So, imagine applying a no-nonsense Haynes manual to food? Well, you’d probably end up with a book very similar to The Food Manual, your guide to nutrition and healthy eating.

The concept behind a manual on looking after your body through the food you eat is a very logical step. The act of eating is, after all, like filling the tank of an engine.

Indeed, the first chapter of manual, which explains the basic elements of food such as energy, protein and carbohydrates, is entitled the nuts and bolts of a healthy diet.

The book covers every element of eating – from the nutrients we need to foods we should not over-indulge in.

Packed with good information, there’s advice on allergies and foods that people in various stages of their lives should eat. Written by TV nutritionist Carina Norris, the manual contains a systematic approach dieting, information on how to shop on a budget and the traffic-light system used by various supermarkets. It even explains the meaning of a “portion” – a rather contentious issue for anybody who’s tried to diet. The manual explains the fat content of foods and features a very handy guide to E-numbers.

It's a very sensible book indeed. But that's just the problem. It reads like a hundred government public information leaflets stapled together – the kind that are left unread in doctors’ surgeries up and down the country.

It claims to help achieve good nutrition in the 21st century but its unappetising photographs and layout resemble school textbooks from yesteryear. The cover photography is particularly uninspiring, featuring a giant tomato and some bits of lettuce.

Reading the Food Manual feels a bit like being told off by a stern home economics teacher with a wagging finger.

In short, Haynes, which boasts 300 UK car and 130 plus UK motorcycle titles in print, should stick to publishing manuals on real engines – those of the metal variety.