Strawberry and Chocolate Oat Porridge

Although porridge is a very good choice for breakfast - slow-releasing carbohydrates, natural source of iron and zinc - the temptation is to add sugary syrups in order to liven it up. The addition of cocoa nibs to this

recipe adds both texture and flavour, as well as additional iron, potassium and zinc, while the strawberries add natural sweetness and vitamin C which will help you absorb more of the iron. As it is also delicious - win, win! I like to eat mine with a spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt, which will obviously not be suitable for those with FODMAPs intolerance and lactose intolerance.

Family verdict: Really tasty, and the cocoa nibs add a nutty texture (Me!).

Time needed: 10 minutes

Makes: One generous serving

INGREDIENTS

1 small cup of porridge oats
The same volume of milk (of choice) plus cold water
A pinch of salt
1 tbs cocoa nibs (approx - I put a large pinch in)
8-10 fresh strawberries (or the equivalent volume of frozen  berries if out of season)
Cacao powder for dusting (optional)
A large spoonful of Greek yoghurt (optional)


METHOD

1. Measure the porridge oats into the cup and pour them into a small pan.
2. Measure the same volume of milk, add it to the pan, then also add 1 and a half times the same volume of cold water.
3. Add the cocoa nibs and a small pinch of salt to the pan. Stir the mixture then begin to heat it over a moderate heat until the porridge starts to boil. 
4. Reduce the heat and leave it to simmer and thicken, stirring frequently. Frequent stirring makes for a creamier porridge. If the mixture becomes too thick then add more water,
5. Wash and slice the strawberries. Place them in a cereal bowl, reserving a few for the top.
6. When the porridge is ready (no more than 5 minutes simmering and probably less), add this to the bowl. Top with the remaining strawberries, cacao powder and Greek yoghurt (if using).
7. Enjoy with coffee and a good book, until disturbed by your children...

Raspberry Muffins

These muffins are a great way to take advantage of seasonal raspberries. We have had a busy few months and I am somewhat chuffed that my first baking invention for a while has turned out OK. (To our overnight

visitors who tried them while they were still warm - they taste much better when cool). The texture of this batch was slightly dense but the raspberries kept they colour and flavour.

I made this batch with normal self-raising flour as I wanted to experiment with the sugar. However, they would probably be OK with Spelt.

Family verdict:  I made 12 this morning. 2 went to visitors, the other 10 disappeared within a couple of hours. Need I say more? 'Very good' - Nora.

Time needed: 10 minutes to make + 20-25 minutes to bake.

Makes: 12

Ingredients:

4 tbs olive oil
75 ml lactose free milk
2 medium eggs
200g flour (I used self-raising)
3 small, ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla bean extract
40g Truvia (approx - see below)
75g raspberries - fresh or frozen

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 4. Line a 12 cup bun tray with paper cases.
2. Mix the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla bean extract in a bowl until blended.
3. Sift in the flour and combine well.
4. Add the mashed banana and combine. then stir in the raspberries. If you are using fresh they will slightly disintegrate, which is fine.
5. Taste a tiny amount of the mixture to test sweetness and add a Truvia until it tastes sufficiently sweet. This will depend on the ripeness of the fruit you have added. I added 40g.
6. When the mixture looks and tastes right, divide it between the paper cases.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. The muffins will rise slightly and will brown.
8. Leave to cool on a rack before watching them disappear!
9. 
   

Avoiding Sugar In Food: Just How Hard Does It Have To Be?

So,  I have just passed the 5 week mark of avoiding sugar in food. And yep,  if you've read any of my previous posts, I am happy to say that most of the changes and benefits previously described are still evident: improved skin,  brighter eyes, feeling less tired, a clearer mind. In fact, I could probably say that feeling consistently great has become my new 'normal'.  Yay me.

But I am starting to realise these benefits come at a price: I'm either going to have to find a lot more time to prepare food each day which I then have to transport to work, or I'll have to resign myself to eating a very limited diet during the week. Truth be told, there may be a good reason why the No Added Sugar way of eating is mainly promoted by celebrities.

Let me explain.  I started this blog when I was a couple of weeks into a self-devised No Added Sugar regime, brimming with energy and keen to share information about this and other diet related issues that have become part of our family's daily life. At the time I was having a short break between jobs, so had lots of time to read up on sugar and to experiment with recipes and ways of preparing meals without sugar. Cooking being the operative word - lots of egg based breakfasts and lunches - everything delicious.

Two weeks ago I started my new job. It is in London, which is a few hours' commute away. It's a great job but I now have an early start 3 days a week. I will sometimes have to work late and am not now at home for as many meals as before. Monday to Friday I now have breakfast and lunch away from home most days, sometimes also my evening meal. And I have discovered that it is hard to eat a variety of low sugar food when you're out and about.

Breakfast - I mainly have to take this myself so I can eat it on the train. There is absolutely no point in trying to pick something up at the station. The baguettes are made with refined flour, as are the pastries which contain added sugar as well. Chances are that the yoghurt-based breakfast contained sweetened yoghurt and/or granola, as does the porridge. This is true, even in 'healthy eating chains' such as Pret a Manager and Eat. So breakfast these days is either a no sugar peanut butter sandwich on Vogel's bread or a homemade yoghurt, frozen berry and chia seed mix left in the fridge overnight. The latter is tasty, but becomes plastic container #1 in my work bag.

Lunch - easier, because of the popularity of salads in sandwich shops. But I am amazed by how high in sugar some of these are. I thought at first that I was just not spotting the right things so spent some of my commuting time looking at the Eat and Pret websites. I discovered almost no veggie soups with less than 8g of sugar in a small serving. The same goes for salads, although M&S salads seem a bit better. Quite often, the lowest sugar option for a takeaway lunch will be a wrap.

So why is 8g of sugar my benchmark? Yet again I am limited by a lack of authoritative scientific advice on how much of which sugars we should be aiming for. But, if 4g = 1 teaspoon of sugar, and if we are meant to be consuming no more than 25g or 6 teaspoons a day - see this BBC news article -  then I don't really want 2 teaspoons to be used up on one part of lunch. Because, let's be honest, a small soup or salad is not really going to keep me happy by itself for that long...

Increasingly, therefore, I am taking a homemade salad or sandwich for my lunch. Plastic container #2. Oh, and a bottle of water for the train/tube. Plastic container #3. And a couple of pieces of fruit in a small bag. Plastic container #4. I honestly think I carried fewer plastic containers of food around with me when I had a couple of toddlers in tow. But this isn't the only drawback. I love food. I want to be able to eat a variety of things. There is real possibility that my weekday diet will become boring and limited, simply because I don't have the time and space in my commuting bag to mix things up more and because the supermarkets and sandwich chains are way behind the curve on the issue of sugar in food.

Most of us mere mortals don't have the time or resources of Davina McCall or Gwyneth Paltrow. Working parents have to work, give time to our kids, shop, cook and do chores without the assistance of a PA, au pair or nanny. Do we really have to factor in preparing all our own food from scratch in order to avoid poisoning ourselves with sugar? The supermarkets and and sandwich chains are really missing a trick here.

