My conclusion

Calorie counting makes a person neurotic. as a nation we are already using food as an emotional crutch to combat everything from boredom to loneliness – we don’t need more psychological pressure. as the old saying goes, ‘you eat first with your eyes’ – so is it any wonder that we can best gauge what we eat visually rather than attaching some abstract numerical value? Despite my criticisms, the last few days have taught me to be rather more circumspect about piling unnecessary fats, proteins and carbs on to the family’s plates and to swap double cream for crème fraiche where I can. But kitchen number crunching is just not for me and nor, I suspect, for the majority of us. Piling plates high with fruit and fresh vegetables is a far more realistic route to good health. as far as a strict 400-600600 calorie regime is concerned, you can count me out.