In the run-up to Christmas, poor Jasper has been a little neglected. I should know better than to skip his evening walk, but a combination of rain and the epic task of unraveling Christmas lights had me a little distracted. It turns out that baby Chloe has a hidden talent for tangling as fast as I can untangle, so the process took a while – especially as she was bent on decorating herself over and above anything else.

Unfortunately, while we were busy taking one step forward and two steps back, Jasper occupied himself by digging an enormous hole in the middle of our lawn. My husband was none too happy to discover a crater in the garden when he arrived home.

So with a grumpy husband and Jasper in the doghouse, I had to work extra hard to restore the festive spirit to our home. I tried out the Healthy Christmas Curry recipe below, which was tasty enough to win back my husband's affection. It also reminded me that whilst Christmas tends to involve one calorific event after another, damage limitation can be employed to dilute the impact of one too many egg nogs.

In fact, cassava pie, roasted potatoes and gigantic portions aside, Christmas lunch can be fairly healthy. Roast turkey breast is one of the leanest, most nutrient-rich sources of protein available. Note that when I say roast turkey, I mean freshly roasted turkey. Deli, or pre-packed sliced turkey, often has a high sodium content. Processed turkey also often includes the darker meat, which raises the total saturated fat content significantly. Further, it can contain organ meats too, which again raises the fat content.

However, freshly-roasted turkey breast meat contains less than half the saturated fat of the majority of red meats. It's also rich in B3 and B6, which help to provide energy and also prevent damage to your DNA. Turkey is also high in selenium, a mineral that helps to boost the immune system and provides metabolic support for the thyroid gland. Lastly, turkey is rich in tryptophan which helps to promote sleep.

As healthy as your freshly roasted turkey may be, poultry is the number one source of all cases of salmonella food poisoning. Salmonella causes simultaneous diarrhoea and vomiting and it can take days to recover. It's not fun at the best of times, but especially not over Christmas. So as many of us cook much larger birds than we are used to on Christmas Day, we need to be extra careful – especially if the turkey is frozen.

Leftover turkey is a given at Christmas, and there's a lot you can do with it. However, try avoiding sandwiching it with mayo between two slices of cassava pie. Healthier options include whole grain sandwiches with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, turkey soup and casseroles. One of my favourite solutions for leftover turkey is this healthy curry recipe.

Healthy Christmas Curry

Ingredients:

4c cold roast turkey breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 large onion, finely chopped

1in of fresh ginger, pressed

1 large clove garlic, pressed

2tbsps light olive oil

1tbsp lemon juice

4tsps honey

1tsp garam masala

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2c chicken stock (I use the organic chicken "better than bouillon")

Homemade curry powder (all tsps heaped): 2tsps ground cumin, 1tsp ground coriander, 1tsp turmeric, 2tsps paprika, 2tsps chili powder, 2tsps fenugreek, 2tsps brown rice or gram flour)

Method:

1. In a large casserole dish, heat the light olive oil and onions. Saute on medium for five minutes, till the onions are translucent.

2. Press the ginger and garlic through a garlic press, discarding the rough fibrous bits and add the pulp/juice to the onions. Turn the heat down to low and stir constantly for one minute.

3. Add the curry powder mix and continue to stir for another minute. Don't let the spices burn!

4. Turn the heat back up again to medium, and add ¼c chicken stock to the curry paste. Stir in and allow the sauce to thicken. As the sauce thickens into a paste again, continue to add more of the stock, until it has all been stirred in.

5. Add the tin of tomatoes, stir in and set the sauce on to simmer for half an hour. It's important you allow the time to do this as the flavours take a while to draw out and merge! Add more hot water if the sauce becomes too thick.

6. Once the sauce has "cooked", add the lemon juice, honey and garam masala. Test for salt and add if necessary – although try not to!

7. Once the sauce is a good consistency (not too thick, not too runny – you can reduce the liquid by boiling off water if necessary), add the chopped turkey.

8. Stir the turkey in and heat through till piping hot all the way through to the middle of the largest piece.

9. Serve with brown rice, basmati rice or jacket potatoes, and a salad.

Tips for a salmonella-free Christmas!

• If you have a frozen turkey, make sure it is properly defrosted before cooking, by feeling the inside. If there are any remaining ice crystals on the cavity, it needs to defrost for longer.

• Never defrost your turkey on a countertop. Defrost in the fridge, allowing one day for every five pounds.

l If it's necessary to wash the inside of the turkey, make sure you clean the sink thoroughly afterwards with an antibacterial soap.

• Always wash your hands in hot water with soap after handling raw turkey.

• Be aware how easy it is to transfer bacteria to cutlery, dishcloths, the oven door, vegetables and the fridge handle without thinking.

• Never brown or partially cook turkey. If you start cooking it, finish cooking it.

l Roasting guidelines: you need to cook a fresh or fully-thawed turkey for 20 minutes per pound, plus a final 20 minutes, at 325 F or 165 C. If you can't be bothered to do the maths, go to www.eatturkey.com and search the weight under consumer/turkey basics/general roasting times. These figures are provided by the US National Turkey Federation.

l Use a meat thermometer to confirm your turkey is cooked properly, especially if cooking for a crowd. At the thickest part of the thigh (avoid the bone), you're looking for a temperature of 180 F (83 C). The breast should reach 170 F (77 C) and the centre of stuffing should reach 160-165 F (72-74 C).

• If you are serving a lot of people buffet style, do not try and keep the food hot for longer than two hours, and maintain a heat of 140 F (60 C).

• If you are storing leftovers, strip the bird before doing so and never reheat the whole thing.

• Cooked, stripped turkey meat can be kept for three days in the fridge.

• You can reheat cooked turkey, but ONCE only, and make sure it is piping hot.

• Do not freeze turkey that has previously been frozen.

Next week – healthy Christmas stockings!

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Clinical Nutritionist. Contact her at clinicalnutrition@gmail.com