A new study has revealed the recommended portion sizes that children should be eating during the festive season, and it has caused quite the uproar.
A new study conducted by Play Like Mum has revealed the recommended portion size and nutritional value of some of the UK’s favourite Christmas treats to reveal the most calorific treats this holiday season.
The research has found the top ten most calorific treats people eat during the festivities, and they have recommended certain portion sizes.
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The list is as follows:
- Tesco Finest Classic Panettone - 342 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for this treat is just 94 grams.
- Tesco Christmas Pudding - 301 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for the pudding is 100 grams.
- Tesco Finest Rich Fruit Cake - 287 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for this festive treat is 76 grams.
- Walkers Max Paprika Crisps - 265 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for these crisps is 50 grams
- Tesco New York Cheesecake - 262 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for cheesecake is 75 grams.
- Mr Kipling Snowflake Mince Pies - 250 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for this treat is one mince pie each (62 grams).
- Tesco Finest Mince Pies - 239 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for these pies is one per person (also 62 grams).
- McCoy's Sizzling King Prawn Crisps - 239 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for these crisps is 45 grams.
- Tesco Chocolate Profiteroles - 238 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for this treat is three profiteroles each.
- Tesco Strawberry Trifle - 213 calories per portion. The recommended portion size for this dessert is 150 grams.
When it comes to Christmas cakes and desserts, panettone is the biggest guilty pleasure at 342 calories per portion while one portion of Christmas pudding contains 301 calories. A slice of Yule log has 138 calories a slice and a portion of tiramisu has just 187 calories.
Other study insights revealed that three different biscuits – Cadbury Snowy Fingers, Flipz Milk Chocolate Pretzels, and Quality Street Mint Matchmakers all had the joint highest amount of sugar per portion at 8.3g, while the saltiest biscuits are Mini Cheddars with 0.6g per serving.
Walkers Max Paprika are the crisps with the most calories per serving in our study at 265, however, Paprika Pringles have the most saturated fats per serving at 1.9g, which is 0.5g higher than Walkers Max.
The candy with the most calories per serving is a classic Christmas confectionary, Turkish Delight. It was found to have 185 calories per serving, which is 34 more than Skittles, which took second place at 151 calories per helping.
One mum commented on this study about how to balance out the treats from healthy foods. Mum Nina said: "At Christmas time it is very easy for parents and children alike to overindulge and it can be difficult to know what is too much, especially for growing children.
"As I would never ‘portion’ out how much they are allowed to eat, I tend to apply the same guidelines for my children as I set for myself as an adult and that is having a balanced diet and lifestyle.
"Sweet treats are ok but it needs to balance out with eating plenty of healthy foods, exercise and staying active. What I find over the school holidays at Christmas is that the kids can quickly become bored and want to snack more thus I ensure the cupboards are stocked with lots of healthy alternatives as well as the treats."
However, one mum wasn't so understanding of the study results, as she was shocked at the results. Mum Steph said: "I cannot believe how little the recommended portion sizes are compared to what myself or my child would usually have, especially around Christmas time, it's difficult to imagine my son opening a bag of sweets and not eating the full packet!
"I had no idea of some of the sugar content in some festive snack traditions and I shall definitely be looking at how much he has this year!"
Abbas Kanani, Health Expert at chemistclick has commented: “Studies show that the greater the choice of food on offer, the more calories we tend to consume. There are simple and effective steps people can take to maintain a balanced diet and eat healthy at Christmas.
"If you're the host, consider using alternative ingredients when shopping. You could use a mix of coconut sugar and stevia as a replacement of traditional refined sugar, choose sugar-free mixers and try including non-alcoholic drinks. We tend to consume more alcohol than usual over the festive period, but this can quickly add up in calories.
"Our favourite drinks such as wine, beer, cider, and spirits are made from fermented and distilled natural starch and sugar which makes them high calorie, containing around seven calories a gram - almost as many as pure fat.
"When cooking, you should focus on cooking only what you need for your party size which can help minimise picking and overeating. Up to 1kg of meat off the bone is sufficient enough for around 1-3 people, whilst for a party of 10-14 you'll want to prepare around 8kg according to BBC Good Food.
"The good thing about traditional Christmas dinner is the high contents for vegetables such as root veg and sprouts which are high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Whilst eating, try and select healthier foods first because this can make it easier to say no to higher calorie options later."
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