Organic Oat Drink - 1L - Oatly

Simple Vegan Oat Cookies

Post-Workout Chocolate Protein Smoothie

Pre-Workout Oat & Banana Smoothie

Start your day with a warming bowl of creamy porridge topped with fresh berries, kiwi, and banana. This delightful breakfast is not only nutritious but also beautifully garnished with seeds and nuts, finished off with a drizzle of honey for a touch of sweetness.

Packed with oxidants and vitamins, this delicious smoothie is an ideal refreshment on hot days.

Refreshing blackberry oats smoothie made with dairy-free milk.

In the world of health and nutrition, the "Organic" label is often treated as a magic wand. We are told that organic is always better, always safer, and always worth the premium price tag. But at Whole Food Earth, we prefer honesty over marketing slogans. The truth is more nuanced. 1. What Does "Organic" Actually Guarantee? To understand the value, we first have to strip away the myths. In the UK, organic certification strictly regulates how a food is grown and processed. No Synthetic Pesticides: This is the big one. Organic farming prohibits the use of most synthetic herbicides (like glyphosate) and pesticides. No Artificial Fertilisers: Instead of chemical sprays, organic farmers use compost, manure, and crop rotation to feed the soil. Non-GMO: Organic standards strictly forbid the use of Genetically Modified Organisms. No "Stealth" Additives: Organic processing bans the use of controversial additives like Sulphur Dioxide (E220)—the chemical used to bleach conventional dried fruits. 2. When Organic Truly Matters (The "High-Impact" Foods) If you are looking to prioritise your organic budget, focus on foods that are "high-absorption" or heavily sprayed in conventional farming. The "Sulphur" Factor in Dried Fruits This is where Whole Food Earth takes a stand. Conventional dried fruits—like apricots and figs—are almost always treated with sulphur to keep them bright and "pretty." Organic certification bans this. When you buy our Organic Sun-Dried Figs, you are getting fruit cured by the sun, free from the respiratory irritants found in sulphured alternatives. Cacao and Superfoods Products like Organic Cacao Powder and Maca Powder are often grown in delicate ecosystems. Organic sourcing here isn't just about your health; it’s about the soil. Organic cacao farming encourages agroforestry (growing trees among other plants), which protects tropical biodiversity and ensures the beans aren't soaking up synthetic fertilisers. 3. When the Label Isn't Everything Is conventional food "poison"? No. And is organic food always "perfect"? Not necessarily. Here is the balanced view: The "Small Farmer" Gap: Many incredible traditional farmers in regions like Portugal or Turkey follow organic principles—they use no chemicals and dry their fruit in the sun—but they cannot afford the expensive paperwork for "Official Certification." At Whole Food Earth, our "Sourcing Revolution" involves finding these high-integrity "conventional" gems that are as clean as organic but more accessible in price. Nutritional Density: Science is still debating whether an organic apple has significantly more Vitamin C than a conventional one. The real difference is often in the Phytochemicals—plants grown without pesticides often develop stronger natural antioxidants to protect themselves. The "Processed" Trap: An organic biscuit is still a biscuit. Don't let the organic label distract you from the ingredient list. Unprocessed is always a higher priority than Organic. 4. The Environmental Impact: Soil is Soul The real reason to go organic often has nothing to do with the calorie count. It’s about Soil Health. Conventional farming can lead to soil depletion, where the earth becomes a sterile medium that only grows food because it's being "fed" chemicals. Organic farming treats the soil as a living organism. Healthy soil traps more carbon, holds more water, and produces food with a more complex "Terroir"—that deep, earthy flavour you can actually taste in our Organic Cacao Liquor Buttons. 5. How to Shop Smart at Whole Food Earth We provide both Organic and high-quality Conventional options because we believe in informed choice. Go Organic for: Leafy superfood powders, cacao, and any dried fruit where you want to avoid sulphur (E220). Go Conventional for: Items with thick natural skins or products from our trusted traditional growers. The Verdict: Integrity Over Labels At the end of the day, the best diet is one built on Whole, Unprocessed Foods. Whether it carries an organic seal or is a meticulously vetted conventional product from our shop, the goal is the same: getting you closer to the earth and further from the factory. Explore our full range of Organic and Natural staples today and decide what matters most for your kitchen.

