According to Associated British Foods, the average person consumes over 7,000 calories on Christmas day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends people only consume between 1,000 to 3,200 calories a day, depending on their age, size and gender. Of course, the holidays should be enjoyed by all, so people really shouldn’t have to count calories on these special days. However, we here at AFC Doctors Express Urgent Care Southcenter think it’s at least a little helpful for people to have a general ballpark idea. Thus, we’ve collected some calorie counts for different holiday foods to help you all enjoy a relatively healthy holiday season.
Be warned: The following foods’ calorie counts are based off of their recommended serving size, which is likely a far smaller portion than you’ve ever eaten.
Entrees
Prime Rib (6 oz.) – 330 calories
If you’re in the market for an expensive holiday dinner, you can’t go too far wrong with this expensive cut of beef. Most people won’t just eat 6 oz. however, as for comparison’s sake, 12 oz. is the standard serving size at restaurants.
Baked Ham (6 oz.) – 300 calories
While it’s the most iconic dish of Christmas dinner, it’s definitely not consumed as universally as turkey is on Thanksgiving. Regardless, it’s extremely fatty, yet overall not too unhealthy.
Turkey – White & Dark Meat (6 oz.) – 340 calories
In case you haven’t lost your appetite for turkey since Thanksgiving, a nice turkey dinner is both tasty and relatively healthy. It’s also more cost-effective than either ham or prime rib.
Appetizers
Swedish Meatball (2 oz.) – 100 calories
Recently, Swedish meatballs have spiked in popularity around the holidays. However, try eating just 2 oz. worth of meatballs – I’m telling you, it’s nearly impossible.
5 Large Olives – 92 calories
Whether you’re just snacking on olives or garnishing your cocktails with them, olives are healthy and relatively low-cal. Alcoholic beverages on the other hand…
Half-Cup of Mixed Nuts – 440 calories
This one’s surprising, right? Mixed nuts can ruin any person’s diet since we don’t really think of nuts as being so calorie-rish. Just don’t subconsciously snack on these for long periods of time and you’ll be fine.
Desserts
Cheesecake (1 slice) – 372 calories
If you had to skip any course of a holiday dinner, dessert is probably the way to go. Most desserts are considerably fatty and calorie-filled. Cheesecake is certainly no exception…
Apple Pie (1 slice) – 410 calories
Like turkey, most people have probably already lost their appetite for apple pie by Christmas. Yet, it remains a popular holiday dessert, regardless.
Pecan Pie (1 slice) – 480 calories
Pecan pie is an extremely rich and heavy holiday dessert. Like the mixed nuts, pecans – also a part of the nut family – are deceivingly unhealthy.
Beverages
Eggnog (1 cup) – 343 calories
There’s a few reasons why people only drink eggnog during the holidays. One of them is because people wouldn’t be able to walk if they drank it all year-round. It’s a heavy drink and the calorie count only increases once you add alcohol to it.
Irish Coffee – 218 calories
If you take your Irish coffee black, its calorie count drops significantly. However, if you’re like most people, you probably like it with heavy cream and real sugar, which will make its calorie count spike.
Hot Buttered Rum – 218 calories
Some people like this with hot water, while others like it with cider. If you like it with cider, just know it will have far more than 218 calories.
All food statistics grabbed from: http://walking.about.com/library/cal/blholidaycalories.htm