Does the sight of a Brussels sprout make you go 'urrgh' or the whiff of a sardine turn your stomach? If so, you're not alone. It's not only children who turn up their noses at certain foods, adults aren't  averse to this kind of behaviour either.
 
Unfortunately, many of the foods we love to hate provide us with the greatest benefits and avoiding them could mean you’re missing out on vital nutrients. However, just because a food doesn’t appeal to you in one form, doesn’t mean you won’t like it cooked another way. And you never know, you may find your taste buds actually like something you once swore would never pass your lips again.

Fruit is nature’s bounty. Packed with vitamins, naturally sweet, high in fibre and low in calories and something I always advise my clients to include in their diet. While the benefits of fresh fruit are readily acknowledged, dried fruit isn’t always viewed in the same light. However, dried fruit possesses the same nutritional benefits as fresh fruit and is just as healthy. Furthermore, the World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress has called for the benefits of dried fruits to be recognised as equal to fresh fruit in worldwide dietary guidelines.

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.