13 Christmas food favourites that aren’t worth the calories

Adding cloves and fruit zest to wine is fine º the problem is all the added sugar that comes next.

Honey, fruit juice, or store-bought cider make this drink both high in sugar and calories.

In theory, this should be a halfway healthy holiday treat, but it really depends on how you prepare them.

Most potato pancakes are fried in oil, which gives them a nice crisp texture but also loads them with saturated fat.

Try baking potato pancakes in the oven on parchment paper instead; you’ll be able to skip the oil completely without sacrificing taste.

Corn is naturally sweet, but most creamed corn recipes call for added white sugar (not to mention butter and cheese).

Don’t overcomplicate it and serve corn as is this season. You’ll not only cut back on saturated fat, but you’ll be getting a healthy dose of insoluble fibre that will do wonders for your digestive health.

Here’s some bad news and some good: The bad news is that if you’re one of the people that look forward to fruitcake season, this holiday treat isn’t healthy (despite the name).

The fruit in fruitcake is often candied and coloured artificially – which adds sugar and chemicals.

You’ll have a piece and likely won’t get the satisfaction of treating yourself.

So here’s the good news: just have a small slice of actual cake and save yourself some calories.

Covered with almond paste and iced in a simple style, this rich fruit Christmas cake looks impressive.

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This article first appeared on RD.com