The clocks are going forward this weekend and that means one less hour of precious sleep! We’re sure you’ve heard before about how important it is to get a good night’s kip. Sleep is an essential function that allows your mind and body to recharge, as well as keeping yourself healthy and warding off diseases. However, as many of us know, sleeping well isn’t always an easy task. Did you know that certain foods can also aid you in getting a restful night’s sleep? There are a variety of chemicals, enzymes, amino acids and other nutrients that can help in falling and staying asleep, and fortunately, you can find a lot of them in foods and drinks. We want to make sure you’re getting the best sleep possible and have compiled a handy list of sleep inducing foods (plus one drink). So, if you’ve been having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, why not give these a try? Almonds Almonds are not only a nutritious and healthy snack, but it’s also claimed they may help in boosting sleep quality as well. This is because almonds contain the hormone melatonin, which regulates your internal clock and signals your body to prepare for sleep. Almonds are also a great source of magnesium. Consuming an adequate amount of magnesium may improve sleep quality, especially for anyone suffering with insomnia. Magnesium’s role in promoting sleep is considered to be related to its ability to reduce inflammation. In addition, magnesium can assist in lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is known to disturb your slumber. For more health benefits of almonds, have a look at our previous article Are Almonds Good For You? Oats You may think of oats as more of a breakfast food, but you might want to try eating a bowl of porridge after dark if you want to catch those precious ZZZZZs. The grains present in oats trigger insulin production much like whole-grain bread, raise your blood sugar naturally which makes you feel drowsy. Oats are also rich in both melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan that helps to produce melatonin, which helps our brain send signals to the rest of our body that it’s time to relax and get some rest. Kiwi Kiwis are a low calorie but extremely nutritious fruit that could also aid you in sleeping better. The sleep-promoting effects of kiwis are sometimes usually attributed to serotonin. Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps regulate your sleep cycle. It’s been proposed that the anti-inflammatory antioxidants in kiwis, such as vitamin C and carotenoids, may also be partially responsible for their sleep-inducing impact. White Rice White rice is a rich source of carbohydrates. It’s high carb content along with its lack of fibre, both contribute to white rice having a large glycaemic index. It’s been suggested that eating foods with a high GI, like white rice, approximately one hour before bed may help in improving sleep quality. Some researchers seem to believe this is due to the large amount of insulin released after eating a high GI meal. Insulin drives the amino acid, Tryptophan, which helps activate drowsiness, into the brain. Chamomile Tea Okay, so it’s not technically a food but we’re still including it on this list! Chamomile tea is widely known as one of the best drinks to help you get your forty winks. But did you know, it doesn’t even contain any tea? It’s actually more of an herbal infusion made from the dried flowers of the chamomile plant. Chamomile tea also contains antioxidants which binds to receptors in the brain that encourage sleepiness and reduce insomnia. Just make sure to drink your cup of chamomile tea around 45 minutes before going to bed so your body has ample time to metabolise the tea. Soya Soya has a wide range of health benefits, and one of them may be aiding you in a good night’s kip! The products produced from soya, such as soya milk, tofu, and tempeh contain good amounts of tryptophan, the substance which can help our bodies synthesise melatonin and serotonin. Another way soya may also benefit your sleep pattern is due to its isoflavone content. Isoflavones are believed to somewhat mimic the hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen can affect the brain via the same neurotransmitters that are involved in sleep regulation. Why not check our latest soya article Why Soya is a Great Meat Substitute Figs Figs are an excellent source of magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron, making them a powerful aid for sleep. All these minerals can assist with muscle contraction along with blood flow, which are both vital for falling asleep. Figs also contain high amounts of fibre, keeping you full through the night and preventing any hunger pangs or midnight cravings that could disturb your slumber. Walnuts Another nut featuring on this sleep inducing food list is the small yet mighty walnut. Some researchers have claimed that eating walnuts improves sleep quality, as they’re one of the best food sources of melatonin. They are made up of many fatty acids that may also contribute to better sleep. Walnuts provide alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that’s converted to DHA in the body. DHA may increase your bodies serotonin production. So, if you’re finding it difficult to nod off, eating a handful of walnuts before bed might just help!

