Five ways to cut those Christmas party calories

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What's actually more derailing are the endless nibbles and the highly calorific nature of most party food. Then there's the 'But it's Christmas…' attitude, which we think gives us license to practically inhale a tray of canapés.

We underestimate how many calories we're consuming because it's hard to reconcile that a lot of party food is so high calorie because they're generally small and don't fill you up. But even if you do fall off the wagon at this time of the year, it's not the end of the world. The point of January is that we get back on track. But generally, there are always more informed food choices to be made.

1Cheese please

For cheese lovers it's not Christmas without a cheeseboard heaving with dairy goodness like Stilton, Camembert and mature cheddar. Cheese, in moderation, is fine and it's a good source of protein and calcium. It's also the perfect dessert for anyone low carbing because provided it's not accompanied with very sweet chutneys and a box of crackers, it won't spike blood sugars. But cheese is calorific and reduced calorie sorts often don't deliver a huge taste sensation. For lighter but still tasty options, choose feta (which has 234kcal per 100g in comparison with Stilton's 410kcal), mozzarella and Swiss cheese instead and serve them alongside oatcakes and grapes.

2 Snack attack

Move away from the crisps and peanuts. They're not the most exciting foods on the planet so you might want to use your calorie allowance more wisely considering that 39 peanuts, a couple of handfuls, comes in at 170kcal, and you'll consume these very quickly. A better option is olives with a serving of 10 black or green plain olives coming in at around 40kcal. To replace the crunch factor in crisps, you can always serve crudités. In terms of dips, tomato based ones like salsa are preferable to ones made with sour cream. Hummus is often categorised as a healthy food. Yes, it is made from chickpeas and is nutritious but it also contains 177kcal per 100g.

3 Pies the limit

It's not the second helping of turkey and stuffing that is the main contributory factor in the average 5lb festive weight gain. More likely it's a combined result of the handfuls of crisps, the chicken goujons and the mini mince pies over the previous month, that you don't even remember eating. The calories in a mince pie will vary depending on its size and ingredients used but you can safely guestimate that there is in excess of 300kcal contained within one. If you don't want to skip them, because it's not Christmas without them, one trick is to either not eat the pastry lid, or to make them without. You're still getting a delicious pastry hit but you're potentially cutting the calories by one third.

4 The demon drink

It is always better to eat your calories than to drink them, especially when it comes to alcohol. Booze doesn't fill you and will make you hungrier. At time of year seasonal slips will happen but certain alcoholic concoctions are no-nos. Cream liqueurs are notoriously calorific and a glass of eggnog, made with cream, brandy, sugar and egg yolks punches in at 224kcal per serving. All alcoholic drinks are going to raise your calorie intake but more diet friendly ones include Prosecco (69kcal per glass); and a spirit with a sugar free mixer - gin and slimline tonic has approximately 54kcal. The health benefits of red wine are often touted by the reality is that a standard glass (175ml) has about 160kcal, although white wine spritzers can be the dieter's friend. A pint of beer, aka 'liquid bread' could contain up to 250kcal per pint and is probably best avoided for this reason.

5 The sweet stuff

If sugary treats are a downfall for you, Christmas can be difficult with the endless, industrial sized boxes of chocolates doing the rounds. Try and be a gourmand instead of a glutton. Have a couple of squares of good quality dark chocolate instead of gorging on the cheaper stuff and you'll do your waistline and your digestion favour. A Christmas pudding fan? Eat it but swap the brandy butter for crème fraiche flavoured with brandy, saving yourself substantial calories. Dried fruits will certainly satisfy any sweet longings you may have but with the added bonus that unlike chocolate, it's high in fibre.Read more at:sexy prom dresses