meat roast dinner

Trafalgar Square buried under a mountain of potatoes. Clifton Suspension Bridge weighed down by Granny Smiths. Or lasagne lined up along Hadrian’s Wall. Just a few of the helpful (if slightly bizarre) ways Britain’s Favourite Foods - Are They Good For You? (BBC2, 9pm, 14 April) made us feel a little bloated about how much we consume each year.

And yet there was no sign, thank God, of smug Dr Christian Jessen in a tight shirt to warn us of the perils of obesity. This jam-packed documentary focused on how what we eat is good for us.

It was a revelation, and for no one more so than cheese-taster Carole. As it turned out, far from all the Brie adding to her waistline, calcium actually helps fat exit the body.

All it took was for Carole to give up dairy (and therefore one assumes her job) and save her poo in a freezer bag for two weeks to test the theory. Don’t look so glum Carole, it was all for the greater good!

If that wasn’t enough, a bunch of spotty students got better-looking thanks to a diet of peppers and carrot juice, and milk emerged as the frontrunner in post-exercise rehydration.

Even a meat-heavy diet has its plus side. Protein actually helps reduce our cravings for nasty junk food, apparently. A steak a day keeps the chocolate bulge at bay.

Packed full of these somewhat off-the-wall experiments, this tour de force documentary made for a welcome change from all that scaremongering. For once the message was ‘go eat’ (in moderation) - it’s good for you.