Christmas is no time to be on a diet, but neither is it a time to go buck mad on sugar and processed food. Enjoying your favourite festive foods doesn’t have to mean compromising on foods that make you feel good. A little bit of what you fancy (eaten mindfully, of course) alongside some of the best foods this season has to offer will help you emerge the other side of this Christmas week feeling well. 

Food is central to the Christmas celebrations and we all have our festive favourites. Here are some handy hints to help you keep it balanced this Christmas week.

Pack in the good stuff

Fill your trolley with the best of the season, so that you have plenty of tempting treats when you get peckish, or fancy a treat. 

• wee oranges
• nuts and dates
• really good quality, dark chocolate - the darker the better, so choose at least 70% cocoa. Look out for dark chocolate with bitter orange or ginger for a festive twist.
• mulled berries. Pop a bag of frozen berries in a saucepan with a pulled wine sachet, or some of your favourite Christmas spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger work well). Simmer gently and leave to cool before removing the spices and serving over Greek yoghurt or with some whipped cream for a healthier dessert

Leave 3 hours before bedtime

Christmas food can be heavy on your digestion, so give your belly a break and leave about 3 hours between the last time you eat and bedtime. This means your digestive system will the working on what you’ve eaten before bedtime and you might even get a better night’s sleep too. 

Eat what you like, leave what you don’t

There are so many delicious foods around at Christmas that we don’t eat at any other time of the year, so wether your favourite festive treat is Christmas pud or pigs in blankets, choose what you want to enjoy and leave the stuff you don’t really like so much. 

In other words, before you dive into the giant box of Roses in a search for the hazelnut whirl, make a choice. Choose how many sweeties you are going to eat, and then savour every single one, rather than stuffing you face and mindlessly grazing until you find yourself eating the strawberry creams just because they are they are the last ones left in the tin. Just because they are there, doesn't mean you have to eat them!

Don’t diet

Just keep it balanced. Base your meals on a good protein choice and add in lots of veggies. Eat these foods first and then have a little bit of the festive treats. That way you can still enjoy them without overindulging. 

Watch your drinks

Christmas drinks tend to be sugary or creamy. Calories in alcohol, mulled wine, fizzy drinks and mixers can all add up. When you are getting the Christmas drinks in, consider a few healthier alternatives that don’t compromise on taste. Here are some ideas to try: 

• If you like fizzy drinks then look out for different flavours of kombucha. The ginger and lemon ones are lovely.
• Add some sparkling water to your shopping list and serve up with pomegranate seeds and a sprig of mint over ice.
• Look out for mixers that are low in sugar and free from artificial sweeteners - Fever Tree is a decent choice.
• Make mulled wine with a bit less sugar
• Choose lower alcohol wines
• Champagne, cava and prosecco tend to be lower sugar than other alcoholic drinks
• Avoid creamy drinks like Baileys - replace with a spirit and low sugar mixer instead

Don’t forget to alternate your alcoholic drinks with water. You’ll feel better for it the next day!