The average Brit will gain up to half a stone over the festive period, as the temptation of never-ending chocolates, mince pies and savoury snacks get the better of them, according to research by the British Dietetic Association.

The BDA has issued its own set of tips on how to counteract the calories on Christmas Day, including eating turkey without the skin, serving unbuttered vegetables and using desert-sized plates when serving the afternoon buffet.

"Turkey is OK as it's a lean meat, the problem is the trimmings. Reduce everything by half - have half the number of potatoes you usually eat. You could replace potatoes with sweet potatoes as they contain less starch and sugar than normal potatoes," says Leonie Wright, nutritional therapist, from EatWright.

"Christmas pudding is full of fat and sugar, so only have a small piece. Why not have fresh fruit instead or even hot apples with raisins, cinnamon and clove with half crème fraiche, which contains half the amount of sugar than normal creme fraiche."

But, of course, it's not just Christmas Day that makes you pile on the pounds - the whole festive season is riddled with fat traps.

Find out how you can minimise your calorie intake with these top tips from nutritionist and Head of Physicians at Nuffield Health, Dr. Davina Deniszczyc.

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• Snack Light

  "Eat a light snack before attending Christmas parties to curb your appetite and resist the canapés."

• Drink Sparkling Water

  "Have sparkling water or diet tonic between alcoholic drinks- alcohol contains empty calories and lowers blood sugar causing cravings."

• Be Active!

  "Remember exercise keeps your metabolism up for up to 72 hours afterwards, so exercise before a party."

• Don't Avoid Fat

  "Don't avoid fat completely, some fat in each meal is required to help satiety signals to the brain, choose good fats such as fish, rather than red meat."

• Don't Skip Meals

  "Missing meals has been shown in studies to make us over indulge at the next meal- instead choose something lighter at lunch before a Christmas evening dinner to regulate blood sugars."