.
4. If in doubt, eat more sprouts
A great way to bulk out a Christmas dinner is by swapping some of the ‘bad fats’ you find in meats or rich sauces for more vegetables.
Brussel sprouts are the much-maligned hero of the Christmas dinner. They’re a great source of fibre and vitamins C and K. If you're not a sprout-lover, try kale, broccoli or peas instead.
5. Cook with a quality oil
The fat we use in cooking is also important. Try using just a light spray or drizzle of a quality oil such as extra virgin olive oil, or just a dab of coconut oil.
6. Make a healthy homemade gravy
Gravy is an essential part of the Christmas meal, but this doesn’t have to compromise either health or calories.
Pour the juices from the roast meat into a saucepan and skim off the fat that comes to the top. To the remaining stock add some water from cooking the vegetables to obtain the desired volume of gravy.
To thicken, you can either blend in onion and carrot that have been cooked with the meat, or sprinkle in some brown rice flour, stirring thoroughly to avoid any lumps. This beats shop-bought gravy granules any day!
Key takeaways
A few extra calories on Christmas day isn't going to derail your progress. It's a highlight of the year for many people, so the main thing is to enjoy your food and not feel guilty.
If you're looking to enjoy the festive period without compromising your long-term health goals, enjoy your favourite snacks in moderation and don't beat yourself up for enjoying some of your favourite foods with your family.
Remember, eating can benefit our mental health too!
Last updated Thursday 17 October 2024
First published on Friday 20 November 2015