Enjoy Your Christmas Treats for Fewer Calories
Tasty calories tempt us from all directions at Christmas. A minefield for people trying to lose weight or minimise weight gain over the festive season. As the saying goes, ‘I can resist anything but temptation’.
So how do you have a very Merry without piling on the pounds or being a party pooper?
To help with damage limitation, we went shopping at six major supermarkets to look for the calorie highs and lows of popular Christmas sweet treats.
We looked at calories in mince pies, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, Yule logs, Pannetone and Stollen. What was encouraging was that most of the supermarkets we looked at have reduced the calories slightly in some of their products in comparison to last year!
At the bottom of the list you'll find some extra treats that are 'reasonably' low in calories. (We say reasonably because let's be honest, we know Christmas treats are going to be calorific!)
We have used the recommended serving sizes as stated by the manufacturer. However, there is nothing stopping you having a smaller portion to save a few more calories.
Mince Pies
If you're partial to a mince pie (or few) over the festive season, you could be adding quite a few extra calories. Luckily most of the big supermarkets have seen the light and now most offer mini mince pies. We think this is a geat idea - so long as you stop at one!
Instead of this... | Try this... | ||
Tesco |
Finest Mince Pies |
Finest Mini Mince Pies |
|
Sainsburys |
Deep Filled Mince Pies |
All Butter Mini Mince Pies, Taste the Difference |
|
Asda |
Extra Special Luxury Mince Pies |
WLR RECOMMENDS! Extra Special Luxury Mini Mince Pies |
|
Morrisons |
The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies |
The Best Mini Mince Pies |
|
Waitrose |
Shortcrust Mince Pies |
No.1 Mini All Butter Mince Pies |
|
Aldi |
Specially Selected All Butter Classic Mince Pies |
Specially Selected All Butter Classic Mini Mince Pies |
|
Mr Kipling |
Deep Filled Mince Pies |
Mini Mince Pie Selection |
If you stop for a coffee, take care - Costa’s Mince Tart will set you back 329 cals! It is a bit of a beast at 86g, so you could share one with a friend for 165 calories each instead.
Christmas Cake
Christmas Cake is heavy on the calories. So, if you want to have your cake and eat it, what can you do? You could try having a smaller portion than recommended on the pack. After all, it is the first few bites that taste the best, especially when you're eating cakes and puddings. Or have a look at alternatives to a big single cake. Bars, slices and bites all help keep portions in check.
Instead of this... | Try this... | |
Tesco |
Finest Mini Iced Christmas Cake |
Finest Rich Christmas Cake |
Sainsburys |
Frosty Snowflake Iced Christmas Cake, Taste the Difference |
Iced Rich Christmas Cake, Taste the Difference |
Asda |
Extra Special Brandy Soaked Fully Iced Fruit Cake |
Iced Fruit Cake |
Morrisons |
Christmas Fully Iced Tree Cake |
Rich Fruit Christmas Cake Slices |
Waitrose |
Richly Fruited Christmas Cake |
WLR RECOMMENDS! Christmas Iced Fruit Cake Bites |
Aldi | ![]() Holly Lane Top Iced Christmas Cake |
Holly Lane Top Iced Fruit Cake Bar |
Christmas Puddings
Christmas pud is normally very high in calories because of the alcohol and richness. The wlr foodies were surprised that, in some cases, the luxury range puddings fared better than the others. Individual puddings were lower in calories than a recommended serving of their larger counterparts. Here's our findings...
Instead of this... | Try this... | |
Tesco |
Finest Christmas Pudding |
Christmas Pudding |
Sainsburys |
Cognac Laced 18 Month Matured Individual Christmas Pudding, Taste the Difference |
Hidden Cherry Centre Christmas Pudding, Taste the Difference |
Asda |
Extra Special 9 Month Matured Luxury Christmas Pudding |
Individual Extra Special 9 Month Matured Luxury Christmas Pudding |
Morrisons |
The Best Christmas Pudding |
No option - try a smaller slice |
Waitrose |
No.1 Cherry & Almond Christmas Pudding |
Richly Fruited Christmas Pudding |
Aldi |
Specially Selected 30 Month Matured Christmas Pudding |
Specially Selected Rich & Fruity Christmas Pudding |
Or try making your own using wlr's Low Calorie Christmas Pudding Recipe with just 219 calories per portion.
Yule Log
If your Christmas tea table isn’t complete without a Yule Log, you may want to keep a close eye on your serving size. Have a slice of Morrison's Chocolate Fudge Yule Log and yule be adding 292 calories to your day... But it sure looks good!
Instead of this... | Try this... | |
Tesco |
Finest Belgian Chocolate Yule Log |
Chocolate Yule Log |
Sainsburys |
Milk Chocolate Yule Log, Taste the Difference |
Chocolate Yule Log |
Asda |
Extra Special Luxury Belgian Chocolate Frosted Yule Log
|
Christmas Yule Log |
Morrisons |
The Best Chocolate Fudge Yule Log |
WLR RECOMMENDS! |
Stollen
A slice of Stollen can add a massive 399 calories (Kuchenmeister Marzipan Stolen). If you're looking for an easy way to keep on track but still have a little of what you fancy opt for Stollen bites and have one or two. (Maybe, just the one if you shop in Asda!) If bites aren't available, go for the slices.
Morrisons don't currently offer Stollen Bites in their Christmas range - try cutting the slices into 2 or 3 bite sized pieces instead!
Instead of this... | Try this... | |
Tesco |
Finest Cherry and Almond Stollen Slices |
Stollen Bites Slices |
Sainsbury's |
Fruit & Nut Topped Stollen, Taste the Difference |
Stollen Slices, Taste the Difference |
Asda |
Extra Special Caramel Stollen |
Stollen Slices |
Morrisons |
Stollen Cake Slices |
Morrisons don't currently sell any bites - why not try cutting a slice into two or three bites? |
Waitrose |
Christmas Stollen |
WLR RECOMMENDS! ![]()
Christmas Stollen Bites |
Aldi | ![]() Specially Selected Stollen 248 calories per slice |
![]() Specially Selected Stollen Bites 88 calories per bite |
Panettone
For those of you who feel it's not Christmas without a Panettone, you might want to rethink. All of the Panettones we looked at were quite high in calories. A Mini Panettone from Sainsbury's is a shocking 376 calories per cake! Obviously, if you can't do without, you could just eat half a serving and halve the calories too.
Instead of this... | Try this... | |
Tesco |
Finest Amaretto Panettone |
Panettone |
Sainsbury's |
Mini Panettone |
![]()
Panettone |
Asda |
Il Vecchio Forno Classic Panettone 100g |
Il Vecchio Forno Classic Panettone 500g |
Waitrose |
Waitrose Christmas Fruited Panettone 750g |
Waitrose Christmas Fruited Panettone 500g |
Fancy something different?
All of the supermarkets we checked out have a large range of Christmas goodies – all very calorific. We don’t want you to have to go without though so, we have taken a look at some of our favourites and have found 3 items from each supermarket that come in under 200 calories per portion. You really don’t have to deprive yourself this Christmas. Everything in moderation!
Tesco

