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What is a superfood? Superfoods have been gaining popularity for years now, especially amongst those focused on healthy eating, and with good reason, but the term itself is often misunderstood. When people hear the term superfood it can often be associated with fads and faux science, but in reality it just means a food that contains an abundance of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and various other beneficial compounds. This article will focus on the best superfoods you can find in whole food shops, allowing you to focus on making the healthiest choices, without breaking the bank,   while supporting independent, environmentally friendly businesses. 1.  Almonds Almonds are one of the healthiest nuts you can eat, and an amazing superfood in general. Almonds contain a huge amount of vitamin E, which as well as being an antioxidant, also helps to maintain healthy skin and eyes while also boosting the immune system. On top of their remarkable vitamin E content, almonds are also packed full of healthy fats, fibre and protein. Almonds are not only incredibly healthy, but also delicious and easy to use! Whether you’re looking for a quick snack on the go, or a standout ingredient to use in your baking, with their distinctive, subtle sweet flavour, almonds really are the perfect choice. If you’re looking for even more uses for almonds, we recommend this overnight oats recipe to really get the most out of them. </s...

The information on food labels is how most of us determine what’s a healthy choice, what’s safe to eat and how can we avoid ingredients we know to be harmful to our bodies, so then why can they be so overwhelming and hard to read? From allergens, to E numbers and calories, there can be a lot of information all on one page, so knowing how to navigate food labels can really help you to make the healthiest choices without getting stumped by statistics and confusing-sounding ingredients.   In this article, we’ll break down each section of a food label piece by piece, letting you know what to look for and how to make the best informed decision you can! Step one: The ingredients section The first thing you should do when checking a food label is inspect the ingredients; this is where you find out what’s really in the product. In the UK, by law, the ingredients section must go in descending order by how much of each ingredient is in the product. Not only does having the ingredients in descending order mean that companies can’t hide sneaky, harmful ingredients in the footnotes, it also means that you can easily determine just how much of a product is made of healthy, whole ingredients. The ingredients section is also where you’ll find out if the product you’re buying contains any artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives, also known as additives. Additives refer to things not naturally occurring in the ingredients, and while they’re not always harmful, it’s important to check what exactly they are. A ...

The best way to make your diet healthier is to cook more at home, and that’s always  easier with a well stocked pantry. Whether you’re making elaborate meals or just quick snacks, having an array of whole foods at your disposal is overwhelmingly beneficial. Not only does cooking at home save money, but by opting for whole foods you can avoid all of those nasty additives that are far too dominant in ready meals.   In this article we’ll go over some of the best whole foods to keep at hand in your kitchen, how to use them and most importantly their health benefits. 1.  Rice, which one to pick and how to cook it perfectly. There are countless varieties of rice out there, so for now we’ll just cover some of our top picks, and some useful tips. The first thing to decide when cooking with rice is whether you want to use long, medium or short grain. Short grain rice (as the name suggests) is smaller than its counterparts, with a starchier texture, like sushi rice for example. Long grain rice, like basmati,  on the other hand is longer, thinner and fluffier, making it a good all rounder. Finally medium grain rice fits in between the two, it has the size and shape of long grain rice, but with the texture of short grain rice, making it ideal for savoury creamy recipes like risotto.     However, if you’re looking for the healthiest whole food option above all else, your best bet is to go for either long grain brown rice or wild rice. Both brown and wild rice are packed full of fibre, protein and a vari...

Chia seeds  are one of the world's most popular superfoods , they are constantly trending amongst wellness groups, and their <span role="presentation" ...

When most people think of healthy eating, they often think of massively restrictive diets, and worst of all no snacking, <span dir="ltr" ro...

Everyone knows that seeds are one of the healthiest ingredients you can incorporate into your diet, but people often underestimate <span dir="ltr" role="prese...

Protein is obviously one of the most important types of nutrient the body needs, playing countless vital roles <span role="pres...

Healthy whole meal salad - rich in protein and fibre. 

Try this healthy whole meal with grains and creamy nutty dressing. 

Creamy and delicious! Perfect for dessert or breakfast. 

Nutritious, packed with protein, fulfilling and delicious. 

Easy, tasty, fluffy vegan banana muffins - a perfect Easter treat. 

Easy home made Easter bunny biscuits. 

Healthy and delicious almond 'cheese' on toast with radish and green peas. 

