Five ways to make your Christmas pudding healthier
Stir-up Sunday is right around the corner, which means we’ll be grabbing our mixing bowls and spoons to whip up some Christmas pudding.
The festive tradition falls on Sunday 24 November this year and is a great opportunity for loved ones to come together and bake. But while this boozy Christmassy treat is a family favourite, it can also be a high-sugar, high-fat indulgence that can feel a little too much at times.
Estimates on just how many calories a serving of Christmas pudding contains vary, but it has been reported that, once you add brandy sauce, custard or ice cream to your slice, you could be looking at up to 600 to 800 calories.
Although Christmas is a time where we should enjoy ourselves and get fully involved with all the delicious food that comes with it, it’s also closely linked to excess and overindulgence, which may be worrying for some people who are conscious about their health.
According to research by online medical practice ZAVA, around a third (31%) of Britons said they feel overwhelmed by the increase in food and drink at Christmas. In addition, 26% of UK adults reported not being able to enjoy the holiday season to the fullest because of concerns around their weight.
As Britons are paying more attention to healthy eating this year, we spoke to chefs to get their top tips on how to make your Christmas pudding more health-forward, while still being delicious and celebratory.
Cut the sugar
Christmas pudding tends to be very sweet, usually containing around 40g of sugar per 100g of pudding. It also contains plenty of dried fruits, which add to the classic dessert’s sweetness.
Julian Plateado, chef and founder of Nordic Catch, advises letting the dried fruits "do the heavy lifting" when it comes to sweetening a Christmas pudding and to cut down on added sugar. "Dried fruits like dates and figs are so sweet they’re practically nature’s candy," he tells Yahoo UK.
Private chef Renu Ballantine adds that you can replace refined sugars with maple syrup or honey. If your recipe uses stem ginger, she recommends replacing this with crystallised, dried or fresh ginger, all of which have a much lower sugar content.
Consider the fats
Traditionally, Christmas pudding calls for suet and butter, which contains saturated fats. But several experts we spoke to have said you can confidently swap suet out for olive oil, which is much healthier and does not contain saturated fats.
Sarah Vachon, founder of Citizens of Soil and an olive oil sommelier, advises: "Adding extra virgin olive oil into your Christmas pudding is a great way to not only make it healthier but also enhance the flavour.
"Swap out half the butter in your recipe for olive oil—it’s an easy way to reduce your animal fat content while bringing in those Mediterranean diet benefits. We also suggest drizzling a little extra virgin olive oil over the pudding as a luxurious topping.
"Studies show that just two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day can dramatically improve your overall health, making this a lovely way to enjoy those gut-friendly polyphenols with a festive classic!"
Bust the booze
Christmas pudding is famously a rather boozy affair, and the idea of getting rid of alcohol might seem downright sacrilegious. But our chefs recommend dialing back the booze content to make it healthier - which doesn’t mean you can’t have any at all!
Nima Safaei, the founder of two restaurants in Soho, London, recommends using vin santo or marsala wine to add "complexity using less alcohol" to the pudding. Plateado’s suggestion is to swap out some of the brandy for orange juice or apple cider "for a hint of holiday cheer".
However, Steven Edwards, chef owner of etch, a restaurant in Brighton and Hove, says you should know that replacing the alcohol in Christmas pudding will reduce its shelf-life and you may have to wait till closer to the big day to make it if you’re planning to do so.
Load up on fruit and nuts
In addition to being natural sweeteners, dried fruit like figs and raisins are also full of fibre. Safaei, who is the executive chef at 40 Dean Street and 64 Old Compton Street, suggests including other high-fibre ingredients like almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts, which add plenty of texture and are full of healthy fats.
Plateado even recommends adding grated carrots to your Christmas pudding. "Think of it as a pudding with a side of, 'I’m practically eating a salad'," he jokes.
Watch: Top festive smells revealed: roast turkey, cinnamon & pine trees top the list
Thoughts on toppings
We love to heap our favourite toppings on Christmas pudding, but these alone are high in sugar and fat too. It could be worth making a few changes.
Ballantine says: "Of course, a Christmas pudding would not be complete without the brandy butter. I would replace the butter with low-fat crème fraiche and combine that with the brandy. At this stage of the meal, I am not sure anyone will notice the difference!"
Safaei recommends using alternatives such as ricotta or yogurt instead of double cream or brandy cream, adding: "[These] can help make the wonderful festive pud healthier without compromising on flavour!"
Read more about Christmas:
Why elaborate Christmas window displays evoke wonder and joy (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
The festive movies to watch for Christmas 2024 (Yahoo Entertainment, 5-min read)
How healthy and cheap are the best mince pies this Christmas? (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
