Christmas Dinner Calories: A Full Festive Plate, Dish by Dish
How many calories are in Christmas dinner? Typically 1,500–2,500+. See calories for turkey, ham, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, desserts and drinks.
By Ayoub Farid · · 2 min read
A traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, dessert and drinks often adds up to 1,500–2,500 calories or more. Here's where the calories come from, so you can enjoy the meal knowingly.
Key takeaways
- A full Christmas plate is often 1,000–1,400 kcal, and 2,000+ with dessert, drinks and snacking.
- Roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, puddings and festive drinks carry the most calories.
- All-day grazing on chocolates and nuts can add more than the dinner itself.
Christmas dinner calories by dish
| Food | Serving | Approx. calories |
|---|---|---|
| Roast turkey breast, no skin | 120 g | ~180 |
| Glazed ham | 100 g | ~200–250 |
| Roast beef | 100 g | ~200–250 |
| Roast potatoes (in oil/fat) | 4 pieces (~200 g) | ~300–400 |
| Pigs in blankets | 3 | ~250–300 |
| Stuffing | 2 balls / ½ cup | ~150–250 |
| Gravy | 4 tbsp | ~40–60 |
| Brussels sprouts with butter | 1 cup | ~60–100 |
| Glazed carrots and parsnips | 1 cup | ~150–200 |
| Yorkshire pudding | 1 | ~90–120 |
| Christmas pudding with brandy butter | 1 portion | ~400–500 |
| Mince pie | 1 | ~250–280 |
| Yule log / chocolate cake | 1 slice | ~300–450 |
| Eggnog | 1 cup | ~220–350 |
| Mulled wine | 1 glass | ~200–250 |
| Mixed nuts and chocolates (snacking) | a few handfuls | ~400+ |
Example totals
| Day | Approx. calories |
|---|---|
| Dinner plate only | ~1,000–1,400 |
| + dessert | ~1,400–1,900 |
| + drinks and snacks all day | ~2,500–4,000 |
Ways to keep it lighter
- Turkey breast over darker, skin-on cuts and ham.
- Fewer roast potatoes, more vegetables.
- Choose one dessert and enjoy it slowly.
- Alternate drinks with water. See calories in beer and wine.
- Watch the grazing: chocolates and nuts left out all day are often more calories than the dinner itself.
- Walk after lunch.
Perspective
One festive meal doesn't decide your progress. What matters is the weeks around it. See avoid holiday weight gain and new year weight loss plan.
Track it
Snap the plate in Nutora; roast potatoes and stuffing are the parts to check. Related: thanksgiving dinner calories, calories in potato.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a Christmas dinner?
A full plate is often 1,000–1,400 calories, and 2,000+ with dessert and drinks.
What's the healthiest part of Christmas dinner?
Turkey breast and plain vegetables.
How many calories are in a mince pie?
About 250–280 calories.
Will one big meal make me gain weight?
Only a little fat at most; scale jumps are mostly water and food weight.
Track it with a photo
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