30 Minute Wholemeal Pizza and Spelt Pizza

This make from scratch pizza recipe can be ready to eat in as little as 30 minutes, depending on how you

Wholemeal Pizza

like your crusts. The dough doesn't have to rest for more than 5/10 minutes, unless you want to produce something more akin to a deep crust.

Although most recipes suggest using a strong flour of the bread making type, I have discovered that you can use any flour within reason. As an experiment yesterday I made one batch with strong brown flour and another with spelt flour as I wanted to see how easy it would be to make a low FODMAPs pizza (although Robbie, luckily, is OK with wheat these days). As can be seen from the pictures, both crusts looked the same and tasted pretty similar. The spelt crust was slightly drier and more dense in texture. However, it was absolutely delicious with a topping of tomato sauce, sliced mushroom, tuna and cheese.

Little known fact: teenage boys really like kneading dough. I say kneading - there is quite a lot of punching involved.

Family verdict:

Everyone: A universal hit. The spelt dough was different but no less popular. 'Slightly drier, still great dipped

Spelt Pizza

in mayonnaise'. Overall - 'Really, really good.'

Makes: 2 x 12 inch pizzas. (I made 2 quantities - one with each type of flour - therefore 4 x 12 inch pizzas).

Time needed: 7 minutes measuring and kneading; 5-10 minutes+ to rest; 10-15 minutes cooking.

INGREDIENTS:

300g flour (wholemeal/spelt/strong white or strong brown)

1 tsp fast acting dried yeast

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbs oiive oil + more for drizzling

200 ml warm tap water.

200g passata

1 tbs FODMAPs friendly pesto

Toppings of choice (those pictured are sweetcorn and Quorn bacon)

                                                              Grated cheese to top

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 200 C/gas mark 6. Oil 2 x 12 inch pizza trays or baking trays.
2. Put the flour, yeast, salt and olive oil in a bowl.
3. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. The mixture should form a sticky dough.
4. Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, The dough will gradually become smooth, silky and stretchy. Add more flour to the surface if the dough starts to stick.
5. Put the dough into a clean bowl. Cover with a tea towel or clingfilm and leave to rest in a warm place for 5-10 minutes. 
6. (If you would like a deeper crust, leave the dough to rise for longer. You can then give it a light knock, roll it out and then, if you like the crust very thick, leave it to rise slightly for a second time on the tray).
7. After the dough has rested/risen, divide it in two. Roll one half out to your required thickness/shape, according to whichever baking tray you are using. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
8. Mix the pesto into the passata and spread it onto the pizza bases using the back of a metal spoon.
9. Add the toppings of your choice. Season and then top each pizza with cheese.
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes, fairly high in the oven. I usually switch the pizzas over halfway through so that both pizzas have some of the time.
11. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with olive oil (basil infused olive oil is fantastic for this). 
12. Serve with a fresh mixed salad and whatever you like to dip your crusts into.

4 Weeks of No Added Sugar: So What's Different?

There have been quite a few changes in our family over the past month. They range from the significant - Meg has now officially left school, only returning for her last few A'level exams; Nora has been taking her GCSEs; Drew and I have both changed jobs  - to the relatively minor - Nora has started running in the mornings; Harry and Robbie are hanging out together a lot more, etc.

In the grand scheme of things, at a time when so many people in our local and global communities are facing so many challenges, a personal decision to stop consuming unnecessary sugar in food should come way down on the 'things of minor importance' scale. But...indulge me. Because the impact of such a small decision has been really surprising.

1. I feel very different. It is very hard to quantify or describe changes of this nature. Clearly it is a subjective change that sceptics would argue is the result of something akin to a placebo effect. But I feel much...better. Brighter. I have masses more energy. It's weird. My new job involves early starts, hours of commuting and a steep learning curve. But I feel great. Even though I felt tired when I woke up on Thursday and Friday, I have had no brain fog at all and absolutely no slumps in energy during the day. I am thinking clearly. My moods have been stable and I feel calmer. All true. The only other experience I can compare this change to is when I gave up smoking, many years ago - but this is much better. Try it. 
2. I look different. As previously mentioned, the tone of my skin has improved. It is warmer and brighter. I have, dare I say it, a glow. I haven't had time to use body lotion in the mornings but the skin on my body is soft, not dry. My eyes are brighter and my teeth/gums feel really...healthy. Overall, as Drew has mentioned, I look really well.
3. My palate has changed. The few sweet things I have tasted - a sip of a relatively low sugar drink for example - taste shockingly sweet. It is not a pleasant sensation at all. And I have absolutely no interest in confectionery - my eye now just skims over chocolate bars, cakes etc. in shops while I look for something I actually want to eat. I noticed last might that the automatic message from my brain at the end of meals ("Something sweet now please") has just...stopped. I don't feel deprived. I'm just not interested. I am eating a couple of portions of fruit a day which taste delicious but is mainly because fruit fits nicely into a packed lunch for the office. Unlike some of the celebrity advocates of no added sugar diets, I am not resorting to tactics such as brushing teeth early in the evening in order to avoid wanting to eat later. I don't need to.
4. My body shape is changing. Just to be clear, I haven't lost significant weight. (I have my personal theories as to why, to be the subject of another post). But my waist is leaner and my stomach remains resolutely without bloating throughout the day. I think (but have no way of knowing in the absence of weight loss) that I may be losing abdominal fat: there is certainly a reduction in 'muffin tops' with certain pairs of jeans. I feel trimmer. 
5. The kids have become much more sugar aware. I felt a little guilty about this at first - teenagers, (especially girls) and body image - but I am over that now. Nora (16) and Harry (nearly 13) were the sweetest toothed family members and they have both started to think and ask me about the sugar content of various processed foods. They are both still eating regular meals and snacks in between but they are making different, healthier food choices. For Harry in particular this is somewhat miraculous. He has started to replace snack foods with healthier options - nuts instead of crisps, for example. The message I am trying to give the kids is not avoid sugar in all forms but to try to make their consumption of it a choice. So choose to have a sweet pudding after dinner if that it what they like. But don't also choose to have sweet snacks and sugary drinks all day. I am also hoping that their overall sugar consumption will be down because of changes to the family shopping. Tesco, again, seems to be coming out on top when it comes to bread that has been made without sugar, no added sugar peanut butter and low sugar choices.

Drew and I have just had a chat about this post. He has just come back from a high energy bike ride and said, in effect, he is glad that No Added Sugar is working so well for me but that "he doesn't need to do it". Drew is indeed super slim and fit at present, with a big bike ride planned for next weekend. But, as I have suggested to him, he may be missing the point. Reducing sugar intake isn't just about weight control. The changes I have noticed are, for me personally, powerful support for the hypothesis that the sugar I was previously consuming may have been a toxin, now removed from my system.

Honey Baked Flapjacks

This fruit, nut, coconut and honey combination works well and is a good alternative if you want to bake without using refined sugars.The results aren't as greasy as traditional flapjacks can be and they certainly

disappear from the kitchen as quickly as usual! This mixture doesn't seem to compress down as much when I put it in the pan.

