No shellfish at Buckingham Palace? Here’s the royal family's Christmas menu

We've seen what games they play on holidays on the crown, but have you ever wondered what delectable delights excite the royal family come festive?

Serving meals fit for a king comes with quite a price tag, and with the cost of Christmas already putting a dent in our pockets, deciding what to choose without the guilt of breaking the bank can be challenging.  

Looking for solutions to save on costs and calories, experts at Bulk.com have put together a list of indulgent foods inspired by the Royal family’s Christmas spread that will leave you feeling guilt-free and merry on the big day this year. 

BAKED TOMATOES ON TOAST

A great alternative for those who like to have a smaller breakfast on the big day is replacing a big, heavy and very filling English breakfast with simple but extremely tasty baked tomatoes on toast. 

This option is healthier and lighter on the stomach, preparing you for any more dishes you might have throughout the day and the main Christmas meal. It is also a much cheaper option compared to spending money on meats and all the trimmings of a full English breakfast.  

SEAFOOD

Avoiding shellfish is a big thing for the royal family, but cutting out seafood entirely is unheard of for them. Although seafood can be expensive, there are great, inexpensive options in almost every supermarket. You just have to hunt for the deals. 

Salmon and salted codfish are extremely popular seafood options for Christmas Day and are easy to grab from your local supermarket. Both are versatile and can aid in creating filling dishes and small sides for your feast.  

However, if you do want to indulge in shellfish, a prawn cocktail is a great little starter or option to serve as your guests arrive on the big day and keeps the cost down if you are preparing a meal for a large group of people with just 10 minutes of prep time.

TURKEY

It might seem far-fetched, but your meat at Christmas doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, and you don’t have to compromise on quality and taste.  

Rather than cook an entire turkey this Christmas, why not go for a crown or a turkey roll? Doing this is a cheaper option as well as a great way to whittle down your time spent in the kitchen, as you won't have to wait for the legs to cook. 

These options are also brilliant for reducing food waste and creating more room in your oven for the rest of your meal.

VEGETABLES

Whichever way you like them, vegetables can be cooked in many different ways, adding brightness to your dish this Christmas. 

A useful tip for those who like to roast their vegetables is by grouping the vegetables with similar cooking times to reduce the amount of time you have your oven on. Veggies such as potatoes and butternut squash work wonders in the oven, as do broccoli and cauliflower. Ensure all the hardest vegetables go in first, as they will take the longest.  

Vegetables can be sold separately or in multipacks, so to avoid overspending and reducing food waste, try to find out which veggies each of your guests will want and write the list down before you head to the supermarket. Another tip is if you think your supermarket will sell out before the big day, you can freeze your veggies while they’re still ripe and fresh until you are ready to cook them.

YULE LOG

According to the royal family chefs, their Christmas meal is incomplete without a chocolate yule log.  Understandably, the amount of chocolate consumed at Christmas time is extreme, so if you are looking for a healthier way to indulge in this royal pudding, then you can make changes to ease your mind. 

Opt for darker chocolate, as the sugar and fat content is much lower than that in milk chocolate.

It is also substantially better for your heart due to the nitric oxide produced through the rich flavonol cocoa solids that are almost tripled in dark chocolate as opposed to milk or white. For the filling, opt for a low-fat Greek yoghurt and delicious fruits. 

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