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Mum-Of-Four Has Eaten Christmas Dinner Every Day For 20 Years

Mum-Of-Four Has Eaten Christmas Dinner Every Day For 20 Years

She puts her size 10 figure down to the balanced meals

Amelia Ward

Amelia Ward

A mum-of-four says she's eaten a Christmas dinner every day for 20 years - but still managed to stay a size 10.

Jayne Winteringham, 65, from Bristol, claims she started having her full roasts around the year 2000, saying they were easy to heat up after a busy day.

Since then, she's continued to have her favourite meal all year round, and doesn't plan on stopping any time soon.

PA Real Life

Jayne, who works in retail, has worked out she's eaten about 7,300 Christmas dinners in her lifetime and has stayed a size 10 since she was 18, putting it down to the dish being so balanced.

She said: "A roast is my favourite meal - it's a classic British dish.

"I think it's a balanced meal - you've got meat, carbohydrates and vegetables - plus, I'm cooking everything myself fresh, so I know exactly what's going into my food.

"I don't eat takeaways or anything like that, which I think are far more unhealthy.

"I'm a size 10, and have been for all my adult life, so I've not put on any weight through eating so many Christmas dinners.

"I'm not just a Sunday roast person - I'll eat them any time."

When her kids were young, single mum Jayne cooked them varied, balanced meals.

But, when they left home, she relied on roasts as a simple meal-for-one that she could make when she got in from work.

She said: "It sounds like a lot of effort, but it really is very quick to make. You just chop up some veg and potatoes, then pop it all in the oven with the meat.

"I make gravy from the meat juices, but that's easy too.

"It's not a meal I have to stand in the kitchen and monitor. It pretty much takes care of itself, so I can go and unwind after work and let it cook away.

"It'll only take me a maximum of an hour, which is no more than any other dinner - plus it's one pan to cook it all in, which saves on washing up."

Her favourite meat on a roast is chicken, but she's known to serve up turkey, sausages, and even bacon with her veg, which is a combination of sprouts, carrots, parsnips and potatoes.

PA Real Life

A girl after my own heart - Jayne's favourite part of the meal is the gravy, which she makes herself from scratch.

When she goes out for food, if there's no Sunday dinner available, she will branch out and go for another healthy option, like salad or a rice dish.

But she would always pick a roast.

She said: "I'm not really all that keen on that sort of thing, though. I'm a British food lover, so nothing compares to a roast."

She uses leftovers for things like soups and stews.

She added: "I don't know exactly how much I spend per week, but doing this does keep grocery costs down.

"I'm only really buying veg and potatoes, plus a bit of meat. I do try to be careful and make my food last.

"Meat is very versatile, so I can roast a chicken, then do lots of different things with it besides my usual roast."

According to a survey by YouGov on behalf of Sainsbury's, the average Brit eats 3.63 roast potatoes, 2.95 chipolatas and 2.54 spoonfuls of Brussels sprouts with their Christmas dinner - meaning that, so far, Jayne has enjoyed a whopping 26,499 tatties and 609 servings of sprouts.

PA Real Life

For Christmas, she'll add a fancy twist.

She said: "I still stick to the classic roast recipe, but I add things like bacon in the sprouts, pigs in blankets and bread sauce to make it a bit more special.

"It's the only time of year I buy things from M&S and Waitrose - they do amazing puddings, so I've got some lovely bits that I'm really looking forward to.

"Although last year, my oven broke just before Christmas - the repairman joked that I'd worn it out using it so often - so here's hoping that doesn't happen again!"

Featured Image Credit: PA Real Life

Topics: Food, UK News