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Food and drink news
There’s a health angle to much of this food and drink news page as Delia Online editor Jo Hill samples various products that do you good, plus a few more besides!
Sow the seed…
Seeds are a valuable source of iron, zinc and omega oils, so add them to your diet with moreish Munchy Seeds, from dry-roasted pumpkin seeds lightly dusted with vanilla (scrumptious on cereals!) to dry-roasted sunflower, linseed and pumpkin seeds with Cajun spices. The new 30g seed shot packs are a nutritious snack at any time (or perfect lunchbox item). Visit www.munchyseeds.co.uk for more details.
In the mood?
What a clever idea! Mood Food offers foods within mood categories (eg antioxidant-rich foods for ‘healthy’; low GI foods for ‘relaxed’ to reduce stress and maintain blood sugar levels). Quality products – many organic and Fairtrade - include juices, honey and fruit snack bars, some of which (Nakd Banana Bread, Amaizin Natural Chips) I’d never heard of but really enjoyed. Efficient delivery allows you to start your new regime almost immediately. Visit www.moodfoodcompany.co.uk
New smoothies on the block
Smoothies are one of the success stories of recent years but if, like me, you get a tad tired of the same old flavours, seek out the new range from Tropicana which includes a fabulous Blackberry & Blueberry (packed with antioxidants), invigorating Raspberry & Pomegranate and soothing Apple, Pear & Cranberry. £2.99 for 1 litre from all good supermarkets.
Read the label!
So what do you prefer – traffic light labelling or GDA (guideline daily amounts)? A recent survey has shown that consumers prefer the Food and Drink Federation’s GDA approach, with 85% saying they’d like to see GDA labels on even more packs. GDA identifies the amount of fat, calories and nutrients per portion of food, while the traffic light scheme provides an analysis per 100g of food – not particularly practical, given that some foods are eaten in much smaller or bigger amounts than this. See www.whatsinsideguide.com for more details.
Time for tea
Apparently we drink a staggering 3.26 million cups of tea every day in Britain and Jacksons of Piccadilly have just launched some new blends, perfect for summer drinking: Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon Earl Grey and, my favourite, delicate Green Tea with Elderflower. What’s more, these new teas are all Fairtrade, so you can sit back and enjoy them with a clear conscience! £1.99 from Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
…or tea with a twist!
Scones and Earl Grey are the stuff of the English afternoon tea, but for something more exotic, hotfoot it to Thai restaurant Mango Tree, a tiara’s throw from Buckingham Palace. For a mere £15, you can enjoy the Thai tea platter, with herbal teas, Curried Vegetable Puffs, Aubergine Cups, Banana Cake with Coconut Caramel Sauce for dipping and Mini Madeleines, all in the sumptuous, tranquil setting of one of London’s top Thai eateries. Call 020 020 7823 1888 to book.
Leskol cheese
Most half-fat cheese leaves me wanting more, but this one from Leskol is the best yet. A winner at the recent International Cheese Awards, it tastes, slices and cooks like standard Cheddar and has a good, creamy texture and pronounced flavour, yet contains only 1.3% saturated fat – about 90% less than other mature Cheddar. Available from major supermarkets.
Cordially yours, kids!
Bottlegreen cordials need no introduction: made from premium fruit juice, they’ve now been joined by Bottlegreen Junior, a range of gorgeously fresh-tasting children’s cordials: Brill Blackcurrant & Apple, Oh So Orange and Mango and, my daughter Milly’s favourite, Awesome Apple and Elderflower. A high 1:10 dilution ratio makes them less sugary than many fruit juices. Add ice and mineral water for a summer refresher or freeze in ice cube trays. £2.69/50cl from major supermarkets.
A sauce for spring lamb…
What better with a joint of spring lamb than really good mint sauce? English Provender (recommended by Delia for its Caramelised Red Onions and Very Lazy Ginger, both used in Delia’s How to Cheat at Cooking), has just launched Organic Mint Sauce with White Wine Vinegar. I loved it, as it had just the right amount of acidic astringency without overpowering the flavour of the lamb – try adding some to the gravy too! £1.79 from Sainsbury’s.
Fruit on the hop!
Snack bars are a godsend for low-blood-sugar children coming out of school, but all too often they are crammed with sugar to give an artificial high. Fruitus bars are different - a dense, moist mixture of organic fruit and oats, they are filling and fruity (each bar contains one of your five a day) in four flavours: Apricot, Mixed Berry, Apple & Pomegranate and Blueberry. £1.85 for a five-bar multipack from major supermarkets.