What you drink is shaped, more than we like to admit, by what happens to be in the cupboard. When the easiest thing to hand is a sugary fizzy drink, that's what gets poured. Stock the good stuff instead, and the healthy choice becomes the lazy one. Here are four kinds of drink worth keeping in permanently, so there's always something better than a can of pop within reach. Magnesium water Magnesium water has become a bit of a wellness talking point, and there's a sensible idea underneath the hype. Magnesium is a mineral the body needs for normal muscle and nervous-system function, and plenty of us don't quite get enough of it from food. Magnesium water simply means water with extra magnesium in it, whether that's a naturally magnesium-rich mineral water or plain water with a drinking-grade magnesium or electrolyte supplement stirred in. It's a gentle way to top up while you hydrate. One important safety point. Magnesium water for drinking is not the same as Epsom salts, which are magnesium sulphate meant for the bath, never the glass. If you want to try it, use a product made and labelled for drinking, follow the dose on the pack, and check with a pharmacist or doctor first if you take medication or have kidney problems. Natural juices A good natural juice earns its place too. The ones worth keeping are 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice with nothing added, rather than the sweetened "juice drinks" that are mostly sugar and water. A splash brings flavour, a little natural sweetness and some vitamins to breakfast, smoothies or a jug of water. Two honest caveats. Juice still counts as free sugars, so it's a small glass alongside a meal rather than something to sip all day. And it's no replacement for whole fruit, which brings the fibre juice leaves behind. One juice that pulls its weight is prune juice, a traditional aid for digestion. Our prune juice is a handy one to keep in the door of the fridge. Fermented drinks If there's one category to add to your cupboard this year, make it fermented drinks. Kombucha and kefir are lightly fizzy, tangy and full of the live cultures associated with a healthy gut. They make a genuinely satisfying swap for a soft drink, with far less sugar and a lot more character. The research on gut health is still developing, so treat them as a tasty part of a varied diet rather than a cure, but they're an easy, enjoyable habit to build. Our kombucha range runs from classic ginger to zesty citrus and low-sugar options, so our Organic Ginger Kombucha is a good place to start. And for a version that lives in the cupboard rather than the fridge, our instant kombucha sachets stir straight into water, ready whenever you want one. Plant-based milk Plant-based milk is the quiet workhorse of a well-stocked pantry. Oat, soya, coconut and almond drinks all keep unopened for months in their ambient cartons, which makes them ideal to buy ahead and always have in. You'll reach for them constantly: in coffee and tea, over cereal and porridge, blended into smoothies, and in cooking and baking wherever a recipe calls for milk. A couple of pointers when you choose one. Go for unsweetened where you can, and look for versions fortified with calcium and vitamins if plant milk is a regular part of your diet. Oat drinks are the most versatile all-rounder, so a carton of organic oat milk is a sound default to keep on the shelf. Building your drinks cupboard You don't need all of these at once. Pick the ones that suit how you actually drink, keep a small stock in, and let them become the easy option. A carton of oat milk for the everyday, a bottle of real juice for flavour, a kombucha for when you fancy something fizzy, and a magnesium or electrolyte drink to hydrate with. Fill the cupboard with the right things and the rest takes care of itself.

Prune juice has a reputation as a bit of a grandparent's remedy, wheeled out only when digestion needs a nudge. That sells it short. This dark, sweet, surprisingly versatile drink has real, science-backed benefits and plenty of uses beyond a morning glass. Here is an honest, evidence-based look at what prune juice does, how it compares to whole prunes, and the best ways to enjoy it. What is prune juice? Prune juice is made from dried plums, or prunes. The prunes are rehydrated and the juice is extracted with water, producing a thick, dark, naturally sweet drink. Because it starts from an already concentrated dried fruit, prune juice is rich in flavour and natural sugars, which is why a small glass goes a long way. What prune juice actually does The best-known benefit of prune juice is supporting healthy digestion, and there is good reason behind it. Prunes, and the juice made from them, are naturally high in sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that draws water into the gut and has a gentle softening effect. This is the main reason prune juice is such a well-known, traditional aid for keeping things regular. It is one of the few home remedies with a genuine, understandable mechanism rather than just folklore. Prune juice also provides some useful nutrients, including potassium, which supports normal muscle and nerve function, along with plant compounds that act as antioxidants. It is worth being realistic, though: prune juice is a helpful, natural option for occasional digestive support, not a treatment for any medical condition. If you have ongoing digestive problems, it is worth speaking to a healthcare professional. Prune juice or whole prunes? This is the key question, and the honest answer is that they do slightly different jobs. Whole prunes keep all of the fruit's fibre, which juice largely loses during extraction, so whole prunes are the better choice if you want the full fibre benefit and a satisfying snack. Prune juice, on the other hand, still delivers plenty of sorbitol, is quick and easy to drink, and suits people who find it hard to chew dried fruit or who simply prefer a drink. Many people use both. If you would like to try them, our prune juice is an easy way to enjoy the benefits in liquid form, while our Organic Pitted Prunes give you the whole fruit and its fibre. For more on the fruit itself, our guide to the health benefits of prunes goes into more detail. How much prune juice should you drink? A small glass, around 120 to 150ml, is a sensible serving. If you are new to it, start with a smaller amount and see how you get on, because the same sorbitol that helps digestion can cause wind or a loose stomach if you drink a lot at once. Many people find a small glass in the morning works well, and you can always warm it gently, which some prefer on a cold day. Clever ways to use prune juice Prune juice is far more versatile than its reputation suggests. Beyond drinking it neat, try it in these ways. Blend a splash into a smoothie for natural sweetness and a digestive boost, especially alongside banana and oats. Use it in place of some of the sugar or liquid in baking, where it adds moisture and a deep, fruity sweetness to cakes, loaves and flapjacks. Reduce it gently in a pan to make a rich, sticky glaze or sauce for roast meats, which works beautifully with pork or lamb. Or drizzle a little over porridge or yoghurt instead of honey or syrup. If you enjoy cooking with the fruit, our guide to cooking and baking with prunes has plenty more ideas. A few sensible things to know Prune juice is a natural product, but a little honesty helps. It is concentrated, so it is naturally high in sugar, and juice sugars count as free sugars, the kind UK guidance suggests we keep an eye on. Stick to a small glass rather than drinking it like water, and be mindful of teeth, as with any sweet drink. Prune juice is not suitable as a remedy for babies or young children without medical advice, and if you are managing a health condition or taking medication, it is worth checking with a healthcare professional first. Prune juice deserves better than its dusty reputation. It is a naturally sweet, easy-to-use drink with a genuine, well-understood benefit for digestion, and it earns its place in the kitchen as much as the medicine cupboard. Enjoy it in a small glass, or get creative with smoothies, bakes and glazes, and this old-fashioned favourite quickly starts to feel a lot more modern.

