I watched as beetroot, celeriac and slivers of clementine were placed in front of me in the most unindulgent and small three-course meal I have ever seen. For today, this was my new Christmas dinner.
Like many families, my festive lunches have always had the key Christmas ingredient of indulgence – if a little unorthodox due to our gathering of one vegan, several veggies, and a few apathetic carnivores.
Except this year, indulgence may be on the way out. The culprit? None other than the humble weight-loss jab. After estimates suggested as many as 1.4 million Brits have taken up GLP-1 medication, the nature of the Christmas dinner is changing.
The reason is simple: patients want to eat less. GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that affect appetite and feelings of fullness. But a Christmas without copious overeating (and sometimes overdrinking) can be an unnerving thought for takers and hosts alike.
This is how I found myself eating an unrecognisable slimmed-down Christmas dinner at a pop-up event in London. Billed as a chance for hosts and GLP-1 users to get inspired by a downsized festive menu designed by celebrity chef Jack Stein, the message was clear: weight-loss jabs are here to stay, and our Christmas tables need to adapt accordingly.
But for those of us with our appetites still intact, not piling the festive plate high is hard to imagine. Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect – should I show up already half-full? Or would an Ozempic dinner be enough to curb my hunger?
The answer, brutally, was no. As soon as my first course arrived – five thinly sliced rounds of beetroot topped with a brilliantly acidic pickled onion – I found myself wishing I’d decided to down a packet of Hula Hoops in advance.
When my vegan main was delivered, six delicate cubes of tempeh sat atop a round chunk of celeriac, I regretted not eating a whole sandwich beforehand. By the time I got to dessert – two slices of clementine half-covered in dark chocolate – I knew I’d been optimistic thinking I could get away without cooking that night.
But despite my grumbling stomach, the meal was admittedly tasty. Not quite mushroom wellington, stuffing, roasties (my usual meat-free festive feast), tasty, but still flavourful. And above anything else, it gave me an insight of the reality of life on GLP-1s – your meals may be shrunken, but they need not be without flavour.
“It was really challenging, but really fun to put together,” Mr Stein, whose father is chef Rick Stein, said about the menu. "It can feel really hard to get a lot of flavour into food when you’re used to using butter and cream.”
He said having to lean away from the traditional, fatty, calorific ingredients that can often make those on weight-loss medication feel nauseous had allowed him to use “hidden secrets” in order to create light and flavourful food: think Marmite, soy sauce, and Chinese black vinegar.
“It's a bit like a tasting menu,” he said. “You wouldn’t necessarily want to have that small piece of food as a main course but as a small course it is packed with flavour and low in calories.”
Sorting the food is one thing, but the politics of a Christmas dinner table can be something entirely different. Nutritionist Kirsten Davies, who works at private weight-management service CheqUp, said for some, having a relative at the table taking weight-loss drugs can make others feel “judged”. Whereas at other tables, the one taking the medication might feel embarrassed to leave food on their plate.
“When families come together stress always arises,” she said. “Then you have this added pressure of food and body image and diet.”
She advised cooking the same food as usual, but giving people the freedom to serve themselves to avoid any awkwardness around portion politics.
“I actually think a Christmas dinner is a really wholesome meal if you do it correctly,” Ms Davies told The Independent. “The fundamentals of a good diet are a variety of fruit and vegetables, lean protein, and starchy carbs.
“It’s just the portion sizes you need to think about when you are on this medication because you want to get all those nutrients in.”
Amie Parry-Jones, who runs Surrey Nutrition, agreed that serving food “family-style” may give those on GLP-1 medication more freedom to control their own portions.
“Some people don’t want to reveal that they’re on medication for weight loss for fear of judgement, in which case they might be anxious that they’ll be questioned about their changed eating and drinking habits,” she explained.
“Others don’t want to appear to be rude or ‘boring’ by not drinking alcohol if that’s what is usually expected of them. But whether on weight-loss medication or not, everyone has the right to put boundaries in place and prioritise their health by saying ‘no, thank you’.
“Being open and honest with their host can often feel a relief and allow people to relax into the occasion.”
Many GLP-1 users will be going into their first Christmas on the drugs this year, and are having to weigh up how to play the festive season. Leanne Richardson, 41, from Yorkshire, is one of them. She began her weight-loss journey in January and has lost 33lbs (nearly 15kg) while taking the medication, all while documenting her experience to followers of her TikTok account.
She said she plans on eating everything she would have done before – just less of it.
“For me, this Christmas is going to be about having everything in moderation,” she said. “I’m going to have my normal Christmas dinner and if I want something after it I’ll have it. It just won’t be excessive.”
She told me she had always struggled with feelings of guilt and shame around food at Christmas, but is hoping to feel more “in control” this year with Mounjaro by her side.
“I feel more empowered,” she said. “I think it is going to be the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time.”
