Crunchy Peanut Butter 100 % Nuts - 1kg - Meridian

This creamy and delicious spread can be enjoyed with crackers, fresh veggies, and toasts.

Easy and fulfilling pasta made with pasta leftovers, packed with olives and tossed with a simple homemade dressing.

Super easy and delicious pasta made with vegan pesto. Perfect for lunch or dinner!

This comforting soup is made with dried mushrooms, onion, and a bit of dairy-free cream. Enjoy it for lunch with a slice of crusty bread.

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.

A major review published in late 2025 put ultra-processed food back in the headlines. A series of papers in The Lancet, drawing on more than a hundred long-term studies, concluded that diets high in ultra-processed food are linked to harm across every major organ system in the body. One of the researchers called it a "seismic" threat to public health. Here is what the study found, what it does and does not prove, and what it means for how you eat. First, what counts as ultra-processed? Not all processing is bad. Freezing vegetables, milling flour, drying fruit, these are processing too, and they are fine. Ultra-processed food is a specific category: industrially made products built largely from substances you would not find in a home kitchen, things like protein isolates, modified starches, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, colours and flavourings. Think packaged snacks and crisps, fizzy drinks, most breakfast cereals, ready meals, mass-produced bread and a lot of "diet" and protein bars. The giveaway is usually a long ingredients list full of names you do not recognise. This matters because ultra-processed food is now the bulk of what many of us eat. In both the UK and US, more than half of the average person's daily calories come from it. What the study actually found This was not one small experiment. Forty-three scientists from six continents spent years reviewing more than 100 long-term studies covering close to 10 million people. Across that evidence they found ultra-processed food linked to more than 30 negative health outcomes, spread across the whole body: Heart and circulation: higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Metabolism: higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Liver: links to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Brain and mood: associations with anxiety, depression and even Parkinson's disease. Other systems: links to certain cancers, kidney problems and early death. Of the 104 long-term studies they examined, 92 reported a higher risk of one or more chronic conditions. A separate US analysis went further still, tying ultra-processed food to more than 124,000 preventable deaths over a two-year period. An honest word about what this proves It is worth being straight about the science. Most of this research is observational, which means it shows a strong and consistent association between eating a lot of ultra-processed food and getting ill, but it cannot prove that the food is the sole cause. People who eat more ultra-processed food often differ in other ways too. That said, when this many studies, across this many people, all point the same direction, the pattern is hard to wave away. The researchers were clear that the weight of evidence now justifies treating ultra-processed food as a serious public health issue, not a fad worry. So what do you actually do about it? The encouraging part is that the fix is not complicated or expensive. You do not need a perfect diet or a cupboard full of supplements. You just need to shift the balance towards food that has had less done to it. A few simple moves: Read the ingredients, not the health claims on the front. A short list of recognisable ingredients is a good sign. Lean on single-ingredient staples: oats, rice, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables, plain yoghurt. Cook a little more from scratch. It does not have to be elaborate; a pot of porridge or a tray of roast veg counts. Be wary of products that market themselves as healthy. Plenty of "high-protein" and "low-sugar" snacks are still ultra-processed. Make swaps, not sacrifices. Trade the flavoured cereal for oats and fruit, the snack bar for nuts, the fizzy drink for sparkling water. Whole Food Earth Approach This is the thinking behind everything we stock: real, single-ingredient food with nothing hidden in it. Our range is built around exactly the kind of staples this research points you towards, organic grains, seeds, nuts, pulses, fruit and plant powders that are simply the food itself, dried or milled and nothing more. You can read every ingredient because there is usually only one. Eating well does not mean eating joylessly; it mostly means eating food that still looks like food. The latest science is a useful nudge rather than a reason to panic. Crowd your plate with simple, whole ingredients, keep the heavily processed stuff as the occasional treat it was always meant to be, and your whole body, every organ of it, stands to benefit. Note: This article summarises published research for general information and is not medical advice. If you have specific health concerns, please speak to a qualified professional.

