Paleskin Peanuts

Almond & Peach Cake

Banana & Almond Muffins

Simple Vegan Oat Cookies

Vegan Nutella

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Banana & Strawberry Pancakes

There are few kitchen disappointments quite like reaching for a handful of nuts and getting that sharp, bitter, slightly paint-like taste of rancidity. Nuts are not cheap, so throwing away a spoiled bag is a real waste of money as well as good food. The good news is that keeping nuts fresh is easy once you understand why they turn in the first place. Here are our best, practical tips for storing nuts so they stay fresh far longer. Why do nuts go rancid? Nuts are rich in natural oils, and those oils are mostly unsaturated fats. This is great news for your health, but it is exactly what makes nuts prone to spoiling. When unsaturated fats are exposed to oxygen, they slowly oxidise, and it is this oxidation that produces the stale, bitter, off flavour we call rancidity. Three things speed the process up: oxygen, heat and light. Moisture is the fourth enemy, because damp nuts can grow mould as well as spoil. This also explains why some nuts keep better than others. Nuts especially high in delicate polyunsaturated fats, such as walnuts, pecans and pine nuts, tend to turn fastest. Nuts with more stable fats, like almonds and cashews, generally last a little longer. Whatever the type, the aim of good storage is simple: keep oxygen, heat, light and moisture away for as long as possible. How to tell if a nut has gone off Your nose is the best test. Fresh nuts smell mild, sweet and buttery. Rancid ones smell sharp and bitter, a bit like old cooking oil, crayons or paint. The taste is unmistakably bitter and unpleasant. Rancid nuts are not usually dangerous, but they taste horrible and the oxidation degrades some of their nutrients, so it is best to throw them away rather than push through. If in doubt, give them a sniff before you use them. The golden rules of storing nuts Keeping nuts fresh comes down to a handful of simple habits. Use an airtight container. The less contact nuts have with air, the slower they oxidise. Transfer opened bags into a glass jar (the best option!) rather than leaving them clipped shut and half open. This one change alone makes a noticeable difference. Keep them cool and dark. Heat and light both accelerate spoilage, so store nuts in a cupboard away from the oven, the hob and any sunny windowsill. A cool, dark cupboard is the bare minimum, and cooler is always better. Keep them dry. Moisture invites mould, so make sure containers are completely dry before you fill them, and never store nuts somewhere steamy like above a kettle. Use the fridge and freezer. This is the single most effective tip. Nuts store beautifully in the cold, which dramatically slows the oxidation of their oils. The fridge is ideal for nuts you will get through over a few months, while the freezer is perfect for longer storage or for bulk buys. Nuts freeze well, do not need defrosting before use, and can keep for a year or more this way. Just seal them well to keep out moisture and fridge or freezer odours. Buy whole where you can. The more a nut is broken down, the more surface area is exposed to air, so chopped, flaked and especially ground nuts and nut flours go rancid faster than whole ones. If you buy nuts whole and chop or grind them as needed, they will keep far longer. Smart habits for bulk buyers Buying nuts in larger bags is the best way to get good value, and it works perfectly well as long as you store them sensibly. The trick is not to keep dipping into one big open bag over months, letting air in every time. Instead, decant your bulk nuts into smaller airtight portions, keep one out for everyday use, and store the rest sealed in the fridge or freezer. It is also worth labelling containers with the date so you can use older stock first. This approach means you can stock up on quality nuts without any worry. Our Organic Brazil Nuts come in a generous 1kg bag, and storing most of the bag in the freezer keeps them tasting freshly harvested for months. The same goes for more delicate nuts like our Organic Walnut Halves, which, being higher in fragile fats, especially benefit from a spell in the fridge or freezer. How long do nuts actually keep? Exact times vary by type, but as a rough guide, most raw nuts kept in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard will stay good for a few months. Move them to the fridge and you can often extend that to around six months or more. In the freezer, many nuts will keep for a year or beyond. Nuts still in their shells last longest of all, because the shell is a natural barrier against air and light. Always trust your nose over the calendar, though: a quick sniff tells you far more than a date ever will. Fresh nuts, every time Storing nuts well is genuinely simple. Keep them airtight, cool, dark and dry, lean on your fridge and freezer, buy whole where you can, and portion up your bulk bags rather than leaving them open to the air. Do that, and you will get the full flavour, goodness and value out of every nut, with none of that bitter, rancid disappointment. Stock up with confidence, and store smart.

