Christmas Sandwiches 2026: Calories in Tesco, Boots, M&S, Greggs and Costa
I think Christmas sandwiches are one of the best things about this time of year. Not quite as exciting as Christmas dinner itself, obviously, but there’s something rather lovely about being able to buy a turkey and stuffing sandwich in October and pretend that Christmas is already here!
Every year, the supermarkets and coffee shops seem to get a little more creative with their festive lunches. It used to be a fairly straightforward choice between turkey and stuffing or turkey and cranberry sauce, but now we’re getting pork pie-inspired sandwiches, Christmas toasties covered in cheese and pastry filled with practically every ingredient you would normally find on a Christmas dinner plate.
I’m just waiting for someone to invent a sandwich containing roast potatoes, gravy and a Yorkshire pudding. Although, knowing how much I love Christmas food, I’d probably want to try it!
If you’re anything like me, grabbing a sandwich while you’re out Christmas shopping is often easier than stopping for a proper meal. You might pop into Boots for a meal deal, pick something up in Tesco or treat yourself to a festive toastie in Costa while you give your feet a rest.
But have you ever wondered how many calories are in these Christmas sandwiches?
After recently looking at the calories and sugar in Starbucks and Costa’s Christmas drinks for 2026, I thought it would be interesting to see how the food compares. After all, if you’re buying a Christmas sandwich and a festive coffee together, the calories can add up surprisingly quickly.
I’ve been looking at the published nutritional information for Christmas sandwiches and festive lunch options from Tesco, Boots, M&S, Costa and Greggs. Some of the results are interesting, particularly when you look beyond calories and compare protein, saturated fat and salt too.
Now, before anyone thinks I’m about to suggest avoiding Christmas sandwiches, don’t worry! I’ve had plenty of experience with weight loss over the years, and I certainly don’t believe that enjoying something festive occasionally is a problem.
However, I do think it’s useful to know what you’re eating, especially if you’re trying to lose weight or make healthier choices. Sometimes a sandwich that looks quite ordinary can contain more calories than you expected, while something that sounds particularly indulgent might actually be a reasonable choice for lunch.
So, which Christmas sandwich has the most calories, and are any of them particularly good choices if you’re trying to eat healthily?
Christmas sandwiches 2026: How many calories are in them?
The first thing worth mentioning is that these aren’t all identical products. Tesco’s Christmas Triple contains three different sandwich fillings, M&S has a traditional turkey feast, Costa offers a hot festive toastie and Greggs has its famous Festive Bake, which is technically pastry rather than a sandwich.
I’ve included the Greggs option because I know plenty of people would choose one for lunch instead of a sandwich, especially when they’re out shopping.
Here are the figures I’ve been able to establish from the retailers’ published nutritional information.
| Christmas sandwich or lunch | Calories | Protein | Salt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco Christmas Triple Sandwich | 566 kcal | 27.7g | 2.17g |
| M&S Turkey Feast Sandwich | 519 kcal | 30.9g | 2.28g |
| Costa Festive Feast Toastie | 502 kcal | 33g | 2.2g |
| Greggs Festive Bake | 450 kcal | 15g | 1.8g |
The Tesco, Costa and Greggs figures are published per portion. The M&S figures are calculated from its published values per 100g and the 221g pack weight, so they are rounded.
Boots’ Christmas Turkey Feast Sandwich is also listed at 408 calories and 27g of protein by Nutracheck, but I couldn’t verify those figures against an official 2026 Boots nutritional label. I’ve therefore kept it out of the main verified comparison rather than mixing figures from different sources without explaining the difference.
What immediately caught my attention is that Tesco’s Christmas Triple contains 566 calories, which is 116 more than a Greggs Festive Bake.
I think that’s quite surprising because we often think of sandwiches as a lighter lunch than pastry, don’t we? Of course, Tesco’s pack is larger and contains three different fillings, so it’s not exactly a like-for-like comparison.
It’s also worth looking at the protein content. Costa’s Festive Feast Toastie contains 33g of protein, more than twice the amount in the Greggs Festive Bake.
And then there’s the salt. All four of these festive lunches contain quite a substantial amount, which is worth knowing if you’re regularly buying ready-made sandwiches.