Family verdict:
Harry & Robbie: 'Very good. Thicker than usual. A bit crumbly.'

Time needed: 10 minutes preparation + 20 minutes baking.

Makes: 16 small or 8 large flapjacks

INGREDIENTS

400g porridge oats
200g butter
250g runny honey
150g dried fruit
70g walnut pieces
30g coconut flakes, chopped, or unsweetened, dried coconut.

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 170 C/gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm square or similar sized baking tin thoroughly.
2. Put the butter and honey into a small saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Stir until both are well combined.
3. Break the walnut pieces into smallish pieces.( I usually put the nuts in a plastic bag and bash then a few times with the end of a small rolling pin).
4. Combine the oats, dried fruit, coconut and walnuts into a large bowl. Add the butter and honey mixture and stir until well combined.
5. Put the flapjack mixture into the baking tine and smooth it out, pressing it down with the back of a metal spoon.
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, depending upon the oven you are using. The top of the flapjacks should brown but not burn.
7. Remove from the oven and, using a sharp knife, score the cooked mixture into the desired number of flapjacks. Leave in the tine to cool completely.
8. When the flapjacks are cold, cut along the scored lines again and remove the flapjacks from the tin. They will keep for several days in an airtight tine, assuming they last that long!

Sweetcorn and Carrot Chowder - low FODMAP

I try to adapt recipes so that I can give Robbie something similar to the rest of the family - that way he doesn't feel too 'different'. This is a low FODMAPs version of my Sweetcorn Chowder. Robbie really likes

it- he ate 3 helpings when I made the batch in the picture! It tastes quite different but goes just as well with a sliced baguette and cheddar. Because this soup is naturally sweet from the carrots and sweetcorn it is also goes down well with fussy eaters

Family verdict:
Robbie: 'Delicious. Tastes really good and it is easy to eat.'

Time needed: 5 mins preparation + 20 minutes to cook.

FEEDS: 2 people

INGREDIENTS:

35g lactose free margarine

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into small chunks

1 large potato, peeled and chopped into small chunks

1/4 tsp dried dill

250g frozen sweetcorn

400ml boiling water

100ml lactose free milk

METHOD

1. Put the margarine, potato, carrot and dill in a saucepan. Cook over a low heat with the lid on for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the lid, season well and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
3. Add the sweetcorn, reserving a few tablespoons. Mix the added sweetcron in with the potatoes and carrots then add the boiling water and the lactose free milk.
4. Bring the soup to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for around 15-20 minutes, until the carrot and potato are well cooked. While the soup is simmering, cook the reserved sweetcorn according to instructions and put this to one side.
5. When the vegetables are cooked, remove the soup from the heat and blend it using a hand blender until you reach your preferred consistency. Taste, season as required and then stir in the reserved sweetcorn.
6. Serve with accompaniments of your choice - bread and cheese; toasted seeds; oil of choice to drizzle, etc.

Spelt and Apple Scones

I came up with this recipe very recently after Nora asked me to make something healthy she could snack on

while revising for exams. The resulting scones are only slightly sweet and are best spread with butter or margarine and topped with either jam or slices of cheese. The ones I tried with cheese tasted really good.

Family verdict: 
Me: 'Really lovely with cheese or peanut butter.'
Harry: 'Good. Better with jam.'

Makes: Around 18 scones.

Time needed: About 15 minutes preparation (grating apples takes time) + 20 minutes to cook.

INGREDIENTS:
300g spelt flour
1 tbs baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g ground almonds
100g coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
3 eating apples

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 175 C/gas mark 4. Lightly oil a bun tin (or do what I did and use paper cake cases in a bun tray).
2. Grate the apples down to the core, retaining any juice/liquid which you produce.
3. Whisk the eggs for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
4. Sift the spelt flour into a bowl. Add the baking powder, cinnamon and almonds. Mix well then add the egg, grated apple with juice and the melted coconut oil.
5. Combine all of the ingredients very thoroughly. The mix you should end up with should be of soft dropping consistency. (It tastes similar to bircher muesli!).
6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. The scones should rise slightly and brown.
7. When cooked, leave to cool on a wire rack. When they are completely cool, cut in two, spread with butter and your topping of choice and enjoy!

Sweetcorn Chowder

This hearty chowder is rich and extremely filling. It is a family favourite which smells delicious. Harry, our resident fussy eater, hugged me this evening when he realised what I was making. Even Nora, who doesn't like soup, will eat a bowl of this.

We eat it with toasted seeds sprinkled on top, accompanied by slices of baguette and cheddar. The one pictured I made lactose free to suit Meg but this recipe works just as well with normal cow's milk. I make a different, low FODMAP chowder for Robbie.

Family Verdict:
Meg: 'Delicious. Filling with a good balance of flavours.'
Harry: 'It's sweetcorn soup; so delicious it's an adjective in its own right.'

FEEDS: 5-6 hungry people. It is very filling.

Time: 5 minutes preparation + 25-30 minutes to cook.

INGREDIENTS:

100g margarine (lactose free if required)
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 -1/2 tsp dried dill
5 medium to large potatoes, peeled and chopped into smallish chunks
700g frozen sweetcorn
1200ml boiling water
250ml milk (lactose free if required)

METHOD:

1. Melt the margarine in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic, potato and dill and cook over a low heat with the lid on for around 10 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes to prevent burning.
2. Remove the lid. Season and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally.
3. Add all of the frozen sweetcorn except approximately half a mug full. Stir the vegetables together then add the boiling water and the milk. Bring the soup to the boil then reduce the heat, allowing it to simmer for around 10 minutes. Ensure that the potatoes are thoroughly cooked.
4. While the soup is simmering, cook the reserved sweetcorn in a separate pan according to the manufacturer's instructions. Set it to one side.
5. Once the potatoes are cooked and starting to disintegrate, remove the soup from the heat. Using a hand blender, blend the soup still in the pan until you reach your preferred consistency. It normally gets very thick. Taste and season. Stir in the reserved, cooked sweetcorn. 
6. Serve with accompaniments of your choice - bread and cheese; toasted seeds; oil of choice to drizzle, etc.

Best way yet of getting a 12 year-old boy to eat an apple...

Tea & Fruit Cake

I have been using this fruit cake recipe for so many years that I long ago stopped weighing the ingredients. Instead I have a particular mug (which my sister gave me 30+ years ago) and a bowl into which I measure the ingredients.

I know that may sound strange but it works beautifully and it also means you just need to pack the mug, the bowl and a cake tin to be able to make the cake away from home. The mug I use holds 250ml of water and the bowl holds 1 pint.

It is a very, very easy recipe. The texture of the cake varies depending on the flour used and how long the fruit has soaked. I made the cake pictured using spelt flour so only left the fruit soaking for about 6 hours.  The remaining tea which hadn't been absorbed helped to keep the cake moist.

MAKES: A 2 lb fruit cake - around 10-12 slices.

Time needed: 6-18 hours to soak the fruit + 1 hour (approximately) to bake.

Family verdict:
Drew: 'Love it. Perfect with a cup of tea. You can make it as many times as you want!'
Harry: 'Delicious.'
Robbie: 'Phenomenal.'

