Do you want to change the way you eat? The best way is to start with a fridge makeover

I have a theory that if I ate like my 14-month-old daughter, I would not only be gloriously slender but also incredibly healthy. Her diet is packed with organic foods, oily fish like sardines and tuna, and even unusual grains like quinoa and spelt.

But I don't eat like that. While I demand good food for my daughter, I'm more lax in what I choose for myself. As a result, my refrigerator is also crammed with Diet Coke, white flour tortillas and the occasional ready meal. The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt about the disparity.

The Nutrition Coach is an eating and well-being consultancy in London, with a service called 'Cupboard and Fridge "Detox"'. I decided to give them a call. A nutritionist visits your home and spends an hour snooping through your cupboards and poking through your fridge, then discusses how to make healthy choices that fit with your lifestyle.

The next Monday, Seki Tijani, a clinical nutritionist with the company, arrived to give my fridge a facelift. Most of the problems people have with their foods in their homes are fairly routine, she explains:

• Too much wheat, especially in the form of refined flour such as pasta and white bread - this can lead to lack of energy, digestive problems, immune system problems, among other things
• Too many refined foods, which have fewer nutrients
• Not enough fresh fruits and vegetables

It's a humbling moment to throw open your vegetable drawer and snack bowl to a health professional. I expected a lot of tut-tutting and head shaking. But Seki simply looked and noted, read labels and asked a few questions about how and when I shopped. She complimented me on keeping a fruit bowl - something we should all do to have fresh healthy snacks on hand. And she was agog at our stash of 50-plus spices and herbs - to add flavour to our diet.

She was even unperturbed at my shameful stash of comfort food for emergencies, such as processed cheese. She read the ingredients list, pointed out that the E-numbers and chemical components were not very healthy, then replaced the items on my shelf. (I think of this as a 12-step moment. No one else can rid me of my junk food - I must throw it out myself.)

After poking around the kitchen, Seki sat me down and explained what I was doing right, which motivated me, and what could be improved.

On the plus side, my fridge and kitchen didn't fare as badly as I thought they would. Positive points were:

• The green stuff. 'It's good to see fresh fruit and vegetables,' she says. 'You'd be surprised at how many people keep none in the house'
• The appearance of some organic produce
• A good variety of spices and seasonings

Where I (and, indeed, probably all of us) could improve, she said:

• Increase wholegrains in place of my refined carbohydrates. 'This is very important for balancing mood and energy, and important for fibre intake.'
• Increase my fresh fish intake, with white fish, tuna, salmon and seafoods, to eat the recommended two servings a week
• Expand my fruit selections to avoid boredom
• Include alternative grains in easy areas, like breakfast, such as quinoa porridge and wholegrain cereals in place of my sugary granola cereal, which can lead to poor energy and cravings

Seki also took into account how I eat and what I like. I tend to buy fruit, but not eat it, because I get bored with the bananas and apples that are easy to eat on the run and always on offer in the fruit section of the supermarket. She suggested frozen berries - 'a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants', available in the frozen section, and a welcome respite from my usual choices. Thirty seconds in the microwave and they're perfect for popping into yoghurt or mixing in with cereal.

The Nutrition Coach is also very big on organic food, which has fewer toxins and hormones and is often higher in nutrients, she says. Even if you don't want (or can't afford) to buy organic across your shopping list, she emphasized eating 'clean' sources of animal protein: fish without dyes, meat and dairy without hormones and drugs.

Additionally, along with a packet of information about organic food, alternatives to wheat and tips on choosing food, she provided a list of online organic food suppliers and informative websites. The list includes the high-street supermarkets that offer organics as well as other purveyors such as www.goodnessdirect.co.uk, which has free delivery across the UK, and several outfits that specialise in wheat- and gluten-free products.

Since my fridge makeover, I haven't totally foregone my occasional processed food splurge. But I now keep a bag of forest fruits in my freezer, eat only organic animal products and find myself craving healthy variety instead of the same old dishes every night. I don't think I eat as well as my baby yet, but I've gotten my pasta- and potato-loving husband to try quinoa - if that's not a transformation, I don't know what is.

The Cupboard and Fridge 'Detox' is offered in the London area (other areas by arrangement). It costs £129.99 for a 75-minute session. To book a session or find out more, visit www.thenutritioncoach.co.uk/ or call 0845 0502 442.

Details and prices are correct at time of publication