Skipping breakfast as a method of shedding pounds or balancing out your calorie intake when you know you'll be nibbling on party food has been proven time and again to be a complete disaster. Apart from the fact that you're more likely to snack on high sugar food mid-morning and send those sugar levels skyhigh or if you don't you'll be sluggish tired and irriable and lets face it girls - Christmas is a stressful enough time without any added palaver.

With a recent study highlighting that on average people gain two kilograms in weight during the festive season, Aveen Bannon, consultant nutritionist to Kelkin Ltd, which has launched a range of nutritious breakfast cereals in Northern Ireland, has stressed how eating breakfast and making the right food choices can help Ulster women enjoy Christmas but still fit into their perfect party dress.

"Eating a daily breakfast is one of the most important things you can do to kick start the day, achieve a nutritionally balanced diet and lose weight in the run up to Christmas," said Aveen. "Scientific research links eating breakfast with less body fat, lower levels of obesity, increased alertness and improved concentration.

"In the morning, when the body is low on energy resources and needs fuel in the form of food to get going, eating unsweetened muesli or porridge with a glass of fruit juice is a great nutritious start to the day, coupled with some wholegrain bread and a piece of fruit.

"This steady stream of energy can be continued throughout the day by eating a diet full of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, cereals, breads, pastas, fruits and vegetables. Carbohydrate rich foods trigger the production of serotonin, a chemical in the brain, and promote a feeling of well-being," added Aveen.

Kelkin, which has been providing wholesome healthy foods since 1976, has a range of products suited to a nutritious breakfast including muesli, gluten free porridge, fruit juice (not from concentrate ) and multivitamin drinks.

In particular the Kelkin muesli range and multivitamin drinks score low on the Glycaemic Index (GI), which means they give a more sustained release of energy throughout the day. And if you were put off muesli as a child with the dusty offerings in the 80's the Kelkin range couldn't be more different. The Honeynut crunch muesli has no added sugar but the honey nut cornflakes in it give it enough sweetness to keep even a Sugahfix gal happy.

Sinead Adair, maketing manager of Robert Roberts NI Ltd, the company which distributes Kelkin products in Northern Ireland, believes eating a wholesome breakfast is one of the best ways to achieve a nutritionally balanced diet and welcomes the addition of the healthy food range to their brand portfolio.

"In recent years women and in particular young girls in Northern Ireland have been skipping breakfast due to lack of time, poor meal planning and a mistaken perception that it will result in weight loss," said Sinead.

"However research demonstrates that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day as it supplies the body with the necessary fuel needed to improve concentration, prevent obesity and achieve a nutritionally balanced diet.

"Christmas gatherings tend to have a greater choice of food on offer so it is important not to go to a party hungry. Starting your day with a bowl of Kelkin Original Muesli, which contains no added sugar and has a unique blend of fruit, nuts, wheat and oat flakes, followed by a wholesome lunch will supply the body with a steady stream of energy so you will be less inclined to overindulge on snacks and eat energy dense high fat foods later in the day.

"Time is never an excuse not to have a daily breakfast especially if you want to look your best and fit into that little party dress for Christmas," added Sinead.