How much sugar do you consume on Christmas Day?
On Christmas Day, we’re all guilty of over-indulging and grazing on the treats around us, but how much sugar do we really consume on December 25th?
We’re not suggesting this is a diet to follow for your Christmas Day dining, however, if your day looks anything like the below, this shows you how much sugar you could be consuming without realising.
9am: Breakfast
Let’s keep things fairly healthy:
- 1 English breakfast muffin
- 2 poached eggs
- 100g smoked salmon
- 2tbsp of hollandaise sauce
11am: Morning snack
We can’t sit and eyeball those mince pies for very long without having one! So perhaps...
- One mince pie
- A splash of double cream
- A glass of Buck's fizz
12:30pm: Pre-lunch snack
A handful of roasted nuts and a handful of Twiglets will tide us over until the sit-down lunch!
- One serving of Twiglets
- One serving of roasted peanuts
2pm: Christmas lunch
Here it is, the big one. Christmas lunch has arrived. The diet is fully out the window and it's time for the main event and all the trimmings.
- One serving of roast turkey breast or nut roast
- Carrots, sprouts and honey roasted parsnips
- One serving of sage and onion stuffing
- Two Yorkshire puddings and three roast potatoes
- Four mini pigs in blankets (or a similar vegetarian alternative)
- 1tsp cranberry sauce
- Two glasses of red wine
3pm: Christmas dessert
There's still room for Christmas pudding and custard.
- 100g Christmas pudding
- 1 serving of vanilla custard
5pm: Cheese glorious cheese
A cheeseboard and crackers are often a traditional Christmas day treat.
- 30g x three different cheeses
- Five crackers
7pm: Evening grazing
All we've done is eat today but somehow, we can still fit in some after-dinner chocolates and a glass of prosecco to finish off the day...
- Six chocolates
- One glass of prosecco
How you can cut down on sugar this Christmas
If your day looks anything like the above, you would’ve consumed approximately 158.3g of sugar, which is around 5x your daily amount, as recommended by the NHS1.
Watching your sugar intake on Christmas Day can be incredibly difficult with all the temptations around you. We’re not suggesting you can’t enjoy your favourite foods over the festive season, but we’ve found a few swaps to help you protect your teeth this Christmas.
Getting your teeth checked regularly, as well as good oral hygiene is also recommended to keep your mouth healthy.
1. https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/how-much-sugar-is-good-for-me/
Find your local Bupa Dental Care practice
Bupa Dental Care is a leading provider of NHS and private dental care, offering services at over 350 practices across the UK. To find your nearest practice, search below.
