What do nutritionists eat for Christmas?

Read on to learn what nutritionists eat for Christmas, and how they stay healthy and happy over the festive period.

Next, see all our healthy Christmas recipes, your Christmas gut guide for dealing with indigestion and more, and the best feel-good Christmas foods.

Nicola Shubrook, clinic director and nutritional therapist, Urban Wellness

Food at Christmas is about enjoying yourself without the guilt, but I also think it is important to maintain some balance. I try to continue with healthy practices alongside the treats, such as eating a good protein-based breakfast on Christmas Day morning to balance blood sugars rather than starting the day with too many carbs. I don’t like to restrict my other meals during the day just to save space for a Christmas dinner blow-out.

My top tip for good nutrition over Christmas is to keep your vegetable intake up. No matter the meal time, fill your plate with lots of (non-starchy) vegetables to ensure you’re getting a good range of nutrients. Filling up on fibre can help reduce overeating as it provides greater satiety.

I walk most days and this doesn’t stop just because it’s Christmas, even if it is cold or wet outside. Walking after a meal has been shown to help improve digestion, better manage blood sugars and support healthy blood pressure.

Nice list
● Protein-rich Christmas breakfast
● Keeping up healthy habits like walking
● Maintaining a high veg intake

Naughty list
● Restricting other meals to save space for Christmas dinner

Nicola’s Christmas recipe recommendation: Chilli-charred brussels sprouts

I love brussels sprouts and you don’t need to save them just for Christmas Day. This recipe is packed full of flavour and uses whole foods to make a delicious side dish (or a great pairing with eggs for a twist on brunch). With the addition of garlic, lemon, chilli and olive oil this is an antioxidant-rich dish, plus the brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable which helps support liver health – an especially important benefit at this time of year!

Beth Furness, nutritionist, Nutracheck

I approach Christmas the same way I do the rest of the year – without strict rules or pressure to eat a certain way. I love food and cooking; they make me happy, and that’s such an important part of keeping a balanced approach. I try to eat well when I can to feel my best, but I also make space for any foods I enjoy in moderation.

If Christmas traditions are as special to you as they are to me, there’s no need to give them up – just tweak recipes where you can to fit your lifestyle. For example, in our house, we always have blueberry muffins for breakfast on Christmas morning. Over the years, I’ve made the recipe more nutrient-packed, but they’re just as delicious as ever!

One thing I always do on the big day is avoid skipping meals or ‘saving’ calories for Christmas dinner. That, for me, is a one-way ticket to overeating and feeling uncomfortably full later on! Instead, I focus on enjoying each meal, keeping mindful of my portion sizes, and I eat a couple of festive snacks along the way.

Christmas is all about enjoying time with loved ones surrounded by delicious food, so make sure to enjoy what you’re eating and not overthink it.

Nice list
● Eat what makes you happy
● Be mindful of portion sizes

Naughty list
● Strict dietary rules
● Skipping meals on Christmas Day

Beth’s Christmas recipe recommendation: Stir-fried festive cabbage

When it comes to the roast dinner, my go-to side dish is stir-fried festive cabbage. The rich purple colour of red cabbage comes from anthocyanins – powerful antioxidants that help protect the body from oxidative damage and may even reduce the risk of heart disease. I’ll admit that cabbage and sprouts are my favourite parts of Christmas dinner, so I might be a little biased!

Dr Frankie Phillips, registered dietitian and nutritionist

Christmas eating can be so rich and make us feel like we are just eating too many of the ‘wrong’ things. But actually there is a huge amount of nutritional benefit in some of the foods we eat during the festive season.

Turkey is rich in protein, and vegetables provide much-needed vitamin C, even if your sprouts are frozen. Cranberries give a pop of antioxidants and all of that dried fruit in the mince pies and Christmas pudding is wonderful for supplying your gut bacteria with its favourite fibre.

