I've been around too long to be able to manage to go out partying in the evenings and work as well. I can't do both any more. I used to do a full day's filming and then hit the street, but after a 14-hour day I just feel my time is too precious. I like to be in bed by 11pm, even though I often indulge in a meal out by myself with a book. Restaurants and taxis are really my only extravagance - I don't do drugs or anything else that's expensive.

I love going to the Ivy, J Sheekey and the Wolseley - they are all just wonderful. I like places where you can dine on things like Arbroath smokies with eggs and colcannon [mashed potato with cabbage]. I also like places where the service is relaxed but efficient. When on location you tend to eat out a lot as a group. After a bit I find myself getting phobic about anything 'on a bed of'. I get to the stage of simply longing for an egg on toast: 'crushed new potatoes' marked a particularly low point in my relationship with menus.

The most precious time in the day is the first hour of the morning with a cup of tea, especially when I am filming. If I have a 5.30am call, then I like to get up at 4.30 for my tea and to read. Even four hours of uninterrupted novel reading isn't as special as that time. I don't really cook. I make a mean haricots blancs avec sauce des tomates, on toast with judicious use of Marmite. I like dessert to consist of hard Rowntree fruit gums out of the box. Or I might indulge in a Lion bar.

Catering on US film shoots is absolutely legendary. I remember having breakfast in the shadow of the Grand Canyon when we were filming Auf Weidersehen Pet with every breakfast food in the world emerging from huge trucks. Blueberry yoghurt, waffles, two kinds of bacon, Melba toast, any fresh fruit juice you could think of, eggs cooked every which way possible. It was phenomenal.

The food on Enduring Love and all of Roger Michell's sets is routinely served by these tall, enigmatic-looking girls offering you carrot and coriander soup or rocket salads. Their espresso machine was nearly the death of me. I like to drink large machiattos with sugar which have led to me giving rather wired performances. It's only when I feel unnerved by the part that I drink a lot of espresso. I've tried decaff, but it's a concept I find rather difficult to reconcile myself to.

Machiatto and sugar

In contrast to its quite unhealthy reputation, coffee is not strongly linked with an increased risk of heart disease and seems to have the capacity to protect against diabetes. It's not the beverage, but more the sugar that Bill adds to it, that I have issues with here.

Egg on toast

While I am not a fan of bread from a nutritional perspective, I do think eggs are unnecessarily maligned. Rich in vitamin D, monounsaturated fat and protein, studies suggest that eating the equivalent of about an egg a day is unlikely to increase the risk of heart disease.

Marmite

Marmite is made from a yeast waste generated by the brewing industry. While it is rich in some B vitamins, my preference would be to get these nutrients from more wholesome and less salty foods such as beans, lentils and nuts.

Lion bar

Confectionery such as this and fruit gums will generally cause blood sugar levels to sky-rocket and induce surges of insulin. Excesses of this hormone have been implicated in a range of health issues including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Tea

Tea contains polyphenols which have health- boosting effects, and appear to help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. While green tea is believed to be more potent than black, the evidence suggests that even black tea will aid Bill's preservation in the long term.

Arbroath smokies and colcannon

This is a 'white' fish, and relatively low in omega-3 fats - salmon, mackerel or kippers would be better. The potatoes in colcannon tend to release their sugar too rapidly into the bloodstream but are tempered by the onion and cabbage.

Baked beans on toast

Beans are an intrinsically nutritious food. Bread tends to release its sugar quite quickly into the bloodstream which is thought to increase the risk of weight gain, heart disease and diabetes. The added sugar and salt in the sauce will not help health matters, either.

Carrot and coriander soup

Carrots are rich in carotenoid (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene and lutein). Studies show that the absorption of these is enhanced by fat, which makes fried onions a good nutritious base for a soup of this type.

· Bill Nighy's new movie, The Constant Gardener, is released next month