Ultra-processed food is everywhere in the headlines, and plenty of us have decided we would like to eat less of it. There is just one problem: when it comes to actually pointing at a product and saying whether it counts, most people are stumped. A recent UK study put this into sharp focus, and the findings are surprisingly reassuring. If you are not quite sure what ultra-processed food really is, you are in very good company, and there is a simple way to cut through the confusion. What the study found Researchers writing in the journal BMC Global and Public Health interviewed 30 UK adults who do the food shopping and cooking for their households. Almost everyone saw ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, as artificial and probably unhealthy. Yet when asked to sort real foods into categories, they struggled. The technical system used to define UPFs made little sense to them, and the line between an ordinary processed food and an ultra-processed one felt blurry and hard to pin down. This fits a wider pattern. Earlier research has found that while around 73 percent of UK adults recognise the term ultra-processed food, only about 13 percent can correctly identify which products actually fall into the category. That is a striking gap, especially now that ultra-processed foods make up more than half of the average person's daily calories in the UK. Why it is so confusing Part of the trouble is that the official definition was designed for scientists, not shoppers. It sorts food by how much it has been industrially processed and reformulated, which is useful for researchers but hard to apply in a supermarket aisle. The obvious culprits are easy enough. Most people happily identify fizzy drinks, crisps and packaged biscuits as ultra-processed. It is the borderline cases that trip everyone up. In the study, foods like yogurt and plant-based meat alternatives caused real head-scratching, because they can be simple or heavily reformulated depending on the brand. Clever marketing does not help either. A product can be covered in words like natural, high protein or plant-based and still be ultra-processed. Labels are designed to sell, not to help you classify what you are buying. A simple test that actually works Here is the good news. You do not need to memorise a scientific system to eat well. Interestingly, the people in the study had already hit on a sensible shortcut of their own: they looked at the ingredients list. That instinct is a genuinely useful tool, and you can lean on it too. Turn the packet over and read the ingredients. Ask yourself two simple questions. First, is the list long? Second, is it full of things you would never find in a home kitchen? Ingredients like emulsifiers, stabilisers, artificial flavourings, colourings, sweeteners, protein isolates and hydrogenated or interesterified fats are all signs of heavy industrial processing. If a product reads like a chemistry set, it is very likely ultra-processed. If it reads like a recipe you could recreate at home, from a handful of recognisable ingredients, it is almost certainly not. This is not a perfect scientific test, but it is a practical one that gets you most of the way there, and it works far better than trying to guess from the front of the pack. What clearly is, and clearly isn't To make it concrete, foods that are almost always ultra-processed include fizzy and energy drinks, mass-produced sliced bread, packaged cakes, biscuits and crisps, sweetened breakfast cereals, instant noodles and most ready meals. At the other end sit whole and minimally processed foods: plain oats, dried beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, plain natural yogurt, tinned tomatoes, fresh fruit and vegetables, and simple storecupboard staples. Something like a bag of Organic Jumbo Oats, with one ingredient on the label, is about as far from ultra-processed as food gets. Knowing is only half the battle The study made one more important point worth being honest about. Even people who could spot ultra-processed food did not always avoid it, and the reasons were completely understandable: cost, convenience, taste and family habits. The researchers concluded that awareness alone is unlikely to change much if healthier, less processed options remain more expensive or harder to reach. In other words, this is not simply a matter of willpower or ignorance. That is exactly why building meals around affordable whole-food staples matters so much. Basics like oats, pulses, rice, nuts and seeds are cheap, filling and about as minimally processed as it gets, especially when bought in larger, better-value quantities. Making those the foundation of your shopping is one of the most practical ways to eat less ultra-processed food without spending more. So if you have felt confused about what counts as ultra-processed, you are far from alone, and you do not need a science degree to make good choices. Read the ingredients, favour short and recognisable lists, and build your meals around simple whole foods you could imagine cooking from scratch. That single habit will do more than any amount of memorising ever could. This article is for general information and is not medical or dietary advice. If you have specific health concerns, it is worth speaking to a doctor or registered dietitian.