Nuts are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, but they are rarely cheap. Weigh a handful of almonds or Brazil nuts against a bag of crisps and the price gap is obvious. There are good reasons for it, and none of them is simply greed. From slow-growing trees to thirsty crops and difficult harvests, here is an evidence-based look at why nuts cost what they do. Nut trees take years to pay off Unlike a field of wheat that is sown and harvested within a year, most nuts grow on trees that take several years to mature before they produce a worthwhile crop. That long lead time makes supply slow to respond to demand. If prices rise, a grower cannot simply plant more and cash in next season, they face years of waiting and investment first. This lag keeps supply tight and prices firm, especially when demand for nuts is growing as more people eat them for their health. Some nuts are extremely thirsty Water is a major hidden cost. Almonds are the classic example: they are grown heavily in California, a region repeatedly hit by drought, and they need a lot of water to produce each kernel. When water is scarce or expensive, the cost of growing feeds straight through into the price. Concentrating so much of the world's supply of a nut in one climate-vulnerable region also means a single bad season can move global prices. Harvesting and shelling can be hard, manual work Getting the edible kernel out is often far more involved than it looks. Cashews are a striking case. They grow attached to the cashew apple, and their shells contain a caustic irritant, so shelling is delicate, often manual work that has to be done carefully. That labour is a big part of why cashews cost what they do. Across many nuts, harvesting, sorting, drying and grading all add cost before the nut ever reaches a shelf. Some nuts cannot really be farmed at all Brazil nuts are perhaps the best example of why nuts can be expensive. They come almost entirely from wild trees in the Amazon rainforest, not from plantations. The trees rely on specific pollinators and on rainforest wildlife to spread their seeds, which means they resist being grown in neat, farmed rows. Brazil nuts are therefore gathered from the wild, by hand, across vast areas of forest. Their price reflects that genuinely limited, labour-intensive supply, and it is tied to the health of the rainforest itself. If you would like to try some, our Organic Brazil Nuts are wild-harvested in Bolivia and sold in a 1kg bag, which works out far better value per kilo than small snack packs. Storage, transport and waste all add up Nuts are rich in natural oils, which makes them prone to going rancid if they are not stored and transported carefully. Keeping them fresh means careful handling, good packaging and sometimes temperature control, all of which cost money. Add in the long distances most nuts travel from where they grow to where they are eaten, and the price climbs further. How to get better value from nuts Because nuts keep reasonably well when stored properly, buying them in larger quantities is usually the single best way to save. A big bag almost always works out cheaper per kilo than repeated small packs, and you can decant what you need and keep the rest sealed in a cool, dark place, or even in the freezer to extend its life. Choosing broken or pieces rather than perfect whole kernels is another easy saving when you are baking or chopping them anyway. Honest reasons to be expensive Nuts are expensive for honest reasons: slow-growing trees, thirsty crops, labour-heavy harvesting and, in the case of Brazil nuts, a supply that comes straight from the wild. Understanding that makes the price easier to accept, and buying in bulk from a transparent source is the simplest way to enjoy them for less.

