What do Dietitians and Nutritionists eat at Christmas?

What does a Dietitian eat for Christmas? No, that’s not the start of a terrible Christmas cracker joke! You might not be surprised to learn that a dietitian’s favourite part of the Christmas season is, much like everyone else’s, the food! We caught up with some of our resident Dietitians and Nutritionists at HRS to find out what a typical Christmas day looks like for them, and what their favourite festive foods are… 

Cheryl McGregor RD, Account Manager 

“Our Christmas is a little different in that we spend it baking in the sun! 

We usually have a fillet steak BBQ (Braai in South Africa) on Christmas evening with the family. After an early morning start opening presents and drinking coffee with rusks, we celebrate with all the extended family. Around 30 of us gather around the table on the patio, basking in the sunshine, so a tad different to the cosy Christmas of the UK! We will indulge in a meal of honey roast gammon and roast leg of lamb. While we can’t miss having roast potatoes with gravy, we usually have an assortment of colourful, wreath salads to accompany the hot weather. Dessert includes a deconstructed Eton mess, mince pies and Christmas cake. The rest of the day is spent swimming and lazing around in the shade!”  

Harriet Smith RD, HRS Founder 

“We kick things off on Christmas eve when my dad prepares a honey roast ham with dauphinoise potatoes, braised red cabbage and Cumberland sauce. On Christmas day, we start the day with stockings…this inevitably means I’ll have eaten a sugar mouse and copious amounts of chocolate before breakfast! Breakfast is usually bucks fizz and something involving smoked salmon. We sit down to enjoy Christmas dinner (turkey and all the trimmings – bread sauce being a non-negotiable!) late afternoon after watching the Queen/King’s speech. My favourite bit is Boxing day when I can pick at all the leftovers, usually in my PJs, followed by a big family walk to blow the cobwebs away! 

Esther King, RD Account Manager 

“We love Christmas in our house! We usually spend a slow morning opening stockings, before cracking on with making Christmas dinner. My brother and I have recently taken on the mantle of Christmas lunch, so we put some tunes on and get stuck in. One of my favourite dishes is sprouts with bacon, closely followed by the stuffing & roast potatoes! 

After we’ve watched the Queen/King’s speech we have dessert which usually includes Christmas pudding and my mum’s delicious raspberry mousse, before spending the rest of the day opening gifts and catching up with family.” 

Lauren Cowley ANutr, Nutrition Communications Assistant  

“Our Christmas morning starts off with a nice brisk (and chilly!) dog walk on the common, before our family tradition of croissants for breakfast – I like mine with smoked salmon and poached eggs! We’ll then have a slow morning opening presents, before me and my sister tackle the roast. As a vegetarian, I normally have a nut roast, but my favourite part of the meal is the honey roasted parsnips and carrots.  

We eat lunch quite early so by 8pm, we’re ready to break out the cheese board and spend the evening snacking away over a movie!” 

So there you have it! A Dietitians Christmas Day is just like everyone else’s. Full of fun, family and food!