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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

No Christmas dinner?

50 replies

rainbowzebra05 · 20/12/2022 16:32

I'm looking to do something that isn't a traditional roast this year. I'm on a low fat diet for health reasons, 2 dc are autistic and struggle both with roasts and with the expectation of sitting to eat food they know they don't really like, and dh always spends it moaning about the amount of food waste.

I'm thinking of doing a buffet type meal. We get the meat free as dh's Christmas bonus from work, so I'll still cook those and have them carved to have with bread/on the side. But besides supermarket party food I'm feeling a bit stumped for ideas!

I want some bits that feel special and Christmassey, but that can either be prepped the day before or take minimal work. Neither child eats much fruit so the funny festive kebabs I've found on pinterest don't look like a good idea for us!

Has anyone done one before to have any ideas to share please? Little touches to make it still feel like a special meal? It'll be the first year I haven't done a full roast and truth be told I'm partially sulking because I enjoy Christmas dinner normally!

OP posts:
NoNamesLeft234678 · 20/12/2022 16:37

We're going to Toby Cavery on Christmas eve, having a buffet on Christmas Day and a takeaway on boxing day 😝

DurhamDurham · 20/12/2022 16:44

We usually eat out on Christmas Day but this year we're having Christmas lunch on Christmas Eve at our favourite restaurant.
Christmas Day will be spent eating baked Camembert, smoked salmon, gammon, maybe some salad and a big cheese board; we're usually too full from Christmas lunch to enjoy all the festive food we've bought so this year we're going to be in full buffet mode.

Clutterbugsmum · 20/12/2022 16:49

I don't understand why people so much pressure on themselves to have 'proper' Christmas dinner.

Personally we have whatever we fancy sometimes its a roast sometimes its a buffet.

Anyway OP if your children like a buffet then have one. You can always have a roast/cook meat (chicken, ham), new pots along side the food your children eat.

Original poster
rainbowzebra05 · 20/12/2022 16:51

That sounds lovely, but neither sound particularly low fat sadly! I'm really struggling with how to make it enjoyable/festive/special, while planning things they'll eat, and things that I can eat safely. All the festive themed stuff I'm finding's heavily cheese or chocolate based 😩

OP posts:
Original poster
rainbowzebra05 · 20/12/2022 16:53

Clutterbugsmum · 20/12/2022 16:49

I don't understand why people so much pressure on themselves to have 'proper' Christmas dinner.

Personally we have whatever we fancy sometimes its a roast sometimes its a buffet.

Anyway OP if your children like a buffet then have one. You can always have a roast/cook meat (chicken, ham), new pots along side the food your children eat.

I can't eat the bits of the roast that I look forward to sadly! It's things like pigs in blankets, cauliflower cheese, roasties... that I look forward to. I'm absolutely gutted and it wasn't off the table until less than a week ago.

No cheese or chocolates either. It doesn't feel like Christmas 😩

The kids would likely be happiest with chicken nuggets truth be told but I don't want to have to cook multiple meals on Christmas Day!

OP posts:
Highlyflavouredgravy · 20/12/2022 16:55

How low fat are we talking?

Clutterbugsmum · 20/12/2022 16:57

In the past I have done roast chicken, new potatoes with nice bread. Along with sausage rolls, Chicken nuggets, pizza's and salad. With crisps and cupcakes.

Andsoforth · 20/12/2022 16:57

Why is there so much food waste? There’s lots of ways to use up the leftovers, or just cook less.

For the adults, could you have steamed veg sides, and go easy on the carbs?

What kinds of foods do your dc like to eat?

Rather than festive food, could you concentrate on presenting it festively?

SallyWD · 20/12/2022 16:57

Is there no option to forget the diet just for one day?

Original poster
rainbowzebra05 · 20/12/2022 16:59

Highlyflavouredgravy · 20/12/2022 16:55

How low fat are we talking?