Let’s look at them individually.
Tesco Christmas Triple Sandwich: 566 calories
Tesco has gone for something a little different this year with its Christmas Triple Sandwich.
Rather than giving you three identical sandwiches, the pack contains three different fillings. There’s chicken and stuffing with cranberry sauce, Red Leicester cheese with caramelised onion chutney, and a pork pie-inspired filling with Cheddar, piccalilli and spinach.
I must admit that the pork pie-inspired sandwich is the one that caught my attention. I’ve never really thought about putting pork pie flavours into a sandwich before, but I suppose if we’re going to start experimenting with unusual combinations, Christmas is the perfect excuse!
The complete pack contains 566 calories, 27.7g of protein, 9.3g of sugar and 2.17g of salt.
One thing I particularly like about Tesco’s nutritional information is that it breaks down the calories for each individual filling.
| Tesco Christmas Triple filling | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken and stuffing | 200 | 9.8g |
| Red Leicester and chutney | 162 | 7.9g |
| Pork pie-inspired sandwich | 204 | 10g |
| Whole pack | 566 | 27.7g |
The Red Leicester and chutney sandwich contains the fewest calories at 162, while the pork pie-inspired filling comes in highest at 204.
There’s only 42 calories between those two fillings, so I certainly wouldn’t spend much time worrying about which one to eat first!
What I find more interesting is that the complete pack provides nearly 28g of protein and 6g of fibre. Both can contribute to making a meal more satisfying, which is useful if you’re going to be out shopping for several hours.
However, the sandwich also contains 2.17g of salt. That’s just over a third of the NHS recommended maximum of 6g of salt a day for adults.
Tesco currently lists the sandwich at £3.50, and it is included in its meal deal range, although prices and offers can change.
I think this could be quite a good choice if you like a bit of variety in your lunch, especially if you can never decide which sandwich filling you fancy!
M&S Turkey Feast Sandwich: Approximately 519 calories
I always think Marks & Spencer does Christmas food particularly well. Even the packaging seems to make an ordinary sandwich look a bit special, doesn’t it?
Its Turkey Feast Sandwich is a much more traditional Christmas offering, with British roast turkey breast, bacon, pork, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry chutney and onion mayonnaise on malted brown bread.
Basically, it’s Christmas dinner between two slices of bread, minus the roast potatoes and the washing up.
M&S publishes its nutritional information per 100g, rather than giving the complete sandwich figures directly on the product page. The sandwich weighs 221g and contains 235 calories per 100g, which works out at approximately 519 calories for the whole pack.
It also provides around 30.9g of protein, 11.9g of sugar, 5.7g of fibre and 2.28g of salt.
I think the protein content is quite useful because a sandwich with around 31g of protein could make a satisfying lunch, particularly if you’re someone who finds that an ordinary sandwich leaves you hungry again an hour later.
However, the salt content is the highest of the four fully verified products in this comparison.
At approximately 2.28g, that’s around 38% of the recommended maximum daily salt intake for adults.
I wouldn’t necessarily worry about that if I was having one occasionally, but it’s something worth considering if you regularly buy sandwiches containing bacon, stuffing, cheese and other salty ingredients.
M&S also has an Irish Turkey Feast Sandwich, which weighs 223g and contains 242 calories per 100g. That works out at approximately 540 calories per pack.
It shows why it’s important to check the exact sandwich you’re buying. Two products with very similar names can have slightly different recipes and nutritional values.
Boots Christmas sandwiches 2026: What can you buy?
Boots is one of those places where I often think a meal deal is a handy option if you’re out shopping. You go in for something completely unrelated, spot the sandwiches and suddenly realise it’s lunchtime!
Boots has confirmed its festive sandwich range for Christmas 2026, with returning favourites including the Turkey Feast, Christmas Club, Christmas Wrapped, Brie & Cranberry and Prawn Cocktail sandwiches.
There’s also a gluten-free Chicken, Stuffing & Cranberry sandwich, which is a welcome addition for people who need to avoid gluten.
According to the 2026 Boots Christmas meal deal announcement reported by Good Food, the festive sandwiches launched on 5 October and are available individually or as part of the Boots meal deal.
