Jalapeno Chilli and Makrut Lime Baked Cashews

It's time our kids go back to school! If you are looking for healthy snacks that are perfect for taking to school or after school, then this short list is for you. Eating healthy snacks can benefit your children in many ways. These healthy snacks will help your kids grow, develop and learn. To make your life easier, you can buy healthy snacks online and fill up your pantry with nuts, dried fruits, seeds, popcorn and dark chocolate. This way, you will always have some healthy snacks at hand. Popcorn Popcorn is a whole grain that is low in fat and rich in complex carbohydrates, making it a perfect snack for kids (if you don't add butter and salt). Corn has excellent health benefits for children. It contains a lot of dietary fibre, essential vitamins and minerals. High fibre improves digestion, helps avoid constipation, and stimulates digestive juices' secretion, keeping the bowels healthy. Popcorn also contains a good quantity of iron and calcium, manganese and phosphorous, which are vital for maintaining healthy bones and the functioning of cells. Additionally, corn is loaded with B vitamins, including vitamins B3, B6, pantothenic and folate acid, which are great for the brain and mood. Popcorn contains carotenoid antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein that help protect eye health. Nuts A handful of organic nuts or a serving of as little as 30g daily can benefit your kids in many ways. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, macadamias and Brazil nuts are loaded with nutrients, protein and fibre to help children thrive and are an excellent fuel for the brain. In general, all kinds of nuts offer amazing health benefits, but every kind of nuts can also offer something special including preventing depression and anxiety. Walnuts contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and DHA, which help fight inflammation. They contain twice as many antioxidants as other nuts, which improve cognitive functioning. Hazelnuts, almonds, pecans and macadamia nuts are heart-healthy. Almonds help improve your kid's memory. Pistachios are rich in oils that help preserve fatty acids and prevent inflammation. Macadamias also help in normal brain functioning. Dark chocolate Dark chocolate is a very healthy snack when consumed in moderation. It contains powerful antioxidants and flavonoids. Flavonoids improve blood flow to the brain, which can significantly improve memory and brain functioning. Veggies and Fruits Fresh vegetables are an obvious healthy snack. Packed with vitamins, they contain everything your children need to grow and develop in the right way. Dried fruits can be an excellent replacement for fresh fruits due to their longer shelf life. They contain all the nutrients of fruits but can last longer in your pantry. Your kids will love dried fruits like cranberries, dried apricots, cranberries, dates and figs.

Cashews are versatile and very nutritious nuts packed with protein, fibre and minerals. They are an excellent source of magnesium, copper, and essential amino acids. Cashews nuts are very easy to incorporate to your diet. What does cashew taste like? Cashews's flavour is similar to almonds and other nuts but they are sweeter and their nutty flavour is more delicate. With their buttery and creamy taste, they can become everyone's favourite nut. Cashews can pair well with all kinds of sweet and savoury dishes. How to use cashews? Cashews are less crunchy than almonds or peanuts but they probably are more versatile. As healthy snack Whole or ground organic cashews are a great snack on the go. You can eat cashew raw or roasted. You can easily find them in the shops and buy organic cashews online. If you want something more indulgent, go for cashew coated with honey, dark chocolate, or with herbs and spices seasoning. To make dairy-free milk If you have a food processor at home, you can easily make your own plant-based milk at home. Organic cashews would be perfect for that. Just soak the cashew in water for a couple of hours, then remove the water. Place it in a food processor, adding 1 litre of water and a pinch of salt and blend until it's creamy and smooth. Voila! You can keep it in the fridge for up to three days and use it for coffee and cereals in the morning. To make cashew butter Both roasted and raw organic cashews make excellent nut butter! You can easily prepare it at home. Cashew butter can replace peanut butter on toasties and cereals. This spread is naturally soft and high in fat. If you want to make it healthier, just blend organic cashews into butter without adding any extra oils or sugars. You can add a spoon of cashew butter to thicken your smoothies, pancakes, waffles, soups, stews and other savoury dishes. If you are allergic to peanuts, cashew butter will be great to replace peanut butter in all baked goods like cakes, croissants, and muffins. As a substitute for cream in dairy-free recipes If you don't want to use dairy cream in your cooking, you can always opt for cashews. Just blend them with lemon juice and a bit of salt. If you want to make the plant-based cream alternative more creamy, just soak the cashews for an hour before blending. You can keep this cashew cream in the fridge for a couple of days and add it to soups, sauces, dressings, curries and other dishes just like a traditional cream as a thickener and flavour booster. As a topping for different dishes Thanks to their creamy, nutty flavour, cashews can be an excellent topping for many dishes. To make plant-based cheese Cashews are one of the most popular ingredients to make vegan cheese, especially camembert or brie. These plant-based cheese are made with organic cashews blended and fermented. You can also easily make a creamy plant-based cheese with organic cashew nuts. Just blend soaked cashews with nutritional yeast and some salt and it's ready!