Why Your Morning Snack Determines Your Afternoon Energy We've all experienced the dreaded 3:00 PM slump. You've had a decent lunch, yet an hour later, your eyelids feel like lead weights, and your brain is sending urgent signals that only a sugary latte or a vending-machine chocolate bar can solve. Most people look at their lunch and wonder what went wrong. But according to metabolic science, the reason might not be your lunch at all. It might be your lack of a "primer" earlier in the day. Enter the "Second Meal Effect" — a fascinating biological phenomenon that proves your body has a much longer memory than we realise. What Exactly is the Second Meal Effect? First identified by Dr. David Jenkins (the creator of the Glycemic Index), the Second Meal Effect (SME) describes the ability of a first meal to dictate how your body handles the sugar (glucose) in a subsequent meal. Think of your metabolism like a furnace. If you throw a bunch of paper in first thing in the morning, it flares up and dies out instantly, leaving the furnace cold and inefficient for the next log. But if you start with the right kind of fuel, the furnace stays at a steady, efficient temperature all day long. The Bottom Line: What you eat for breakfast (or your mid-morning snack) creates a "metabolic buffer" that protects you from blood sugar spikes during lunch and even dinner. Why Nuts are the MVPs of Blood Sugar Control Nuts are perhaps the most effective "primers" for the Second Meal Effect. They aren't just convenient; they are a complex package of three specific components that work in synergy to stabilise your system. 1. The Power of "Slow-Motion" Digestion Nuts are rich in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats slow down gastric emptying — the speed at which food leaves your stomach. When you pair nuts with a carbohydrate (like fruit or oatmeal), the nuts act as a "brake," ensuring the sugar enters your bloodstream as a slow trickle rather than a sudden flood. 2. The Fibre-Fermentation Connection This is where the science gets really cool. Nuts contain significant amounts of fibre that your body can't digest, but your gut bacteria can. When these bacteria "feast" on nut fibre in your lower digestive tract, they produce Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) like butyrate and propionate. These SCFAs enter your bloodstream and signal your liver to produce less glucose and your cells to become more insulin-sensitive. This process takes hours, which is exactly why a morning handful of walnuts helps you handle the carbs in your afternoon sandwich. 3. Natural GLP-1 Stimulation You may have heard of GLP-1 in the news lately regarding weight-loss medications. GLP-1 is a hormone your body produces naturally to tell your brain you're full and your pancreas to release insulin. The protein and healthy fats in nuts are potent natural stimulators of GLP-1, helping you feel satisfied long after the snack is gone. Which Nuts Should You Choose? While all nuts offer benefits, some have specific "superpowers" for blood sugar management: Almonds: Exceptionally high in magnesium, a mineral that many people are deficient in. Magnesium plays a direct role in helping your cells "unlock" to let blood sugar in for energy. Walnuts: The kings of omega-3 fatty acids. They help reduce systemic inflammation, which is often a hidden cause of insulin resistance. Pistachios: Research has shown that eating pistachios can specifically lower fasting blood sugar and improve insulin processing in people with pre-diabetes. How to Apply the Science To take advantage of the Second Meal Effect, you don't need to change your entire diet. You just need to be strategic: The "Handful" Rule: Aim for about 30g to 50g of mixed nuts daily. Pre-Load Your Carbs: If you know you're going to have a high-carb lunch (like pasta or a wrap), eat a small handful of nuts 30 minutes before. Upgrade Your Breakfast: Don't eat "naked" carbs. If you're having oatmeal or toast, top it with almond butter or crushed walnuts to activate that metabolic buffer early. The "Second Meal Effect" proves that healthy eating isn't just about calorie counting — it's about chemistry. By choosing nuts as your primary snack, you aren't just eating for now; you're setting your body up for a stable, energised, and slump-free afternoon.

Adding more whole grains and nuts to your diet can have an amazing impact on your brain health! If you want to keep your brain healthy, try to avoid simple carbohydrates. They break down quickly into sugars. When you eat simple carbs you may feel a spike of energy that will last only for a short while. High sugar makes your brain work functioning decrease. Replace bad carbs with good carbs When shopping for food and preparing meals at home try to cut out refined carbohydrates and replace them with whole grains and nuts. They contain complex carbohydrates that processed by your body in a good way. These carbs break down slowly and sugars are released gradually. That means the energy is released slowly and your body and brain will function in a more efficient way. Stock your pantry with healthy whole grains Whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, oats, barley, and quinoa are high in B vitamins and can potentially preserving your memory. Vitamins B help reduce inflammation of the brain and work to convert homocysteine (amino acid) into essential brain chemicals used for learning and maintaining memories. Whole grains are also significantly rich in magnesium which keeps your brain cells and nervous system healthily connected. Magnesium helps pass on the signals between your brain and body. It improves the functioning of the neurotransmitters responsible for attention. Add nuts to your diet Add more nuts to your diet. Walnuts for example, contain the beneficial Omega-3 fatty acid. Eating more walnuts can improve cognitive function of your brain and help reduce the risk of diseases, such as depression, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and dementia. Almonds and Hazelnuts are great sources of vitamin E. This vitamin is associated with reducing the cognitive decline related to aging. Peanuts contain a lot of niacin. Niacin deficiencies are related to cognitive decline as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Plus, nuts are also packed with magnesium! Tips and swaps for a healthy brain Here's the list of tips for healthy whole grain swaps and alternatives for refined carbohydrates: swap instant oat meal or ready-to-eat cereal mixes with whole oats choose buckwheat instead of potatoes or white rice go for bulgur and barley regularly replace white rice with brown rice eat more quinoa always have nuts & seeds near you for a healthy snack replace white bread and past with whole grain brad and pasta Adding more whole foods to your diet offer many health benefits for your whole body, including nervous system and brain. Move away the processed foods and swap unhealthy products with whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Start adding more whole foods to your diet little and you will see the difference!