INGREDIENTS 

1 pint bowl filled to the top with dried fruit
1 teabag + boiling water
2 mugs of spelt or any other flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 mug of unrefined brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg

METHOD

1. Boil the kettle. Put the tea bag in the bottom of the 1 pint bowl. Fill the bowl up to the top with dried fruit and pour the boiling water on top, covering the all of the fruit if you can.
2. Leave the fruit to soak for at least 6 hours. Overnight works well, but probably best not to leave it for more than around 18 hours.
3. Heat the oven to 150 C/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 2 lb cake tin, either a loaf tin or a round cake tin.
4. Measure 2 mugs of flour into a mixing bowl. Add 1 mug of sugar, 1 tbs baking powder, 1/2 tsp ginger and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Tip the fruit and any remaining tea (but not the tea bag!) on top. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
5. Break the egg into a cup. Beat lightly with a fork then add to the other ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
6. Tip the cake mix into the baking tin. Bake in the bottom half of the oven for at least an hour. The exact cooking time will depend on a number of factors, including the ingredients you have chosen and your oven's temperament. Be warned: the aroma of this baking will make everyone in the house feel hungry!
7. To test whether the cake is cooked, insert a thin skewer into the middle. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. If it has a lot of sticky cake mix on it, the cake needs longer.
8. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin and then run a knife around the edges before turning the cake out. It should keep for quite a few days wrapped in foil and/or in an airtight tin. However, it generally doesn't hang around for too long.

Dreaming of Marmalade - 3 Weeks of No Added Sugar

So, at the end of today it will be 3 weeks since I switched to a 'no added sugar' way of eating. Actually, it's probably more like 19 days since my initial decision was to try only eating savoury things for a few days, taken after an annoying lunchtime trying to find something appealing in a supermarket 'free from' range which wasn't sweet, i.e. not a cake, biscuit, muesli bar.

I was at the time yet again avoiding wheat in order to eliminate bloating. (By bloating I mean starting the day wearing a trouser suit which is comfortably loose at the waist and ending it looking 4 months pregnant and wishing I could undo my trouser button when I sit down). Unfortunately sugar in any quantity has always left me feeling 'off' and itchy skinned and I had rapidly become fed up with reaching for something sweet - even for fruit - when my concentration started to drop mid afternoon. Enough was enough. Time to step away from the sugar.

That weekend, after watching Dr Robert Lustig's lecture Sugar; the Bitter Truth then reading the labels of various foods in our cupboard, I realised that obviously sweetened food was only part of my issue. I had stumbled across the growing groundswell of opinion that life without sugar is better all round. However, if I wanted to enjoy all of the possible benefits, I would have to go further.

Unfortunately the currently best selling books and popular websites devoted to giving up sugar are not entirely consistent. Some seem to be advocating a diet containing almost no complex carbohydrates, relying instead on fresh vegetables, full fat protein, a bit of fruit and the odd super-grain. One website waxed lyrical about how much healthier and happier the author felt without sugar - but also said that she now rarely went out out to dinner with friends, in order to avoid complications. Meh. For me, a vaguely  foodie vegetarian and mother of growing kids, that does not sound like the recipe for a happy life.

So, having read quite a bit and mulled it over for a while, by the end of that weekend I have devised the following rules for my personal no added sugar way of eating:

1. No processed, refined carbohydrates - i.e. no white flour, white pasta, etc.
2. Lots of wholegrains, provided they aren't in a product to which sugar has been added. (I have discovered that this is particularly an issue with bread)
3. No sweets or chocolate unless I have made them myself. (As if; I haven't had time yet!).
4. Lots of vegetables, fish, cheese, dairy, eggs, quorn, oils, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc.
5. No food to which a sugar has been added. This covers a lot of store cupboard foods, including savoury foods such as some crisps, stock cubes, etc. And marmalade...
6. No fruit juice (which is very high in fructose but without fruit's natural fibre).
7. OK in moderation - fruit, coconut products and other foods which naturally contain sugar, provided they don't come with (1). I am eating 2-3 portions of fruit a day.
8. No cakes, muffins, etc. unless it has only been sweetened with fruit or coconut oil.

It sounds quite complicated written it out but, actually, it is quite straight forward. If a food isn't in it's natural state, I ask myself whether sugar has been added to it. If it has, I don't eat it.

I'm not sure how sustainable this is. I have never been one for diets and, at the moment, I do feel slightly deprived. Mainly of something sweet on toast in the morning. Much as I enjoy eggs, Marmite, no added sugar nut butters and cheese, I actually dreamt about marmalade a few days ago, Not good.

But the last 3 weeks have also brought benefits. My experience to date:

1. Everything the no sugar advocates say about having more energy is true. I have lots more energy. I am waking up before the alarm some mornings.
2. My head seems a little clearer (although that could be down to being on a short break between jobs!).
3. My skin has improved. Drew says it looks healthier. I think my skin tone is better and it feels softer.
4. The white of my eyes are much brighter. (I have no idea why).
5. My cheekbones have come back. I wasn't exactly moon faced previously but my face has better contours.
6. My teeth feel stronger. It's weird. I find myself snapping them in the manner of a dog or something after brushing.
7. No bloating. At all. I wake up and go to bed with a stomach which may not have a 6 pack above it but is certainly not sticking out.
8. I have lost about 3-4 lbs in weight. A word of caution on this one: I have been monitoring this and it has been fluctuating quite a bit but the general trend down.
9. I look and feel trimmer. My clothes are fitting me better. (Without wishing to tempt fate, I think my repeat caesarean  'flap' may finally, after all these years, be diminishing...)
10. My palate has changed. I am much more sensitive to sweet things. I had a tiny lick of a not particularly sweet cake mixture the other day and the sweet taste felt so intense it was almost a burning sensation.

I still don't know if living a no added sugar life is something I will be able to do long term. I don't want to become a person who doesn't go out for meals with friends. I don't want to feel deprived. I want to be able to eat some of the cakes and puddings I make for the family. I certainly don't want to dream about marmalade. I love food and I love cooking. But, for now, I am keeping an open mind.

Quorn Fillets with Fennel Seed Veg and Noodles

This was tonight's 'Please can we eat really quickly' invention. It took 20 minutes start to finish and was

pretty tasty, though I say so myself.



I used noodles containing wheat as Robbie is now OK with wheat but other low FODMAPs people may need to use rice noodles instead. Also I simmered the Quorn fillets in half a stock cube, which listed onion as one of its last ingredients. This is a calculated gamble as this small amount of stock was used to flavour the fillets only and was then discarded. I am hoping that the amount of onion that actually made it on to Robbie's plate was so minuscule as to have no impact. I will let you know if not! To play it really safe I could have used a 'stock' made from an onion and garlic free yeast extract but this would have tasted quite different.


MAKES: 4 generous portions

Time taken: 5+ minutes preparation and 10-15 to cook

Family verdict: 
Nora: 'Nice. It's got that thing in it, corriander...?'
Everyone preferred this with soy sauce, but sadly that is how my lot like their noodles.

