Celebrity chefs - are they making us ill? "Being a celebrity chef does not make you a nutrition expert," says Sian Porter of the British Dietetic Association. Having a treat is one thing, but eating these dishes regularly could bump up your salt, saturated fat, sugar and calorie intake considerably. Pat Wilson of the Weight Loss Resources group says greater transparency is needed to warn fans of celebrity chefs what their recipes contain. "Glossy photos and fancily named recipes can sell books and give the impression of dishes being healthy and nutritious," she adds. Last year, a revealing study asked famous foodies to share details of their daily meals. Heston Blumenthal, renowned for his zany gastronomy, revealed he often skips lunch, drinks only Earl Grey tea for breakfast and dines out most evenings. What, no snail porridge? And as for Nigella Lawson's diet, far from the butter-scoffing feast she once boasted of, her amazing weight loss is down to eating hummus on rye toast. Hardly an endorsement for the calorie-laden recipes they're often seen plugging on TV. So, which famous cook is the unhealthiest? The Daily Telegraph teamed up with the food nutritionist Claire Baseley to track down the worst offending dishes - and work out how bad for you they really are. Nigel Slater's Spiced Bread and Butter Pudding with Bananas This decadent dessert featured in the first series of Slater's Simple Cooking on BBC One. He describes it as a "twist on a classic," containing rich coconut milk, muscovado sugar, butter and eight slices of white bread. Calories per serving 687 kcal Sugars 76g Fat 27g Saturated fat 14.5g Salt 1.5g Claire says "This amounts to almost 85 per cent of the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) for sugar and three-quarters of the GDA for saturated fat. Save it for treats and use wholemeal bread; use less sugar and increase the cinnamon and vanilla to still give a sweet taste. Lorraine Pascale's Mascarpone Gnocchi with Basil Pesto Pascale's recipes scored the worst in last year's BMJ study, with the highest calorie, saturated fat and salt contents of the chefs sampled. The smiley cook compares her pasta to "teeny pillows of heaven" - but it's got the highest calorie content. Calories per serving 1,159 kcal Sugars 7g Fat 88g Saturated fat 42g Salt 1.2g Claire says: "Over half the day's calorie allowance; over the limit for fat and double the daily limit for saturated fat. Opt for potato gnocchi (mixture of potato, flour, Parmesan, olive oil and seasoning) so you omit the mascarpone - this will bring down the fat and calorie content. Jamie Oliver's Meatball Sandwich with Pickled Cabbage US scientists from the Physicians" Committee for Responsible Medicine branded this a "heart attack" sandwich after it featured in Oliver's 30-Minute Meals book. It is said to contain twice as many calories as a McDonald's Big Mac. Calories per serving 967 kcal Sugars 9g Fat 49g Saturated fat 15g Salt 5g Claire says: "This contains 70 per cent of the daily limit for fat, 75 per cent of the daily limit for saturated fat and nearly the whole day's salt allowance. Opt for the leanest beef and use unsmoked, trimmed bacon; grate the cheese so less is used, which will reduce the salt. Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Featured on Nigellissima, Lawson's latest BBC Two show, this has come under fire for containing a hefty 7,000 calories. With 500g of cream cheese and 400g of Nutella, it's no wonder she says of the cake: "I don't know if I should apologise for this, or boast about it." Calories per serving 874 kcal Sugars 42g Fat 68g Saturated fat 31g Salt 1.3g Claire says: "Almost half the daily sugar limit, 100 per cent of the daily fat limit and 150 per cent of the daily saturated fat limit. There's not a lot you can do to make this healthier, other than reducing the portion size or using reduced fat cream cheese. Keep this as a treat. Gordon Ramsay's Shepherd Pie with Pan-Roasted Carrots This homely dish was pitted against David Blunkett's recipe (and won) in Ramsay's show The F Word. It contains a large glass of red wine, butter and Parmesan; the secret ingredient is Worcestershire sauce. Calories per serving 842 kcal Sugars 15g Fat 52g Saturated fat 22g Salt 2g Claire says: "This is well over the saturated fat limit and almost three-quarters of the fat limit. Use the leanest lamb mince; use less butter and Parmesan - a strong cheese will give flavour in small amounts; don't salt the vegetables - herbs like thyme and rosemary add flavour. Not very encouraging, is it? We may not eat them every day - but these chefs" recipes are definitely better saved for very special occasions. Claire Baseley is a registered nutritionist with 10 years" experience. Visit clairebaseley.co.uk