Christmas dinner is one of the biggest meals of the year, and it is packed with dishes that come with more ingredients than you might think. If you have a food allergy or a food sensitivity, or you simply suspect that something on the table doesn't agree with you, a bit of planning makes the day far easier. This guide goes through the roast, the pigs in blankets, the mince pies and the Christmas pudding, with a label checklist and a simple diary to carry you through the festive week.
The short answer
- Read the ingredients, not the name. "Turkey and all the trimmings" hides a lot of extra ingredients in the stuffing, the gravy and the sauces.
- Ask what is in a dish when you are eating at someone else's table. Hosts are usually happy to tell you.
- Keep a short diary over Christmas week, so a pattern is visible rather than guessed.
- Test for a shortlist. If the same symptoms come back every Christmas, an at-home hair sensitivity test can give you a starting list of foods to look at.
The roast: where the extras are
The turkey itself is only one part of the plate. The extras are where ingredients often multiply:
- Stuffing is commonly made with bread, onion and herbs, and many shop-bought versions include other ingredients, so read the label.
- Gravy and bread sauce can include flour, stock, onion or milk, depending on whether they are homemade or from a packet.
- Roast potatoes and parsnips depend on what they were roasted in, and some recipes add a glaze or coating.
- Sprouts, red cabbage and cranberry sauce are usually simple, but a ready-made version can add flavourings, so check it.
Our guide to what's in your sauce shows how ingredients turn up in places you don't expect, and our older post on surviving Christmas with a food intolerance covers swaps and planning for the whole festive season.
Pigs in blankets
Pigs in blankets are small sausages wrapped in bacon. Because they are a processed meat product, the ingredients list matters more than the name. Sausages commonly contain more than meat, and different brands use different recipes, so check the label every time you buy a new pack, and ask when someone else has cooked them.
Mince pies
Mince pies are a mix of pastry and a fruit filling. The pastry is usually made from flour and butter or another fat, and the filling can include dried fruit, spices, suet, nuts and alcohol, depending on the recipe. If you have a food allergy or sensitivity, the label is the quickest way to see which of these is in the pie in front of you. Homemade pies will vary from kitchen to kitchen, so ask the baker.
Christmas pudding
A traditional Christmas pudding commonly includes flour or breadcrumbs, eggs, suet or butter, dried fruit, spices and often alcohol. It usually comes with brandy butter, cream, custard or a sauce, and each of those is another ingredient list to check. If the pudding is the part of the day you look forward to most, read the label early rather than finding out on the day.
A simple label checklist
- Read the full ingredients list, not just the front of the pack.
- Check ready-made sauces, gravies and stuffing, because they hold the most extra ingredients.
- Check the small print on festive extras such as pigs in blankets, mince pies and puddings.
- Ask hosts what is in homemade dishes. A short message before the day works well.
- Note what you ate so you can look back later.
Keep a Christmas-week diary
With rich food, extra drinks and late nights, it is easy to put down a bad day to "too much Christmas" without ever finding the cause. A diary turns guesses into a pattern. For each meal or snack, write down what you ate, when you ate it, when any symptom started and how long it lasted.
Our free food and symptom diary template is set out this way. Symptoms can also turn up hours after the meal, so a note of the time matters. Our guide to why the same food can cause different digestive symptoms explains why.
Allergy, intolerance or sensitivity?
True food allergies are only around 10% of reactions to food. A true allergy involves the immune system and usually comes on quickly. A food intolerance or sensitivity is different: it tends to build more slowly and shows up as everyday discomfort such as bloating, wind, tummy cramps, headaches or tiredness. If you ever have swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or feel faint after eating, that is an emergency: call 999 straight away. To see what your GP can look into, read can your GP test for food intolerance?
Where a hair sensitivity test fits in
If the same symptoms come back every Christmas and the diary doesn't make the cause clear, an at-home hair sensitivity test can give you a starting shortlist of foods and everyday items to explore. These are our UK prices:
| Test | Items checked | Digital Test | Physical Test Kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Sensitivity Test | 600 | £32.95 | £42.95 |
| Ultimate Individual Test | 1,000 | £40.95 | £50.95 |
| Optimum Sensitivity Test | 1,600 | £42.95 | £52.95 |
These are list prices; any current offer is applied automatically at the basket. You can compare the three tests side by side, and see how the posted kit and digital options differ. Once your sample is received, results arrive by email in 5 to 7 working days; here is what happens after you send your hair sample. You can see every option in our sensitivity tests collection.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take a food allergy test and a food sensitivity test at Christmas? They answer different questions. Allergy testing through your GP or a clinic looks at the immune reactions linked to true allergies. Our hair sensitivity test doesn't measure antibodies; it looks for potential sensitivity patterns, which makes it a starting point for exploring everyday symptoms.
Which Christmas foods should I check most carefully? Anything with a long ingredients list: stuffing, gravy, bread sauce, pigs in blankets, mince pies, Christmas pudding and the sauces served with it. Read the label, or ask the cook.
What should I do if I react to a dish at a friend's house? Stop eating it, note what you ate and when the symptoms started, and tell your host so that they know for next time. If symptoms are severe, get medical help.
Can I do a test in time for Christmas? Results arrive 5 to 7 working days after your sample is received, so allow for posting time as well. The digital option starts straight away, as instructions arrive by email.
What it can't show
A hair sensitivity test can't tell you whether you have a true food allergy, coeliac disease or any other medical condition. If you suspect an allergy, your GP is the right person to look into it.
About our tests
Our tests are At-home Hair Sensitivity Tests. Our testing team uses bioresonance to look for potential sensitivity patterns in a hair sample. They are a wellness screening and a starting point for exploration. They are not a medical test, they don't measure allergy antibodies, and they are not a replacement for advice from your GP, a pharmacist or a registered dietitian. Talk to your GP before making big changes to your diet, especially for children, during pregnancy or if you have a medical condition. Every test comes with our 30-day money-back guarantee.
