The problem with many crisps/crackers which are low in fat is that they taste terrible unless they are dipped in strongly flavoured powders, writes Wendyl Nissen.

When you're trying to lose weight it can be hard to give up sweet treats such as chocolate and ice cream.

Everyone knows about carbs these days. People go carb-free in an effort to lose weight, and athletes carb-load before a big event.

Bircher muesli was invented in 1900 by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital where a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables was an essential part of therapy.

Wendyl Nissen writes: There's a reason brightly coloured sweets are placed right next to you at the checkout - they're called impulse buys and are designed to make you think "why not?".

This dip was mentioned to me by a friend who had bought it thinking it was vegetarian.

I know I'm not the only parent to stand for ages in the cereal aisle of the supermarket looking for a healthy breakfast for my family.

I was alerted to these by my daughter, who had them at a friend's house and said they were "yum". I've got nothing against teenage girls snacking on chicken - protein is good.

My family has been going crazy over these morsels of delight. We have had a string of family birthdays and when we all get together there are 12 of us.

I do love it when I'm shopping for something to include in this column and a reader offers to help me out.

Each week, Wendyl Nissen takes a packaged food item and decodes what the label tells you about its contents.

Little plastic tubes of sweet, coloured water frozen in the freezer have always been popular with kids.

Cream cheese is a great alternative to butter on toast, especially if you are teaming it with salmon or my latest food craze, sliced fresh strawberries.

The fight against sugar has begun, with high-profile scientists and doctors calling for governments and food industries to cut the sugar content of food and drinks by up to 30%.

Breakfast continues to be a bit of a drama for many people who find it hard to make the time to eat what many health professionals regard as the most important meal of the day.

I bought this thinking it was a traditional Christmas pudding full of fruit and only discovered when I got it home that it was a chocolate pudding.

It's Christmas and that means our supermarkets fill up with lots of lollies. And we buy them to ensure our homes are havens of sweet treats for our visitors over the holiday season.

Summer is here and so, too, is the sudden need for children to have frozen treats stacked in the freezer.

Rice crackers are great to keep in the cupboard on standby when friends pop in for a drink and you need a snack.