Delia is to food-makers what Midas was to gold but could her new recipes be unhealthy

Apr 14 2008 By Catherine Hendrick

THE knives and forks have been out for Delia Smith thanks to her latest TV series and book advising budding cooks how to cheat in the kitchen.

Campaigners have even claimed her latest batch of recipes could hinder the battle to prevent heart attacks and strokes because some of the ready-made products she recommends contain unhealthy levels of salt.

Her 'Carbonara Real Quick' recipe in her latest book How to Cheat At Cooking can end up containing more than the recommended daily amount of salt per serving because it uses cooked bacon and generous amounts of one of the saltiest cheeses - Pecorino Romano - according to campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH).

But while some stomachs may turn at the idea of using frozen mash and ready-chopped onions to cook anyway, there's no denying that Delia is to food-makers what Midas was to gold.

Thousands of time-starved cooks have already rushed out to buy the ingredients she recommends. Supermarket Asda has reported record sales of everything from frozen mash to Kalamata olives thanks to her latest series.

But are they worth it and could they be doing you more harm than good?

Today we look at the cost of some of the time-saving products Delia suggests no home should be without.

Cancer Research UK has produced a handy credit card sized guide shoppers can use to check at a glance whether the food they buy is within the recommended limits for things like salt, fat and sugar. We've printed a copy which you can cut out and take with you when you go shopping.

We've also used it to check whether some of the ingredients Delia suggests could really be bad for your health.