Christmas versus kilojoules – how to focus more on celebration and less on the food

Jodie R. PalacioFood and Drinks

Christmas and holidays are times to celebrate and relax with friends and family. The festive season is also a time when unwanted weight can be gained, which will not go away once the holidays have passed.

According to research (mostly conducted in the United States), adults gain between 400 and 900 grams during the holiday season.

Nobody wants to miss the festivities. Knowing the kilojoule count of your favorite Christmas treats will help you to make informed decisions on what foods and drinks to enjoy and in what portions.

Read more: Health check: do bigger portion sizes make you eat more?

Check the comparisons below and how much housework or the number of steps you’d need to take to expend that same number of kilojoules. (Note: calculations are based on an adult weighing 70-80 kilograms.)

Start with this.

What are the best pre-dinner snack options?

How many steps or minutes would it take to burn off a large handful of potato chips containing 550kJ?

What about a handful (about ten large cherries or 15 smaller ones) of fresh cherries, which contain approximately 150kJ? It would only take 8.5 minutes to vacuum or 880 steps.

The main course is here.

About 1,415kJ is contained in two slices of roast pork and one 30g piece of crackling (the size of a matchbox). It is the equivalent of spending 54 minutes washing windows or walking 8,500 steps.

If you replace the pork with 12 medium prawns at 260kJ (about 70g), this is equivalent to ten minutes of washing windows or walking 1,560 steps.

Read more: How to pick an ethically raised ham this Christmas.

Sweet swap

You will consume approximately 1,080kJ if you eat an eighth (90g) of large plum pudding. To burn it off, you’ll have to take 6,350 steps or spend 41 minutes raking leaves in your garden.

Smaller portions have fewer calories. Shutterstock

One 25g gumball contains 350kJ, which is equivalent to 2,060 walking steps or 13 minutes of raking leaves.

A half cup of fruit salad with 250kJ equals 1,470 steps or about nine minutes of leaf raking.

Celebrate more with your celebrations.

You can still have fun and enjoy the holiday with your family and friends without focusing on food. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

  • Use this Calculator from the 8700.com.au Website in order to calculate the kilojoules or exercise equivalents of your favorite Christmas foods and beverages.
  • Think about what food and holiday traditions you would like to pass down to your children. These are the ones that your children and grandchildren will remember. By choosing some of these healthy options, you can incorporate health and wellness into your celebrations.
  • Decorate your Christmas table to make it look more special than just the food. Family traditions are associated with improved child health and school performance, as well as a stronger sense of identity for adolescents.