fOOd
NEWS
GOING NUTS SWEETEST
October 22nd is National Nut Day, www.nationalnutday.
FEELING
com, and this year’s focus is on switching to nuts to help
the environment, based on the premise that if we eat less
meat and highly processed foods – our planet will benefit
by helping to keep a lid on the creation of greenhouse
gasses and reducing use of valuable land resources.
“One of the keys to sustaining our planet is for those of us in the richer half of the world
to switch some meat consumption to relatively unprocessed plant-based products such
as nuts. Very significant pollution problems are caused to our air and water by livestock
farms,” says Dr Murphy-Bokern, an agri-environmental scientist and author of several
studies on food system impacts. If we reduce our meat consumption we can replace
some of it with other high protein foods such as nuts and ‘nutty’ legumes – like Brazil nuts,
cashews, peanuts and walnuts, which are a good nutritional alternatives to meat. Both meat
and nuts have the pleasant savoury taste described by the Japanese as umami – the fifth
basic taste after sweet, salty, sour and bitter. “Using plant-based ingredients high in umami
is a feature of traditional cuisines which are low in meat. Reducing meat consumption by
half in the average ‘western’ diet is not difficult; nuts are a high protein and environmentally
friendly option,” he adds.
Nuts are a source of vital fatty acids, omega fats, protein and many vitamins and
XyloBrit looks and tastes just
minerals. See our article on nuts and carb values in our previouis issue HERE.
like ordinary sugar, but with
40% fewer calories it is a
BOWLED OVER
credible alternative. Made from
100% pure Xylitol, which is
extracted from hardwood trees
The growers at Steve's Leaves have matched such as Silver Birch, it can be
its award-winning baby leaves with fitting used just like ordinary sugar in
ingredients and mini pots of dressing to create hot and cold drinks, on desserts
new salad bowls with tempters like their BLT and cereals. Unlike other sugar
Salad with Quail's Eggs and Caesar Dressing substitutes, XyloBrit has a
(£2.90) and Wasabi Rocket Salad with Ginger very low Glycaemic Index (GI
& Chilli Croutons and a Miso Dressing (£2.75). = 8) and so can be used by
They have developed a revolutionary chiller people who are on low-GI diets
that rapidly cools the leaves within 60 minutes and is more suitable than real
of them being harvested, keeping them fresh sugar for people with diabetes.
and tasty. The salads are washed only in pure Studies have also shown that it
spring water and are ready to eat at any time. can inhibit the growth of certain
They serve two to four people on the side of bacteria, reducing the risk of
a main meal or make a healthy meal for one. dental cavities. So it’s tooth
www.stevesleaves.co.uk friendly too.