There are plenty of reasons that the New Year is a good time to kick start a fresh take on eating, in my case it’s the relief after the copious amount of grub that was devoured over the festive period. In our house, just as life comes in waves, so to does our eating habits and after all that indulgence, stocking up on plenty of good greens, whole grains and pulses, is always a good idea. It’s less about a diet plan and more about a focus on food that just so happens to be good for you! There’s no need to jump on the bandwagon of whatever fad diet is doing the rounds and instead think of it as a little reboot after all that Christmas fun!

With the Christmas festivities well and truly done and dusted, I always feel the focus moves far too quickly towards dickying yourself up again to ring in the New Year. After the mad rush of shopping for presents, getting the tree sorted, the dinner to the table and tending to a festive hangover, the only thing I want to do when it comes to New Years is hibernate with some good food and family (particularly with a toddler and a newborn in our house)!

Christmas traditions are big in our house and they always begin with a spot of baking, way before the tree has been put up and particularly before all the chaos of festive outings begin. Yes, a moment of calm before the madness, mixing butter, spice and warmth, is the perfect antidote to any of the anxiety brought on by wrangling turkeys and untangling twinkly lights.