Have you ever opened a packet of crisps with the intention of having just a handful, only to find yourself staring at an empty bag ten minutes later? We have all been there. For decades, diet culture has told us that this phenomenon is a personal failing—a lack of willpower or self-control. However, modern nutritional science is painting a very different, much more candid picture. You are not lacking willpower; you are up against a multi-billion-pound food industry. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are not just cooked or prepared; they are scientifically engineered in laboratories to be hyper-palatable and, ultimately, addictive. Here is a look behind the curtain at exactly how UPFs are formulated to hijack your brain, override your natural appetites, and keep you coming back for more. 1. The Discovery of the "Bliss Point" Food manufacturers do not just guess how much sugar or salt to put into a product. They employ food scientists to calculate the exact mathematical ratio of ingredients required to hit your "bliss point." The bliss point is the precise balance of sugar, fat, and salt that maximises pleasure and dopamine release in the human brain without overwhelming it. If a food is too sweet, your brain eventually registers that you have had enough and tells you to stop eating. If the sweetness is perfectly balanced with salt and industrial fats, that satiety signal is muted. This holy trinity of ingredients (sugar, salt, and fat) rarely exists together in nature. When your brain encounters them simultaneously in a UPF, it triggers an unnaturally massive dopamine rush, creating a neurochemical reward system that closely mimics the pathways of addiction. 2. Vanishing Caloric Density Have you ever noticed how foods like cheese puffs, highly processed chocolates, or certain crisps seem to literally melt in your mouth? This is a deliberate texturising trick known as "vanishing caloric density." When food melts away instantly, your brain is tricked into thinking you are not actually consuming any calories. The chewing process is bypassed, and the stomach does not receive the physical bulk it expects. Because your brain does not register the food as filling, it delays sending the "I am full" signal, prompting you to keep eating well past the point of your actual caloric needs. 3. The Destruction of the Food Matrix In a whole food, like an apple or a handful of raw almonds, nutrients are bound together in a complex cellular structure called the food matrix. Your body has to work hard to chew and digest these foods, releasing energy slowly and steadily. UPFs completely destroy this matrix through heavy industrial processing (like milling, bleaching, and high-pressure extrusion). The natural fibre is stripped away entirely. The carbohydrates are pre-digested into ultra-fine powders and syrups. When you eat a UPF, there is nothing left for your digestive system to break down. The glucose hits your bloodstream almost instantly, causing a massive blood sugar spike. Predictably, this is followed by a severe blood sugar crash an hour later. That crash triggers intense physical cravings, trapping you in a relentless cycle of eating, crashing, and craving. 4. Flavour Layering and Sensory Specific Satiety Humans are evolutionarily wired to seek out variety. If you eat a large bowl of plain boiled potatoes, your tastebuds will eventually get bored, and you will stop eating. This is called "sensory specific satiety." UPF manufacturers bypass this natural mechanism by using complex, synthetic flavour profiles. They layer artificial flavourings, industrial umami extracts (like yeast extract and MSG), and hidden sweeteners so that the taste is incredibly intense but never quite distinct enough for your brain to tire of it. You keep eating because your palate is constantly stimulated, yet never truly satisfied. UPF Engineering vs. Whole Food Reality To understand just how drastically our food has been altered, look at the difference between how UPFs and whole foods interact with your body: Feature The Ultra-Processed Method The Whole Food Reality Texture Engineered to melt in the mouth (vanishing caloric density) to bypass chewing. Requires active chewing, signalling the brain to prepare for digestion and fullness. Fibre Content Stripped of natural fibre to increase shelf life and speed up consumption. Rich in natural dietary fibre, which expands in the stomach and feeds the gut microbiome. Digestion Speed Pre-digested ingredients cause rapid blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes. Intact food matrix ensures slow, sustained energy release without extreme insulin spikes. Flavour Artificial flavour layering prevents the brain from feeling satisfied. Simple, natural flavours trigger normal sensory satiety. How to Break the UPFs Cycle Realising that your cravings are the result of industrial engineering, rather than a personal failure, is incredibly empowering. It means you can actively choose to step off the rollercoaster. You cannot out-willpower an entire industry of food scientists, but you can change the playing field entirely. The most effective way to break an addiction to ultra-processed foods is to stop eating foods that require a laboratory to exist. When you transition your diet to single-ingredient, unprocessed foods—like whole organic grains, raw nuts, legumes, and fresh produce—you allow your tastebuds to reset. Without the artificial dopamine hits of the "bliss point," your body's natural hunger and fullness cues will return. Whole foods do not need to trick your brain into wanting them. They provide genuine, honest nourishment that leaves you feeling truly satisfied.