Mid-January can make us feel all a bit lost, but it’s time to get back to routine! Now the festive period is done and dusted, it’s time to get back into the flow of things. Which might mean focusing on healthy eating, keeping active, reducing alcohol intake, embarking on your New Year’s Resolutions! All this in mind, we thought we would recommend our January Detox Range! Featuring: Clipper Teas – Detox/Nettle/Dandelion These Herbal Teas can be great for Bloating, Indigestion, Water Retention, Soothing for your tummy after an indulgent Christmas. 3 cups a day in between meals.https://wholefoodearth.com/pages/search-results-page?q=tea&page=2 Together Vitamin D –This Sunshine Vitamin is harder to come by at this time of year, so supplementing in the wintery months is vital. Vitamin D is amazing for your energy levels, bone health, low mood, teeth, hair, skin and nails. Overall Vitality and certainly puts a spring into your step! This product is Vegan Friendly too! (Please consult with your GP/Health Care Professional if unsure or on any Medication) https://wholefoodearth.com/products/together-health-vegan-vitamin-d3-food-supplement-30-capsules Willy’s Kombucha Kombucha is fabulous for your digestion. The Apple Cider Vinegar version is a power packed Detox Drink, rich in natural probiotics. Customers say they feel energised and invigorated with improved digestion. Also great for Colds, Sore Throats, Hair Skin and Nails, Tummy Upset and so much more! The Apple Cider Vinegar Edition comes in three flavours: Apple, Blackcurrant and Raspberry and Introducing Willy’s Ginger Beer – Alcohol Free! Ginger is great for Nausea, Sickness, Stomach Discomfort and Indigestion. (Please consult with your GP/Health Care Professional if unsure or suffer with any Medical Conditions)|https://wholefoodearth.com/products/willys-ginger-kombucha-beer-250ml Donat Water Donat is back in stock! High in demand, this Magnesium Water is magical. Not only great for Indigestion, Heart Burn, Constipation you name it! It is also great for those suffering with Muscle Cramps, Restless Leg Syndrome, Stiffness, Muscle Spasms, Aches and Pains, Low Mood & Stress, Energy levels and may even help you sleep! Magnesium is an adaptogen and adapts to what your body needs. Drink daily for optimum efficiency. https://wholefoodearth.com/products/donat-mg-magnesium-water Wholefood Earth Soya Mince/Chunks A lot of us look to reduce processed and rich foods in the New Year. By swapping meat for plant-based meat alternatives, you will be reducing your fat and cholesterol intake and increasing protein and fibre. Two nutrients vital for helping you feel full, energised, for muscle recovery and overall health. Why not try our Soya Mince in your Bolognese, Cottage Pies, Chilli etc and the Chunks in Stir Fries, Casseroles, Curries, Salads and more! Simply rehydrate in boiled water for 15 mins to an hour depending on the texture you like and mix into your cooking! Super healthy, Versatile, Low Fat, High Protein…Yay! https://wholefoodearth.com/pages/search-results-page?q=soya+mince Pop into our Ramsgate store to see the full range or shop online!

Introducing Wholefood Earth's new product listing - Vital Wheat Gluten.Famous for the creation of Seitan - the vegan meat alternative!Vital wheat gluten is a natural protein source found in wheat. It is a powerful flour that is almost pure gluten. It is made from wheat flour that has had the gluten activated during a dehydrating process, removing all other ingredients except the gluten. Wheat gluten has very little starch content and a fantastic way of making dough elasticated. Vital wheat gluten is great for bread making as it helps to increase the gluten content of the bake. It is equally as great used in muffins, cakes and other bakes such as tarts and pastries where you are working with yeast ingredients. A small amount added to yeast bread recipes improves the texture and elasticity of the dough. When combined with water it becomes highly elastic and has a sticky like texture. Vital Wheat Gluten is a natural and very effective raising agent, helping your bread fill out perfectly and evenly, giving it more volume. It can be especially helpful for baking bread made with whole grain flours and coarse cereals. Vital Wheat Gluten can ensure recipes that require fruit, nuts and seeds, chocolate chips etc stay firmly held together and a good binder too! Brilliant for binding Vegan Meatballs, Burgers, Tofu etc. To make Seitan: Mix Vital Wheat Gluten with spices and add water to make a dough. When the gluten dough is cooked either by steaming, baked or boiled it becomes chewy with a meat style texture! See the range of sizes online and in store today! We sell in bulk so perfect for cafes, restaurants and keen cooks alike!