I asked an acquaintance who I’d seen had lost a lot of weight over lockdown, despite exercising even less, how he had managed it. “When I feel I want a treat I have a carrot” he said. Having tried this recently to address my own lockdown weight gain I have to thank him for this simple suggestion!

A kilo costs 50p which lasts me several days and peeling and trimming gives me a little routine to occupy my mind.

The calorie count is surprisingly low given how sweet they are and their famous use in carrot cake and while all the carbs are sugars there is a decent relative proportion of fibre, protein and even fat.

Other snack staples are gherkins and pickled onions and steamed beetroot.

For a tasty quick snack wok stir fried bean sprouts (just a teaspoon of oil is needed) with a dash of soya sauce are another recent find that are also very nutritious with a good proportion of fibre and protein to carb..and super cheap at 70p for a 300g packet.