INGREDIENTS

6 Quorn fillets
1/2 stock cube
1 tbs sesame or olive oil
5  carrots
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
150g green beans (approximately)
2 baby corn. (They were left in the fridge, You could add more!)
2 spring onions (scallions) - green tops only, chopped
A handful of whole almonds
5 noodle nests (or the equivalent in rice noodles)

METHOD

1. Peel, wash and slice the carrot. Wash the green beans, chop off the ends, then cut each bean into 2 or 3 pieces. Slice the baby corn.
2. Make enough stock with the 1/2 stock cube to cover the Quorn fillets in a saucepan. Bring to this to the boil and then allow the fillets to simmer a few minutes. They should cook quickly. Turn off the heat but leave the fillets sitting in the stock to keep warm and to absorb more flavour.
3. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Add the sliced carrot and fennel seeds and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently. When the carrots begin to soften, add the green beans and baby corn. Continue to stir frequently.
4. Meanwhile begin to prepare the noodles according to the instructions. Try to time it so that the noodles will finish cooking at the same time as the vegetables.
5. Add the almonds to the vegetable pan and continue to stir fry. Take the fillets out of the stock and cut them into strips.
6. Add the spring onion/scallion tips to the stir fry mix for the last minute (once the other vegetables have browned). Stir these every few seconds as they burn quite easily. Taste, season and then turn off the heat.
7. Drain the noodles and place in a serving dish, lightly tossed in a little oil. Add the stir fried nuts and vegetables, put the sliced Quorn fillets on top and lightly combine all three. Serve immediately.

Sunday Night Soup.

On Sunday evenings the kids like to have what my parents called High Tea and what they like to call 'A bit of each' - crumpets, fresh fruit and a slice of cake, washed down with a milkshake.

Most weeks Drew and I opt for a 'bit of each' broth. I try to remember to start cooking it between lunch and tea, while doing the normal getting ready for school things. If things go to plan I can cook it, leave it to cool and then reheat when we have time to sit down together to eat.

There are no set ingredients for Sunday Night Soup. It is generally based upon a time saving pack of pre-prepared vegetables picked up the previous day, supplemented with veg from the fridge and with bits and pieces from the store cupboard. These normally include a grain, which makes the broth seem more substantial.

Family verdict:

Drew: 'Wholesome and spicy.'

FEEDS 4 hungry people

Time needed: 20 minutes to prepare plus 40 minutes+ to cook

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2tbs olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4tsp dried chillies or to taste (optional)
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 largish mushrooms, wiped and chopped
350g pack pre-prepared sweet potato and butternut squash (or any other suitable vegetables)
125g grain such as farro dicocco (italian spelt) or quinoa
400g tin flageolet beans (optional)
2tbs tomato purée
500ml vegetable stock (approximate measurement. The stock needs to more than cover the other ingredients)
Freshly milled salt and pepper
Grated hard cheese to serve (optional)

METHOD

1. If your grain of choice requires pre-cooking (e.g. boiling for 10 minutes), do this first so that it is ready to be added to the soup.
2. Heat the oil in a well sized soup or stew pan. Add the onions, garlic, chillies and all of the vegetables and cook over a moderate heat, stirring frequently.
3. After approximately 5-10 minutes, add the stock, flageolet beans, tomato purée and grain of choice. The liquid from the stock should cover the rest of the ingredients and this may depend upon the size and shape of the pan. If necessary add more hot water.
4. Stir well and increase the heat until the broth starts to boil.
5. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Season with a light hand and leave to cook slowly for at least half an hour, preferably a little longer.  Keep the heat low to avoid the vegetables being cooked into a mush.
6. Stir the soup and check liquid levels regularly while the broth simmers, adding more hot water as required. Over time the vegetables and grains will soften and the broth will naturally thicken.
7. Remove from the heat once cooked, taste and season if necessary. Serve with fresh bread and topped with grated cheese (optional).

Sweetcorn and Veggie Hot Dog Risotto

This is an alternative to my Creamy Mushroom Risotto recipe and is designed to fit in with Robbie's low FODMAPS and Harry's general fussiness about vegetables.

Quorn Hot Dogs are the only veggie sausages I have found to date which appear to be FODMAPs friendly - i.e. no onion or garlic in the ingredients list. If they do contain either of these, the amount is so low as to avoid a reaction for Robbie.

The end result is creamy and there is rarely any left at the end of the meal. As with the Mushroom recipe, we will often make a variation on this based upon whatever vegetables are left in the fridge. It can be a challenge to make robust flavours without using onion and garlic. One alternative is to make 'stock' out of Marmite and hot water, depending of course on the other ingredients.

Family Verdict:

Robbie: 'Good. It was thick and the sausages were perfectly cooked.'(!)
Harry: 'Really delicious. I really, really liked it.'

FEEDS: 2 people, allowing for seconds!

Time needed: 5-10 minutes preparation plus around 15- 20 minutes to cook

INGREDIENTS

100-150g arborio rice
4 frozen Quorn hotdogs

250g frozen sweetcorn (approximately)

1tbs garlic infused olive oil

1/2tsp dried dill (optional)

400ml 'stock' made from low FODMAP friendly pesto (approximately) plus addtional boiling water if required

100ml lactose free milk (approximately). Lactose free cow's milk works best in terms of flavour.

Grated cheddar to taste (I tend to use maybe 75g. The boys both like cheese a lot)

Chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)

Toasted mixed seeds (optional)

Freshly ground salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Defrost the hot dogs in the microwave and slice them. Make the pesto 'stock' by mixing a large tablespoon of a low FODMAP pesto with boiling water. (Scala dairy free pesto works for us as Robbie is fine with cashew nuts).
2. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan or a saucepan. Add the sweetcorn and dill and cook over a low heat until the sweetcorn starts to soften. Add the sliced hot dog and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping an eye on the pan to make sure that nothing burns.
3. Add the arborio rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the rice begins to turn transparent.
4. Add approximately 1/4 of the pesto 'stock'. The first time you add any liquid to the rice there will probably be some impressive hissing and steaming. Stir everything together to ensure that the liquid is evenly distributed.
5. The plan now is to let the rice mixture absorb almost all of the added liquid before you add any more, but without letting everything get too dry or sticking. The rice will gradually soften while it absorbs the flavours from the pesto and the sweetcorn. Stir fairly frequently to ensure even cooking and to check whether you need to add more liquid.
6. Continue to add more pesto 'stock' each time the liquid has nearly disappeared. If you run out of before the rice is nearly ready then you can use boiling water instead. Taste frequently and adjust the seasoning as required but with quite a light hand at this stage. Use the intervals between adding liquid and stirring to prepare the salad or accompanying vegetables.
7. When you think you are probably about to add liquid for the last time (i.e. when the rice is almost cooked) add the lactose free milk rather than more stock/water. Stir this in, allow everything to cook for another minute or two then turn off the heat. The rice will continue to cook for a while in the residual heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Taste the dish again and adjust the seasoning if required.
8. Serve topped with toasted seeds and/or chopped parsley, accompanied by either mixed salad or vegetables.

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

I break some cardinal cooking rules in this recipe - adding dairy to a risotto before it is cooked, for example - but the result is really creamy and full of flavour. 

