You’ll consume 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone

Champagne, mince pies and pigs in blankets: you’ll eat nearly three times your recommended daily intake of calories on Christmas Day.

It’s estimated we’ll consume over 6,000 calories, which can cause us to put on one pound from Christmas Day alone.

But rather than the big roast being the main culprit, the majority of calories come from alcohol and snacks.

A double Baileys – 100ml – has 328 calories, the equivalent of a medium portion of fries from McDonald’s.

A mince pie has 229 calories before you add the brandy butter, and a small glass of champagne or prosecco has roughly 130 calories.

A British Dietetic Association spokesperson told The Tab: “You usually have 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone, and if you think men need 2,500 calories and women 2,000, it can mean a one pound weight gain just on Christmas Day.

“Things which people might think are healthy, such as nuts, are quite high in fat and therefore high in energy. There are hidden calories in alcohol which people don’t really think about, and other drinks like hot chocolate.

“Vegetables and turkey are quite low fat, especially the turkey if you remove the skin.”

Swapping for sugar-free alternatives, such as slimline tonic and sugar free mixers, can save yourself a few calories – but that’s not the only thing you should be watching.

A portion of Christmas pudding has 49g of sugar in it and a small portion (30g) of brie has eight per cent of your daily intake of salt.

You’ll need to do 12 exercise classes after the festivities to burn it all off, with most people finding they gradually just put on weight year after year.

The BDA spokesperson added: “We often gain weight in winter anyway, irrelevant of Christmas, because of the shorter days.

“Come January it is really difficult to lose that weight and often people just gain a couple of pounds every year and it obviously adds up over time.

“I wouldn’t ever say avoid anything completely though, because if you deprive yourself you’re then going to go and binge on the things you cut out.

“If you treat it as one day then it’s nothing too harmful.”