The standard meal deal starts at £3.99 with a Boots Advantage Card or £4.25 without one, with different prices in London.
I think that’s worth knowing because, when you’re out Christmas shopping, the cost of lunch can soon add up alongside everything else you’re buying.
How many calories are in the Boots Christmas Turkey Feast Sandwich?
This is one figure I wanted to be particularly careful with.
Nutracheck lists the Boots Christmas Turkey Feast Sandwich at 408 calories, with 27g of protein, 48g of carbohydrates and 11g of fat.
However, I haven’t been able to confirm that those figures belong to the exact 2026 version currently being sold in Boots.
Seasonal sandwiches often return year after year, but the ingredients, pack sizes and recipes can change. I’d much rather explain that uncertainty than give you a figure that looks official but might belong to an older product.
If you’re buying a Boots Christmas sandwich this year, check the nutritional label on the pack for the most accurate information.
If the current Turkey Feast does contain around 408 calories, it would be one of the lower-calorie options in this comparison, but I wouldn’t make that claim definitively until the 2026 recipe is confirmed.
Costa Festive Feast Toastie: 502 calories
If you’re someone who prefers a hot lunch when it’s freezing outside, Costa’s Festive Feast Toastie sounds rather appealing.
It contains chicken breast, smoked bacon, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sauce, served on white bread topped with cheese and a garlic, onion and sage crumb.
I think that sounds like a lovely combination, particularly if you’ve been wandering around the shops and want something warm to eat.
According to Costa’s official nutritional information, the toastie contains 502 calories, 33g of protein, 8.8g of sugar and 2.2g of salt.
The protein content is particularly interesting because it’s the highest of the four fully verified products in this comparison.
That doesn’t automatically make it the healthiest choice, of course, but protein is useful for maintaining muscle and can help meals feel more satisfying.
The toastie also contains 3.8g of fibre and 8.5g of saturated fat.
I think this is a good example of why it’s worth looking at more than calories alone. At 502 calories, it’s not the lowest-calorie option, but it provides a substantial amount of protein and could make a filling lunch.
What if you have a Costa Christmas drink with your toastie?
Now, this is where I think things get particularly interesting.
Imagine you’ve been Christmas shopping all morning, you’re absolutely freezing and you decide to treat yourself to Costa’s Festive Feast Toastie and an Ultimate Yule Brownie Hot Chocolate.
The toastie contains 502 calories, while the medium takeaway hot chocolate contains 411.
That makes 913 calories for your lunch and drink, before you’ve considered whether you fancy anything from the cake display!
Alternatively, if you choose a Costa Gingerbread Latte containing 221 calories, the same toastie and drink would come to 723 calories.
That’s a difference of 190 calories simply from choosing a different drink.
I’m not suggesting that you should always choose the lower-calorie option. If you’ve been looking forward to a brownie hot chocolate, I can completely understand why you might want one.
But I do think it’s useful to know how much difference the drink can make, especially when you’re buying lunch and a coffee together.
I’ve compared the festive drinks in more detail in my Starbucks vs Costa Christmas drinks 2026 article, including the calories and sugar in the most indulgent options.
And if you’re wondering whether a Christmas hot chocolate with brownie pieces on top counts as a drink or a pudding, I think that’s probably a debate for another day!
Greggs Festive Bake 2026: 450 calories
I couldn’t write about festive lunches without mentioning Greggs, could I?
Its Festive Bake has become something of a Christmas tradition, and I know plenty of people get excited when it returns to the menu.
It’s not technically a sandwich, but if you’re grabbing something quick for lunch while you’re out shopping, it’s definitely a relevant alternative.
According to the official Greggs Festive Bake nutritional information, the 2026 recipe contains 450 calories.
It’s filled with cooked chicken, smoked ham hock, sweetcure bacon, soft cheese, pork, sage and onion stuffing and a creamy sage and cranberry sauce, all wrapped in puff pastry.
I think that sounds rather like someone decided Christmas dinner needed more pastry!
The Festive Bake also contains 15g of protein, 27g of fat, 14g of saturated fat and 1.8g of salt.
That saturated fat figure is particularly worth mentioning because 14g represents 70% of the standard adult daily reference intake.