Risotto is one of our family's store cupboard dishes. Towards the end of the week we often use the same basic recipe to make a mixed vegetable risotto out of whatever we have left in the fridge. Not every vegetable works! It is, however, an easy dish to adjust according to the taste and dietary restrictions of whoever is eating. If you use vegetables that have quite a strong flavour, you can sometimes get away with using boiled water instead of stock provided you remember to check and adjust the seasoning as you go. I have also posted a recipe for a low FODMAP variation which I use for Robbie and for Harry who won't eat mushrooms, or peppers, or visible onions, or...

This mushroom version goes very well with a mixed salad. Serving it topped toasted seeds to add contrasting flavour and texture.

Family Verdict:

Drew: 'Delicious and filling.'

Meg: 'Scrummy.'

FEEDS: 3-4 people

Time needed: 5-10 minutes preparation plus around 15- 20 minutes to cook

INGREDIENTS

350-400g arborio rice
200g closed cup mushrooms

1 small red onion

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic

1tbs olive oil

1/2tsp cumin seeds (optional)

500ml stock (approximately) plus addtional boiling water if required

150ml lactose free milk (approximately). Lactose free cow's milk works best in terms of flavour.

Grated cheddar to taste (I tend to use maybe 150g. Most of us like this dish quite cheesey)

Chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)

Toasted mixed seeds (optional)

Freshly ground salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Slice the onions, wipe and slice the mushrooms and prepare the garlic for crushing/pressing. Make the stock.
2. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan or a saucepan. Add the onion and cumin seeds (if using) and cook over a low heat until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping an eye on the pan to make sure that nothing burns.
3. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring as necessary to ensure they are coated in the oil/onion/garlic/cumin mix. 
4. When the mushrooms start to cook, add the arborio rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently to avoid anything burning and/or sticking. After a few minutes the rice will begin to turn transparent.
5. Add approximately 1/4 of the stock. The first time you add any liquid to the rice there will probably be some impressive hissing and steaming. Stir everything together to ensure that the liquid is evenly distributed.
6. The plan now is to let the rice mixture absorb almost all of the added liquid before you add any more, but without letting everything get too dry or sticking. The rice will gradually soften while it absorbs the flavours of the stock and/or of the vegetables. Stir fairly frequently to ensure even cooking and in order check whether it needs more liquid.
7. Continue to add more stock each time the liquid has nearly disappeared. If you run out of stock before the rice is nearly ready then you can use boiling water instead. Taste frequently and adjust the seasoning as required but with quite a light hand if you still have stock to add. Use the intervals between adding liquid and stirring to prepare the salad or accompanying vegetables.
8. When you think you are probably about to add liquid for the last time (i.e. when the rice is almost cooked) add the lactose free milk rather than more stock/water. Stir this in, allow everything to cook for another minute or two then turn off the heat. The rice will continue to cook for a while in the residual heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Taste the dish again and adjust the seasoning if required.
9. Serve topped with toasted seeds and/or chopped parsley, accompanied by either mixed salad or vegetables.

Reducing sugar for kids. Great idea, but...

There is an interesting article on the BBC website today about Tesco's plans to reduce the amount of sugar they put in their soft drinks. (See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32849878).

As previously stated, I am newly arrived at the no added sugar bandwagon; in fact, I am not yet fully aboard. I am not yet confident that I will be able to maintain a no added sugar regime without a significant number of indulgences. Surprisingly enough, I haven't tried this before. I wasn't actually aware of the celebrity-endorsed, no added sugar media groundswell until 2 weeks ago when I decided to change the balance of sweet to savoury I was eating during my average working day. The motivation for this decision may be the subject of a later post but was sadly not the result being on trend.

Having made it, it took no time at all to stumble across the online canon devoted to why we should avoid consuming sugar. Unfortunately not all of the 'what to avoid' advice is consistent so to some extent I am now improvising my own no added sugar regime. I have noticed several positives (sleeping better; whites of eyes brighter) and only a few negatives (a bit hungrier). Yay me. But how far should I be inflicting this sugar free experiment on the rest of my family?

We all know that sugar is bad for us but we eat it anyway. Even brown rice types like me, who probably wouldn't eat a bag Haribos even for cash, (it's the smell), happily churn out trays of flapjacks and muffins for our kids to snack on and bake endless fairy cakes for school fundraising activities. And don't even get me started on chocolate. I am not sure I actually know any adult females who are completely immune to the siren call of chocolate, ever. But until now I have persuaded myself that, provided the kids only have sugary treats a couple of times a week, the amount they have is not too bad for them. All things in moderation, yes?

Of course, this reasoning falls apart when the kids in question start secondary school. Trust me, all of the carefully structured mealtime conversations about 'good foods' and 'bad foods' fly out of the window when they slip the yoke of parental dietary control and taste the freedom of choosing if and what to eat between meals.  The average teenager revels in unfettered access to sugar. Biscuits, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks; the cheaper the better. Pound shops are the retail outlets of choice for a Year 8 with a some change in their pocket.

For two of our older three children this has thankfully only been a phase. The jury is still out on Harry, not yet 13. His teenage sweet tooth has been more pronounced than either of his sisters were. Is it a boy thing? Every sleepover Harry has been to in the past year has involved smuggled energy drinks, packets of biscuits and bags of Doritos. As the mum of one of his friends puts it, sugar is their drug of choice.

I asked our girls this evening how old they were when they stopped eating too much sugar. They couldn't remember but both said they had stopped when they realised the sugar was making them feel awful. They also said that a lot of their friends (now aged 16 and 18) still eat loads of sugary food every day. As for Harry, he has made a noticeable effort in the past couple of weeks to eat more healthily. I wouldn't say that his sweet tooth is going but he is making an increasing number of healthy choices. Me talking about sugar a lot may have had something to do with this.

Sorry everyone. But I have been dismayed by how much of the food in our cupboard I am having to avoid or replace because of added sugar. Most breads. Mayonnaise. Most crisps. Stock cubes. Stock cubes? Reducing our children's sugar intake is going to take a lot more than buying a tub of stevia.

Banana and Blueberry Muffins

Banana and Blueberry Muffins

I try to bake for the family a couple of times a week. If nothing else, the aroma is a good way of tempting teenagers out of their bedrooms and into the kitchen.

In my experience, you can mess about in cake recipes with either the sugar or the flour but not both. These muffins are a good compromise. They get their sweetness from the bananas, blueberries and coconut oil but I made half of the batch pictured (purple cases) from spelt flour and the rest (green cases) from half spelt, half normal self raising flour. Both varieties were moist, with blueberries that burst in the mouth.

Family verdict: 
Harry: 'Delicious.'
Nora: 'Maybe not that sweet but still lovely'.
Robbie: 'The purple ones are thicker and the green ones have more holes in them.'

MAKES: 10-12

Time needed: 10 - 15 minutes to make plus 15-20 minutes to bake, depending on which flour is used.

