Special treats

I heard chocolate was good for you.

The cocoa beans used in chocolate contain "flavonoids", which reduce the "bad" cholesterol and increase the "good" cholesterol. Dark chocolate has more flavonoids than milk chocolate and white chocolate has none.

But chocolate is still not good for you. It contains 15 to 20 percent saturated fat and stacks of sugar. If you want flavonoids, eat fruit and vegetables - most of them are also rich in the substance.

So sugar is the new fat?

Sugar contains lots of energy but very few nutrients - it has what's called "empty kilojoules".

It's easy to eat and it tastes good - especially as it often comes packaged with tasty saturated fats and trans fats in highly refined treat foods. It's also present in high levels in otherwise healthy foods like fruit. You probably eat more than you think.

Sugar in itself doesn't make you overweight, because your body tends to use the energy it gets from sugar rather than store it. But eating sugar can easily contribute to your eating more energy than you need overall, and this will make you put on weight.

Your body will use up the sugar and convert the excess energy from other foods into fat for storage.

And last but by no means least, sugar causes tooth decay.

You're not going to ban takeaways ... completely?

Most takeaways are full of bad fats and salt, and lack nutritionally valuable vegetables as well. Two pieces of KFC chicken contain 30g of fat. A McDonald's Chicken Tandoori Delichoice gives you nearly half the adult upper daily limit for sodium.

And all that pressure to upsize the chips, the drink, the burger, the whole pack, just makes it worse. A larger drink gives you more energy in the form of sugar, with very few other nutrients.

Junk food should be eaten only occasionally. If you want to eat fast food more often, look for the healthier options. They do exist - vegetarian kebabs, Thai salads, even chicken chow mein. Choose food that is lower in fat and salt and full of vegetables.

Biscuits are bad but can I give the kids a few crackers?

It depends on the cracker. Some have just as much fat, weight for weight, as a Toffee Pop, and a fair amount of that is trans fat and saturated fat. Watch out especially for salty snack crackers, those made with flaky pastry, and even some old favourites like Meal Mates and Sesameal.

The better options include litebreads, rice crackers, corn and rice thins, some wholewheat crackers and water crackers. Check the label for fat and salt/sodium content.

Should I spare the salt?

You'll get as much salt as you need without trying. But too much sodium - one of the main constituents in salt - can raise blood pressure in some people. This can lead to strokes, heart disease and other health problems.

Most of the sodium we eat comes from processed foods, so check the labels. Look for low-salt options, choose snacks that are naturally low in salt (fruit and veges!) and limit the amount of salt you add to cooking and your meal. If you do add salt make sure it's iodised.

My husband drinks a "medicinal" four cans of beer a night.

A low-to-moderate intake of alcohol may help prevent heart disease, but four cans is too much.

Health guidelines say men should have no more than three standard drinks a day and women no more than two. But remember, a standard drink is less than you might regularly pour. It's also a good idea to have a couple of alcohol-free days a week.