You're torn, you love to socialise but you also love your body. Don't stress about it. Swop the fatty stuff for the lean and you're guilt-free...

Eat This: Sirloin steak
Not That: Boerewors

As a general rule, sausage is weighty in the fat department. A 150g piece of boerie has roughly 54g, of which 20g is the type that ups heart disease risk. Plus it’s heavy on salt, with more than half a teaspoon per 150g piece.

A moderate size sirloin steak is fat-friendlier and contains very little sodium. Beef provides good quality protein that contains all the essential amino acids our bodies aren’t able to produce. Another plus: steak contains more vitamin B12, necessary for forming new red blood cells, and zinc, which supports immune function.

Eat This: Honey-and-mustard chicken kebabs
Not That: Sticky chicken wings

Although chicken wings are small, they’re mostly skin and dark meat, which, as we know, is where most of the fat is found. Wings have about five times the amount of fat than the same quantity of skinless kebabs, so they’re also higher in kilojoules.

Eat This: Three-bean salad
Not That: Potato salad

Potatoes are packed with potassium and Vitamin C, but mixing them with mayo and egg adds fat, cholesterol and sodium. Half a cup of mayo has about 2700kJ and 68g of fat, so having your potato baked or boiled beats the mayonnaise version by a long shot.

A helping of three-bean salad contains no cholesterol and about a third of the fat of a similar helping of potato salad. Beans contain healthy plant protein, folate and disease-fighting antioxidants. They’re also high in soluble fibre, which can improve cholesterol levels.

Eat This: Milk tart
Not That: Fruit salad and ice cream

Fruit salad is the ideal choice here, but the ice cream kicks this combo into second place. The fruit salad and ice cream tops a slice of tart for total fat, saturated fat and kilojoules, especially if it’s scoops of the rich and creamy type. Rather enjoy a serving or two of fruit. Eat them whole or dice them up, then enjoy them the way nature intended.