INGREDIENTS

125g spelt flour (or half spelt, half self raising)
1.5tsp baking powder (1tsp if using the half and half flour)
1tsp ground cinnamon
50g melted coconut oil (takes about 30 seconds in a microwave)
2tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
3 ripe bananas
80g fresh blueberries

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 175 C (gas mark 4). Place 10-12 paper muffin cases in a cup bun tray.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the baking powder and cinnamon.
3. Mash the bananas. Add the egg, melted coconut oil and vanilla essence to the bananas and beat until smooth and creamy. This takes a couple of minutes with an electric whisk.
4. Add the banana mixture and the blueberries to the dry ingredients. Mix with a metal spoon until well combined. The resulting mixture should be light and of 'soft dropping consistency' (i.e. if you scoop up a spoonful and tilt the spoon over the bowl, the mixture should fall off with a soft 'plop!).
5. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for 15-20 minutes. Denser flours such as spelt tend to take longer to bake. The cakes are cooked when they are lightly browned and slightly firm to the touch.
6. Remove the muffins from the bun tray and leave them to cool on a wire rack. The muffins may sink slightly while cooling.
7. Enjoy the interaction with your children as they hopefully follow their noses to the kitchen.

Post Script on the Spiritual Home of Spelt

Interestingly, having written yesterday about supermarkets and their free from ranges, today I walked over to Waitrose to buy some self raising wholemeal flour for a muffin recipe I am about to post.

The range of flour on offer spoke volumes about the Waitrose target customer. In this particular store the flour is stocked next to the 'free from' range. It took up almost as much shelf space and included more varieties of 'strong' or 'bread making' flour than all the other types of flour put together. There was a single alternative for each of plain and self raising white and then a few non-white flours including, naturally, a choice of spelt flour. One (Duchy organic) was £1.99 for 1.5 kilos and the other (Waitrose own brand) was   £1.99 for 1 kilo!

Really? I mean, I know it's a middle class shop an' all, but...seriously?

No self raising wholemeal, sadly.

Which are the best supermarkets for people with food intolerances?

So, let me say at the outset that this review  is based solely on my personal experience as a shopper. It reflects my visits to supermarkets in the South West of England. It is both possible and probable that other branches of these supermarket chains will/may stock a different/wider range of goods. Also, as I rarely do internet grocery shopping (since that leads to short expiry dates), the comments below do not take on-line supermarket ranges into account.

Right, disclaimer over...

As you will may know from my first post, our family's shopping has to cater for lactose intolerance, FODMAP intolerance (i.e. wheat, lactose, onion, garlic, beans, etc.) and my current attempt at a sugar free/no added sugar diet (just for me, not Drew and the kids!). This can be quite a challenge in a supermarket and generally involves a lot of label reading, not great when you're a busy working parent. Plus our family budget for food is tight.

So, for the benefit of others who are trying to keep a similar number of plates spinning, the following alphabetical list reflects my experience of trying to find what I need in supermarkets over the past 3 years.

Aldi. Not great. Just a handful of items within an already limited range of products. You could probably find a wheat free bread, one or two lactose and wheat free snacks and an alternative to cow's milk (soya milk) at most visits.

• Other positives: Cheap! Including an inexpensive albeit limited choice of fresh fruit and veg.

Asda. Surprisingly good. They stock a wide range of 'free from' goods including their quite extensive own brand range.

• Lactose free and wheat free: very good. Lots of choice for bread, crackers, flour, pasta, sauces, cakes, biscuits and dairy free chocolate. You can even find lactose free chocolate spread on a good day. (Well, I found it once). Not so good on chilled deserts.
• FODMAPs: nothing specific.
• No added sugar: I haven't spotted any specific products but they do sell a few of the staples you may need if following any of the popular 'Quit Sugar' plans, e.g. nuts, different sugars. I can also find bread without added sugar.
• Other positives:  Generally good for fresh fruit and veg. The only place I have found which sells big bags of whole wheat pasta.

Co-op. Pretty good although the 'free from' range tends to be quite small - possibly a reflection of the the size of the stores. They have their own range and have enough stock to provide necessities with a small element of choice.

• Lactose free and wheat free: A good range, including bread, flour, crackers, pasta, cakes, snacks, pesto. Unlikely to be much in the chilled desert range.
• FODMAPs: Nothing specific
• No added sugar: Some whole wheat products and I have managed to find bread without added sugar (Vogel's).  No specific products. 
• Other positives: Lots of fresh food although not necessarily a wide choice. However, I generally find that my Co-op shopping trips are the least expensive.

Lidl. In my experience, free from 'free from'.

• Other positives: Cheap! As with Aldi, an inexpensive albeit limited choice of fresh fruit and veg.

Morrisons. OK. A limited own brand 'free from' range plus some of the bigger brands. Most of their own range seems to be sweet rather than savoury.

• Lactose and wheat free: All of the staples. Bread, pasta, dairy free chocolate, milk, snacks, cakes and biscuits. 
• FODMAPs: Nothing specific.
• No added sugar: Some whole wheat products and some of their own wholemeal bread doesn't contain added sugar.
• Other positives: Morrisons more than hold their own with their fresh fruit and veg selection. They also stock a good range of fish.

Sainsburys. Very good. A similar range of 'free from' products to Asda,  including a very good own brand range. Good for bread, bread products, pasta, flour, sugars, condiments, cakes, biscuits, snacks, savouries, dairy free chocolate and puddings. Not much in the way of chilled deserts.

• Lactose and wheat free: Very good. See the above list. Sainsburys have really thought about this. My shop of choice for economic lactose-free milk.
• FODMAPs: Nothing specific but their Free From Frozen Margherita Pizza doesn't contain onion or garlic. (It does however contain milk in the form of cheese, so low lactose rather than lactose free).
• No added sugar:  Nothing specific but I can always find brands which don't add sugar, such as Marigold Vehetable Buillion, Sainsburys' own brand reduced salt yeast extract and various bread products. larger Sainsburys stock many of the 'Quit Sugar' staples.
• Other positives: A very good range of fresh fruit and veg. More vegetarian choices in their frozen range than many competitors.

Tesco. Very good. A very extensive 'free from' own brand which Tesco has clearly put a great deal of thought into. Good for everything, but I have to give them a shout out on behalf of Robbie for their new dairy free strawberry and vanilla cones.  Also, while they are by no means my favourite supermarket,  Tesco is definitely King of the Lactose-Free Chilled Desert Mountain. Less positively, these days their fruit and veg seems to have quite short dates, even after rummaging.

• Lactose and wheat free: Really good. Everything you might need, provided you go to a large store.
• FODMAPs: Nothing specific. 
• No added sugar: A larger store is likely to stock most of the 'Quit Sugar' staples.
• Other positives: One of only 2 places you can scan while you shop. A huge time saver. And, if your scanned shop is selected for a random check when you pay, Tesco staff only have to rescan a small number of items, unlike Waitrose where the whole shop has to be rescanned.

Waitrose. A limited range, even in larger stores. Possibly they expect their target customers to prepare everything from scratch? They have their own 'free from' range which includes the usual bread, bread products, pasta, cakes, snacks and biscuits, plus they stock selected items from other brands.

