Hosting the family Christmas lunch can be stressful at the best of times, but with soaring
inflation sending the price of food skyrocketing, it’s enough to send you crackers.
However, our trusted expert on all things food and nutrition, Accredited Practising Dietitian
Trish Dearlove, has come to the rescue with some wonderful tips to save your Christmas.
READ MORE: 7 ways an Accredited Practising Dietitian can be your diabetes superhero
And the best part is, these tips are real-world practical, so they work!
Don’t feel pressured to ‘go big’ this Christmas
We caught up with Trish during a break between clients this week and she was
quick to ask that we remind you that it’s easy to get swept up in the commercialisation of
Christmas – and especially feel pressured to ‘go big’ on the day.
Please don’t feel bad about it, marketing agencies are paid big bucks to make you feel this
way.
However this year, with the post-COVID economy leaving so many people in financial stress,
chances are that the members of your family would also appreciate a less formal Christmas
that places an emphasis on togetherness, rather than running up debt.
Trish said: “I would like to gently remind everyone that it doesn’t matter what you eat if the
people you are sharing a meal with are your joy.
“Also, it’s important to resist the temptation to buy excessive amounts of food that may end
up going to waste.”
Trish the dietitian shares her Christmas lunch tips
Without further ado, here are Trish’s 8 tips for hosting Christmas lunch on a budget:
- Manage expectations. Not only are many people feeling the pinch financially right
now, but it’s easy to get caught up in the pressure to spend. What’s most important at Christmas, is spending time with loved ones.
- Embrace our hot Christmas climate by hosting a festive barbecue lunch. Throw some
snags on the barbie, and/or make some festive kebabs with chicken, green
capsicums, pearl onions and cherry tomatoes.
- Share the load – arrange the menu with extended family and friends in advance, then
ask everyone to bring a certain dish to share.
- Consider what foods your family enjoys and what seems to always be left over.
There’s little point buying a big Christmas pudding if only one Great-Aunt will eat it.
Choose foods that will be enjoyed by the majority, even if this is not what your
‘usual’ Christmas spread looks like.
- Keep choices simple. Too many dishes or food options just leads to waste.
- Make meals together special in ways that don’t include many expensive foods;
perhaps you can decorate the table, play Christmas carols while you eat, use the
fancy plates or get the kids involved by making place cards.
- Remember that special is not just about more food. Perhaps you have a family
favourite recipe that doesn’t get made through the year when we are all busy? If you
have the time to invest in cooking something important to your family, the meal is
that much more valued by all.
- Take care with leftovers. Be sure to pack uneaten foods away in a timely manner
(don’t leave foods out of refrigeration for longer than necessary) so they can be used
in following days rather than thrown away.
Call us at South Coastal Health & Community Services today!
An Accredited Practising Dietitian is an expert in food and nutrition, who can advise people
of all ages on eating for health and specialist medical needs.
Our Dietitian Trish can provide support with:
- Understanding food labels, meal budgeting and planning
- Healthy eating for physical and mental health (including emotional eating)
- Diet changes to control blood sugar levels
- Reducing cholesterol or blood pressure
- IBS and gastrointestinal disorders
Trish is passionate about weight-neutral care. That means the focus is on how to improve or
build habits that support health rather than focusing on the number on the scale. This
approach respects that all bodies come in different shapes and sizes and that improving
health is possible for everyone regardless of their weight.
Please click here for information on how to book etc.