Journalist Conor Lally bravely puts his own eating habits to the test
Weekdays: My day starts with tea and toast or cereal. In the morning I have up to three cups of coffee, each with milk and sugar. Lunch is usually a chicken or ham sandwich with salad.
What I eat
I have regular cups of coffee and tea in the afternoon. If I eat something before dinner it's usually fruit. I have been known to eat crisps, however, and have a weakness for Coca-Cola, which I drink up to four times a week.
My evening meal is often the traditional meat and two veg, but I also enjoy stir-fries, home-made curries and other pasta- and rice-based meals. I eat red meat no more than twice a week.
I often replace my proper evening meal with something more convenient. Before going to bed I usually have some fruit or a load of biscuits with a hot drink.
Weekends: My weekends take much the same form as weekdays. Between Friday and Sunday I have up to 12 pints of beer, however, which is marginally over the recommended 21 units a week. I am also more likely to eat fast food, such as pizza or Chinese takeaway. I would be inclined to eat out far more often, so healthy hot meals are more common than on weekdays.
What I should eat
Nutritional consultant Aveen Bannon of the Dublin Nutrition Centre was unconcerned about my weight but recommended I change my diet. I should drink fruit juice at breakfast. And, although I have milk on cereal and in coffee, I should also eat yogurt at breakfast, for calcium. The centre told me to cut down on sugar and coffee and cut out salt. I should eat chips and takeaway food no more than once a fortnight - but eat red meat three times a week.
To cut down on saturated fats, I should eat crisps only once a week. I also need to eat fewer biscuits, which contain a lot of sugar. I could cut down on more sugar and calories by switching from regular to Diet Coke.
My evening meal is the area most in need of improvement. I skip dinner too often: if I lack the time to cook a meal I should stay away from the easy fast-food option, instead having two sandwiches or a hamburger with yogurt and fruit.
When I do eat a hot evening meal I should have three potatoes, red meat and strongly coloured vegetables, a source of potassium.
Finally, the centre strongly recommended I drink no more than 11 pints of beer a week - and that's really going to happen!