No Christmas dinner?

[rainbowzebra05]

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!

I'm sadly still having to run for the loo if I eat anything containing much saturated fat on day 4. Hoping it'll ease quickly! I doubt the complications beforehand have helped as I was on clear fluids for over a week before surgery so my digestive system's not likely to know what's going on! I can't manage cups of tea either, it's definitely not been as "eat normally afterwards" as they made out!

Look at shapes of food in buffets... I've seen a few tree shapes or things on sticks made to look like a forest... you can use whatever you can have /kids like for shapes!

Oh that's a shame @rainbowzebra05! Hopefully it gets used to it quickly, it definitely wasn't immediate for me but I was at least able to eat cheese and similar quote soon after. Feel better soon, it takes a lot out of you.

I was in Morrisons about an hour ago, and on their freshly-prepared in store pizza counter, they had 'Christmas Dinner' pizzas, of all things!!

How about pizza - does your family like those? Pizza and chips sounds like a great Christmas dinner to me.

I'm so pleased!! Enjoy them!!

I was going to suggest christmassy salads - Nigella has some I think in her Christmas book or it might be Feast - anyway red in colour, cranberries, walnuts, etc. You could do half portions as would have far too much. These with meats and a few mini jackets or boiled potatoes, plus freezer food for your children if they prefer. Not sure what you could do as the pudding, maybe some kind of poached fruit in alcoholic syrup? Then the others could have it with cream, and you could do a variety of other puddings for everyone else too.

Maybe a colourful salad with roasted veg/cous cous/pomegranate seeds, herbs to go alongside your roast meat? I wouldn't worry about it being "festive" as long as it's tasty and everyone enjoys it!

A few Christmas crackers and a red tablecloth, Christmas napkins etc will change the vibe but keep everyone happy woth food. Don't stress, it's just a slightly elevated Sunday roast. It's the company that matters.

This.
Less emphasis on food and more on looking the part.
Then have the Christmas meal you want at New Year, or Jan 6th, when you are better able to eat the fat.

Have a look at Slimming World recipe websites / Facebook groups too. They tend to be low fat versions of favourite food. Air fried potatoes can be done with little fat (Frylite spray) and picky DS is quite happy with them. Good luck, hope your digestion woes are over soon and you can maybe treat yourself to a nice roast meal out somewhere when you are better.

Cold roast meat, jacket potatoes with low fat sour cream, salad and pickles. Boxing day staple here!

Twiglets or French fries if you want crisps. Bruschetta using toasted French stick slices, tomatoes, red onion and a small amount of olive oil.

Olives.

Have a look at Slimming World recipes for desserts, they have loads of very low fat dishes.

I'd do bubble and squeak to go with the meat, and have loads of pickles and stuff on the side. E.g. my usual boxing day meal (which I secretly prefer to Christmas Day roast).

I'm on a diet and my autistic kids won't touch it so it's nuggets and chips for the kids as usual.
Partner will have chicken (hates turkey) ,beef ,millions of pigs in blankets,roasties ,all the vegetables and stuffing.
I will have chicken and veggies

Please do not do that. Even very simple homemade food is going to taste so much better and be much healthier than supermarket party food shite or fast food.

If you like Christmas dinner why not do it for you and hubby? Do a mini buffet on a plate for children. Roast Turkey is not in fat,roast potatoes can be done low fat too. Veg ace. Pudding could be a bit more tricky.

I had my gallbladder out and could actually eat fat again! I’d been off it as it caused attacks… you’ll be fine OP!

You can make cauliflower cheese with quark as the sauce (I add a dollop of mustard), then sprinkle a little bit of something strong flavoured before it goes in the oven. It's not quite the same obviously but better than not having it at all!
I also love roasted sprouts (which don't need a lot of oil at all) but my family tell me I'm not normal 😅

I’d do a low fat slaw like this one www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/superhealthy-slaw, could maybe add some red cabbage or red apple to add more festive colour.

