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This food news page has plenty of healthy ideas for those who’ve pledged to improve their diet or eat more vegetables this year. There’s also 20% off at Spicentice til the end of January. If one of your resolutions was to eat breakfast every day, you should check out www.shakeupyourwakeup.com for Farmhouse Breakfast Week. By Delia Online editor Jo Hill. 

Veg out!
Sometimes even the keenest of cooks find it hard to come up with inspiring ideas. If your New Year Resolution is to eat more vegetables then you may want to look at www.thinkvegetables.co.uk (and Delia’s wonderful veggie recipes, of course!). In addition to imaginative recipes, there’s masses of info about the nutritional content of veg, as well as details of various growers around the country, plus resources for schools. All in all, a very useful website for those who want to know more about green eating.

Try tilapia
If you shy away from fish due to bones, you’ll love tilapia, a freshwater fish originally from East Africa that has a firm flesh and good flavour. Also known as St Peter’s fish, it’s now being farmed successfully in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. You can find it at major branches of Morrisons, £7.99 per kg, which is usually two fish. If you fancy trying it, cook it using Delia’s lovely recipe or visit www.cookingtilapia.co.uk for more ideas.

Salt of the earth...
Seasoning food is essential, but most of us are now aware that too much salt can incur health risks. If you are keen to use salt, why not try low-sodium fleur du sel sea salt, which is hand-harvested from salt marshes off Noirmoutier in Brittany and therefore has a natural purity that you can never find in processed salt: even used sparingly it generates a lot of flavour. Real France also imports flavoured salts too, including Merlot Red Wine & Mixed Herbs, Seaweed and Oregano & Riesling. Find them at Borough Market or buy online at www.realfrance.co.uk

...and sweet stuff
Sugar is another food that gets a bad press, so I was delighted to discover Sweet Freedom, which is the only sweetener to have won a Great Taste Gold Award. The syrups – a natural sweetener which tastes just like sugar and a darker, richer natural syrup - are made from just apples, grapes and carob, have a low GL (Glycaemic Load) making them a good choice for diabetics, and 25% fewer calories than sugar. Use them as you’d use sugar: in tea or coffee, stirred into porridge, as a topping for pancakes and in baking. £2.99 for 300ml from Tesco, Waitrose (Free From shelf), Holland & Barrett and health food stores. Visit www.sweetfreedom.co.uk

A Better You for 2011
Many of us lack essential fatty acids in our diet, as well as nuts and seeds, so it’s gratifying to find that 100% natural, organic Total Nutrition powder from Better You contains all of these, plus every vitamin and mineral your body could possibly need - a good supplement for those who know their diet is lacking or who simply want a nutritional boost. It’s difficult to assess the efficacy of products like these but I dutifully stirred it into my juice or smoothie for a week and definitely felt more energetic and generally brighter as a result; £15.30 from www.betteryou.uk.com, Holland & Barratt and selected healthfood stores.

Rod and Ben’s
If you’re keen to eat more vegetables, try Rod and Ben’s as they’ve just launched two new organic food pots – Vegetable Balti and Three Bean Vegetable Chilli - both a little hot and spicy. Full of nutritious organic ingredients, including onions, leeks, carrots, celery and garlic from Rod and Ben’s organic farm in Devon, the new pots have been developed with the help of author and food expert Carole Handslip, and are low in salt, dairy free, wheat free and suitable for vegetarians. From south-west Morrison’s stores, delis, farm shops and by mail order from www.rodandbens.com Around £3 per 300g pot.

Ryvita renaissance!
I have to admit that I haven’t eaten Ryvita for years, as it seemed to taste of nothing more alluring than cardboard. The new generation of Ryvita crispbreads made in Britain from rye was, therefore, something of a revelation. Sweet Onion, Pumpkin Seeds & Oats and Fruit Crunch all hit the spot when those food cravings kick in but you’d rather avoid the chocolate biccies. Ryvita Thins, available in either Multiseed, Sweet Chilli or Cracked Black Pepper flavours, are also brilliant for those looking to turn over a healthy leaf this New Year. From £1.15 per pack at major supermarkets.

Qi balls?
No, not chi balls which are popular in yoga classes, but Qi balls from NOSH detox delivery (see below). These will certainly polarise people: the texture does take some getting used to as they’re quite soft, but these little snacks win gold stars in the healthy eating arena, made from fruit, nuts and seeds so a good source of omega 3 and 6, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, £5.95 (£6.94 inc p&p).

Detox heaven...
It’s good to detox after all that Christmas excess, so I tried the Weekend Detox from NOSH: a carefully devised programme of meals on the first day – spinach and lentil soup for lunch; Malaysian-style veggie casserole with brown rice for dinner – plus fresh smoothies. On days 2 and 3, you just have the juices (seen here), plus supplements such as bee pollen, hemp oil and aloe vera. They also supply bath salts and herbal teas – and you have to drink 3 litres of water per day. Undoubtedly you do crave chocolate or shepherd’s pie, but I stuck with it and was delighted to find that not only did I lose 1.5kg but felt totally revitalised. Find out more at www.noshdetoxdelivery.com

Spice to entice
Spicentice herb and spice kits are excellent: choose one of 16 kits of 100% natural herbs andn spices, then use the shopping list on the pack to source your ingredients for an authentic Indian dish. I loved the Bombay Potatoes, which had a real kick from the spices, and was an absolute doddle to make. There are also Kashmiri, Goan and Bengali favourites such as Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken Jalfrezi and Goan Prawn Curry. From £1.99 at major supermarkets, Ocado and www.spicentice.com – visit the site and you can enjoy a 20% discount until 31 Jan; just enter the code 'DSP20' at checkout.

New teas on the block from Charbrew...
There’s a host of specialist teas out there and one of the most vibrant ranges is from Charbrew whose teas and tisanes are made from quality ingredients and are packed with aroma and flavour. Try Tropical Rooibos, the highly unusual Strawberries & Cream, Black Tea with Sunflower Blossoms or the original blend of roasted almonds, pineapple, papaya and popcorn. It’s safe to say that these teas offer a halfway house between traditional black tea and herbal or fruit teas so are a great jumping off point for those who want to try something different. £2.99 from Lakeland and Booths.

It has to be olive oil!
Filippo Berio’s brilliant olive oil sprays, Extra Virgin or Mild & Light, can be used in all your cooking. Most low-calorie oil sprays contain added ingredients, but the great thing about this one is that it’s simply 100% olive oil and nothing else – no water, alcohol or emulsifiers – and comes in at just 2 calories per spray. I tried Filippo Berio spray against another leading brand and the difference in appearance, aroma and taste was marked. From £1.89 for 200ml from major supermarkets.

Smooth stirring
These new Stellar beechwood utensils would complement any style of kitchen, traditional or contemporary. Very smooth to the touch, they look elegant and stylish as well as being easy to clean, as food doesn’t get trapped in the grain of the wood. Made from European beech, the utensils are strong and can be used with non-stick cookware: the range has seven items, including wooden spoon, meat tenderiser and stylish salad server set, from £3.50. For stockists call 0117 940 0000.

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