A cocktail party, whether you give it yourself or are invited to one, is a ‘snare and a delusion’ if you are trying to lose weight. Beware of all those tiny, delicious tidbits on crisp toast, biscuits or fried bread.

Obviously if you are attending somebody else’s party you will just have to look around and either decline anything to eat, which makes everybody feel a little uncomfortable or select your food carefully.

If you are planning your own cocktail party, life is much more simple because you can make certain you have low calorie foods to eat.

At the parties remember to avoid potato chips, farsan and salted nuts. But you can eat salads and roasted chana (gram).

The following list will suggest some of them:

• Cubes of panir or sticks in melon.
• Prawns
• Cottage cheese balls
• Quarters of curried egg: hard boil the eggs, halve carefully and take out the yolk. Mash with a little low calorie salad dressing and curry powder and replace in the white cases.
• Diced melon or fresh pineapple on cocktail sticks
• Strips of crisp raw carrot

AND, WHAT TO DRINK?

If you are clever at making one last drink last a very long time, then you choose your favourite drink. Otherwise, it is safer to select tomato juice, tonic or some other non- alcoholic drink.