Is Christmas pudding actually bad for you? (And how to make it better)
I love Christmas. The lights, the songs, the terrible cracker jokes. But most of all, I love the food. And right at the top of my festive food pyramid sits the Christmas pudding. Dark, sticky, and usually set on fire. What is not to like?
Well, if you are trying to be healthy, you might worry a bit about what is inside that dense bowl of fruit and spices. I have spent some time digging into the nutritional facts, and I want to share what I found. I promise to keep things simple. You do not need a degree in science to understand this.
We will look at what makes a traditional Christmas pudding tick. I will tell you about the good bits, like the fruit and spices. Then we will tackle the tricky stuff, like sugar and calories. Finally, I will share some smart swaps and tips to enjoy your festive dessert without feeling sluggish afterwards.
Let’s find out if we can have our pudding and eat it too.
What is inside a Christmas pudding?
To understand if something is healthy, we first need to look at the ingredients. A classic Christmas pudding is a mix of dried fruit, suet (which is a type of fat), sugar, spices, and alcohol. Sometimes there are nuts or treacle thrown in too.
The main bulk of the pudding comes from dried fruits. This usually means raisins, sultanas, currants, and maybe some mixed peel. These fruits are naturally sweet and chewy.
Then comes the fat. Traditionally, bakers use beef suet. This is a hard white fat found around the kidneys of a cow. It sounds a bit odd, but it gives the pudding its rich texture. Vegetarian versions use vegetable suet instead, which is usually made from palm oil and flour.
Sugar is another big player. Recipes often call for dark brown sugar or muscovado sugar. This adds sweetness and helps create that deep, dark colour we all expect on the big day.
Finally, we have the alcohol. Brandy, rum, or stout are common choices. They add flavour and help preserve the pudding so it lasts for weeks (or even months) before Christmas.
Is there any goodness in it?
You might be surprised to hear that Christmas pudding is not all bad news. There are actually some healthy things hiding in there.
The power of dried fruit
Dried fruit is the star of the show here. Because it comes from real fruit, it contains vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
Fibre is really important for our bodies. It helps our digestion work properly and keeps our tummy happy. Dried fruits are also rich in dietary fibre, which is great news. A serving of pudding can actually give you a decent boost of fibre.
You also get some minerals like potassium and iron from dried fruit. Potassium is good for your muscles and nerves. Iron helps your blood carry oxygen around your body.
However, there is a catch. Dried fruit is also far more calorie dense than fresh fruit. Because the water has been taken out, the sugar is much more concentrated. For example, 100 grams of fresh apple has about 10 grams of sugar. But 100 grams of dried apple has a whopping 57 grams of sugar. That is a big difference.
Spices are nice
The spices used in Christmas pudding are not just for flavour. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger have been used in medicine for centuries.
Cinnamon is known for helping to control blood sugar levels. Ginger is famous for settling upset stomachs. While the amounts in a slice of pudding are small, every little bit helps. Plus, using spices is a clever way to add flavour without adding extra sugar or salt. Enhance foods with spices instead of sugar, suggests the American Heart Association.
The tricky parts: Sugar and Fat
Now we need to talk about the parts of the Christmas pudding that might make you pause. The main concerns are usually the high amounts of sugar and fat.
Too much sugar?
We all know that too much sugar is not great for us. It can be bad for our teeth and can lead to weight gain if we are not careful.
The NHS says that adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day. This is roughly equal to seven sugar cubes.
“Free sugars” are the ones added to food, like the brown sugar in a pudding recipe. But honey and fruit juices count as free sugars too. The sugar inside whole dried fruit is a bit different, but because dried fruit is so sweet and sticky, it can still cause trouble for your teeth. Sugar is one of the main causes of tooth decay, so it is worth keeping an eye on.
A typical serving of Christmas pudding can be quite high in sugar. Some shop-bought puddings have over 40 grams of sugar in a single portion. That is more than the recommended daily limit for an adult in just one bowl!
Saturated fat
Saturated fat is the type of fat that stays solid at room temperature. Think of butter, lard, or that beef suet we talked about. Eating too much saturated fat can raise your cholesterol, which might increase the risk of heart disease.
Traditional suet is very high in saturated fat. Even vegetable suet can be high in saturated fats like palm oil. Because the Christmas pudding is so dense, it can pack a lot of calories into a small slice.
One slice of a rich Christmas pudding could have hundreds of calories. If you add brandy butter or double cream on top, those numbers go up even more.
How to make a healthier choice
I am not saying you should skip dessert entirely. Christmas only comes once a year, after all. But there are ways to enjoy it without going overboard.
Watch your portion size
The easiest way to be healthier is to eat a smaller amount. Christmas pudding is very rich and heavy. You usually do not need a huge bowl to feel satisfied.
