This episode is part of a monthly series where Joanne runs through some ideas to reduce food waste and save money by storing foods well and using them up effectively.

This episode is about root vegetables so there some ideas about how to store root veggies to make them last longer, and stop them going off. This includes how to store them in the kitchen, how to freeze them and how to dry them.

And then there are a few good ideas on how to use up leftover carrots, parsnips and beetroot either surplus from a recipe or coming out of the garden.

The episode includes our monthly Q&A with Kate Hall from The Full Freezer on how to freeze root vegetables and different ways to use them.

Links in this episode:

Kate’s Can I Freeze It? Video on baked potatoes: https://www.instagram.com/canifreezeit/reel/ClrFqiVoLqm/

Kate’s Can I Freeze It? Video on roast potatoes: https://www.instagram.com/canifreezeit/reel/CXn6pKqIz4C/

Kate's Can I Freeze It? video on new potatoes: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgCqOwNo0qp

Kate’s Can I Freeze It? Video on beetroot: https://www.instagram.com/canifreezeit/reel/CcYeEwbqVh7/

Kate’s Can I Freeze It? Video on parsnips: https://www.instagram.com/canifreezeit/reel/CXn1SJwIvFx/

Kate’s Can I Freeze It? Video on chopped carrots: https://www.instagram.com/p/CXoB213IVm9/

Kate’s reel on never wasting potatoes: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHVgrkGImXd/

Kate's website: https://www.thefullfreezer.com

Episode about adding extra veg to food with suggestions for root veg too: https://www.thefoodies.org/ffk42/

Links to recipe suggestions mentioned in the episode are in the shownotes at https://www.thefoodies.org/ffk70/

Music "Happy Days" by Simon Folwar via Uppbeat

Do you need to be caring about your child's gut microbiome?

At this time of year our feeds are filled with a lot of wellness adverts and one of the things you see a lot of adverts for is probiotic supplements, and intolerance and microbiome test kits. You might be thinking it’s hard enough just keeping everyone at the table happy and fed with the food you’re putting on the plate, so should you now be listening to these adverts and podcasts and news articles and worrying about your child’s gut microbiome? And if so, how on earth do you do anything about it?

So to help us out on today’s episode I am talking to Lucy Jackman who is a Specialist Paediatric gastroenterology Dietitian at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Lucy deals with all kinds of complex tummy and bowel issues but she also posts really helpful information about general principles that parents can use to help keep little guts healthy.

Lucy is a Specialist Paediatric gastroenterology Dietitian at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she leads the dietetic service for complex gastrointestinal (GI) allergy and motility disorders. She is also the Lead Dietitian for the NHS England-commissioned service for the diagnosis of paediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction (PIPO).

With extensive experience in managing children with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGID), motility disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Lucy is a key member of the British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (BSPGHAN) EoE working group. She has contributed to national and international guidelines and has authored multiple publications on EoE, EGID, pseudo-obstruction, and paediatric motility disorders.

Lucy is passionate about advancing clinical care through research and education, ensuring that dietetic interventions play a central role in optimising outcomes for children with complex GI conditions.

Links in this episode:

Lucy's website: https://www.thehappytummydietitian.com/

Lucy's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappytummydietitian

Music "Happy Days" by Simon Folwar via Uppbeat

This episode is full of suggestions for small ways that you can pack in a little extra goodness to foods that you already eat.

Over the last week we talked to Maeve Hanan about why we shouldn’t hyperfixate on the label or category that one individual food or one meal fits into, but instead we should zoom out to the overall picture of the variety and benefits of the foods we are eating across a week or a month of meals. And coming up we have an episode with a gastroenterology dietitian who will also talk about why diversity is good for our guts.

So between the two we are fitting in some ideas for how to increase that diversity and get some more wholefoods, fibre and nutrients into the kinds of meals that our children already accept. That way we can accept that in modern life we are going to eat some processed foods sometimes, but find small and practical ways to pack in lots of things our bodies need alongside or in between those foods to increase our diversity of plants and whole foods without becoming narrow or obsessive.

Joanne runs through some ideas of what to add to meals and snacks and some easy swaps to boost too. This will just be a list of some ideas to scribble on to a maybe list.

Links in this episode:

Vegan parmesan style topping: https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-vegan-parmesan-cheese/

Music "Happy Days" by Simon Folwar via Uppbeat