As everyone said some mini jackets in their skins. Or you could do roast new potatoes with garlic and Rosemary.

Tray of roast veg done with just a spray of oil/ fry light.

Quark makes a good low fat dip and takes on the flavour of whatever you put in it - so you could do a garlic and herb one maybe? Apparently you can put some hot chocolate powder in there too to make a sort of chocolate desert?

I know what you mean about salads. I stopped taking them.to work.because it's too cold but thet are far more palatable when you got the heating on full blast🙈how about turkey in the slow cooker? The skin won't go crispy so you won't be tempted to eat it. Freeze what you don't use and have in a few weeks for ur Christmas dinner,if your stomach is up to.it?

Thank you for the ideas! It's it looking the part that I'm aiming for, I can sort the "what everyone will eat" bit, but know I'm going to feel deprived if it doesn't "feel" right. The kids won't give a toss though! Id found some charcuterie style trees but everything was really cheese heavy and I'm pants at dressing tables!

Changing food that the kids will normally eat to cook it differently is a recipe for disaster so I'd much sooner just make different food I think. It isn't worth making safe foods into things that neither child will eat and risking undoing a year's work in one day.

@Ackity praying mine settles well too! I've only known about the gallstones for about 8 weeks and had only had 2 or 3 attacks. Then developed pancreatitis, liver issues, and fluid on my lungs meaning it's come out rather quickly. So it's been a bit of a shock to the system! Side effect of pregnancy it seems

I don't do eating the skin/fat anyway so thankfully that won't be an issue! It's always been one of my things, I can't hack the texture of it! I'm not normally a salad person anyway (only really do iceberg lettuce, cucumber, carrot and grapes. I'm a pathetic adult!) but some of those with things like pomegranate in sound nice so I'm on a hunt for one that at least I'll eat!

Also find yourself a fancy plate, a nice glass and maybe even different cutlery. All those things can lift the way you feel about eating before you even get to the food.

I think if you concentrate on the decor and worry less about the food? I bought this tablecloth from M&S and it's reduced - www.marksandspencer.com/cotton-tablecloth/p/hbp60506557?extid=ps_ps-gpla_ggl_hw_ch__-UK-_-_baussc&gclid=Cj0KCQiA14WdBhD8ARIsANao07hxAlHtWbuA3ozPPH5WZcrEe3q0NcSGt92Uyae84AVlqXZmKSspessaAv8PEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'll be teaming that with a festive tablerunner, and silver placemats. M&S have some, so do Dunelm, Matalan, etc. These are the Marksies ones:

www.marksandspencer.com/set-of-4-round-woven-metallic-placemats/p/hbp60561884?extid=ps_ps-gpla_ggl_hw_ch__-UK-_-_baussc&gclid=Cj0KCQiA14WdBhD8ARIsANao07iHLHAQOB_zw9R1MCwNcfjHNOWixfJHABNxH9oJFuoIjjhD1dQ3VXsaAmPxEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Christmas paper napkins, some Christmas decorations in the centre of the table, crackers in front of every place. If you wanted to go mad, you could get Christmas glasses, or a salt & pepper set - that sort of thing. Try The Range or Home Bargains. We've a stonking 7ft Christmas tree in our dining room with a couple of thousand lights on it - that's pretty festive lol.

So soon after surgery, don't make it complicated for yourself. I don't know if this would be low fat enough for you but for roasties, I buy Maris Piper potatoes and use roasting bags with some veg oil. You could always just roll them in the veg oil so you'd use less. I chuck them in the oven for an hour and a half (don't parboil) and they're lovely.

Prawn cocktail cup made with low fat yogurt is a favourite of mine.

is bread low fat? If so I could quite happily have a buffet of bread and cold meat.

Hope you are feeling better soon @rainbowzebra05

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/warm-moroccan-cauliflower-salad

This is a really tasty one and with the mix of colours looks very festive. You can reduce the oil and use low fat yoghurt for the sauce. Plus you'll still get your cauli!