People can enjoy traditional winter comfort foods if they ensure that they make sensible cooking choices, an expert says.

Home cooks can treat themselves to dishes such as roast dinners by making decisions such as cooking chickens in roasting bags and limiting their intake of Yorkshire puddings, according to a representative from the British Dietetic Association (BDA).

Anna Raymond, a spokeswoman for the BDA, said: "Roast dinners are perfect in the winter months and are exactly what we need to keep us satisfied."

Also, Ms Raymond advised that people can still enjoy exercise in the winter, despite conditions becoming darker at an earlier time.

Meanwhile, a survey published by Chef and Brewer this week revealed that nearly half of Brits believe that they will indulge in more food over the winter months.

The study also claimed that eight out of ten people frequently gorge on sweets or chocolate to "cheer themselves" up.