Harvard Health suggests that when you eat dried fruit, you should aim to eat no more than half as much dried fruit as you would fresh fruit. This principle works well for pudding too. A small slice can be just as delicious as a big one.
Diabetes UK has a great tip. They suggest making mini Christmas puds instead of one big one. These are bite-sized and perfectly portioned. They even suggest using grated apple and mashed banana instead of suet to lower the fat.
Swap the toppings
What you put on your Christmas pudding matters just as much as what is in it.
Brandy butter is delicious, but it is basically just sugar and butter mixed together. Double cream is very high in fat.
Try these swaps instead:
- Custard: You can make custard with semi skimmed milk to keep it lighter.
- Greek Yoghurt: A dollop of plain Greek yoghurt adds a nice creamy texture but with more protein and less fat.
- Crème Fraîche: Half-fat crème fraîche is a good middle ground. It is creamy but slightly lighter than double cream.
- Natural Yoghurt: If you are having a really sweet dessert, natural yoghurt can cut through the sweetness nicely. Could you have natural yoghurt instead of double cream for example? That is what the experts suggest.
Check the label
If you are buying a Christmas pudding from the shop, take a moment to look at the nutrition label.
Look for the “traffic light” colours on the front. Red means high, amber means medium, and green means low. You will probably see red for sugar on most puddings, but you might find some that are amber for fat.
Also, look at the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed in order of weight. If sugar is the first or second ingredient, you know it is going to be very sweet.
Some “lighter” or “low alcohol” Christmas puddings are available. These might use less sugar or swap the suet for fruit puree. They can be a good option if you want to save some calories.
Making your own healthier pudding
If you have the time, making your own pudding is the best way to control what goes into it. You can decide exactly how much sugar and fat to add.
I found a great idea for a lighter Christmas pudding that swaps the suet for butter. While butter is still a fat, this recipe uses less of it than a traditional suet recipe. It also uses fresh breadcrumbs and grated apple to keep the texture moist.
Here are some tips for baking a healthier pudding:
- Use more fruit, less sugar: The dried fruit is already sweet. You can often reduce the amount of added brown sugar in a recipe without ruining the taste.
- Add fresh fruit: Grating a fresh apple or carrot into the mix adds moisture and natural sweetness. This means you need less fat and sugar.
- Go nuts: Adding chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts adds healthy fats and a nice crunch.
- Try wholemeal flour: Using wholemeal flour instead of white flour adds a bit more fibre to the mix.
What about gluten-free or vegan options?
If you cannot eat gluten or animal products, you might think Christmas pudding is off the menu. But that is not true anymore.
Most traditional puddings contain wheat flour (gluten) and eggs or beef suet (animal products).
For a gluten-free Christmas pudding, you can simply swap the normal flour for a gluten-free flour blend. You will also need to use gluten-free breadcrumbs. The rest of the ingredients, like fruit and sugar, are naturally gluten-free. Just check the baking powder and spices to be sure they have no hidden gluten.
For a vegan pudding, you need to avoid beef suet, eggs, and butter. Vegetable suet is the easy answer here. It works just like the beef version. To replace the eggs, you can use things like flax seeds mixed with water, or mashed banana. There are loads of great vegan recipes out there now.
Is alcohol necessary?
Many people love the taste of booze in their Christmas pudding. It adds a warmth and richness that feels very festive. But alcohol adds calories too.
A gram of alcohol has almost as many calories as a gram of fat. So if you soak your fruit in loads of brandy, you are adding quite a bit of energy to the dish.
You do not have to use alcohol. You can soak your fruit in cold tea or orange juice instead. Earl Grey tea works really well because it has a lovely citrus flavour. Orange juice adds sweetness and vitamin C.
If you skip the alcohol, your pudding might not last as long in the cupboard. It is best to make it closer to Christmas or keep it in the fridge or freezer.
The verdict
So, is Christmas pudding bad for you? Not necessarily.
It is a treat. It is meant to be eaten once a year. It has some good ingredients like dried fruit and spices. It also has plenty of sugar and calories.
If you eat a huge bowl of it every day for a month, that would not be healthy. But having a slice on Christmas Day, surrounded by people you love? That is good for the soul.
Being healthy is about the bigger picture. It is about what you do most of the time, not just on one special day.
If you want to make it a bit healthier, try these simple steps:
- Have a smaller slice.
- Serve it with yoghurt or custard instead of brandy butter.
- Make your own version with less sugar and more fruit.
- Go for a walk after lunch to help your digestion.
Christmas is a time for joy. Don’t let worrying about food ruin your day. Eat slowly, savour the flavours, and enjoy the moment and your Christmas pudding!