If your morning coffee seems to cost more than it used to, you are not imagining it. Coffee prices have risen sharply in recent years, and behind that trend sits a mix of climate, economics and supply pressures that is unlikely to ease soon. There is also a second, less obvious change worth knowing about: some of the cheaper coffee on the shelves is not entirely coffee. Here is an evidence-based look at what is going on in your cup. Coffee is a fussy crop Most of the coffee we drink is arabica, and it only grows well in a narrow band of tropical highlands with the right temperature, rainfall and altitude. That makes it unusually sensitive to weather. A single bad season in a major producing country can move the global price, because supply is concentrated in relatively few places. Brazil and Vietnam alone account for a large share of world production, so when they struggle, everyone feels it. Why prices keep climbing Several forces have pushed prices up at once. The biggest is weather. Droughts and frosts in key growing regions have repeatedly damaged harvests, and climate change is making these extremes more frequent while slowly shrinking the amount of land suitable for growing arabica. As the climate warms, the cool highland zones coffee needs are moving higher up mountainsides and running out of room. On top of that come rising costs all along the chain. Fertiliser, energy, shipping and labour have all become more expensive, and those costs are passed through to the finished product. Both arabica and the hardier robusta variety have hit record or near-record prices on global markets in recent years, and market speculation can amplify the swings. Put simply, there is less coffee than demand would like, and it costs more to grow and move. That is a recipe for higher prices. Why your coffee may not be pure anymore Here is the part many people miss. When the raw ingredient becomes expensive, there is a commercial temptation to make it go further, and coffee has a long history of adulteration. Because ground and instant coffee are, by their nature, already broken down into powder, it is difficult for a shopper to see exactly what is inside. Laboratory testing has repeatedly found cheaper fillers bulking out some ground and instant coffees. Common additions include roasted chicory, barley and other cereals, maize, soybean, and even coffee husks, twigs and other by-products. These are not always declared clearly. This does not mean all coffee is suspect, reputable brands sell exactly what they say, but it does mean the cheapest products are the ones most worth scrutinising. The more processed and the more anonymous the coffee, the harder it is to know what you are drinking. How to know you're getting real coffee The simplest safeguard is to buy whole beans and grind them yourself. Whole beans are almost impossible to adulterate, because you can see exactly what you are buying, and grinding fresh also gives you noticeably better flavour and aroma. Choosing coffee from a transparent, reputable source, and looking for clear origin information, gives you further reassurance. If you would like to make the switch, our Roasted Organic Whole Coffee Beans come in a generous 1kg bag, so you get pure, single-ingredient coffee with nothing hidden, and better value per cup than small tins of pre-ground. Getting more from every cup With prices high, it is worth making your coffee count. Store beans in an airtight container away from heat and light, and grind only what you need just before brewing to keep the flavour at its peak. Buying in larger quantities, such as a 1kg bag, usually works out cheaper per cup than repeatedly buying small packs. And using slightly less of a good, full-flavoured coffee often gives a better result than piling in more of a weaker one. Coffee is getting more expensive because it is a climate-sensitive crop grown in a few vulnerable regions, hit by extreme weather and rising costs across the board. Those same pressures make cheaper, heavily processed coffee more likely to be bulked out with fillers. The good answer to both problems is the same: buy whole beans from a source you trust, grind them fresh, and enjoy coffee that is exactly what it claims to be.