Gallbladder out a week before Christmas, so essentially low enough in fat to avoid pooing myself Blush

I was expecting it to be about a year before surgery after a few gallstone attacks, but ended up with it out as an inpatient after becoming seriously unwell with complications, so I didn't expect to be trying to eat a relatively low fat diet over the festive period to have had the time to look into ideas

OP posts:
Original poster
rainbowzebra05 · 20/12/2022 17:02

Andsoforth · 20/12/2022 16:57

Why is there so much food waste? There’s lots of ways to use up the leftovers, or just cook less.

For the adults, could you have steamed veg sides, and go easy on the carbs?

What kinds of foods do your dc like to eat?

Rather than festive food, could you concentrate on presenting it festively?

There genuinely isn't once it's used over the following days, it just looks it on Christmas Day. He's a nuisance for not using leftovers so doesn't see the subsequent meals, where I do the cooking after Christmas so very little actually does get wasted. Though it doesn't really change this year unfortunately.

It's stuff like the presentation I'm looking for ideas on, the food itself I doubt I can do much about given the multiple restrictions, but I can't work out how to make it FEEL special if you get me?

OP posts:
gogohmm · 20/12/2022 17:05

Turkey is very low fat (breast meat, no skin) roast potatoes can be made low fat by cooking almost fully in the pan (more than just parboiling) and then spraying a little oil on (the 1 cal spray) steamed and boiled veggies are fine and you can make low fat gravy with the juices skimming off all the fat. Low fat chipolatas are better than pigs in blankets health wise but I would avoid.

It's actually a better option for low fat food than party food imo. Let the kids have the bits they like for an easy life, I get that

Hobbesmanc · 20/12/2022 17:08

There's loads of lovely wintry salads around using seasonal produce that you could serve along side lean slices of turkey and ham. Google them

For our Christmas Eve buffet I'm doing a sprout slaw using low fat Crete fraiche. Orange dill and fennel salad, chicory with apple and walnut with a mustard dressing. And a lovely warm delia potato salad with chives.

All these can be lower fat with tweaks but will still give you festive flavours

There's also loads of smoked salmon and seafood options

If these won't suit the kids you could do some baby jacket spuds with the meat. Mini sausages with a glaze.

Kids will fill up on crisps. Mini sausage rolls. Or use the meat to make rolls.

Buy a chocolate Xmas dessert and just have a little portion. Or look for low fat jelly puds with fruit. There's some lovely trifles with clementines and pomegranate etc. Just avoid the dairy bit

Sorry it's going to be a different lunch for you so focus on eating what you can rather than think about what you need to swerve.

Original poster
rainbowzebra05 · 20/12/2022 17:11

gogohmm · 20/12/2022 17:05

Turkey is very low fat (breast meat, no skin) roast potatoes can be made low fat by cooking almost fully in the pan (more than just parboiling) and then spraying a little oil on (the 1 cal spray) steamed and boiled veggies are fine and you can make low fat gravy with the juices skimming off all the fat. Low fat chipolatas are better than pigs in blankets health wise but I would avoid.

It's actually a better option for low fat food than party food imo. Let the kids have the bits they like for an easy life, I get that

It's def better for low fat, but nobody would eat it unfortunately. We're doing the buffet idea as a meet in the middle, I can then eat the "safe" bits and leave higher fat bits for the others. We can't just change how things are cooked unfortunately else the kids wouldn't ever touch those things again. It's just working out how to make it feel like it's not just a generic "picky tea" that I'm struggling with I think, we're a bit stuck when it comes to food contents sadly. Im rubbish at presentation and Pinterest isn't helping.

We'll just have to do a "proper" roast at Easter instead (presuming my tummy's settled by then)!

OP posts:
Original poster
rainbowzebra05 · 20/12/2022 17:15

Hobbesmanc · 20/12/2022 17:08

There's loads of lovely wintry salads around using seasonal produce that you could serve along side lean slices of turkey and ham. Google them

For our Christmas Eve buffet I'm doing a sprout slaw using low fat Crete fraiche. Orange dill and fennel salad, chicory with apple and walnut with a mustard dressing. And a lovely warm delia potato salad with chives.