The landscape of the British school canteen is about to change. Following a recent government announcement, widely reported across the UK press, ministers have confirmed a significant crackdown on the quality of food served to our children. High-sugar snacks and deep-fried products are being phased out in an urgent bid to tackle the rising rates of childhood obesity and improve the nation's long-term health. At Whole Food Earth, we believe this shift is more than just a policy change, it is a vital step toward reclaiming the nutritional integrity of the food our children eat every day. What is Changing on the School Menu? The new guidelines are designed to strip away the "empty calories" that have become staples in many school dinners. The key changes include: A Ban on High-Sugar Drinks: Removing sugary sodas and juice drinks that spike blood glucose levels. Limiting Deep-Fried Foods: Restricting items like chips and battered products to no more than twice a week. Reduced Sugar Content: A concerted effort to lower the sugar levels in puddings and snacks served during the school day. While these measures are a positive start, they highlight a larger conversation we've been having in the Whole Food Earth community: the need to move away from Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF) and back to the "Bioavailable Pantry." Why the "Deep-Fried" Era is Ending For decades, convenience has dictated the school menu. Deep-fat frying is fast and cheap, but it often relies on highly refined seed oils that are prone to oxidation and inflammation. When combined with high-sugar snacks, it creates a "craveability" cycle that contributes to childhood obesity and dental decay. By removing these industrial shortcuts, the government is acknowledging what we have always championed: children need real, whole ingredients to thrive. When we replace a deep-fried nugget with a slow-release grain or a sugary drink with pure hydration, we aren't just "cutting calories", we are providing the body with the building blocks it needs for cognitive focus and steady energy. From School Canteen to Home Kitchen: Bridging the Gap The government's initiative is a great baseline, but the real "food revolution" happens in our own pantries. If schools are cutting out the junk, how can we as parents and caregivers reinforce these habits at home? 1. Swap Synthetic Sweeteners for Whole Fruits Instead of processed desserts, use nature's own sweeteners. Our Organic Date Paste or Lucuma Powder offers a low-GI alternative for home baking, providing sweetness alongside essential fibre and minerals. 2. Move Away from Refined Oils If the goal is to avoid the "deep-fryer" trap, look toward healthy fats. Roasting vegetables or proteins in stable fats or using Organic Rapeseed Oil provides flavour without the inflammatory profile of industrial oils. 3. Embrace Nutrient-Dense Staples The best way to fight obesity is to ensure meals are satiating. Incorporating high-protein, high-fibre staples like Quinoa, Red Lentils, or Organic Oats ensures that children stay fuller for longer, reducing the urge to reach for high-sugar snacks between meals. The Whole Food Earth Perspective: Food as an Insurance Policy The government's announcement is a wake-up call for the UK's food system. However, we shouldn't wait for legislation to improve our children's health. By choosing single-ingredient, non-UPF staples, you are creating a "nutritional insurance policy" for your family. Whether it's a teaspoon of Green Kale Powder in a morning smoothie or a batch of home-baked snacks made with Wholemeal Spelt Flour, every small change helps move the needle away from industrial processing and back toward the earth. Are you ready to join the revolution? Explore our Stock & Prep range to find the organic staples you need to build a high-integrity kitchen that goes far beyond the school canteen.

