Did you know that the average Christmas Day feast can run to a whopping 6,000 calories?
While the meal’s basic components are nutritious and low-fat, the pitfalls lie in the trimmings.
If you don’t fancy making a complete pig of yourself, you’ll be glad to know that most popular dishes can be changed slightly to reduce the calorie content without sacrificing on the taste.
Turkey is naturally low in fact, especially the breast meat. But to avoid extra fat and calories remove the skin and streaky bacon if you use it.
If the stuffing is made from sausage meat it will be high in fat. A healthier option is stuffing flavoured with fruits such as apricots and herbs such as sage, parsley and thyme.
When it comes to roast potatoes, simply use whole potatoes rather than cutting them into small chunks. That’s because the smaller the pieces of potato, the more fat they will soak up.
A ‘healthier’ gravy can be created by popping drained turkey juices into the fridge or freezer to cool as the fat will rise to the surface where it can be easily skimmed off.
And the fat and sugar in the trifle can be lowered by using sugar-jelly, fruit canned in natural juice, home-made custard using low fat milk and by using a thin topping of fresh cream or lower fat crème fraiche.
For those who like a tipple it’s worth remembering that alcohol is high in calories. Try alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones to help ensure you don’t take more than you intend to.
Posted: 15. December 2010 17:00