Christmas is just a few days away, and most of us are looking forward to that Christmas dinner. However, have you ever wondered what parts of Christmas dinner are good for your health? Well, the fitness folk over at Goal Getters by MuscleFood.com have looked at a classic Christmas dinner and ranked the different parts from most to least healthy.
Vitamin B, Potassium and carotenoids are just some of the nutrients that can be found in roast potatoes, turkey and carrots. Unfortunately, not all parts of our Christmas dinner are healthy including pigs in blankets and stuffing, but that doesn’t mean they don’t belong on our plate.
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Christmas Dinner Doesn’t Have to be Bad
Ashleigh Tosh from Goal Getters by MuscleFood.com says: “We’re all about encouraging realistic eating habits and Christmas is a time when you shouldn’t worry about tracking your calories.
“We think people who are trying to reach their fitness goals, whether that’s losing weight or toning up, will find comfort in knowing that your entire Christmas dinner isn’t actually that bad for you.
“Turkey for example is high in protein and also supplies us with those all-important B vitamins. Wine lovers will also be glad to know that popping open a bottle of red wine can help regulate cholesterol levels and keep the heart healthy.”
Christmas Dinner breakdown
Meat
Most of us opt for turkey on Christmas Day as our meat of choice and the good news is this is actually richer in protein than chicken or beef. Turkey and chicken also provide us with important B vitamins which help turn our food into energy.
Roasties
Although it depends on how they are made, roasties tend to be good for you as their high levels of fibre can improve indigestion. Roast potatoes are also really high in potassium which is important as this is a nutrient which our body doesn’t naturally produce. In fact, potatoes actually contain more potassium than a banana.
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Brussel sprouts
Love them or hate them, Brussels sprouts are high in nutritional value and definitely worth having on your plate at Christmas dinner. They are high in antioxidants which can protect us from chronic diseases and they contain a compound that helps to block enzymes known to advance cancer growth. Be warned though, they can make you a little gassy.
Carrots
Carrots are high in carotenoids which is a compound found in plants and is known to help the immune system and the ageing process.
Red wine
In moderation, red wine is believed to help regulate cholesterol levels and keep the heart healthy thanks to the antioxidants it contains.
Gravy
Gravy may not be the healthiest part of your Christmas menu but it’s also not as bad as we think. Gravy is traditionally made from the juices that meats release when being cooked. Making gravy this way means your sauce is likely to be high in fats and salt. Most of us these days tend to use gravy stock instead which is a great way to reduce the amount of fat and salt in the sauce.
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Stuffing
Stuffing is a combination of things like breadcrumbs, onions and herbs and unfortunately, it’s not the healthiest part of our Christmas dinner but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. If you are interested in a healthier version then consider making your stuffing the vegetarian way using more dry fruits and nuts.
If you prefer a store-bought powder then just remember that these tend to be high in salt so you definitely won’t need to add your own.
Pigs in blankets
Pigs in blankets are arguably the favourite part of a Christmas dinner but unfortunately, this combination of red meat is heavily processed meaning it falls to the bottom of the list.
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