There is of course space for indulgence at Christmas. But the endless rounds of mince pies and nights out can make us all feel a bit stuffed by Christmas Day itself. My suggestion is to cut back on ultra-processed foods, embrace more real food, and give presents that people actually want. That’s where Making Your Own (MYO, it’s the new BYO) comes in. Here are my top tips for a delicious and healthy Christmas period.
Gift your gut
I do love champagne and wine, but there’s only so much I can take over the festivities before I soon get grumpy, headachey and lethargic. So look out for drinks that are fizzy, fun, fermented and delicious and have some good things going on as well for your gut. I really love Momo Kombucha drinks (favourite flavours are Hibiscus and Mandarin). I also really like Agua De Madre water kefir.
Flip the plate portions
Instead of meat dominating the plate, let vegetables star this Christmas. Over the festive period and beyond make meat go further by eating less of it and opt for better quality meat and more vegetables. It should save us money, help the planet and more veg (and a variety of veg) is a great habit to get into health-wise too. For example, if you’re making a shepherds pie, replace a third of the minced lamb with a tin of cooked lentils and finely chopped mushrooms. Or if you’re making a huge Boxing Day Bolognese you could swap some of the mince beef for uncooked red lentils that will melt into the sauce and make it super thick and satisfying and means you need less meat. If you want to make a creamy chicken leek pie, perhaps swap out a third of the chicken for some lovely butter beans.
Get some air and get some space
Get walking and avoid warring with your family. Escape your stuffy home (all those scented candles, fires/radiators, cooking, boozy breath!), endless TV and bickering and get outside in the fresh crispy winter air. We know that moving our bodies after eating is good for us rather than collapsing like a sack of potatoes, but it’s so important for our physical and mental health. And it’s free. Not much is free over Christmas.
Lean on your freezer
To avoid nipping to the hectic shops over Christmas and potentially being seduced by the ultra processed confectionary aisles and overly relying on frozen pizzas and the less healthy ready meals, keep your home freezer well-stocked because you’re more likely to eat the good stuff and less likely to end up with food waste and wasting money. I like to keep frozen berries and bananas to whip up mid morning smoothies with some cinnamon, great for blood sugar balancing and some hemp seeds (over protein powder) for protein. I also like to keep frozen peas, sweetcorn and edamame for making a fantastic big festive egg fried rice with leftover Christmas meat and some chilli drizzle at the end.
Refresh your tastebuds with ginger tea
I really love brewing up a pot of ginger tea every day or every other day over the festive period. Fresh ginger great, ground ginger works too. Add some dried ground turmeric, lemon juice and raw honey and it’s fantastic for digestion. It’s immune supporting and it’s great for nipping all day cravings in the bud as it’s so refreshing for the tastebuds.
Kick start your day, and always make time for breakfast
Especially when you’re the main Christmas chef and you’ll be on your feet a lot. You might end up skipping meals which speaking from previous experience means a very irritable and flustered chef. It’s your Christmas too so it’s really important to take care of you. Aim for some protein at breakfast. I like to do a shakshuka style egg dish to feed a crowd on Christmas morning or New Year’s Day morning and also a Mexican inspired one using black beans fried up in a spicy paprika oregano tomato sauce - crack the eggs in to cook them and then top the finished dish with guacamole and jalapenos. I also love miso mushrooms on toast, smothered in Parmesan cheese.
Boil your bones - make broth
A delicious and free no-waste habit to get into after Sunday Roasts and Christmas alike. Once you’ve made your turkey cranberry sandwiches and then your turkey coconut curry and perhaps your turkey sesame noodles, pop your turkey carcass in a pot with any leftover veg trimmings, cover it with water and let it simmer away for a few hours so that you end up with a truly luscious turkey broth that you can use to make a stomach-soothing soup with splitting up leftover carrots and coriander to make a gorgeous carrot and coriander or roasted squash soup and then crumble over some feta and add a big squeeze of lemon juice. Healthy, and so delicious.
Enjoy seasonal British produce
Get some British cheese, for example Stilton, and crumble onto chicory or lettuce leaves along with pomegranate seeds or olives if you like, these make a great party starter. Or grate parsnips into your carrot cakes, grate beetroot into brownies, add squash to your curries and to make people fall in love with Brussel sprouts (see recipe, below).
Be more squirrel
We know that nuts and seeds are good for us, so you could make some sticky spiced nuts which everyone will adore as a Christmas nibble. Toast mixed nuts with rosemary, paprika, chili flakes and salt, and then drizzle over a bit of maple syrup at the end before you take off the heat. Keep things ‘moving’ over the festive period (especially if you’re staying at someone else’s house) make a jar or little bag of hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds all that good stuff and then you can sprinkle it onto yoghurt or porridge or add to smoothies you know that you’re getting loads of great nutrients plus they count towards the desired 30 plant points a week you might have heard of, which we will definitely be talking about more in 2025!
Keep a big bowl of satsumas or clementines on the coffee table
It balances out the tin of chocolates. Or, make satsumas dipped chocolate with a sprinkle of sea salt for that healthier Terry’s Chocolate orange vibes and then you get the best of both worlds of fruit and chocolate. You could make up a little sharing board like this below with grapes, dates, nuts, chocolate and satsumas for picking at. I also love stuffing medjool dates - remove the stone, stuff with peanut butter and drizzle with chocolate, and then pop in freezer. A truly heavenly quick and healthy Christmas treat.
Melissa Hemsley’s favourite Christmas day recipe: Roasted sprouts with halloumi and pomegranates
Here is an easy, fuss-free sprout recipe for you (only 5 minutes hands-on time, the oven does the rest). If anything can convert the sprout haters out there it’s got to be crispy, salty nuggets of halloumi.
Feeds 4 as a side, takes 25 minutes (only 5 minutes hands-on)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 220C. Toss the sprouts with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a large tray and roast for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Add the halloumi, drizzle with the remaining tbsp olive oil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes until the sprouts and halloumi are both golden and crispy at the edges. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and mint then serve straight away.
For more recipes, Real Healthy by Melissa Hemsley is out now. amazon.co.uk. Follow Melissa at instagram.com/melissa.hemsley
