HOW TO SAVE THE HOLIDAYS – or Christmas dispensation with your head

Highlights

Christmas is fast approaching. It is a special time when the whole world lights up with Christmas tree lights and the air smells of orange and gingerbread. This is not the time when the word „diet” is the one we utter most often. What’s more, we don’t even want to think about it.

That’s why I have a suggestion, today will not be about diet, but about how to make yourself a Christmas dispensation. What does dispensation mean? Remember, this will not be a time of overeating without restraint (Too bad for the hard work put into the diet, too bad to ransom a moment of pleasure with a bad feeling). Let it be a dispensation with a head, reasonable. That’s why below I present examples of holiday dishes and their caloric value. Also below are some ideas on how to „burn” the excess calories.

Christmas menu

• Dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms – one piece weighs about 40g – that’s 68 kcal
• Uszka with cabbage and mushrooms (the calorie content of ravioli with mushrooms alone will be similar) – one piece weighs about 10g – that’s 25 kcal
• Cheesecake – one serving is about 120g – that’s 305 kcal
• Gingerbread – one serving (slice) is about 60g – that’s 181 kcal
• Fried carp – one piece weighing about 130g – is 287 kcal
• Carp baked in foil – one piece weighing about 160g (raw fish) – is 176 kcal
• Fish in jelly (e.g., pollock/hake/cod) – a serving of about 170g – is 78kcal
• Flake herring – 1 piece is about 100g – that’s 217 kcal
• Herring in cream – 150g serving – is 198 kcal
• Red borscht – a glass of borscht about 200g – is 36 kcal
• Greek-style fish – a serving of about 150g – is 225 kcal
• Mushroom soup – a glass of soup about 200g – is 34 kcal
• Lazanki with cabbage and mushrooms – a serving of about 140g (1 glass) – is 181 kcal
• Vegetable salad – a serving of about 100g – is 70 kcal
• Dried compote – a serving of 150ml (sweetened, essential, consumed with fruit) – is 200kcal.

As you can see, not all Christmas dishes are a calorie bomb. It is always the quantity that matters. Therefore, let’s approach Christmas Eve dinner with reason. Let’s plan what we really want to eat. Don’t forget to drink fluids, too. On Christmas Eve, to „save” calories, a very good alternative (and light version) to dried compote will be a hot drink with roots (recipe below). Such a drink will not only help take care of hydration, but will also help with digestion.

ROOT BEVERAGE

• 1 liter of boiling water
• stick of cinnamon
• 3-4 cloves
• several slices of orange
• several slices of apple

Pour boiling water over all ingredients, or boil for 1-2 minutes. For a gourmet version, you can add 1 tablespoon of honey (if you can’t consume honey, but you like sweetness, add 3-4 chopped dates or other dried fruits – you can also blend them for better sweetness).

How to „burn” excess calories?

• It is recommended to climb stairs, it is an expenditure of up to 948 kcal in an hour
• Walking burns 228 kcal/hour
• Instead of walking, you can also march fast (7 km/h) – we burn 293 kcal in an hour
• Swimming can burn up to 468 kcal per hour
• Skating – is not only great fun, skating is an expenditure of 426 calories per hour
• Do you prefer skiing? Skiing 438 kcal/hour
• Do you have a stationary bike at home? It’s worth running it, an hour of riding it means burning as much as 422 kcal in an hour.

If you have any questions, I am at your service 🙂

Anna Jasinska – clinical dietitian