Food News, with Sonja Karlsen

IF you've overdosed on mince pies, couldn't look a turkey in the face again and would run a mile from a box of chocolates, you probably need to start the New Year with some healthier eating.

And what better way to kick start your body than with a wholesome dish of mushrooms -- one of the healthiest foods around at this time of year.

They are one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D, which is known to help to improve the condition of our skin. We normally get our vitamin D from the sun but since we have not seen much of it over the last few months, mushrooms would seem an ideal replacement.

They also contain five B vitamins, which relieve stress and fatigue that will more than likely have caught up with most people in the last few days after serious amounts of eating and drinking over Christmas and New Year.

As well as being a nutritious and delicious winter vegetable, they also make excellent summer dishes and are ideal for flans, stir fries and pasta dishes. Whatever the weather, fresh cultivated mushrooms are available in shops daily, or you can buy an assorted selection in pre-packs or white loose ones.

If you have had enough of being in the kitchen over the festive season, mushrooms make a quick, comforting and satisfying meal that need no preparation.

Just give them a quick rinse and cook them quickly -- remembering not to peel them or remove their stalks.