Iced Fruit Cake Slices - 171 calories

Christmas Gingerbread Mini Biscuits - 48 calories

Mince Pie Cookies - 104 calories
Sainsbury’s

Mincemeat Puffs - 105 calories

Ecclefehan Tarts - 194 calories

Lebkuchen Star Biscuits - 48 calories
Asda

Extra Special Crumble Top Mince Pies - 194 calories

Cheeky Elf Chocolate Mini Rolls - 134 calories

Gingerbread Festive Friends - 43 calories
Morrisons

Marshmallow Snowman Biscuits - 105 calories

The Best Black Forest Mince Pie Crumbles - 184 calories

The Best Chocolate Truffle Selection - 61 calories
Waitrose

Christmas Chocolate Brownie Bites - 76 calories

Christmas Mini Sponge Cupcakes - 79 calories

Scottish Shortbread Stars - 73 calories
Aldi

Sloe Gin Mince Pies - 199 calories

Frangipane Mince Pies - 191 calories

Reindeer Ice Cream Lollies - 62 calories
If you are trying to watch the calories this Christmas, introduce some of our swaps and you can still have some of the lovely treats without seriously breaking the calorie bank!
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You can use the tools in WLR to plan your Christmas food, or your New Year recovery! It's free to have a go and you can print a shopping list for any plans you make.
