Processed meats like sausages and bacon are high in saturated fat and added salt, so always look out for unprocessed options instead. Grilled or cold roast chicken or turkey, hard-boiled eggs or dips made with beans or pulses, such as hummus, are all healthier protein options.
It’s easy to keep grazing on savoury snacks, but constant nibbling can add up to lots of calories, saturated fat and salt. Try not to get stuck chatting where the food is. Instead of cheesy snacks, opt for breadsticks, which are lower in saturated fat. If you’re having a festive gathering, prepare some vegetable crudités and hummus in case people would like a healthy option.
Choose a mince pie that doesn’t have pastry covering the top, or have a mini pie, to keep the calories down. Or why not make your own? A plate of these Heart Matters mince pies will be a welcome treat for guests. The filo pastry means they’re lower in saturated fat than a standard mince pie, and the filling has less sugar too.
What to do with the leftover turkey may be a long-running Christmas joke, but it can be a useful option when choosing from the buffet table. Skinless cooked turkey or chicken has less fat than cheese, and less salt than ham or other processed meats. Make your plate even healthier by enjoying it with some tomato and cucumber slices, wholegrain bread, or crackers.
Compared to a traditional chocolate log, which is filled and covered with butter icing, this strawberry roulade is much lower in saturated fat, thanks to its no-added-fat sponge, and low-fat Greek yoghurt and fruit filling. If you’re struggling to find strawberries in December, try frozen raspberries instead. Defrost and drain the juice before adding them to the filling.
Stuffing made with sausage meat, or a packet mix, comes with added salt. The salt can really add up with all the other Christmas meal trimmings, so think about whether you need it. If you’re making your own, try a vegetarian version using chestnuts, onion, herbs and rice, or breadcrumbs from low-salt wholemeal bread. Or try our healthier Heart Matters recipe.
The dried fruit in Christmas cake makes this more nutritious than some other treats, but it is still high in fat and added sugar. Keep your slice small, and leave the icing and marzipan to reduce your sugar intake. If you’re making your own, try our Heart Matters Christmas cake, which is lower in fat and sugar than traditional recipes.
If the choice of accompaniments for your mince pie or Christmas pudding is cream or brandy butter then, unless it’s Christmas Day, consider having neither as they will pack a punch of saturated fat and calories. If you’re at a restaurant, ask your waiter if they have some half-fat crème fraiche, custard or low-fat plain or Greek yoghurt available instead.
Cheese already has a high fat content, so deep-frying it will only make matters worse. On a cheese board, camembert is a better option than stilton or traditional cheddar, but keep portions small – a 30g matchbox size portion is enough. If you're after a savoury nibble, bruschetta with a vegetable-based topping would be a healthier choice.
You can check the packet to see if the crisps are cooked in unsaturated fat, which makes them a better option, but it’s still important to watch your portion size. If you find it hard to stop at a couple, take a small handful then move away from the bag. Unsalted nuts are high in calories, so portion control is needed, but they contain protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, making them a nutritious choice.
If you’re making your own trifle, take a look at our recipe suggestion, or try making it with sugar-free jelly, low-fat custard and fresh fruit, or tinned fruit in juice rather than syrup. Adding just small blobs of cream on top rather than a full covering can also help to reduce the calories and fat. If you’re at someone else’s house, see if there is a lower sugar alternative available, such as fruit salad.
Prawns are a low-fat, low-calorie choice, so if everything is deep-fried then they might be a better option to limit the damage. Although they contain cholesterol, this type is not a problem for most people. However, deep-frying is best avoided if you can to limit your saturated fat. Try these flavoursome marinated prawns instead, which are cooked healthily.