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Almost everyone loves cashew nuts! That satisfying crack as you bite into it, the wonderfully moreish taste and the fantastic nutrition all contribute to making the cashew one of our very favourites from the nut family.

Cashews aren’t just for snacking, however – they have a huge role to play in the kitchens of adventurous foodies. Not only do they provide a fantastic taste and texture for dishes, they also act as a very useful and effective alternative to milk, cheese and cream, making them essential for vegan cooks and anyone wanting to avoid dairy.

Something special happens to cashews when they are soaked in liquid for a few hours – they soften and swell, and can be whizzed up into a lovely smooth base for many wonderful things. It’s a delightful bit of kitchen alchemy which really opens doors to the clued-up cook! So let’s have a round-up of ten of our favourite, most creative ways to use this wonder-nut!

Our Top Ten Favourite Superfoods

While there is no specific scientific or regulatory definition of the word ‘superfood’, it has come to be accepted as referring to any food that has an exceptional array of properties that make it extremely beneficial to the human body when consumed.

There’s no one food which offers all the nutrition you’ll need to achieve peak health, and it’s always better to eat a wide range of different types of food – but the emphasis should be on whole foods instead of processed ones, and it’s preferable to include foods from the ‘superfood’ category in your daily diet if you can.

Here’s our superfoods list compiling ten of our very favourites:

An Introduction to Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are one of the most unusual foods in the ‘superfood’ category, and a store cupboard staple for vegans, foodies and everyone with an interest in ‘free from’ food preparation.

Many people don’t understand what they are or what to do with them, but once the benefits and uses of these fantastic little wonders are revealed, they convert many gourmets and cooks to their cause!

Ten Amazing Facts about Flaxseed

Flaxseeds (or Linseeds, as they’re sometimes called) are, quite simply, one of the most nutritionally beneficial whole foods you can consume.

It’s no surprise flax is thought of as a ‘superfood’ – there’s a list of benefits to eating these tiny, nutty seeds that’s longer than your arm, and consequently they’ve been growing in reputation and popularity year on year.

Not only do these little seeds fill you with good things, but they also have various unusual properties which make them essential for vegans or anyone following a ‘free from’ diet.

So what is Linseed/Flaxseed? And why should we be sitting up and taking notice of this wonderful ingredient?

Why is Seaweed so good for you?

Seaweed is a cover-all term describing many different types of marine algae. It grows wild in seas all over the world and is used for cooking, beauty and health purposes. In the kitchen it’s prepared as a dish on its own, an ingredient, a snack, a seasoning or even as a thickener.

Some of us use powdered algae such as Chlorella or Spirulina in smoothies or capsules. Many of us are familiar with nori seaweed, which is commonly wrapped around sushi. But there are hundreds of varieties of seaweed used for various purposes all over the world, and it’s growing in popularity all the time.

So what are some of the health benefits of seaweed?

Why you should incorporate Green Tea as part of your daily routine!

Green tea has exploded in popularity in the West in recent years as more types have become available and more people have started taking an interest in the health benefits and the spectrum of flavours and varieties on offer.

There are many reasons to get the pot and brew up some green tea – as well as the positive effects on physical health, having a cup of green tea also gives you a chance to sit down and relax and maybe have a chat, making it great for your mental health too. Also, because green tea is generally taken without milk, it’s a great option for those following a vegan diet.

So what are the other health benefits of green tea? here are some of the best:

Top ten recipes that use Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is an amazingly versatile cooking ingredient made by squeezing the fresh coconut flesh and collecting the oil produced.

Coconut Oil is also full of nutrition – it’s a rare source of lauric acid, which has huge health benefits, and it can help regulate metabolism, boost brain function and lower cholesterol. Here are some of our very favourite Coconut Oil recipes.

How to fit more superfoods into your diet

Magazines and TV shows are full of people talking about superfoods these days – but what are superfoods?

‘Superfood’ is a word that has come to mean foods from a different number of food groups (mostly plant-based) that have an excellent nutritional density, and which also offer an excellent array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Added to that, superfoods also very often contain healthy fats, which are thought to prevent heart disease, and fibre, important for preventing diabetes and digestive problems.

So here are some of our very favourite superfoods for supplying tip-top nutrition to every part of your body:

EIGHT WAYS TO USE BUTTER BEANS

Butter Beans are a fantastically healthy ingredient – they’re high in protein and fibre, and they’re an excellent source of carbohydrates. Low in fat and calories but high in folate, starch and iron, they’re one of the best store cupboard ingredients there is. They’re also wonderfully filling, and can be used in a wide array of dishes, both savoury and sweet.

Here are eight of our favourites:

Our Top Vegan Protein Powders

Many people these days choose to supplement the nutrition they get from the food they eat with various pills, powders and potions. Protein powder is a popular nutritional supplement, and we’re big fans, as we believe it offers an extra boost for athletes and other active people, with which they can provide essential nutrients to aid muscle repair, help with balance of hormones and maintain bone, muscle, and skin. It may also help you lose weight and get toned! Protein is also essential for the body’s recovery after an exercise session, and many vegans use our vegan protein powder to replace the animal proteins carnivores obtain from meat.

Most adults tend to need around 0.75g of protein per kilo of body weight every day. For an average woman, this equates to 45g, while for the average man, it’s 55g. Older adults, or those engaged in demanding fitness regimes, may need more.

So let’s have a look at our most popular lines of vegan protein powder…