Life

Nutrition with Jane McClenaghan: The secret to a healthy Christmas is a little of what you like and lots of veg

Pile the veg on to your plate at Christmas and remember to cook your roasties in a little goose or duck fat rather than olive or vegetable oil
Pile the veg on to your plate at Christmas and remember to cook your roasties in a little goose or duck fat rather than olive or vegetable oil Pile the veg on to your plate at Christmas and remember to cook your roasties in a little goose or duck fat rather than olive or vegetable oil

WHETHER you are hitting the shops looking for gadgets and smelly stuff to buy for your nearest and dearest, or hanging out in your kitchen mulling over festive food, the festive celebrations are likely to be in full swing this weekend.

Christmas is not an easy time to write a nutrition column, as most people are stocking up on boxes of chocolates, selection boxes and ‘wee sausages’. This is definitely not the time of year to start a diet.

Let’s celebrate the best the season has to offer, enjoy our time with family and friends and treat ourselves to a little bit of what we fancy, rather than spend the next fortnight stuffing ourselves with sugar, only to regret it on January 1.

So here is my guide to a happy, (relatively) healthy Christmas:

:: When shopping for your festive food, take time to explore the vegetable aisle and your local farm shop. From kale and Brussels sprouts, to parsnips and clementines, these are the foods that make Christmas.

:: After you have set out the mince pie and glass of sherry for Mr Claus on Christmas eve, take a few minutes to prepare some Christmas spiced overnight oats for breakfast on Christmas Day. Simply combine some jumbo oats, with chopped pear, a handful of walnuts and a few dried cranberries. Add some seasonal spices like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and soak in milk, or a dairy-free milk alternative, in the fridge overnight.

Packed with slow-release carbohydrate, protein, essential fats and at least one of your five a day, this breakfast should help keep your mood, stress levels and energy more balanced than a quick fix like croissants and jam.

:: If you are having a starter with your Christmas Day lunch, why not go retro with a prawn cocktail, served with a Marie Rose sauce made with a little tomato puree and creme fraiche, served on crisp salad, or bulk in the veggies and make a seasonal soup.

:: The main event, of course, is Christmas dinner. A celebration of local produce and seasonal foods like turkey, ham, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, carrots and maybe a little kale – not forgetting the spuds, of course!

:: Pack your plate with vegetables and have a little less potato.

:: Remember to cook your roasties in a little duck fat or goose fat, rather than using delicate oils like olive oil or vegetable oil, which will get damaged by the high temperatures in your oven.

:: After lunch, enjoy a dessert of your choice, but rather than a huge portion, choose what you really want to eat, have a smaller/medium-sized portion and really savour it. Eating mindfully is one of the best things we can do for our appetite (and our waistlines).

:: Don’t feel you have to get stuck into the tin of sweets after your dinner, just choose a handful of your favourites and enjoy a few, rather than devouring the tin while watching the EastEnders special.

:: Keep well hydrated – remember to drink enough water. Alternate alcohol with a glass of water, or offer sparkling water or still water with some festive pomegranate seeds to give it a Christmassy twist.

:: Get some sleep. Burning the candle at both ends and missing out on your sleep will increase levels of a hormone called leptin, which triggers hunger and causes us to overindulge in carby, sugary foods.

:: Get outside. Enjoy the outdoors, whatever the weather. Get out for a walk, go for a bike ride or try your hand on the kids’ trampoline or skateboards.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!