A Healthy Christmas: 6 Christmas Food Swaps

A ‘healthy’ Christmas is a crazy idea even to us fitness lovers. BUT there is such a thing as a ‘healthier’ Christmas. The holiday season is so hard for those trying to lose weight, temptations at every turn. It’s so easy to go mad, over indulging-chocie’s here, mince pie there, a dollop of bread sauce another glass of the fizzy stuff…then before you know it your whole diet has been railroaded. With the festivities fast approaching, it’s that time of year when we start stocking up the cupboards. Below are 6 top tips of foods you can swap for similar alternatives that will still taste just as yummy, but contain a lot less fat and calories!

My Recommendation: Be prepared! Purchase a few items each week on the count down to Christmas, that way you will have them all readily available when the temptations arise.

Food Swaps:

Double cream/brandy cream	Low Fat Creme Fraiche
200 cal	55cal

Slather creme fraiche over your Xmas pudding.  If you really want to make it extra tasty, put a thimble of brandy or baileys in and a pinch of sweetener and you won’t know the difference (this will only push it up to 65 calories!)

Goose Fat	1 Cal spray
150 cal	10 cal

Smother your roast potatoes with 1 cal spray, goose fat is high in calories and high in fat.  No one will know the difference!

Christmas Pudding	Fruit Trifle
300 cal	120 cal

Many don’t even like Christmas pudding, instead make a trifle.  Pack it full of fruit and make the custard with skimmed milk.

Blue Stilton	Camembert
135	80

Look at the calories in your cheese board.  Generally softer cheeses are lower in calories that hard ones.  You can now some half fat cheeses.

Turkey with skin	Turkey without skin
150	250

It may be yummy, but at an extra 100 calories her serving is it worth it?

5 x Milk chocolates	5 x Dark chocolates
180	120

Take some time to chose the treats you get for the house.  Dark chocolate will suppress your cravings quicker than milk chocolate and they are less calories.

Making these few swaps with guarantee you a yummy and healthy Christmas!