Tips for a balanced Christmas meal

Christmas is all about presents, reunions, joy and, of course, food. Like every year, Christmas dinner has to be planned very early. As early as the end of November, we’re already thinking about the shopping list we’ll need to complete this long-awaited moment. We’re thinking up the best recipes for a successful aperitif and succulent dishes to share at dinner. Turkey, foie gras, Yule log… We’re not going to deprive ourselves of anything! But what if we were to shake things up a bit this year? What if we opted for a tasty, balanced meal? Yes, yes, you read that right! A balanced Christmas meal is possible! Here’s how..

Planning your Christmas menu

Planning a balanced Christmas menu requires careful attention to each component of the meal, from starter to dessert. The aim is to create a culinary experience that respects tradition while incorporating light, nutritious elements, ensuring a balance between flavour, health and satisfaction.

Choice of starter: lightness and flavour

Starters play a crucial role in setting the stage for the meal. Opting for light starters is essential to start the meal without weighing down the stomach. Options such as a fresh salad with pomegranates and walnuts, or a seasonal vegetable soup, are perfect for whetting the appetite while leaving room for subsequent courses. These choices not only delight the taste buds but also introduce fibre and antioxidants that are beneficial to health.

Choosing the main course: combining tradition and health

The main course is often the focal point of any Christmas meal. You can combine tradition and health by choosing cooking methods and ingredients that reduce fat and calories without compromising taste. Roast turkey, for example, can be prepared with herb and vegetable stuffing instead of the traditional fatty sausages. Using cooking techniques such as roasting or steaming for fish or white meats also helps to retain flavour while limiting the addition of extra fat.

Side dishes: variety and balance

Side dishes should complement the main course while adding colour and nutritional diversity to the meal. Including a range of seasonal vegetables such as roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts and beetroot can enrich the meal with vitamins and minerals. Offering wholegrain cereals such as wild rice or quinoa instead of the traditional heavier side dishes helps to maintain glycaemic balance and increase satiety.

Desserts: a responsible pleasure

Dessert is often the moment when we tend to exceed our nutritional limits. However, it is possible to offer tasty and healthier desserts. Favouring fruit-based desserts, such as poached pears or applesauce, can considerably reduce the intake of added sugars while satisfying the sweet tooth. Alternatives such as avocado-based chocolate mousse or pastry-free tarts are other excellent options for ending the meal on a sweet but conscious note.

By following these guidelines when planning your Christmas menu, you can offer your guests a festive meal that deliciously combines tradition, flavour and health.

Portion management during the festive season

During the Christmas festivities, portion control can be tricky, but essential for maintaining a balanced diet. Temptations abound, and it’s easy to succumb to the urge to have several refills. However, a few techniques and a good understanding of satiety can help you enjoy the delights of Christmas while preserving your well-being.

Portion control techniques

One of the first strategies for portion control is to use small plates. It may sound simple, but serving your meals on smaller plates can significantly reduce the amount of food you eat, without making you feel deprived. During the meal, try to compose your plate according to the rule of half vegetable, a quarter protein and a quarter starch. This method not only helps to balance the nutrients, but also to control the quantities eaten.

Another technique is to wait a few minutes before refilling. After your first portion, take a moment to really assess your hunger. Often all it takes is a pause for the brain to register satiety.

Eat lightly

It’s important to remember that eating lightly doesn’t mean depriving yourself of good things. After all, it’s a day of celebration! On the contrary, remember to fill your table and your plates with tasty, home-cooked dishes. But make sure you keep an eye on the calories you eat. At Christmas dinner time, we tend to multiply the number of calories we consume by 4 or even 5. So, for a balanced Christmas dinner, choose delicious foods that are not too high in calories.

The importance of listening to satiety

Listening to your body is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying festive meals to the full. Satiety is not just about avoiding overeating, it’s also about savouring every mouthful. To better listen to your satiety, commit to eating slowly and putting your cutlery down between each mouthful. This aids digestion and gives you time to recognise when you’re full.

It’s also beneficial to focus on the flavours and textures of your meal, a practice often referred to as mindful eating. This technique can not only help you control your appetite during large meals, but also strengthen your relationship with food as a source of nourishment and pleasure.

Eat mindfully

As you will have realised, a balanced Christmas meal means a smaller table than in previous years. The aperitif will be shorter, the starter and main course less fatty, and the dessert lighter. However, the plates and platters will be filled with quality dishes that won’t add too many calories. “Yes, that’s all well and good, but there will be less choice all the same,” you might say. ” Are we going to get our fill of vegetables and lean meat? The answer is “Yes! To do this, it’s important to chew each mouthful well. This will ensure that you feel full despite the more or less reduced quantity. A bit like meditation, mindful eating requires you to slow down so that you can fully appreciate the flavour of the food you are eating. We therefore recommend that you increase the number of times you chew before swallowing.

Tips for balancing flavours and nutrients

Balancing flavours and nutrients is fundamental to creating a tasty and healthy Christmas meal. This means paying particular attention to the composition of dishes in terms of macronutrients and the judicious use of herbs and spices to enhance flavour while maintaining a moderate salt intake.

Balancing the macronutrients in each dish

For a balanced Christmas meal, it’s essential to ensure that the macronutrients – proteins, fats and carbohydrates – are well distributed in each dish. This not only contributes to a well-balanced diet, but also to taste satisfaction so as to avoid post-meal hunger pangs. For example, a plate could be made up of a third of lean proteins such as turkey or salmon, a third of a variety of vegetables for fibre and micronutrients, and a third of complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes or quinoa. This balance helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and keep energy levels constant.

Using herbs and spices to reduce salt

The use of herbs and spices is a valuable culinary technique for reducing the amount of salt without compromising the flavour of dishes. Replacing salt with herbs such as rosemary, thyme or sage enriches dishes with flavours that stimulate the taste buds without increasing sodium intake. Spices such as paprika, cumin or turmeric add depth and complexity to dishes, while offering health benefits thanks to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Incorporating these herbs and spices not only reduces reliance on salt for flavour, but also encourages culinary exploration that can revitalise Christmas traditions while staying healthy. By adjusting the amount of salt and favouring natural alternatives, we can significantly improve the nutritional profile of the festive meal without sacrificing the pleasure of eating.

Keep moving

It’s important to keep moving, even during the festive season! Even if it’s not easy for everyone to get some exercise on Christmas Day, you can always suggest that your guests go for a walk after drinking a little herbal tea to ease the digestive process. You could take the dog for a walk, or try out your nephew’s new ball in the garden! And if you want to boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories at rest every day, think about body contouring too.

Christmas festivities are often synonymous with long meals and time spent at the table, which can make it difficult to maintain regular physical activity. However, it is possible to incorporate movement into festive traditions to aid digestion and maintain energy balance. Here are a few tips for staying active and improving digestion over the festive period.

Family activities that incorporate movement

Incorporating physical activity into your family can turn festive gatherings into moments that are both fun and beneficial to your health. Organising a family walk after dinner is a great way to aid digestion while enjoying the winter scenery. Not only does this help to burn calories, it also reduces the feeling of heaviness often associated with heavy meals.

Board games that require physical action or festive dances are other excellent options for incorporating movement. Whether it’s a game of charades where everyone mimes actions or a little dance session to Christmas songs, these activities get you moving while sharing laughter and good humour.

Source:

https://www.anses.fr/fr/system/files/NUT2012SA0103Ra-2.pdf