FIVE WAYS TO PREPARE...

HOW to get the most nutrients out of food. This week: Soft cheese

1. SWAP half of the butter in cake frosting for soft cheese to make a filling that’s lower in cholesterol-raising saturated fat than traditional buttercream.

2. WHIZZ full-fat soft cheese with smoked or tinned mackerel to tone down its strong fish flavour — this tasty paté is a way to get those who are reluctant to eat oily fish to consume brain-boosting omega 3.

3. STIR extra-light soft cheese into soup to increase its calcium content — it works well in broccoli and butternut soups and a 50g serving (rounded tablespoon) portion per person adds nearly 10 per cent of the recommended daily allowance of this bone-building mineral. 4. MELT light soft cheese with garlic and herbs to make a carbonara sauce (instead of using eggs and cream). Normal spaghetti carbonara has 700 or more calories per serving — this version has fewer than 500. 5. MAKE a healthy dip by blending a drained jar of antipasti roasted red peppers with 125g of light soft cheese to make a creamy dip that’s more waistline-friendly than guacamole (around 20 calories per tablespoon versus around 48 per tablespoon).