David Clark

At home in Dunedin, the Labour Party health spokesman eats well and enjoys local shellfish. But when travelling for work, he has less time for food. “I seldom spend more than 10 minutes eating lunch, and dinner isn’t much better. I eat a lot of kebabs and sushi.”

What were family meals like growing up in 1970s Auckland? Terrific. My father did most of the cooking and was pretty adventurous. He had a Cantonese workmate who supplied him with some fabulous wok recipes. My father also made a mean chilli con carne. I found it strange when I reached university and discovered many students had simpler tastes.

Is healthy eating a priority? I’m mindful of the benefits of healthy eating but wouldn’t hold myself up as a paragon of virtue in that regard. When I was training for the New Zealand Ironman, I had my diet crunched by students at the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Otago. I learnt my ordinary diet contained many times the recommended protein intake. I’ve never been shy of dodging the odd meat meal since.

What’s your typical breakfast? Today, I had Vogel’s toast with cheese on one slice and tomatoes on the other. And plenty of coffee with blue-top milk.

What about lunch? A seafood sushi combination.

What’s your favourite evening meal? Cockles collected at low tide from Blueskin Bay in my electorate. There are few things I like more than gathering shellfish with family and friends, dousing them with garlic and wine on the barbecue, and then enjoying the spoils wrapped in fresh white bread.

What nutrition advice have you found most helpful, confusing or annoying? I’ve long been suspicious of sugar substitutes. Now, evidence suggests my prejudice may have some foundation. Daily consumption of diet drinks has been linked to a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes. I don’t think the debate on the merits of sugar substitutes is over just yet. But I’m following it with interest.