• Lactose and wheat free: Good, albeit with few alternatives in some categories. Their own brand bread products taste delicious,
• FODMAPs: Nothing specific.
• No added sugar: Nothing specific but Waitrose is surely the spiritual home of spelt?
• Other positives: One of only 2 stores where you can save valuable time by scanning as you shop. Their food is always of a high standard and there is, of course, the free coffee for My Waitrose customers.

There are very few store cupboard ingredients out there for FODMAP intolerance, so most of our cooking has to be done from scratch. I will share the few FODMAP friendly products I have found in a later post.

Diagnosing FODMAPs intolerance

I realise that, to a lot of people, our family's food restrictions must sound like First World problems. I agree. But, putting briefly to one side more important global food issues, I would like to say a bit about how we came to realise Robbie was intolerant of some FODMAPs because, actually, the resulting unhappiness is much more easily preventable.

Robbie is a healthy, tall, outgoing 8 year-old. No one seeing him would think that he had ever failed to thrive, However, Robbie had various gut issues both as a baby and a toddler which never quite went away. In essence, all the way through reception and into infant's school he had problems with bowel movements that were difficult to control. This led to frequent 'accidents'; generally minor, often unpleasant and potentially socially awkward.

One difficulty in identifying a food intolerance in a child is that the symptoms may not be consistent. Drew and I would sometimes notice that everything seemed to have quietened down for a few days but struggled to pick up any pattern. This inevitably raised the question of whether the issue was behavioural rather than involuntary. We tried every reasonable carrot and a few sticks but the problem never really went away. Over time Robbie also developed intermittent problems with his hearing and ended up having bi-lateral grommets fitted aged 6.

It became increasingly apparent that this problem was not something Robbie had any choice about. He would become incredibly bloated after some meals. Unfortunately, however,  our initial contact with the medical profession was far from promising. I was told by a doctor at an allergy clinic at our local children's hospital to stop Robbie drinking chilled water and to wait for him to "grow out of it". He also said we could   give Robbie - then aged 5 - a dose of  'immodium' if we need to control his symptoms for a special occasion such as a wedding! When I asked this doctor how long I should leave it before I came back, I was told to leave it 2 years, otherwise people would say 'Oh, it's that woman again'. Needless to say, I did not take up the offer of a follow-up appointment.

However, our GP practice was much better. Around 2 years ago we were referred to an excellent paediatric dietician. By then I had started eliminating foods from Robbie's diet by myself but with only limited success. So, for example, eliminating lactose would work well some of the time but the symptoms would lessen rather than disappear.

Eventually, in July last year and just after a particularly stressful camping trip when Robbie's symptoms were really not good, the dietician suggested we try FODMAPs as a last resort.

Although the literature said that is might take several week to see any difference, we could tell within a few days that things were getting better. By the end of 2 weeks Robbie's accidents had all but ended.

Robbie stayed off all FODMAPs longer than the initial phase, mainly because he was changing schools and we wanted him to settle in without unnecessary worry. Even now we generally only reintroduce food during the school holidays.

So far, so good. We have established that lactose really doesn't work with Robbie, although low lactose food such as cheese is fine in smallish quantities. Lactose intolerance isn't much fun and is something he shares with his eldest sister Meg.

(See http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/lactose-intolerance/Pages/Symptoms.aspx for more information abot lactose intolerance).

Apples have proved to be fine as has wheat. We put off reintroducing wheat for ages as that had been one of the partially successful food eliminations pre - FODMAPs.  However wheat came back in with no problems during February half term. Onion and garlic are still off the menu, as are beans of any types and some sweeteners. All vegetables are back in, although we still  limit some such as sugar snap peas. I think honey may be one to go for during next week's half term holidays.

So, in summary: if you or your child have a a similar problems with little 'accidents' , have a look at FODMAPs.

Our Family and Food

Meet the Team

We are a family of 6, living in the South West of England. My husband and I both combine full-time work with looking after our 4 children. All in all I would say we are a pretty normal bunch - except when it comes to food.

Although I love to cook, I generally have to adapt most dishes and recipes in order to navigate a range of family food intolerances and/or preferences. In fact, this is something I do so regularly (and with good results most of the time) that the children have suggested that I publish some of my ideas for recipes and workarounds.

So, the intention behind this blog is precisely that. In the coming weeks and months I plan to share some of the sources (outlets, brands, etc.) I have identified as being good places to start when short of time and shopping for restricted diets. I will also share some of the alternatives methods and ingredients I have tried and tested at home and, of course, some easy, family-friendly recipes.

What I don't intend to do is to get into the weeds about the whys and wherefores of food intolerances and restricted diets. I am not a scientist. I am a lawyer. However, I will occasionally link to information I have found helpful or particularly informative about shall issues. I will also tell you about the journey we had to go on before we were able to identify our youngest child's food intolerances, since this may give hope to other  parents in similar position.

But for now, let me introduce you to our family and our dysfunctional diets.

First off, we are (almost all) fish-eating vegetarians. I gave up eating meat in my teens. Meat was something I had never greatly enjoyed eating, so this was a relatively easy decision at the time, centred around concerns about animal welfare (this was a long time ago) and economics. My husband also gave up eating meat when we got together 21 years ago.

Our approach to the kids and meat has been to start them off veggie but to let them choose whether for themselves once they are old enough to want to make a choice. From experience to date this seems to be around the time they start secondary school (aged 11 or 12). Thereafter I won't cook meat at home but they can order what they like if we eat out.

All of the kids are still in full-time education.

Our first born is Meg, aged 18. She tries to limit lactose as this gives her (ahem) digestive problems. Meg loves food and eats all things veggie and fish. She certainly went through the ubiquitous bacon-eating phase in her early teens but I think largely abstains these days.

Then comes Nora, aged 16. She also loves food but has a (relatively short) list of things she doesn't like - peppers being one of them. Nora eats all things veggie, loves fish and at present is an infrequent eater of meat in the hope of growing a bit more before it's too late. (She has also bet me a million pounds that I will lose interest in this blog after a couple of weeks).

Number three is Harry, aged 12. He is very much a growing lad and is already taller than me. Harry is, sadly, a fussy eater who doesn't like fish at all or sadly an awful lot of vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onion which is still visible to the human eye, courgette,...). He is currently a regular meat eater.

Last but not least is Robbie, aged 8. He has significant food intolerances which we have been fortunate in identifying as relating to FODMAPS. He loves food and is my most complimentary customer.

FODMAPS are fermentable carbohydrates, a foodgroup which has only recently been identified as a potential cause of food intolerances such as IBS. More on FODMAPS anon but the link below will tell you more about what Robbie can't eat).

http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/

One of the other grown ups in the team is my husband, Drew, who is mid forties and (sadly) a 'MAMIL'. He eats everything veggie and fish and also eats pudding as though still a teenager, He is wearing his sweet tooth relatively well thanks to the cycling and the 5:2 diet.

Finally there's me. Working mum, turned 50 a few days ago. I eat everything veggie and fish but have in the past 10 days been trying a 'no sugar' diet. More of that anon as well.

Hopefully more to follow - or there will be a significantly wealthier teenager in the South West fairly soon.