We've been conditioned to shop in a very specific, and frankly stressful, way. We wait until the fridge is empty, dash to a giant supermarket, and wander the aisles under fluorescent lights, picking up small, plastic-wrapped portions of food that barely last the week. It's a "tacky" cycle of convenience that often leads to food waste and a reliance on Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF). At Whole Food Earth, we want to introduce you to a better way: the Perpetual Pantry. By stocking your kitchen with high-integrity, shelf-stable ingredients, you aren't just "prepping"—you're ensuring that your family always has access to high nutritional density and honest, Non-UPF fuel, no matter how busy life gets. The Foundations of an Easy-to-Store Kitchen The secret to a resilient kitchen is choosing "dry" goods that offer a long shelf life without the need for industrial preservatives. Here are the staples every clean-label pantry should have in abundance. 1. The Ancient Grains: Oats, Rice, and Millet Grains are the ultimate "store and forget" food. When kept in a cool, dark place in airtight containers, they can maintain their integrity for a year or more. Organic Jumbo Porridge Oats: Unlike processed instant sachets, jumbo oats are a whole-food powerhouse. They are a gut health hero, providing the slow-release energy and beta-glucan fibre your body needs. Organic Long Grain White Rice: A versatile base for any meal. It's naturally gluten-free and far superior to "quick-cook" pouches that are often coated in industrial oils. Organic Millet: A forgotten gem of the British pantry. It's easy to store, quick to cook, and offers a unique mineral profile that adds nutritional density to your weekly rotation. 2. The Protein Powerhouses: Dried Chickpeas and Lentils Don't clutter your cupboards with heavy tins filled with "tacky" salt brines and firming agents. Dried Chickpeas: These are a masterclass in value. They take up half the space of tinned versions and, once soaked and boiled, offer a much better texture for Spinach Chickpea Salads or homemade hummus. Red Split Lentils: These are the ultimate "emergency" food because they require no soaking. They cook in 20 minutes, making them perfect for a last-minute Lentil Stew with Potatoes. 3. The Nutrient Boosters: Seeds and Powders Just because a food is "shelf-stable" doesn't mean it should be bland. Pumpkin and Black Sesame Seeds: These tiny seeds are packed with zinc, magnesium, and healthy fats. They stay fresh for months and can be used to add a gourmet, nutty crunch to any Non-UPF meal. Superfood Powders (Maca, Baobab, Cacao): These are the ultimate "space-savers." A single bag of Organic Baobab provides weeks of Vitamin C and prebiotic fibre without the need for a fridge full of fruit. How to Store for Maximum Integrity To keep your clean-label pantry at its peak, follow the "Golden Rules" of storage: Airtight is Essential: Once you open our bulk bags, transfer the contents to glass jars or airtight containers. This prevents moisture from getting in and preserves the aromatic oils in your seeds and spices. Cool and Dark: Heat and light are the enemies of nutritional density. Store your oils (like Pumpkin Seed Oil) and seeds away from the oven or direct sunlight. Label Your Lids: It's easy to forget when you bought that 5kg bag of oats. A simple piece of masking tape with the date ensures you're always using the freshest stock first. Why a Well-Stocked Pantry is Better for You A kitchen full of Easy-to-Store Foods is a kitchen that is "Non-UPF by default." When you have the raw ingredients on hand, you aren't tempted by "tacky" takeaways or processed ready-meals. You are in control of the salt, the fat, and the quality of the grain. The Kent Warehouse Advantage: Building a "Perpetual Pantry" shouldn't break the bank. Join The Club—our private UK wholesale community—to source your bulk staples at prices up to 55% off. We're a small, independent team based in Kent, who want to make pantry staples more affordable for everyone.