Seven shopping hacks to help make your Christmas dinner kinder to animals

It’s the season for eating, drinking and goodwill to all, but for animal welfare-conscious shoppers, that can seem like a difficult balancing act.

The good news is that there’s never been a better time to make a few changes, which means you can enjoy Christmas in a kinder way, if you choose to eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy.

“The best place to start is by choosing higher welfare meat, dairy, eggs and fish products,” says Charlotte Thomas, regional assessment manager at RSPCA Assured. “There’s still a myth that these products are hard to source, but the reality is there are now lots of affordable, higher-welfare products available, including at budget supermarkets.

“This growing availability means more shoppers are now making the switch to higher welfare options. And finding these products is simple – just look for the RSPCA Assured label, which means the item in your shopping basket has come from a farm following hundreds of higher welfare standards. It’s the only UK food label dedicated to animal welfare, so look out for it on your food shop and feel better about the choices you make this Christmas.”

If you choose to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy, you can also:

1. Make your mince pies matter: Did you know that hens kept in cages have less space to move around than the average chocolate advent calendar?* So whether it’s mince pies or Christmas cake, make sure you choose cage-free eggs for your festive bakes - look for the RSPCA Assured label if you’re unsure.
2. Get creative with leftovers: Turkey sandwiches are a long-standing Boxing Day fixture, but check out some other ways to turn leftovers into a post-Christmas feast. Whatever you make, using every part of your higher-welfare purchase is both ethical and economical.
3. Ask your supermarket: If you want more higher-welfare products available at your supermarket, let them know by using RSPCA Assured’s handy online ask your supermarket tool. It takes two minutes - quicker and easier than sending a letter to Santa - and encourages retailers to stock more products that give animals a better life.
4. Level up your charcuterie: Charcuterie boards are one of 2025’s biggest food trends, and it’s really easy to make an Insta-worthy feast using higher welfare ingredients. If you’re including meat, choose a couple of higher welfare items and think quality over quantity. You can then bulk out your board with nuts, crackers, indulgent chutneys and fruits like figs and pomegranates.
5. Get the family involved: If you have family coming for the traditional Christmas lunch, consider asking everyone to pitch in so you can enjoy a top quality, higher welfare meal for less. Check out our where to buy page, which has details of higher welfare products available at major supermarkets and makes it easy to divide up the shopping list.
6. Swap one for welfare: If it all seems like too much of a challenge to cater for everyone in a more ethical way, think about just one change you can make. Can you switch just one ingredient for a higher-welfare version? Every time you buy a higher-welfare product, you’re helping more animals live better lives and sending a message to retailers that welfare matters. Why not make it a New Year’s resolution to switch one of your regular purchases to a higher welfare product?
7. Say no to foie gras: When you’re browsing for festive treats, you may come across foie gras - a type of pate made by force-feeding ducks and geese, making their liver expand to ten times its normal size. Although production is banned in the UK, foie gras can still be imported, so make sure you don’t inadvertently support this cruel practice when you’re doing your festive shop.

*The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, sch 4, para 2, Available at: legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/2078/schedule/4/made?view=plain