Christmas dinner: You think you'll consume 2,000 calories, but in reality it'll be closer to 6,000

That's 12 Big Mac burgers

Kashmira Gander
Friday 19 December 2014 21:20 GMT
Comments
A Christmas dinner with all the trimmings
A Christmas dinner with all the trimmings

Despite the mounds of mince pies, armfuls of chocolate boxes, and stacks of yule logs which fly off the shelves in December, Brits still believe they eat half as much on Christmas Day as they really do.

Most people estimate that they consume around 2,600 calories on Christmas Day, but in reality the figure is closer to 6,000.

That is the equivalent of 12 Big Macs, and three times the daily recommended amount of calories for a woman, and just under 2 and a half more than a man’s.

A survey of 2,000 UK adults also showed that 46 per cent us don't consider the amount we eat on Christmas Day, or any other day of the year.

It also revealed that half of us are ditching the traditional Christmas turkey meal on 25 December.

Almost a fifth will opt for beef, 15 per cent for chicken or cockerel, while just 7 per cent for lamb.

Despite dessert being a big part of the meal, the poll showed that only 29 per cent of those aged between 18 and 24 will eat Christmas pudding, compared to 61 per cent of those aged 55 years old and over which, indicates the reign of the fruit-filled desert may soon be over.

Unsurprisingly, alcoholic tipples also play a major part in the season’s festivities. A third of Brits plan to guzzle red or white wine this year, a quarter will celebrate with sparkling wine, and a fifth will opt for beer or lager.

Dr Annie Gray, a food historian who conducted the research with AB sugar, said: "Our food, drink and even lifestyle habits have really changed over the years.

"Back in WWI and WWII even the most manual of tasks could sometimes involve hard labour so we were certainly more active and, in fact, we were our healthiest as a nation at the end of WWII."

She went on to predict that in the future we’ll be eating far less meat and more vegetable options, including meat substitutes and possibly insect-derived protein.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in