I discovered this recipe in the weekend magazine from the Daily Mail and thought it would be a good way of introducing a new vegetable to my family – the Jerusalem artichoke. Cauliflowers are a staple ingredient in my fridge, but I have to admit, I’d never knowingly eaten a Jerusalem artichoke, and wouldn’t know what to do with it if I bought one!

This is such a simple and quick recipe to make and it’s surprisingly filling. It makes a great Sunday night soup if you’re after something to fill everyone up but you don’t feel like spending ages preparing a meal. The cooking time is only 15-20 minutes with another 10 minutes for preparing the veg. Serve with slices of sourdough or rye bread if you’re really hungry.

Coleslaw is a dish that sounds really healthy but can be high in calories and fat, especially those that are sold with takeaways and in supermarkets. They often have lots of unwelcome ingredients such as thickeners and stabilisers.

But you can easily make a coleslaw yourself with simple fresh ingredients and a fraction of the calories.

Eating a balanced diet isn’t easy and often involves a fair amount of careful planning if you want to ensure you’re meeting your nutritional needs.

Unfortunately, no one food is that complete. But there are some which contain a greater nutrient makeup which are able to satisfy our nutritional requirements. These foods have a superior ‘nutritional fitness’ rating.

By including some of these foods in our diet every day, we are better able to meet our nutrient intakes for good health.

If you happen to be passing along the breakfast cereal aisle in any supermarket, you’re bound to have noticed the growing range of granola options.

Shop bought granola is often high in sugar and unhealthy fats. It’s also expensive. However, it’s really easy to make your own granola and pack it with the healthy ingredients you love. You can also cut the sugar content right down while increasing levels of healthy fats.
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This last couple of months have been a difficult time. Exactly three weeks to the day after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, my father passed away. This was a huge shock for my family and we're all coming to terms with what happened in our own way.