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Plant Based Living

Since we launched our website we have been publishing news and articles with a view to helping everyone who is interested to pursue plant-based living. Below are summaries of the articles available, click on the headings to read the full articles.

Read, hopefully learn, but most of all enjoy!

Plant-based diets on a budget

vegetables

Summary:

Eating well on a tight budget can be tricky, but here’s our hints and tips for making your cash stretch a little further while still getting tasty, healthy food. 

Includes information about blogs, budgeting, sprouting and bulk buying along with links to great recipes and special offers

The Real Foods Guide to Pulses

beans

Summary:

Pulses are brilliant sources of protein, (meaning they are of particular use to people who don’t eat meat, fish or dairy), they’re also great for extending meals, throw in a handful to casseroles, stews and soups to provide extra nutrients and stretch the meal further. Pulses are also excellent sources of iron, starch and fibre in your diet. They are cheap, low fat and extremely tasty! Here’s our guide to our range of pulses and ways of getting the most out of them.

The Real Foods Guide to Grains

How do I cook Wheat Grain?

Summary:

There’s a huge range of great grains, so don’t limit yourself to some bland white rice when you could try spiced quinoa or bulgur, perk up soups and stews with lentils and rye grains, or try all of the popping grains (it’s not just corn that pops!)

Includes links to all of our How Do I Cook guides, so you need never again be baffled at what to do with Bulgur, alarmed at Amaranth or worried over Wehani Rice...

Get Your Oats

oats aid a good night's sleep

Summary:

“A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland appears to support the people.” Samuel Johnson.

An oft quoted remark from a 1755 dictionary which invariably gets the response “that’s why England has good horses, and Scotland - good people!”.

Jokes aside, oats are highly nutritious, survive in hardy conditions (that’s why many of ours are locally grown) and can be used in a huge array of recipes. Here’s our guide to what the different oats are and answers to commonly asked questions, “are they Raw?”, “are they Gluten Free?” and “what’s a bannock?”…

Fermented Foods, Prebiotics and Probiotics

fermented foods

Summary:

You probably already eat fermented foods in your diet. Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, some teas, pickles, vinegar, cheese and yoghurt are all fermented foods. Then there’s alcohol, sauerkraut, kombucha, sourdough and kefir, again all fermented!

Here's our guide to buying them and making your own!

How to get protein while on a plant-based diet

Summary:

plant based protein

This article answers a few commonly asked questions such as - What is protein and why do we need it? How much do we need? and what are good sources of non-meat protein?


Turmeric and Curcumin

tumeric

Summary:

We've been asked quite frequently about turmeric. What's the curcumin content of the turmeric we sell, what is fresh turmeric used for and whether curcumin supplements have the same benefits as turmeric ones are just a few of the regularly asked questions. Here's all of our answers rounded up in a handy guide to the spice known in India as 'holy powder'. We've also a guide to making your own turmeric and castor oil pack to cleanse and rebalance the liver and gallbladder areas, popular with followers of Ayurvedic medicine.

How to find natural sugar alternatives

alternative sweeteners

Summary:

Most of the synthetic sugars are difficult for the body to process and eliminate, so they often get stored as fat. Sugar alternatives can be bought here and syrups are available also. Natural sugar alternatives in the article include: agave nectar, brown rice syrup, local honey, maple syrup, stevia and xylitol. 


All About Fibre

add fibre

Summary:

While the hype for keto diets is in full flow and more people are looking to protein as a primary nutrient, there is one major area of nutrition that is continually overlooked: fibre. The team at Real Foods, Scotland’s largest independent retailer, shares the importance of fibre, and why fibre rich foods are the magic component in your diet.

Natural Skincare

natural beauty

Summary:

So you’d like to use high-quality ingredients? Products with complete traceability? Perhaps you’d like to be able to leave your moisturiser lying around and not panic when a toddler starts eating it? Look no further… here’s the Real Foods guide to natural skincare...

 
Find out the differences between organic, biodynamic, vegetarian and vegan wines

organic biodynamic vegan wine

Summary:

Want to know the difference between an organic wine and a Demeter organic wine? Fancy trying a vegan wine or worried about sulphur levels? Read on to find out what exactly all the information on the labels really means...