For many of us, holiday eating is synonymous with overindulgence—the average person consumes a whopping 6,000 calories (25,000 kJ) on Christmas day alone. So unless you’ve got a Christmas morning marathon to run, you might want to read up on our suggestions for slashing some calories and avoiding the dreaded holiday weight gain.
1. Opt for white meat
You don’t have to go to the extremes of this cartoon, simply make some simple swaps. Instead of reaching for that turkey leg, select a portion of breast meat to save you 30 calories (120 kJ). A small serving of white meat clocks in at 158 calories (632 kJ), as opposed to dark meat’s 183 (732 kJ).
2. Ditch the skin
Eating that turkey breast sans the butter-basted skin will save you an additional 27 calories (108 kJ). You won’t even miss it, we promise!
3. Skip the butter
Whether you’re spreading it on a roll or drizzling it over prawns, each tablespoon of butter is adding 100 calories (400 kJ) to your count.
4. Indulge your sweet tooth sensibly
Not a fan of plum pudding? Neither are your thighs. A large slice of the traditional brandy-soaked dessert with custard tops the scales at around 500 calories (2000 kJ). In its place, serve up some fresh chargrilled mangoes with a delicious yoghurt sauce and you’ll save yourself 310 calories (1240 kJ).
5. Snack on fruit
We all know fruit is a much healthier alternative than traditional Christmas snacks, well any party snacks at all. If you’re worried that fruit isn’t festive enough, try a Christmas inspired fruit platter like this this. Simply swapping your snacks can easily save you a few hundred calories.
6. Watch the Christmas alcohol
A glass of Riesling will cost you 120 calories (480 kJ)—cut that in half by mixing half white wine with half club soda for a refreshing and low-calorie wine spritzer. Add in some flavor with a splash of cranberry juice and some fresh fruit slices.
Check out another 10 ways to get active and avoid weight gain this Christmas. It’s easier than you think!