As we decorate the Christmas tree, fill the stockings and plan our Christmas feast,  we start to stress about the repercussions of indulging over the holiday period.  Just how much energy do some of our Christmas goodies actually have? And how much exercise do I need to do if I choose to have a Christmas treat? These questions are very common during the silly season and we are here to give you the answers! Listed are some of the typical Christmas foods you will be consuming this season and how much walking you would have to do to compensate.

REMEMBER this is on top of the exercise you already are doing - Take a look!

Foods to Limit More often over Christmas

• Deep fried seafood
• Fatty meats such as salamis, sausages, pork crackling
• Salted nuts (whilst they are OK for cholesterol, they are high in calories)
• Creamy dips and oily bread or crackers
• Chips, Corn chips
• Garlic Bread
• Large pieces of cheesecake, mud cake, caramel tarts or anything topped with copious quantities of cream!
• Deep fried savouries, pies, sausage rolls, quiches, cheerios, kabana
• Creamy dressings with salads

Healthier Options

Nibbles

• Platters of seasonal fresh fruit
• Vegetable sticks with low fat dips / salsa style dips
• Pretzels, rice crackers, rice crisps
• Rice paper rolls, steamed mini dumpling
• Oven baked pita chips
• Air popped popcorn
• Small handful of unsalted nuts and dried fruit

Main Meal

• Fresh or grilled seafood
• Cold lean hams, turkeys and barbequed lean meats such as trimmed rump steak & chicken breast
• Salads, vegetable shish kebabs, dry roasted vegetables with low calorie dressings
• Baguettes, focaccia or bread or bread rolls

Dessert

• Fresh seasonal fruit or fruit kebabs – lychee, stone fruit, mango, cherries
• Trifle (fruit, diet jelly, low fat custard, sponge fingers)
• Pavlova individual shells filled with fresh fruit and topped with yoghurt

Alcohol

• Vodka, lime and soda
• Wine spritzer (soda water or diet soft drink)
• Beer shandy (diet soft drink)