For many people Christmas dinner is a big family event. It is a time where people eat and drink to their hearts content. Unfortunately, many festive dinners are loaded with calories and as a result many people over indulge during their Christmas meal. However, this does not have to be the case for you this year. In this article I am going to provide you with four tips to lighten your Christmas dinner.
1) KEEP THE BREAD OFF THE TABLE: If there is a plate of bread on the table then you and your guests are more likely to keep nibbling away at it between courses. Before you know it you have added a few hundred calories to the meal without even starting the main course. So instead of having a plate of bread on the table why not try serving a single piece of bread to your guests on request? When everyone is seated at the table ask who would like some bread and then give those who say yes a single piece.
This will allow everyone who wants bread to have some whilst minimising overeating.
2) MAKE NATURAL GRAVY: Gravy goes hand in hand with Christmas turkey. Many people use powdered mixes to prepare their gravy. Unfortunately, many of these mixes are high in calories and can make your meal heavier than it needs to be. Therefore, why not try and make a natural gravy this year? To do this simply take the bag of giblets that came with the turkey, chop some vegetables and boil a pan of water. Then leave the giblets and vegetables to simmer in the pan of water for about an hour. Once the hour is up drain this stock into a jug and add the turkey juices from the roasting tray and you have natural gravy. You can even add some pepper, salt and herbs to achieve the desired taste.
If it still needs thickening up then add a small amount of wholemeal flour. This natural gravy will be a lot lower in calories and hopefully a lot more flavorsome too.
3) PUT LOTS OF VEGETABLES ON THE TABLE: Vegetables are a great way to add some colour, texture and variety to your Christmas dinner. Plus they are one of the healthiest food choices around with most vegetables being rich in fibre and vitamins whilst low in calories. Therefore, whilst you want to keep the bread off the table make sure there are plenty of vegetables easily available to you and your guests at all times.
4) KEEP WATER ON THE TABLE: Like with bread, if there are alcoholic and carbonated beverages on the table you and your guests are likely to consume more of them. Although these beverages are very popular they are also very heavy in calories and can contain up to 200 per glass. If you have one glass with each course then you could add an extra 800 calories to the meal. Therefore, why not put jugs of chilled water on the table and leave the other beverages in the kitchen? The other beverages will still be available to those who want them but this little trick will indirectly encourage your guests to drink more water and reduce their liquid calorie intake.
As you can see the calories can quickly build up during your Christmas dinner. However, with a little forward planning you can still enjoy a traditional, festive meal without the calories getting out of control.
Tom Parker owns and operates a number of useful fitness resources and websites. You can learn more about preparing a healthy Christmas dinner and how you can lose weight for the Christmas holidays by visiting his websites.
