'DIETS thrown into chaos after supermarkets hit by vegetable shortage', 'Courgette deficit: UK gripped by vegetable shortage' – just a two of the dramatic headlines I've come across in the past few weeks.

I even had a couple of lads in their early 20s pop into the VegVan with desperation in their eyes asking if we had any courgettes as they'd searched all the supermarkets and they were nowhere to be found.

According to the Huffington Post, the UK imports an estimated 50 per cent of its vegetables and 90 per cent of its fruit.

That means that the recent bad weather in south-eastern Spain, one of Europe’s biggest vegetable-producing regions, has left supermarket shelves bare.

It's been interesting to see people's reaction to 'great veg shortage of 2017' and it really highlights that people have completely lost touch with what's in season when.

I have to agree with investigative food journalist Joanna Blythman who said that 'The supermarkets' obsession with stocking every fruit and vegetable grown on the planet, every day of the year, makes it hard to detect the ebb and flow of seasonal produce'.

For us more seasonal eaters, having no courgettes in January is pretty normal as the UK courgette growing season runs from about June until the beginning of September.

We are also well aware of all the tasty and healthy alternatives available at this time.

It's ridiculous to suggest, as the headline in the Birmingham Mail did, that people's January diets are in chaos, when UK-grown kale, cabbage and beetroot are readily available and all have fantastic health benefits.

If you buy food that's in season you'll find it's generally fresher, tastier and better for you than food grown out of season anyway.

Other than shopping locally at farmers markets or with your local food coop, one way to appreciate seasonal food is start growing your own.

I was amazed at my homegrown courgette glut last year and in fact I still have loads of courgette chutney and frozen courgetti at home.

To me it seems the solution to the veg crisis is simple, eat seasonally and grown your own.