Working off Christmas lunch

Ho ho ho! It’s that time of year again – time for too much good food, lots of beverages and of course, much dessert. And who can go past Nigella (that evil genius!) when it comes to dessert, especially her sinfully easy Nutella cheesecake? Two blocks of cream cheese, whiz together with one jar of Nutella, that’s right, one jar and you have heaven in a springform tin. I tried to make a healthy version but have declared defeat. It’s definitely a once a year dessert, and what better time of the year than Christmas?

I calculated that it took me an hour’s running to burn off one slice (1/12th) of the cheesecake (450 cals). So in the interests of helping you all not turn into versions of the jolly man in the red suit by New Year’s Eve, here is a list of the usual Christmas goodies and how many calories, that is, how much exercise, it will take you to burn it off. (Two or three extra workouts for me this week I think!) Happy eating, but also happy training!

Entrees

Potato chips (crisps) 1 single serve packet = 93 calories

Prawn cocktail 1 bowl = 300 calories

6 Oysters Kilpatrick = 300 calories

9 Jatz biscuits = 120 calories

Mains

Potato salad 1 cup = 140 calories

Coleslaw 1 cup = 220 calories

One baked potato = 280 calories

Roast turkey, one serve thigh meat with skin = 140 calories

Roast pork with crackling and stuffing, one serve = 300 calories

Lobster tail with butter = 190 calories

Ham, 2 slices = 160 calories

Dessert

Pavlova, 1 slice = 200 calories

Trifle, 1 cup = 300 calories

Nutella cheesecake, 1 slice = 450 calories

Christmas pudding, 1 slice = 300 calories

Drinkies

Beer/cider, 1 stubby = 140 calories

Vodka and lemonade, 1 glass = 180 calories

Stick to these options for a healthier Christmas lunch – enjoy!

10 Cooked prawns, no sauce = 60 calories

Lobster tail, no butter = 90 calories

Smoked salmon, 50 g = 90 calories

Green salad, 1 cup = 60 calories

Sauteed green beans, 1 cup = 114 calories

Bubbles (sparkling wine), 1 flute = 80 calories

Fruit salad, 1 cup = 80 calories

Happy eating and drinking, and merry Christmas everyone! :)