How to have a guiltfree festive

Christmas food is usually about indulgence rather than nourishment, but it’s possible to have both. Dietitian Juliette Kellow reveals how to ramp up the health and taste credentials of our favourite festive foods

The idea of serving nutritious nibbles, wholesome desserts or a healthy Christmas lunch may seem a bit far-fetched, but if there’s ever a time of year when we need to focus on our health, it’s the festive season.

As winter kicks in, so too do all the seasonal coughs and colds, putting our immune system under additional pressure to perform at its best.

A lack of daylight can affect our mood and leave us feeling tired and lethargic, so we’re less active and more likely to turn to energy-boosting foods and drinks, both of which can pile on the pounds. The festive season also leaves a third of us feeling stressed, which zaps the body of B vitamins, vitamin C and magnesium.

We’re not suggesting switching to a New Year-style health plan during the party season. But there are heaps of ways to reduce the fat, sugar and salt in many Christmas classics (without anyone noticing), while adding nutrient-rich ingredients to up the festive factor.

The result: a feast that tastes amazing and is better for you.

So where should you start?

Roast turkey

Baste your bird with vegetable oil rather than butter and skip the skin to reduce cholesterol-raising saturated fat.

Enjoy light and dark meat – they both bring muscle-friendly protein and potassium to the plate, together with bone-loving phosphorus, selenium for the immune system and B vitamins that release energy from food. Compared with breast meat, leg meat is richer in iron, zinc and vitamin B12, important for our brain to function properly. ■ Nutrition boost: For salt-free flavour (too much salt can increase blood pressure), add smashed garlic, citrus fruit slices, chopped shallots or fresh herbs to the turkey cavity.

Stuffing

Skip the sausage meat for a stuffing that’s lower in calories, fat and salt – 100g sausage meat contains around 300kcal, 20g fat and 1.3g salt. If you’re making stuffing from scratch, fry the onion in vegetable oil rather than butter to cut saturates and use wholemeal breadcrumbs for extra gut-friendly fibre and a nuttier taste. ■ Nutrition boost: Mix in chopped cooked chestnuts.

They’re low in fat, rich in fibre and provide blood pressurecontrolling potassium, energy-releasing copper and manganese, and vitamin B6 for our mental wellbeing.

Pigs in blankets

Use low-fat chipolata sausages and lean back bacon in place of regular bangers and streaky bacon. For each “pig”, you’ll cut around 3g fat and 1g saturates! ■ Nutrition boost: Soak ready-to-eat prunes in orange juice for a few hours to soften them, then add one to each chipolata before wrapping in bacon to add a little extra fibre and potassium.

Roast potatoes

Keep potatoes in large pieces so there’s less surface to absorb oil and roast with vegetable oil rather than goose or duck fat (like lard, these are loaded with saturated fat). When smothered in gravy, no one will be able to taste the difference. ■ Nutrition boost: Add chunks of sweet potato. They’re loaded with beta carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A, important for our immune system, vision and healthy skin.

Green vegetables

Avoid boiling and instead steam veg such as broccoli, peas and Brussels sprouts. Steaming means shorter cooking times and no contact with water, which helps preserve B vitamins and vitamin C.

For example, steamed broccoli contains double the folate and a quarter more

vitamin C than boiled – good news as these nutrients reduce tiredness and support our immune system. ■ Nutrition boost: Toss green veg with lemon zest and toasted, chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios or pecans. Nuts are a powerhouse of nutrients, adding protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese and vitamin E to our diet.

Cauliflower cheese

Lighten up this Christmas classic without losing out on protein or bone-friendly calcium and phosphorus by making the sauce with sunflower spread, semi-skimmed milk and reduced-fat cheese rather than butter, full-fat milk and regular Cheddar. You’ll cut total fat by a quarter and halve the saturated fat. ■ Nutrition boost: Parboil the cauliflower leaves with the florets and add to the dish for an extra hit of beta carotene, folate, vitamin C and eye-friendly antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

Carrots

Rather than steaming or boiling, roast carrots with a little oil. Fat helps the body absorb the beta carotene they contain, which is great news for topping up our vitamin A levels. ■ Nutrition boost: Rather than dousing in honey or maple syrup, toss roasted carrots with fresh pomegranate seeds. They’re loaded with phytochemicals, especially a group called polyphenols, which have antioxidant, antiinflammatory and possibly even anti-cancer effects.

‘‘ Toss green veg with lemon zest and toasted chopped nuts instead