A Christmas dinner salad may not sound traditional, but may well be welcomed by many.

16th November 2012

Restaurants that offer healthy options are commendable, but do you really want to have a salad when you go out for Christmas dinner? Well the answer to that may well be yes. After all most people will go out for a large number of "Christmas dinners" before December 25th and it can all get a bit samey. There is the work night out or Christmas party where the ubiquitous turkey is bound to be served with the obligatory sprouts and run of the mill roast potatoes. Then there will be other occasions with friends and of course after Christmas Day we are all eating the leftovers for some time. So any establishment that offers something a bit different may well be seen as a nice change and welcome respite from the traditional festive stodge. With this in mind, Tossed, the chain of healthy eating restaurants, has unveiled its 2012 Christmas menu and it involves a salad.This is the traditional Christmas dinner, only lighter and with fewer calories and to be honest, an added portion of relief. There is the roast turkey, the parsnips and the carrots all there, but instead of being laid out in vast quantities on a plate it has all been pulled together in a salad. Further to this, the rich gravy had been supplanted by an olive oil dressing and the whole thing adds up to just 455 calories and no added salt. Vincent Mckevitt, founder of Tossed, said: "As the festive season creeps upon us, so do the calories. At Tossed, we strive to change the perception of what everyday and festive eating is all about." Despite eating large amounts of unhealthy food being considered an inevitable part of Christmas it can often leave people feeling bloated and uncomfortable. There is also the added guilt which comes in the new year when people try to make up for the glutinous misdemeanours they participated in over the festive period. This can be assuaged by having a healthier option for just one of the two or three Christmas dinners that people consume before the big day. It does not have to be a salad, but lighter options on the traditional theme should be welcomed