Dietary Fibre is an essential component of your diet. It helps keep your digestive system healthy, increases the good bacteria in your gut, and can even reduce the risk of certain diseases. The recommended daily fibre intake for adults is approximately 25 grams for women, and 38 grams for men, per day. For a more in depth look at the reasons you need to be getting enough fibre in your diet, why not take a gander at our previous article Why is Fibre Important? To make life easier, and make sure you’re hitting your RDA for fibre, we’ve compiled a handy list of some high fibre foods. They’re not just great sources of fibre, but also healthy, tasty, and satisfying – so without further ado, let’s get on with the list! Nuts First up on the list, is the small but mighty nut! Not only are nuts nutritional powerhouses, they’re an excellent supply of fibre too. Pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and pecans are all great choices when it comes to upping your daily fibre. However, almonds are the clear winner when it comes to the highest fibre content. Fibre content: Almonds – Approx. 13.3 grams per 100 grams Popcorn If you’re looking to increase your fibre intake, then popcorn just might be one of the best snacks you can choose to munch on. Plain, air-popped popcorn is extremely high in fibre, calorie for calorie. Just remember, if you add a lot of sugar, or fat, such as oil, to your popcorn, the fibre-to-calorie ratio will be considerably lower. Fibre content: Approx. 14 grams per 100 grams Chia Seeds If you haven’t heard about chia seeds yet – let us introduce you! Chia seeds are tiny black seeds that are becoming increasingly popular and may just be one of the best fibre sources on the planet. They are often referred to as a superfood due to their exceptionally high nutritional value, containing high amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. Head over to our recipe page to find a wide range of Chia seed recipes from Blueberry Jam to Banana Muffins – delicious! Fibre content: Approx. 34.4 grams per 100 grams Beans Not only are beans a great source of plant protein, making them a great meat alternative, they are also an excellent way to get more fibre in your diet. Black beans, pinto beans, mung beans and aduki beans are all great choices for upping your fibre intake. However, haricot beans take the crown as the highest fibre bean in town. Fibre content: Haricot Beans - Approx. 8 grams per 100 grams Apples You’ve probably heard the saying ‘An apple a day, keeps the doctor away’. Turns out, there could be a lot of truth to that. Many fruits are filled with fibre, but apples, especially with the skin on, are the perfect pick for increasing your fibre intake. Plus, they count as one of your five a day! Fibre content: Approx. 2.4 grams per 100 grams, or 4.4 grams in a medium-sized apple. Lentils Looking for a cheap, simple, and nutritious food source? Well, look no further than lentils! Along with being high in fibre, they’re also as high in protein and loaded with many important nutrients. Lentils are an easy addition to your diet, add them to soups, stews, curries, salads and even desserts! Fibre content: 13.1 grams per cup of cooked lentils, or 7.3 grams per 100 grams Sweet Potatoes Are you a sweet potato lover? If so, we have good news for you! Sweet potatoes are bountiful in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and of course, fibre. Not to mention, they provide a wide range of health benefits and are a simple, and delicious, addition to your diet. Fibre content: Approx. 2.5 grams per 100 grams or 3.8 grams for a medium-sized boiled sweet Chickpeas Another type of legume that’s loaded with not just healthy fibre, but also vitamins, minerals, and plant protein is chickpeas. Easily included in your diet, they can be used in many different recipes. Chickpeas are also the main ingredient of hummus, which is a simple spread you can make yourself. Fibre content: 12.5 grams per cup of cooked chickpeas, or 7.6 per 100 grams Berries Berries get a lot of attention for their antioxidants, but they’re filled with healthy fibre too. Raspberries are a particularly rich source, but blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries are also a great choice for increasing your fibre intake. Another one of the biggest benefits of eating berries is that they’re also naturally low in calories. Sounds like a win-win to us! Fibre content: Raspberries - Approx. 7 grams per 100 grams Quinoa Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal that is an excellent source of plant protein, along with being high in fibre. It has many other health benefits and is packed full of other nutrients including, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants. Fibre content: Approx. 3 grams per 100 grams