How Mounjaro has completely changed my Christmas fridge

The influence of weight-loss medications on Christmas fridges is the new norm, says Charlotte Cripps, whether you’re still on them, skipping them for the festive break, or have quit

I booked my online Christmas food shop early to avoid missing out – but far from turkey and pudding, it’s full of cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, organic free-range eggs, kefir drinks, protein shakes and blueberries. Yes, this shop has “Mounjaro fridge” written all over it, despite my having quit the medication months ago. I’m so terrified of Ozempic rebound – when people regain all the weight they lost, or more – that I’ve stuck to the same routine of eating protein and smaller portions.

Like many others who are on and off the medications, microdosing, or having a break, the influence of GLP-1s looms large this Christmas. We are swapping mince pies for protein pots – and all I had to do was press “instant shop” and add a few extra special items to my usual order. According to this year’s Waitrose Food & Drink report, I’m not alone. The Mounjaro effect is evident with people opting for snacks rather than full meals, and is, therefore, transforming what a traditional Christmas looks like.

People taking weight-loss medication are choosing foods that are “nutrient-dense, often high in protein and with fewer additives, but more complex flavours”, according to Waitrose. The new essentials of a middle-class kitchen cupboard now include cottage cheese, sales of which have gone up a whopping 38 per cent from last year. As I scoured other popular food items in the report, I couldn’t believe how many of them are in my fridge.

I also buy egg and protein pots, tempeh, and drinks with electrolytes to maintain hydration level, since weight-loss drugs can reduce thirst, as well as hunger. I never forget the frozen berries, either, or tinned anchovies.

My extra luxuries for Christmas include fresh king prawns, scallops and some off-cuts of fish, such as ray wings, which are apparently now so popular that they sell like hot cakes. I will pan-fry them in burnt butter with pre-chopped garlic and sriracha sprinkles for extra flavour – also top of the GLP-1s “essentials” list.

Protein is the holy grail for people on these drugs because it’s the key to preserving muscle mass during weight loss, and it increases satiety and helps to prevent sharp spikes and crashes in blood sugar (whether you are still on them or not). As a pescatarian who doesn’t eat that much fish, unless it’s wild, I have to really work hard at keeping my protein intake high – and at Christmas, it’s no different.

According to the Waitrose report, the influence of Mounjaro is evident, with people opting for snacks and products high in protein (Charlotte Cripps)

What is alarming me, however, is how little festive food I have. I just don’t fancy Stilton and crackers, chocolate biscuits or tucking into Quality Street. Ever since I got “Ozempic tongue”, my palate has shifted. I crave clean-tasting foods, such as cucumber with a drizzle of lemon, which is hardly indulgent – and after spending £169 a month on weight-loss jabs, I really don’t want to have to go back on them.

I’m not hung up on weight in a vain way. I’d put on over two-and-a-half stone after two pregnancies, when I ate with wild abandon, and then through stress-eating while caring for my elderly dad. When my GP told me my cholesterol levels were too high, and I needed to lose weight or go on statins, I asked her to give me six months to try to turn it around. I succeeded when I got a private prescription for weight-loss drugs in the summer of 2024.

I always stayed on a low dose and microdosed it to avoid unwanted side effects. It also kept costs down and helped me to wean myself off because I changed my eating patterns. But now I’m stuck in a protein diet loop – and I’ve also become used to eating smaller portions.

Traditionally, Christmas is a time for indulgence and celebration, but for many people on weight-loss medication, and those hosting them, this festive season is a new chapter. According to new research by the weight-management service CheqUP, 5.5 million Brits (11 per cent) expect to host someone on GLP-1 medication this year, as the majority of GLP-1 users (64 per cent) will be experiencing their first Christmas on the drugs this year.

Six in 10 GLP-1 users (61 per cent) say the drugs are transforming what a traditional Christmas looks like – and nearly one in four (24 per cent) feel uncomfortable talking about their medication or appetite at the table, with 55 per cent fearing being harshly judged.

This Christmas is about grazing and protein pots – and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s part of “The Great Lock-in”, a self-improvement challenge popular with Gen Z on social media that encourages people to set and commit to goals for the final four months of the year to enter the new year stronger.

Call me boring, I don’t care. The new norm might seem strange, and it is, but the truth is, it’s here to stay.