I think that’s quite surprising when you compare it with some of the sandwiches, although puff pastry is naturally quite rich because of the fat used to make it.
The Festive Bake contains fewer calories than the Tesco Christmas Triple, M&S Turkey Feast and Costa Festive Feast Toastie, but it also contains less protein.
So, although it might look like the obvious lower-calorie choice, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will keep you satisfied for as long as a larger sandwich.
And if you’re someone who loves a Greggs Festive Bake, I really don’t think you need to stop having one just because you’re trying to lose weight.
Which Christmas sandwich has the most protein?
If you’re trying to eat more protein, perhaps because you’re working on your fitness, trying to lose weight or simply wanting meals that keep you satisfied, this comparison is quite interesting.
| Christmas lunch | Protein |
|---|---|
| Costa Festive Feast Toastie | 33g |
| M&S Turkey Feast Sandwich | 30.9g |
| Tesco Christmas Triple Sandwich | 27.7g |
| Greggs Festive Bake | 15g |
Costa comes out highest, with 33g of protein, followed by M&S at approximately 31g.
I think that’s worth knowing because we often focus so much on calories that we forget to look at what else a meal provides.
Protein is important for maintaining muscle, particularly when you’re losing weight, and it can contribute to feeling satisfied after eating.
However, it isn’t the only thing that matters. Fibre, portion size, fat and the overall balance of your diet are important too.
I certainly wouldn’t choose a sandwich purely because it contains an extra two grams of protein if I didn’t actually like the filling!
Which Christmas sandwich contains the most salt?
This is probably the part of the comparison that surprised me most.
We often hear about the calories and sugar in festive food, but salt doesn’t always get as much attention.
Here’s how the verified products compare.
| Christmas lunch | Salt | Approximate percentage of 6g daily maximum |
|---|---|---|
| M&S Turkey Feast Sandwich | 2.28g | 38% |
| Costa Festive Feast Toastie | 2.2g | 37% |
| Tesco Christmas Triple Sandwich | 2.17g | 36% |
| Greggs Festive Bake | 1.8g | 30% |
All four contain at least 30% of the recommended maximum daily salt intake for adults.
That isn’t particularly surprising when you look at the ingredients. Bacon, cheese, stuffing, processed meats and sauces can all contribute to the salt content.
According to the NHS guidance on salt, adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day.
Eating too much salt regularly can contribute to high blood pressure, so it’s something worth paying attention to if you often rely on ready-made sandwiches and convenience foods.
Of course, having one Christmas sandwich occasionally isn’t the same as regularly eating too much salt. I think it’s about understanding your overall eating habits rather than worrying about one lunch.
Are Christmas sandwiches good for weight loss?
I think this is where it’s important to be realistic. I’ve lost a lot of weight in the past, and one thing I’ve learned is that trying to make every single meal perfect isn’t particularly helpful.
If you’re out Christmas shopping, you’re hungry and you fancy a turkey and stuffing sandwich, I really don’t see why you should feel that you can’t have one.
A sandwich containing 500 calories might fit perfectly well into your daily calorie needs, particularly if it’s filling and stops you feeling hungry again an hour later.
What matters is your overall eating habits and whether you’re consistently eating in a way that supports your goals.
I also think it’s worth remembering that a lower-calorie lunch isn’t automatically the best choice if it leaves you feeling unsatisfied.
For example, you might choose something small because it contains fewer calories, only to find yourself buying crisps, chocolate or another snack an hour later because you’re still hungry.
Sometimes having a more substantial lunch can actually make the rest of the day easier.
If you’re unsure how many calories you need, it’s worth looking at your individual requirements rather than assuming everyone should eat the same amount.
One thing I’ve learned from losing weight myself is that a lunch needs to keep you satisfied, not just look good on a calorie-counting app. There’s no point choosing the smallest sandwich in the shop if you’re absolutely starving an hour later and find yourself buying something else. I talk about this quite a bit in my 100+ Slimming World lunch ideas, where I’ve shared plenty of filling options that don’t involve eating salad every single day!
If you’re following Slimming World, remember that you can’t work out the SWIP value of a Christmas sandwich simply by looking at its calories. The bread, sauces, stuffing and other ingredients all need considering, so check the current official information rather than guessing. And if you’d rather make your own lunch on busy days, I’ve shared lots of ideas in my quick Slimming World lunches for 2026, including sandwiches, wraps, soups and meals you can make with leftovers.
