Britain’s cafes and takeaways are filled with festive treats, but just how good for you are these Christmas specials? From pizza to pastries, JAMES MOORE crunches the numbers on the celebratory offerings and suggests some judicious swaps too:
GREGGS
Festive Bake: With 458 calories this would take an hour to swim off, as well as around a third of your daily recommended fat and salt intake. Top swap: You can save over 40 calories by opting for the Vegan Bake.
Christmas Lunch Baguette: Chicken is a good source of low-fat protein but with extras this lunch option has 544 calories, more than an hour’s run to work off. It’s got a hefty 2.3g of salt too. Too much is bad for your blood pressure. Top swap: Try the Festive Flatbread, with similar ingredients, but just 395 calories and 1.5g salt.
SUBWAY
The VIBrie SubMelt: The festive-themed sub comes with bacon, brie, red peppers, caramelised red onions, and a sweet onion sauce. It has 469 calories – 90 minutes of housework to burn off – along with 22g of fat. Top swap: Get your Christmas hit with a lower fat Turkey Breast sub at just 305 calories.
COSTA
Pigs & Blankets Toastie: Packing 521 calories, more than a Big Mac, this is around an hour’s run to work off, with 22g of fat and 2.6g of salt. Top swap: The new Brie and Cranberry Toastie has just 418 calories, 17g fat and 1.3g of salt.
Berry Red Velvet Mini Loaf: You’d have to walk for nearly an hour to burn off the 336 calories in this new sweet delight. Top swap: An Iced Gingerbread Snowman Biscuit has 184 calories, half the sugar and a third the fat. CAFFE
NERO
Festive Porchetta Focaccia: This new Italian twist on Christmas lunch has 563 calories – taking about 90 mins DIY to burn off – plus 36g fat and a whopping 4.4g salt. Top swap: Be kinder to yourself with their Veggie Feast Panini at 494 calories, 19g fat and 1.99g salt.
PRET
Pret’s Christmas Lunch Sandwich: There’s plenty of vitamins in the turkey and spinach in this sandwich, but it would take you kickboxing class to burn off its 557 calories. Top swap: A veggie Very Merry Lunch sarnie is 349 calories. Christmas Ham Hock soup is only 249.
STARBUCKS
Festive Feast Panini: At 511 calories, 11g fat and 2.2g of salt this is one would take you a couple of hours Christmas shopping to work off. Top swap: Blast the calories with their new Tis the Season Sandwich at just 416 calories.
Christmas Tree Brownie: You’ll need to walk briskly for an hour to work off the 345 calories in this Noel novelty, which also packs 34g sugar. Top swap: Get your sweet festive fix with a Polar Bear Cake Pop at just 168 calories and 14g sugar.
DOMINOS
The Festive One: At 763 calories for a personal, classic crust pizza with turkey, sausage, bacon and cranberry sauce, you’re looking at a couple of hours to walk this one off. Top swap: You could grab their new Festive Wrap for just 296 calories and 11g of fat if you’re feeling virtuous.
KFC
Stuffing Stacker Burger: It would take around three hours of Christmas decorating to work off a whopping 975 calories in this chicken choice, with sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sauce. It has 45g fat and over 5g salt. Top swap: Trade it for a lower count Stuffing Tower Burger at 730 calories, 32g fat and 3.6g salt.
