Are advent calendars a gift to your health?

Nothing beats the Christmas cheer of an advent calendar, and these options let you treat yourself without going overboard . . .

NOMO £9.99, hollandandbarrett.com

gOOD for those with allergies, the chocolate here is free from dairy, gluten, eggs and nuts.

PUKKA TEA £9.99, amazon.co.uk

THIS provides 24 different flavours of tea. Warming wild apple and cinnamon is a particularly festive blend, while the antioxidants in the green tea may combat over-indulgence.

100% DARK CHOCOLATE £12.50, hotelchocolat.com

FOR those who prefer their chocolate with a punch. The chocolate here is vegan and made with single- origin Ecuadorian cacao, which is full of intense flavour. There is also a similar vegetarian version.

POPCORN SHED £17.50, popcornshed.com

FOR a sweet treat that is marginally more virtuous than chocolate, this calendar offers a small bag of popcorn every day. Flavours include cheese, and raspberry with dark chocolate.

PROTEIN BALL £19.99, theproteinballco.com

THERE is a protein ball behind each window of this calendar, with flavours including peanut butter. They each contain from 5g to 10g protein, have no added sugar, and are free from soy, wheat and gluten.

LAKRIDS LIQUORISH £34.95, souschef.co.uk

LOVE liquorice? This is for you, as each window hides two liquorice pieces with a different flavour. The liquorice — made from gluten-free rice flour — provides iron that can boost energy levels.

BEANIES COFFEE £20, beaniesflavourco.co.uk

THERE’S lots to love about the health benefits of coffee: every cup contains high levels of antioxidants, which help protect our cells from damage. Here, you get two sachets of flavoured coffee every day — and each is only two calories a cup.

BOOSTBOX VEGAN PROTEIN £39.99, getboostbox.co.uk

FILLED with 25 full-size, plantbased treats, from bars to nut butters and cookies — all high in protein. It includes products from popular brands such as Bounce and Pulsin.

PLAMIL WHITE CHOCOLATE £4.95, plamilfoods. co.uk

THIS one contains a dairy- free white chocolate alternative made in a factory that never uses dairy or gluten. The treats are made from a blend of cocoa butter, sugar and rice.