My top tip at Christmas is to enjoy your food and try to savour it – so take your time. Using some mindfulness strategies, such as putting down your cutlery between mouthfuls, or taking sips of water, can help you to focus on your appetite. When you feel full, try to avoid the temptation to have one more mouthful. That way, you might have room to enjoy something else later on.

Nice list
● Recognise the nutritional upsides of Christmas food
● Savour meals and eat mindfully
● Add fresh veg to leftovers

Naughty list
● Keep eating after you’re full

Dr Frankie’s Christmas recipe recommendation: turkey curry

I love the age-old turkey curry as a post-Christmas hit. This recipe is so simple and very versatile. It can use up any turkey that didn’t get eaten on Christmas Day, as well as any leftover potatoes, sprouts, parsnips and carrots (and even a bit of cream if you’re feeling really indulgent).

From a nutrition perspective there are still a lot of vitamins in the leftovers, although the vitamin C content might be dwindling in leftover veg, so adding some fresh vegetables can help, and a big handful of fresh coriander really lifts the dish. I'm also a big fan of adding cold potatoes. Once cooked and left to go cold, the potato starch converts to resistant starch, which is a prebiotic type of fibre that is really gut-friendly. Putting these in the curry is a great way to increase the fibre content.

Kerry Torrens, nutritionist and food writer

Christmas gives us the perfect opportunity to combine quality time with friends and family with delicious, good food. Eating together is reported to make us feel happier and more satisfied with life, which suggests regular social get-togethers are good for our well-being.

The cautionary note with Christmas though is that we can eat out and indulge at home a little more often than we might typically do. To keep a check on this I try to follow an 80/20 approach – eating healthily 80 per cent of the time, so I get to enjoy nights out with colleagues and friends in the run up to Christmas while sticking to my regular routine the rest of the time.

I kick off the big day by making my breakfast a treat, but a smart one. My favourite choice is eggs with avocado because the protein, healthy fats and fibre they provide have been proven to increase feelings of satiety and as a result help me manage my choices later in the day.

As tempting as it may be to crash on the sofa after your Christmas lunch – don’t. Instead, get moving, whether it’s a game of ‘hide and seek’ with the kids, a walk around the block or playing ‘fetch’ with the dog. Moving after your meal, for as little as 20 minutes, will help steady your blood sugar levels and keep you feeling more awake for the rest of the day.

Nice list
● Follow the 80/20 rule
● Start Christmas Day with a hearty, healthy breakfast
● Keep active

Naughty list
● Sedentariness
● Indulging too often

Kerry’s Christmas recipe recommendation: air fryer roast dinner

Given an estimated two million people are likely to spend Christmas alone this year, I like this air fryer roast dinner because it means, if this is relevant to you, you can still enjoy the festivities. Just add a couple of sides like these air fryer brussels sprouts or air fryer parsnips, scaling the recipes to your needs. With this recipe you’ll enjoy a delicious lower-fat and lower-calorie roast, and best of all, it’ll all be cleared away in time for the King’s speech.

Dr Emma Beckett, FOODiQ Global nutritionist and author

Healthy eating at Christmas isn’t just about meeting your nutritional needs or your weight and physical health goals – it’s also about your social, mental and emotional health. Food, and particularly celebratory and cultural foods, are part of the glue that makes our society great. Christmas is one day in a 365-day year, so it’s not going to make or break your diet.

Remember that a side serving of guilt isn’t adding any nutrition. Don’t stress about the things you can’t control, and remember that food decision-making isn’t about blanket and strict rules, it’s about context – and sometimes that context is enjoying a meal with your family and friends.

Nice list
● Celebratory and traditional foods
● Enjoying yourself with family and friends

Naughty list
● Naughty lists

Dr Emma’s recipe recommendation: classic prawn cocktail

This recipe is hard to go past as an Aussie. Prawns are a Christmas staple here, but they can be enjoyed anywhere in the world! They have lots of goodness that we often don’t get enough of, including good omega-3 fats, which support brain and heart health; iodine, important for thyroid health; iron, needed for red blood cells; and B-vitamins used in so many of our metabolic processes.

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