• I always look for small, tightly closed sprouts that are heavy for their size, as these little nuggets have a sweeter, milder flavour.
   
• Brussels love cold weather, so I would never, never, never buy them in summer. While you can get them in Autumn, they're at their best in the depths of winter.
   
• Before cooking trim a small amount off the base of the sprout. Remove a couple of outer leaves, until you reach the slightly lighter coloured leaves underneath.
   
• The most important thing to remember with Brussels is don't over cook them. Over cooking brings out all the sulfur compounds, leading to a smelly, bitter tasting meal. They are much better slightly under-cooked.
   
• While sprouts are lovely when lightly steamed, don't boil them.
   
• My favourite ways of cooking Brussels is to cut them in half and then pan fry them with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, until they are browned and crispy on the outside. A pinch of chilli flakes is a good addition, as is a squeeze of lemon juice.
   
• My second favourite way of using Brussels is to add them to curries, where the spicy, liquid sauce infiltrates and softens the sprout, creating a wonderful flavour.

What do you think about Brussels sprouts?

• The myth of ripe produce: Have you ever purchased supposedly "vine ripened" tomatoes or "ripe and ready" avocadoes, only to find they're not ripe at all? I certainly have and here's a piece from The Guardian discussing the problem.
   
• Great snack: Love this idea from Mademoiselle Slimalicious for spi cy roasted chickpeas. Canned chickpeas are cooked in a frying pan with some olive oil, coriander, cumin, garlic, thyme and chilli flakes. A great sounding snack.
   
• Desk lunches & egg sandwiches: Grea t piece from Mummy I Can Cook about eating lunch at your desk and the secrets to making a good egg sandwich. Eating lunch at your desk is not the best strategy, but as Shu Han says "sometimes there's no way round a desk lunch".
   
• Vegetables as instruments: Brooklyn musician j.viewz goes to the grocery store, buys some vegetables and then uses them to make music. What more could you want? Via Lemonpi.
   
• Why is everyone always giving my kids junk food: Interesting article from Professor Yoni Freedhoff, asking why every single social event and kids activity has to include junk food? He esimates his children are being offered an average of at least 600 (2,500kJ) calories of junk every week.

Have you spotted any interesting links recently?

Happy new year!

Is this you? If so, then including more fruit and vegetables in your daily eating is one of the simplest and most important dietary changes you can make to improve your healthy. It's one habit you could change in 2013.

By following this one strategy you will be increasing the amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants you consume. By eating more vegetables you'll be eating less of the more energy dense foods, so your overall kilojoule intake will reduce and you'll probably find it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Plus you will see the benefits of eating more vegetables relatively quickly, with an improved feeling of energy and vitality.

In both the short- and long-term, eating more vegetables is one of the best things you can do for your health.