All these can be lower fat with tweaks but will still give you festive flavours

There's also loads of smoked salmon and seafood options

If these won't suit the kids you could do some baby jacket spuds with the meat. Mini sausages with a glaze.

Kids will fill up on crisps. Mini sausage rolls. Or use the meat to make rolls.

Buy a chocolate Xmas dessert and just have a little portion. Or look for low fat jelly puds with fruit. There's some lovely trifles with clementines and pomegranate etc. Just avoid the dairy bit

Sorry it's going to be a different lunch for you so focus on eating what you can rather than think about what you need to swerve.

Oh i hadn't thought to check salads, daft as it'll sound I associate them with summer so I'd completely blanked on them! I'll go have a good google for them!

I'm also ASD, though considerably less fussy than the kids, but seafood and nuts are out completely. It really isn't helping when I'm finding things. Sorry, I probably should have mentioned in the op but I forget that they're Christmas (because they never are here).

I'm happy with fruit for dessert, the kids can have the Yule log and I'll just sulk and skip it. Jelly's a good call though. I didn't expect it to be the mains that caused the most headaches when we first found out it was going to have to change, but it seems I connect Christmas to savoury stuff more so than sweet!

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 20/12/2022 17:20

how do you have waste from a roast dinner? you eat bubble and squeak and cold meat for the following days, with pickle and onions

DreamingOfAGreenChristmas · 20/12/2022 17:20

Roast a big piece of salmon, or cod, or other chunky fish?

Have with new potatoes / veg / dry roast potato wedges etc?

For a low fat buffet, smoked salmon?

Desert: meringue based and you have low fat yogurt or sorbet and they have cream / ice cream?

meatyryvita · 20/12/2022 17:22

OP check out the salads on Half Baked Harvest's website. She makes the most beautiful, unexpected, and delicious salads, many of which are perfect for autumn/winter.

mynameiscalypso · 20/12/2022 17:26

Have you just had your gallbladder out? I found that within 48 hours of mine being removed that I could eat pretty much normally again. It was amazing how quick it recovered; just try to eat regularly and not go too long between meals.

Whataretheodds · 20/12/2022 17:26

Roast butternut squash or sweet potato or carrot, with onions and garlic, season well. Combine with rocket or spinach, mix with toasted nuts or seeds, drizzle with a little tahini dressing (loosen with water and lemon juice) and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries.

Orange/blood orange, fennel and radicchio salad. Sprinkle with dill/parsley.

Brussel sprouts roasted/charred with chopped lean bacon and garlic.

I think the key is texture.

You can also use silken tofu instead of cream/cream cheese for things like cauliflower cheese. You might just need to give it a whizz before mixing in.

Whataretheodds · 20/12/2022 17:28

Turkey is a really low fat meat relatively so if you take the skin off an have a low fat gravy option that would work.

Bread sauce made with skimmed milk to moisten?

AriettyHomily · 20/12/2022 17:28

We're having a roast ham, cheese, charcuterie, olives, pickles, hummous, pitta, fancy bread, crackers and a big bowl of roast potatoes.

It's what the kids have asked for and makes my life easier. Two DN's are autistic, don't east roasts and aren't great sitting at the table so it removes a layer of stress doing it this way.

Original poster
rainbowzebra05 · 20/12/2022 17:28

meatyryvita · 20/12/2022 17:22

OP check out the salads on Half Baked Harvest's website. She makes the most beautiful, unexpected, and delicious salads, many of which are perfect for autumn/winter.

Oh this is exactly what I was looking for thank you! Her photos LOOK like Christmas, but there's also enough that's bland sounding enough for us to eat it!

OP posts:
AriettyHomily · 20/12/2022 17:29

Sorry totally missed the low fat bit!

Megapint · 20/12/2022 17:30

Just walk around your local Tesco or marks & sparks and see what takes your fancy?. If the kids would love chicken nuggets go for it, better still see if your local McDonald's is open then you don't even have to cook them.