Michael Kellytook a long hard look at his diet by keeping a food diary for a week and then asking an expert to analyse it.
Worrying about the food we eat is a complex issue.
To start with there's the straightforward worries, let's call them food pyramid worries, concerning the type and quantity of food we eat. Too much fat, too little fruit. Not enough of this, far too much of that.
Then there are worries about the artificial preservatives and colourings that have been added that might make our food dangerous.
And, finally, there's the whole area of environmental concern, food miles, organics, packaging.
When you stand in the aisle of your supermarket trying to decide between organic asparagus flown in from France or a non-organic head of cabbage from Wexford, you are standing at the crossroads where all these concerns meet. It's a confusing place to be.
Increasingly a trip to the supermarket includes a demanding mental workout. Should I forsake a tray of juicy vine tomatoes on account of their excessive packaging? How can I get my "five a day" if all of the fruit on the shelf comes from the southern hemisphere which we are told to avoid on the grounds of excessive air miles.
I scan the ingredients on a packet and try to recall information gleaned from a thousand healthy-eating articles. Which fat is bad fat? Saturated? Monounsaturated? Or was it polyunsaturated? Oh damn it. Just throw it in the basket.
To add to the frustration, food experts frequently move the goalposts just to keep us on our toes. We were told for years that eating too many eggs was bad for cholesterol. Now we're back to "rise and shine, go to work on an egg".
For a decade they said margarine was preferable to real butter - now apparently it's the other way around. Faced with these complexities, perhaps the best approach is to be guided by common sense, but where to start?
One eminently sensible article I read suggested that keeping a food diary was a good way to take a long hard look at your diet.
I kept one for a week and I can tell you it makes for scary reading. Just the physical act of recording what you eat each day is revelatory.
The Verdict:
Margot Brennan of the Irish Nutrition Dietetic Institute was kind enough to analyse the diary for me and offer some advice. "Food diaries are an extremely useful tool to look at overall diet and lifestyle. They are, however, only as good as the person writing them and honesty is the key ingredient," she says.
"On our website we have an example of a food diary - once you have kept your diary you can then examine the nutritional quality of your intake by comparing it with the food pyramid."
So what's the verdict?
"Overall you are quite healthy with a sensible approach to diet and alcohol. You eat regular meals and don't leave long periods between them. There are, however, a few changes that you could make which would improve your overall health.
"Fruit and vegetable intake averages at two servings per day as opposed to the recommended five. This can be increased by including fruit as snacks throughout the day and including juice with breakfast. Vegetable soups or smoothies may also be useful for quick lunches and will contribute to your overall intake.
"Your intake of calcium, which is very important for healthy bones and teeth, averages at two servings per day while the recommended would be three. Extra calcium can be taken by including a low-fat yogurt as a snack and substituting a latte or cappuccino for ordinary coffee.
"Fat intake is high with a reliance on saturated fats from meat products like sausages and rashers and dairy products like cheese. This can be addressed by including fish in your diet, especially oily fish like salmon and mackerel, and changing to low-fat milk and cheese. Fibre intake is low but this would improve by changing from white to wholemeal bread and increasing your overall fruit and vegetable intake.
"The safe intake of alcohol for men is 28 units a week. One unit is one measure of spirits, ½ pint of beer or a small glass of wine. While your intake does not exceed this figure, it is better to spread your alcohol intake over several evenings as opposed to taking larger volumes in one go."
The Irish Nutrition Dietetic Institute website is www.indi.ie