Rice is a staple in diets all over the world and with good reason, its countless varieties make it an incredibly versatile ingredient, with each type having their own taste, appearance, texture and most importantly nutritional make-ups. Across the world there are over forty thousand varieties of rice being cultivated, so for now we will focus on the most popular types of rice, how to cook them and their health benefits. Long, short or medium, know your grain In most cases rice can be assigned one of three categories, long grain, short grain or medium grain. As its name suggests, short grain rice is typically smaller and rounder with a starchier texture, making it ideal for rice puddings or sushi.  Long grain rice on the other hand is longer and thinner, with a fluffier texture, making it well suited for more general recipes. Finally as expected, medium grain rice fits in between long and short grain, it has a slightly sticky starchy texture like short grain rice, but is shaped more like long grain rice, making it a great ingredient for savoury creamy dishes, like paella or risotto.v Long grain white rice  Generic long grain white rice is rice that has had its husk, bran and germ removed, this makes it more easily digestible and provides it with its signature almost shiny white colour. White rice has a very neutral flavour which makes it a great base for building a meal around...

What are whole grains? Whole grains are among some of the healthiest wholefoods you can eat, but what exactly do</sp...

Whether you’re a master chef or a beginner, whole grains can initially seem intimidating when it comes to <span role="presentati...

This creamy porridge is made with sweet persimmon and walnuts for extra crunch. 

  What is Gluten? Gluten is a group of proteins found in grains such as: Wheat, Barley, Rye and Oats. Oats do not naturally contain gluten; however, they can be cross contaminated with gluten when processed Gluten is a protein that is added to many foods for a range of reasons: To add elasticity, flavour, texture, shape, and to help make food rise. It is not an active ingredient; an activation or chemical reaction takes place when wheat flour is mixed with water. How does gluten affect the body? For most people, gluten is completely safe to eat. Nonetheless, gluten is not always tolerated by everyone’s body. Some people can be born with (or develop) Celiac Disease or an intolerance/sensitivity to gluten. This is where your immune system attacks your digestive system, causing uncomfortable symptoms from mild to severe. Others can have a wheat allergy , where there is a similar immune response to the proteins in wheat specifically. Gluten can also be an issue for people who have thyroid issues. The gluten protein (Gliadin and Glutenin) closely resembles the same protein found in the thyroid gland and the body can mistakenly attack this, causing similar issues to celiac disease.  Gluten-free baking? Luckily, we live in a world where there are plenty of gluten-free alternatives to eat and cook with. Yet, when it comes to baking, you might be wondering- how do you not use wheat flour when that is half the recipe? Gluten-free flours: Rice, almond, coconut, tapioca, cornstarch, teff, sorghum, buckwheat and even potato flour . Finding the gluten-free flour source is the smallest problem in baking. What you have to consider is how you are going to mimic the structure of gluten with your alternative flour. This all depends on what you are baking....

Oat Flour Oats are a versatile ingredient used in cooking and baking. Oats are a filling addition to meals and a great pick for sweet and savoury dishes. When using oats as an alternative for gluten- induced flour, it comes with plenty of positives. Oat flour is a common supermarket flour, with organic options in farm shops and whole food shops. However, oat flour is fairly easy to make at home with the right equipment. If you have a bag of ground oats and an electric blender at home, you are three quarters of the way there already. Oat flour is a great alternative for plain flour as it has a soft and fluffy cake texture, like the consistency of most cakes. Oat flour will rise slightly on its own, but needs an addition of baking soda for high-rise recipes like bread, scones, and cakes. With its fluffy texture, oat flour can make some great sweet or savoury recipes. For all the sweet tooth bakers here are some simple yet effective ideas: Oat flour in your crumble recipe can transform the dessert to include a gluten-free crumble topping with a sweet, toasted flavour on top of the tasty baked fruit choice.   For the bakers with a preference on texture, oat flour can give you chewy, crispy cookies, taking you back in time to the 19 th  century when they first became a hit.   Oat muffins and oat pancakes are a great new breakfast choice. Incorporating fresh fruit, yoghurt, and some chocolate chips for extra sweetness.   When considering the common ‘full’ effect oats have, oat protein balls are a grea...

Super nutritious, protein packed one pot meal - perfect for lunch and dinner.

Hearty warming and nutritious soup packed with protein and fibre. 

Oats are a classic staple of most childhood mornings as a traditional breakfast food, but did you know that <s...