Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter - RAWGORILLA

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 variety of vitamins and minerals, while also having low to middling glycaemic indexes, making both of them a great source of slow burning energy. Two top tips to cook rice perfectly every time. - It is always best to thoroughly wash your rice before you cook it, not just to remove any unwanted debris but also to remove excess starch. Excess starch is often what gives rice an unpleasant sludge-like texture which can derail an entire meal. - Different ratios of water to rice can drastically alter the texture of your rice, for example when cooking white rice, a ratio of 2:1 (liquid to rice) will produce a softer rice, whereas a ratio of 1:1 will produce a tougher chewier final result. 2. Quinoa, an amazing superfood.Quinoa is an incredible superfood that definitely deserves a place in your pantry, mainly because of its status as a complete protein. The term complete protein refers to a food that contains all 9 amino acids that humans can’t produce on their own. Outside of animal products, complete proteins can be quite hard to come by, making quinoa especially useful for those on plant based or vegan diets. As well as being protein-dense, quinoa is a great source of iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and fibre. How to cook with quinoa.Quinoa is best used as an alternative to rice or couscous, and it is incredibly easy to prepare. Simply add quinoa to a pan with water, bring it to a boil and then simmer for around 15 minutes before draining, then fluff with a fork and enjoy. If you’re stumped and looking for a good place to start, we recommend this easy quinoa and bean salad, packed full of nutrients and great on a hot summer’s day. 3. Nuts, perfect for snacking, baking and cooking.Each nut is different, with their own uses, flavours and all important health benefits, and while we can’t cover all of them here, here are some of our favourites. - Almonds are packed full of healthy fats, protein, fibre and vitamins, making them one of the best nuts to incorporate into your diet. Whether you’re baking with them, using them to make flour or butter, or just snacking on them straight from the bag, they are truly incredible. - Walnuts are an amazing source of omega 3 fatty acids, in particular alpha linoleic acid, which is incredibly important in reducing inflammation and could even lower the risk of heart disease. Walnuts are incredibly versatile and work perfectly in salads, breakfasts, sauces, and of course in baking. - Brazil nuts are one of the best sources of antioxidants you can come by, but they also contain the vital nutrient, selenium. Selenium is crucial for countless bodily functions, including thyroid function and support of the immune system. Brazil nuts can make for a great snack, but they really shine when used in baking, or as a means to really boost the nutritional content of a meal. 4. Seeds, a quick and easy way to make a meal even healthier.Much like nuts, there are obviously too many types of seeds to cover here, so we’ll go through a couple of our best picks. - Pumpkin seeds contain a wide range of antioxidants that make them a powerful tool for maintaining a healthy heart and a good immune system. Raw or roasted, pumpkin seeds can be a delicious snack on their own, or work amazingly as a healthy salad topper. - Sunflower seeds, like walnuts, contain an abundance of fatty acids, in particular the fatty acid linoleic acid. On top of their healthy fat content, sunflower seeds are also rich in protein, magnesium and zinc, making them a great all-rounder. Just like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds work as a snack, in baking or as an ingredient in healthy savoury meals. Why you should stock your pantry with whole foods.These whole food staples we’ve mentioned above are just the start, there are so many more that deserve a place in your kitchen. Whether you’re looking for herbs, spices, proteins or fruits, by stocking up on whole foods, you can really give your cooking a significant healthy boost. Not only do whole foods contain far more nutrients than processed foods, they are also the best way to avoid harmful ingredients, while also keeping your bank account healthy at the same time. So don’t hesitate to jump into the world of Whole Foods, you’ll notice the difference in no time.

