So how do you manage to enjoy the delicious canapes on offer without adding to your waistline or your cholesterol level?

If you are hosting an event, it is important to ensure there are healthy finger food options available: fruit platters, vegetable sticks, marinated vegetables or olives, sushi or fresh seafood options including fresh prawns, oysters, smoked salmon and sashimi. Buy vegetable-based dips rather than cream cheese and cook up some lean meat skewers or steam some dumplings.

As a starting point, it is best to understand that most finger food at catered functions will not be healthy. Fried food is, of course, very high in fat and very unlikely to be fried in a healthy fat (olive oil), but most likely to be a poor quality vegetable oil. Fried finger food might be small in size but is generally very heavy in calories. Steer clear of arancini balls, fried dumplings, fried calamari or chicken wings, spring rolls and do not forget that humble French fries are bathed in fat.

In addition to fried foods, avoid anything cooked in pastry. Sausage rolls, party pies, mini quiches, filo pastries are all likely to have at least 10 grams of fat per serve and all the wrong types of fat – both trans fat and saturated fat are plentiful in pastries.

The best solution to the Christmas weight gain is to have a small meal before you go out, making sure you have some protein and vegetables to keep you satisfied and avoid the temptation to overindulge.