LUNCHBOX

Chris Hallam, 35, sales manager Chicken liver pate with three slices of french bread and butter and salad garnish, followed by chargrilled medium-rare sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce, new potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and mange tout. Two large glasses of red wine, mineral water and an espresso

According to Juliette Kellow, state registered dietician and associate editor of Slimming magazine, such a lunch would give Chris 1,860 calories. Broken down that would be 15 per cent from protein, 20 per cent from carbohydrate, 47 per cent from fat (of which 24 per cent from saturates) and 18 per cent from alcohol.

"The basis of this meal is actually very good," says Juliette. "Believe it or not a lean grilled steak with vegetables and potatoes can actually be a lower-fat choice than a salad which is smothered in mayonnaise or oily salad dressings.

"Unfortunately it's the extras served with this meal which bump up the intake of fat and saturates, which provide almost a half and a quarter of the calories respectively. (Remember healthy eating guidelines recommend no more than one third of calories should come from total fat and no more than 10 per cent from [specifically] saturates.

"Butter added to bread and potatoes and rich creamy sauces all helped to contribute to the high fat and saturates intakes. Pate on its own is packed with fat so spread it straight onto unbuttered bread. And you could try asking for the steak to be served without sauce.

"On the positive side this meal is packed with nutrients. In particular iron intakes are excellent with the pate and steak providing good amounts of this important nutrient As for the alcohol, although a glass of wine is usually counted as just one unit large wine glasses can easily hold two. The wine accompanying this meal provided four glasses of alcohol and is therefore at the upper end of sensible drinking limits for men"