The team of scientists from King's College in London encourages parents to give their kids some peanut butter until they reach the age of five. According to their research giving smooth peanut butter to babies and throughout early childhood, could provide them with lifelong protection against peanut allergy. Teenagers who had it until they were 5 were 71% less likely to develop an allergy than children who never ate peanut butter.Food allergies result from our immune system mistaking something harmless for a severe threat. Kids' early life is a critical period for the immune system to learn to recognise foods and which ingredients are good for them. The researchers advise parents to give smooth peanut butter during infancy and then regularly until age five. The tiny babies should not not eat crunchy peanut butter or whole peanuts due to the risk of choking. Some parents might be surprised by the latest results. In the past, it was common to avoid peanut butter and peanuts due to the fear of allergies, especially for children under the age of three. In recent years, peanut allergies have become more common, and currently are affecting one-in-50 children. This led to the banning of all kinds of peanut products at schools. As even a small amount of peanut can cause a life-threatening reaction in somebody with an allergy.The latest findings show the previous advice was wrong. The results are based on a 15-year-old clinical trial in which 640 children at high-risk of peanut allergy took part. Half of them avoided peanuts and the other half had it as part of their diet between four-months-old and five-years-old. The results published in NEJM show that eating peanut butter dramatically reduced allergies by the time children celebrated their fifth birthdays. The findings show that the protection lasted whether children continued eating peanuts or removed them from their diets. Some 15 out of every 100 high-risk children that avoided peanut as an infant developed an allergy in their teenage years. Only four out of every 100 high-risk children that regularly ate peanut as an infant developed an allergy. The results show a remarkable reduction in allergy of 71% and it didn't matter whether children kept eating peanut after the age of five. Prof Gideon Lack, from King's College London, commented for the BBC: "I'm delighted to see this protection continues into adolescence." "We have good reason to believe [it will last] for the life of the individual, it is extremely unusual to see new onset of peanut allergy in adolescent years. "This simple intervention will make a remarkable difference to future generations and see peanut allergies plummet."

Remember the panic when the pandemic started? That time has probably taught a lot about what foods you should keep at home and how to eat in an emergency situation. Autumn is a good time to start thinking about stocking up your kitchen pantry for winter. As we know, covid is still there, so it is better to keep some healthy staples nearby just in case of another lockdown (you never know). The best option is always to ensure that you can keep eating healthy so you need to have some whole foods like beans, lentils, rice, flour, dried fruits, canned veggies and pasta to make your dishes healthy. With some help from herbs and spices, you can create incredible sensations in your own home kitchen. Just use your imagination and creativity. What are the best staples I should stock in my pantry? The answer is high-quality whole foods and healthy products. You need to eat well during hard times and stay fit. Legumes: dried beans, lentils, chickpeas The best foods you can stock are legumes and pulses: dried beans, dried lentils, dried chickpeas, dried peas. You can also buy canned legumes, but they tend to be less healthy (high added sugar content and salt). Legumes and pulses are packed with vitamins and minerals and are a great source of plant-based protein and fibre, meaning they are super satisfying. They are also versatile, which means you can use them in many dishes. Think of all those delicious meals you can prepare with them! Whole grains, pasta and rice It would be best if you always had some whole grains, rice, and pasta which are a source of carbs, and you need them to prepare a full meal. Whole grains are a source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. If you're looking for some super healthy, go for buckwheat (kasha), barley, bulgur, quinoa, brown rice and wild rice. These products are packed with complex carbohydrates, and they will keep you fuller for longer plus, they help you manage your cholesterol. When you buy pasta, remember that the healthiest versions of pasta are those made of legumes, pulses and whole grains. Organic canned vegetables Your pantry needs to have some canned vegetables, too - always ready for an emergency, such as organic canned tomatoes - just there for you when you crave some delicious pasta with tomatoes. However, you have to be careful - some canned foods are high in added sugar, salt and sodium. It is safer to buy organic canned veggies - as they are always less processed and offer nutritional value. So when you crave some delicious pasta at times - keep your organic canned tomatoes nearby. Organic broth and stock One of the most comforting dishes you can cook at home is soup. Soup is always easy to make, even when you have limited ingredients. Of course, the best is to make your own vegetable stock but if you want to buy it in a supermarket, choose organic broth and bouillon. It is made with high-quality ingredients and less salt. Nuts and nut butters Nuts are packed with fibre, protein and monounsaturated fatty acids. They are the healthiest snacks you can eat. They keep you full for longer, keep your blood sugar low, and help you reduce your risk of heart disease. A handful of nuts will make a perfect daily portion for a quick and healthy snack. Go for almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and Brazil nuts. Look for nuts online if you cannot find them in your grocery store. Peanut butter and almond butter will make great replacements for nuts. Just make sure you're buying natural nut butter made with 100% nuts, no salt and sugar and no preservatives. Remember also that peanut butter should be eaten in moderation - two spoons a day should be ok.