Main course

Dessert

Drinks

The Soup

The Salad

Eating spinach can cut your risk of developing age-related blindness. And not only is spinach the second-highest source of lutein - the antioxidant that neutralises eyesight-destroying free radicals - it also contains folate, which keeps artery-clogging homocysteine in check. Two-hundred daily micrograms of selenium (the amount in two Brazil nuts) can halve your risk of lung, prostate and colorectal cancers. And the broccoli contains the cancer fighter suforaphane. Grated carrots aren’t the only food that can pack your salad with beta-carotene; mangoes contain more beta-carotene that almost any other fruit. Studies have shown that this compound decreases your odds of developing certain cancers and heart disease.

The Bread

The wholewheat bread is full of fibre - four slices supply around a third of your daily requirement. Packed with vitamin E, loads of iron and zinc.

The Pasta

The wholewheat penne provides an entire day’s worth of wholegrains; its fibre fights heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and ulcers. Plus it has more vitamin E, B6, magnesium, zinc and potassium than normal pasta.

The Sauce

Bloodclots are responsible for most heart attacks and strokes, and the flavonoids in onions help stop them from forming. Cooked tomatoes are also a good source of lyco-pene. The Fish

One serving of fish a week can halve your risk of a sudden fatal heart attack. And salmon has more heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids than almost any other fish. This 85g serving contains 10 times the weekly intake of the average man.

The Tea

A cup of green tea is more effective against the peroxyl radical - the most common free radical in the body - than a serving of broccoli or carrots. Green tea also contains large amounts of compounds called catechins, which help fight cancer.

The Pudding

We included chocolate not just because it has blood-clot-preventing flavonoids. It also brings to the meal pleasurable sensations that help reduce stress and lower your blood pressure.

By the time you wipe the last of the Grand Marnier sauce off your face, you’ll have put away 10 servings of fruit and vegetables - twice the recommended daily minimum. A recent study showed that 10 servings a day can lower blood pressure as effectively as some medicines.

While the antioxidants in your strawberries fight free radicals, the isoflavones in the tofu topping will help lower your cholesterol and prevent prostate cancer.

The Wine

A glass (or, at most, two) of red wine a day will supplement your meal with blood-clot-preventing flavonoids. But make sure you match every alcoholic drink with a glass of water, to avoid dehydration.