January has started with a bit of re-education in our house. I watched the BBC documentary about ultraprocessed foods called Irresistible: Why We Can’t Stop Eating, which has sent me into a bit of a spin. If you’re reading this, chances are you are a food-driven person, as I am, in which case I would say it is a reminder of what you probably already know. Yes, we eat well at home and, yes, I cook almost every meal from scratch, but it’s not the meals I worry about. It’s the snacks. Those pesky snacks that repeatedly, quietly, sneak into our day. Especially if you are rearing children, things in packets seem to appear in every cupboard, every backpack, every pocket …

But what can we do about it? I’m not going to start making crisps from scratch, after all, and cutting them out completely would be equally problematic (distance makes the heart grow fonder and all that). But I can introduce a few homemade snacks and treats into our diet, to replace some of the prepacked edibles that have snuck in. Take these breakfast bars by Tom Hunt: they’re simple to make, plus they can be embellished in all manner of ways. That’s an instant swap for boxed cereal.

It’s not just about the kids, either. Since Christmas, I have got used to a little mid-morning or mid-afternoon chocolate pick-me-up, so now I’m swapping leftover festive Lindor balls for Yotam Ottolenghi’s lemon and sage roasted almonds and Nigel Slater’s speck and parmesan muffins (pictured top), which I keep in the freezer for emergencies. Ravneet Gill’s mochi recipe is a revelation, and both fun to make (think Play-Doh and being a kid again) and really tasty without being overbearingly sweet.

The other problem is pudding. I don’t eat dessert after every meal, but occasionally I crave something sweet. And while I can sometimes get away with fruit or yoghurt, like everyone else I might want something a bit more substantial and reach for the treat tin. Any of the recipes in the Observer’s 20 best easy pudding recipes would work a treat here, and none is particularly taxing. I already have a batch of Anna Jones’ mini milks in the freezer, and made them without having to buy in any specialist ingredients. At our house, we’ve also had a go at making Meera Sodha’s microwave chocolate mug cakes, which were a total hit with children and adults alike. In fact, we’ve made them more times when the kids are asleep than when not. Either way, they’re a big win. Homemade treats: 1. Prepackaged biscuits: 0.

Keen as mustard | I have found myself with a half-full 20-litre box of Stan’s Cheddar Valley cider left over from the festive period. And I have taken to using it in any way that I can. Cue cider mustard. You can follow Yotam’s loose recipe, but, in a nutshell, I simply soak mustard seeds in cider, cider vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar, then blitz until almost smooth. It is utterly delicious.

Holiday at home | This time last year, we booked a last-minute trip to Thailand for a bit of winter sun and inspiration. While I can’t hop on a plane right now, I can eat sunshine-evoking foods, and when the skies are grey there is nowhere I love more than Bang Bang Oriental food hall in London. It is the capital’s largest Asian food court and you can eat from a huge range of vendors, which is great when you’re with bickering partners/parents/kids. Just be sure to take Tupperware for the inevitable leftovers.

What I’m reading | I’m loving Danube by James Beard award-winner Irina Georgescu, a beautiful and inspiring book. Georgescu takes us on a journey through Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria, focusing on the lands of the river Danube. I love all of the vegetable-centred recipes, but the first thing I will be making is her walnut and fennel seed cake with clotted cream and poached quince, because I can’t stop thinking about that flavour combination.