What are the fewest separate foods you could eat and still have a healthy, balanced diet?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Jaw-dropping news! Eating with your mouth open makes food taste better

Researchers suggest this habit actually makes for a more enjoyable meal – so it could be time to rethink your manners

I wanted to know how to increase my life expectancy. Do I really have to avoid everything?

The advice was to limit alcohol, avoid high-sugar foods and decrease saturated fats – but warnings like this are just going to encourage me, writes Annie Macmanus

Beetroot juice may aid people with coronary heart disease – study

Research suggests a daily glass reduces harmful inflammation by boosting nitric oxide levels

Have your cake and eat it: how to cut down on sugar

As a doctor and baking columnist Tamal Ray was better placed than most to understand the pitfalls of his lifelong sugar crush. How can even the most sweet-toothed among us cut down?

How to trick your brain into better eating habits

Ditching the cutlery, scoffing a big first bite and discussing the carrots can help rewire our brains and make us more mindful of our meals

How timing your meals right can benefit your health

Eating well doesn’t necessarily just mean concentrating on the right diet – the time you eat (or don’t) can also make a big difference to your wellbeing

Going green: the best plant-based alternatives

If you want to start swapping animal products for something healthier and more ethical – but equally nutritious – here are the best substitutes

Go with your gut: scientist Tim Spector on why food is not just fuel

The scientist has spent years studying how gut health relates not just to nutrition, but to all aspects of our everyday wellbeing. He explains why it really is what’s inside that counts

Coffee bad, red wine good? Top food myths busted

We’re being bombarded with conflicting advice on what we should and shouldn’t put into our bodies. Finally, here are the definitive answers, according to the experts