Nibbles platters don’t have to be a waistline disaster. Instead of high fat items like cheeses, creamy dips, chips, etc, choose from a variety of brightly coloured veggies, low fat dips and low fat bases.

Here are some suggestions:

Dips:

Make your own Tzatziki by mixing together plain, low fat yoghurt, grated cucumber, chopped mint and a grind of black pepper. Chill for an hour if possible to allow the flavours to mix.

Hummus:

Either make your own (see my pumpkin hummus recipe) or buy readymade hummus. (Avoid the garlic lover’s variety if you are looking for a lower fat option).

Extra lite cream cheese can be flavoured with a little sweet chilli sauce, chutney or pesto and used as a topping. Whip it well to make it spreadable.

Platter vegetables - Choose from:

• Baby carrots or carrot batons
• Sticks of red capsicum
• Cherry tomatoes
• Blanched broccoli florets
• Blanched asparagus spears
• Cucumber sticks (slice cucumber in half long-wise and remove seeds, then cut into sticks)

Cucumber rounds make an excellent, low fat base. Top with a cube of feta cheese and then place a couple of slices of finely shredded red capsicum on top. Or spread extra light cream cheese on the cucumber and put a small piece of chopped mint on top.

Break Cruskets or Litebread into large pieces and use as a base for toppings.

Baby new potatoes, steamed until just tender, then cooled and cut in half also make a good base for toppings.

A dessert platter could include items such as: Kiwifruit cut in half, strawberries, chocolate dipped strawberries, fresh cherries with stems on, fresh, raw nuts, Weight Watchers chocolate éclairs (bought frozen) cut in half, fresh dates, squares of dark chocolate, etc.