Could you make a healthier Christmas sandwich at home?
Absolutely, and I think this is one of the nicest ways to enjoy those festive flavours without spending a fortune.
Turkey and stuffing sandwiches are also brilliant for using up leftovers after Christmas Day, although there’s no reason you can’t make one beforehand.
You could use sliced turkey or chicken, a little sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce and some salad leaves, then choose whatever bread you enjoy.
If you’re watching your calories, you can adjust the amount of mayonnaise, butter, cheese or stuffing without having to leave out everything that makes the sandwich taste Christmassy.
Personally, I think cranberry sauce and stuffing are what really make a turkey sandwich feel festive, so those are the flavours I’d be keen to keep.
You could also make a hot turkey and stuffing toastie, which sounds particularly lovely on a cold day.
And if you’re feeding a family, homemade sandwiches are useful because everyone can have slightly different fillings depending on what they enjoy.
I also think it’s a good way to avoid wasting leftover Christmas food, particularly when you’ve spent a small fortune on the Christmas dinner itself!
If you fancy making your own festive lunch, turkey, stuffing and a little cranberry sauce would be my starting point. You could make a toastie, use leftover roast chicken or even turn the ingredients into a festive wrap. And if you’re fed up with sandwiches altogether, have a look through my healthy recipes for weight loss and family meals. There are plenty of ideas for using ingredients you already have without making lunchtime into another big cooking project.
My thoughts on Christmas sandwiches for 2026
Having looked at the nutritional information, I think the biggest surprise is that some of the sandwiches contain more calories than you might expect, while the Greggs Festive Bake actually comes in lower than several of them.
But I wouldn’t automatically choose the Festive Bake because it contains fewer calories, just as I wouldn’t rule out Tesco’s Christmas Triple because it contains 566.
They’re different foods, with different portion sizes and nutritional values.
I think Costa’s Festive Feast Toastie looks particularly appealing if you want a hot, filling lunch, while M&S offers a more traditional Christmas sandwich. Tesco’s Christmas Triple is probably the most interesting if you like trying different fillings, and Boots is worth considering if you’re looking for a convenient meal deal while shopping.
And, of course, Greggs will always have its Festive Bake fans!
For me, the important thing is that Christmas food should still be enjoyable.
If you’re buying a festive sandwich every day, it’s worth paying attention to the calories, salt and overall nutritional content. But if you’re having one occasionally because you love Christmas food, I really don’t think it’s something you need to worry about.
I’ve spent enough time over the years trying different approaches to weight loss to know that being overly restrictive can make things much harder than they need to be.
I’d much rather enjoy a Christmas sandwich I really fancy than spend my lunch break eating something I don’t particularly like just because it contains fewer calories.
And if you’re having a festive coffee alongside it, at least you’ll have a better idea of what you’re getting after reading my Christmas drinks comparison!
If you’re planning a day of Christmas shopping, you might also find my 100+ Slimming World lunch ideas useful for those days when you’d rather take something from home. And don’t forget to read my Starbucks vs Costa Christmas drinks comparison if you’re wondering what to order alongside your festive sandwich. Some of those hot chocolates contain more than 400 calories, which I think is rather interesting when you start looking at the whole lunch!
Now I want to know what you think. Which shop makes the best Christmas sandwich? Are you loyal to M&S, do you love a Greggs Festive Bake, or would you rather make your own turkey and stuffing sandwich at home?
And while we’re on the subject, does cranberry sauce belong in a Christmas sandwich? I’m sure that one will divide opinion!
Let me know in the comments because I always love hearing what everyone else thinks.
About the nutritional information: This article uses product information available on 30 October 2026. Tesco, M&S, Costa and Greggs figures are taken from their published product information, with M&S whole-pack values calculated from its listed pack weight and per-100g nutrition. Boots has confirmed its 2026 festive range, but the calorie figure mentioned comes from a third-party database and has not been independently confirmed against the current Boots product label. Ingredients, pack sizes and recipes can change, so always check the packaging or retailer’s latest nutritional information before buying.
