If you want to try and change up what you're cooking month to month, a good way to do so is to look at what is in season. This will allow you to create different recipes depending on what foods are available, as well as make it possible to shop locally.

There are a lot of foods that come into season in February with a great array of versatile vegetables offering a number of options for healthy meals. Here are some of our favourite things to whip up this month:

Parsnips

A great way to cut down on carbs this month and make the most of an in-season vegetable is to opt for parsnips instead of potatoes.

This root vegetable has a similar texture to potato and works with a huge range of foods, making it the perfect option for a healthier meal. You can also cook it in a huge range of ways, meaning you can use it within a lot of meals.

You can boil your parsnips and then mash them with a splash of olive oil and seasoning as a quick and easy option or cut them into chips and bake them until golden brown and crispy.

Another great option is to slice them thinly using a mandolin and bake them with a splash of oil to create healthy crisps that will make a great snack for the whole family.

Sweet potatoes

Another great low-carb option for February is sweet potato, which is incredibly tasty and great for a variety of meals.

You can cook sweet potatoes in the same ways as parsnips or white potatoes, allowing you to use them as alternatives in some of your favourite meals or you can try some more unusual options.

Sweet potatoes make great noodles, so why not try spiralising them to create thin spaghetti-like strands and adding them to a stir fry instead of your usual noodles? They take a couple of minutes to cook and add a really fresh flavour.

Because they are naturally sweet, you can also use sweet potatoes in desserts. A classic choice is sweet potato pie, which can be served both hot and cold and offers a slightly healthier option instead of your usual puddings.

Butternut Squash

A really delicious ingredient that is perfect for winter warmer recipes this month is butternut squash. Whether you want a quick meal or want to cook something a bit special, butternut squash is a great option.

Once your squash is roasted, there is a whole host of options for it. You can cream it together with ricotta to create a sauce that is perfect with spinach in a lasagne or mix up a batch of risotto for a decadent dinner.

It also works as a great alternative to cheese in pasta sauces, creating a creamy sauce really quickly and easily that can make your pasta dish even healthier.

Cabbage

Cabbage often gets a raw deal, but it is a great ingredient to have in the kitchen and is in season at this time of year. There are different varieties available, offering slightly different flavours.

While everyone knows that you can boil cabbage or make it into soup, there are more interesting meals you can make it with it.

Something like bubble and squeak is a classic option that can be made more interesting by adding more ingredients - such as chorizo - while cabbage can also be used as a filler in curry and stew.

You can also use it raw to create a fresh and crunchy coleslaw that is great for salads or for teaming with things like fish tacos for something a bit different.

Try adding these ingredients to your kitchen for a healthy February.