The pastry-wrapped treats are a festive favorite, but they’re packed with sweet fruit and often loaded with fat and sugar.
A MailOnline audit of 31 popular varieties has found that one brand of mince pie has more calories than two whole McDonalds burgers.
Aldi’s ‘Ultimate All Butter Mince Pie’ may come out on top in taste tests, but it’s also the most fattening on the market.
The 110g pies, made with cognac-soaked mince, provide a whopping 469 calories – while a McDonalds hamburger contains 248 calories.
For context, the average woman is advised to consume about 2,000 calories per day to maintain a healthy weight, while for men 2,500 is recommended.
This means that one Aldi mince pie will eat up a quarter of a woman’s daily allowance and a fifth of a man’s.
The decadent treats also contain 42 grams of sugar – that’s equivalent to 10 teaspoons, more than 10 grams more than in a Mars bar.
Adults are advised to consume no more than 30 grams of added sugar per day – roughly seven teaspoons – to protect teeth and prevent weight gain.
Mince pies are packed with sweet fruit, spices and wrapped in pastry. But the festive treats are also packed with fat and sugar
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This website also looked at the nutritional value of mince pies available from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Cook, Marks & Spencer.
The second worst offender from our check was Cook’s Mince Pie Crumble Tarts, made with Bramley apple, citrus peel and spiced rum mince.
Each 115 gram pie contains 465 calories, 32.7 grams of sugar and 9.5 grams of saturated fat.
Government guidelines recommend that men should eat no more than 30 grams of saturated fat per day and women no more than 20 grams. This means that eating just two or three patties can cause you to reach your limit.
Too much saturated fat can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease, the NHS warns.
Mr Kipling All Butter Mince Pies are also among the most caloric at 311 calories per pie, as are the dairy-free and gluten-free mince pies sold at Waitrose, which contain 314 calories.
At Marks and Spenser, their ‘Best Ever Mince Pies’ contain 349 calories and Sainsbury’s own mince pies contain 243 calories.
MailOnline’s check of more than 30 varieties of mince pies sold on supermarket shelves found Aldi’s ‘Ultimate All Butter Mince Pie’ (pictured) to be the most fattening on the market
The pie that best suits your waistline is Aldi’s specially selected Millionaire’s Crumble Mince Pies (pictured). Each 16-ounce cake contains 179 calories – about the same as two chocolate digestive biscuits
In contrast, Aldi’s specially selected Millionaire’s Crumble Mince Pies, made with caramel and topped with chocolate crumble, are surprisingly one of the best mince pies and the least caloric option.
Each 16-ounce cake contains 179 calories – about the same as two chocolate digestive biscuits.
However, it still contains 18 g of sugar and 3.9 g of saturated fat.
If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight over time. Six in ten adults and four in ten children are overweight or obese, figures show.
Being fat can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke, as well as mental health problems.
“Consistently eating such high-sugar treats can lead to more dramatic blood sugar swings and weight gain, which can be challenging to change in the new year,” Rob Hobson, registered nutritionist and author of “Unprocess Your Family Life’. MailOnline.
But sticking to simpler cakes without frosting, shortcrust pastry or puff pastry can help limit calorie and sugar intake, he explained.
He said: ‘To enjoy mince pies without consuming too many calories and sugar, consider smaller portions or versions without extras such as icing, crumble or cake toppings, which often add unnecessary sweetness and calories.
“Those with thinner dough may be better choices.”
‘Mince pies don’t have to be completely absent from the menu; After all, they are a festive main course.
‘The key is moderation and balance, and enjoy them mindfully as part of an overall healthy approach to your celebrations.’
Kim Pearson, a nutritionist who runs a London-based clinic specializing in weight loss, suggests eating your mince pie with a balanced meal.
She said: ‘If you treat yourself to a mince pie, it would be wise to eat it after a balanced meal rather than on an empty stomach.
‘The fiber, protein and healthy fats in your meal can help slow the absorption of sugar and minimize blood sugar spikes.
‘Opting for smaller mince pies or cakes without toppings such as crumble, cake or icing can reduce calorie and sugar content while still enjoying festive treats in moderation.’