Naughty nana has been to stay and after a festive season of Extreme Naughtiness, has flown home threatening to eat only celery from now until Easter. Fortunately, after nearly 40 years of living in Bermuda she has a rather large collection of kaftans. Personally, I have embarked on the Pashmina Plan. On the cutting edge of dietary science, this involves draping an extra large scarf around my neck and over my belly, until I run off everything I swore I wouldn't eat, but did. There is a lot of complicated talk at the moment around how we can contain our healthcare costs. It's actually simple. Ban Christmas and ramp up the duty on Quality Street and mayonnaise. While we're at it, let's confiscate the fryer at KFC.If like me you are wearing scarves and baggy sweaters in an effort to hide your Christmas excess, I have some tips for you. Over the holidays, we tend to get into a bad habit of snacking. And it's not snacking per se that's bad (I would argue that it's better to eat little and often after all), it's snacking on junk that's the problem. A cassava pie sandwich here, one or two (make that three) chocolates there ... it all adds up.One of the mistakes we make is underestimating how hard it is to work off our excess calories. A trip around the block will burn off approximately half a pea. To bring it home, I researched how much activity it takes to burn 100 calories. Weight depending, it's an awful lot. The reality is you will have to run for 15 minutes (if you can), or walk for 20. If you think that's boring, you could shear three sheep, fill out 86 luggage tags or participate in 17 minutes of medium intensity pole-vaulting. It's up to you.However I'm not suggesting you panic and switch to no (or extremely low) calorie snacking. It's true there are plenty of very low-cal options out there for example you could enjoy two cups of shredded romaine lettuce for 18 calories, or go wild and have a medium sized tomato for 25. The problem is that none of these will be very satisfying, leaving you teetering on the edge of chocolate box.It's much, much better and far more enjoyable to choose a slightly higher calorie snack that will actually sustain you and make you feel full. The trick is to eat something that is rich in complex carbs, fibre or protein and preferably a combination of all three. Adding fibre or protein to good, complex carbs helps to slow down the rate at which your stomach empties and provides a more sustained energy release. Tasty examples include a large apple and five almonds (97 cals), a small punnet of blueberries and 1 tbsp fat-free Greek yoghurt (90 cals) or one ryvita with a tablespoon of hummus and a tomato (99 cals).As it's getting colder though, why not try out this Moroccan Soup recipe? It's warming, delicious and only 148 calories per serving. It also provides 9g of protein (that's more than an egg) and 6g of fibre (more than two slices of wholewheat bread). With only 17g carbs and 1g saturated fat, this is a filling, healthy snack you can enjoy totally guilt free. You can also dress this up for lunch or dinner with a wholegrain roll and some hummus.Guilt-free Moroccan Soup (serves 4)Ingredients:1 tbsp olive oil1 onion, finely chopped1 clove garlic, minced2 sticks celery, finely chopped2 tsps ground cumin2 ¾ cups vegetable stock1 regular can chopped plum tomatoes1 regular can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed100g frozen edamame½ lemon zest and juiceFresh coriander to serveBlack pepperMethod:1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery and allow to soften gently for 10 mins. Stir frequently.2. Add the cumin and cook for another minute.3. Turn up the heat. Add the stock, tomatoes and chickpeas, plus a good grind of black pepper. Simmer for 8 mins.4. Add in the edamame and lemon juice and cook for a further 2 mins.5. Season to taste and top with a sprinkling of lemon zest and coriander.The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. She can be contacted at nourishbda[AT]gmail.com