Buffet food without the waistline worries; Lose weight for less MirrorDiets.co.uk.

Fun food can be a dieter's nightmare, but there's no need to be a party pooper. Avoid the biggest buffet bloomers by following these simple tips that will help you to stay slim...

Try not to be at the front of the food queue as you'll have finished before everyone else and be tempted to go back for more. Join at the back instead. Sit in the corner that's furthest away from the buffet table, and get involved in an interesting conversation that takes your mind off going back for more.

When filling your plate, choose the same amount of food that you'd normally eat for a main course, and stick with that. A good guide is to cover two thirds of your plate with undressed salad and starchy carbs (eg plain baked potatoes, unbuttered bread or rice). These are low energy density foods with not very many calories for their volume, so you feel full without getting fat. You can then put some higher fat treats on the rest of your plate.

Avoid pastry-covered or breaded bites - go for marinated, or grilled nibbles instead. Filo pastry is a better, lower fat, choice than shortcrust or flaky - you'll save 20 calories by going for a filo tartlet instead of a vol-au-vent.

Don't starve yourself beforehand. If you're not eating until 9pm, you'll probably eat fewer calories overall by having a chicken sandwich at 5 or 6pm. Being ravenously hungry means you're liable to pile your plate too high with all the unhealthiest choices.

Keep away from alcohol at least until you've got some food in your stomach otherwise you could start to feel drunk very quickly. Booze weakens inhibitions so you're more likely to overeat (or do something very embarrassing on the dance floor!)

Avoid creamy puds or gateaux - go for fruit salad or a sliver of cheese and some grapes instead.

Try these food swaps:

Instead of a mini fishcake with tartare sauce (65 calories, 5.5g fat) go for a mini satay with dip of peanut sauce (20 calories, 1g fat)

Instead of a chicken wing (137 calories, 7.7g fat) go for a marinated chicken bite (29 calories, 0.8g fat)

Instead of a slice of cheese and tomato pizza (123 calories, 4g fat) go for a mini bhaji (64 calories, 2.8g fat)

Instead of a baked potato with 2 pats of butter (210 calories, 8.2g fat) go for a small baked potato, plain (136 calories, 0.2g fat)

Mirror Diets.co.uk

Want to drop a dress size in five weeks?

Can't find a diet plan that suits your health needs?

Would like to have your food shopping list for the week designed for you?

Want the support of a slimming club but can't commit to specific days and times?

Want to join a diet club that works and has a supportive community of people going through exactly the same as you?

Feel ready to change your life by losing weight and getting fit?

We have all the answers at our online dieting club, Mirrordiets.com Join today and get four weeks free!