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Sustainable Shopping with
to live more 10 top tips Sustainably
From scratch cooking to buying organic and taking the train, Jo Hand, founder of Giki, shares her tips for a more sustainable family lifestyle…
AS the food and drink we consume makes up around a quarter of our total environmental impact, cooking from scratch is one great way to keep costs down whilst looking out for the environment. Choosing sustainable food is also a really good way to reduce our impact. Living – and eating – sustainably can also help you reduce your bills at the end of the month, as a sustainable diet can cost less than a regular one, due to the reduction in meat and cheese which tend to be an expensive part of the weekly shop.
Here are 10 tips to live more sustainably, for the whole family. 1. Try green energy Why not browse options for green energy companies and see how their services can work for your family? Choosing a green energy provider will cut your electricity carbon footprint by a massive 90% and your total carbon footprint by 10%. 2. Eat a plant-based diet Instead of your regular meals, try to buy a vegetable-based salad for lunch. Options like roasted vegetables and pulses are a tasty option, or you can use tofu instead of beef if you are craving meat. Replacing meat with a plant-based food will save you cash, and also cut your total carbon footprint by more than 20%.
The difference in carbon impact between a meat based and plantbased meal can be striking. We compared two meals: Steak, chips and salad, followed by cheese and biscuits, as Meal 1, and vegetable risotto followed by fruit salad as Meal 2. Meal 1 has a carbon footprint five times larger than Meal 2, largely due to beef, and the agricultural land required to produce Meal 1 is seven times greater than Meal 2.
3. Check ingredients and scan barcodes When shopping at the supermarket, scan barcodes (using an app, e.g. Giki) and get informed on the products you buy, and the companies you buy from. You can even check which badges have been awarded, from low carbon footprint, sustainable palm oil and better packaging to animal welfare, and find alternatives to high carbon footprint meals for the whole family, based on major academic and scientific carbon footprint studies from around the world and drawing on all UK supermarket products in the Giki database. 4. Lower your impact first thing in the morning A good first step in living sustainably is being more mindful of how you take your morning coffee, which is how a lot of people start their day. If you use a cafetière, use a plant-based milk (like oat milk for example), and coffee packed in a compostable bag. Percol is one of the brands that offer this option. By doing this you can lower the carbon impact of your morning coffee by 20% and hugely save on plastic (like coffee bags and single use coffee cups). It will reduce your coffee budget too! 5. Buy organic fruit and vegetables Indulge in organic vegetables. Try this for a week and see the difference. This choice means less fertilisers and pesticides, as organic farms have 50% more biodiversity than non-organic ones – much better for the birds and the bees.
GLUTEN FREE - FULL TASTE PASTA
The unmistakable goodness of Pasta Garofalo, for every palate. With our gluten free shapes made to guarantee excellence and perfect cooking texture, no one will forgo the pleasure of a quality pasta dish.
GLUTEN FREE PASTA GLUTEN FREE PULSES AND GRAINS PASTA
18th June 2019
Great gluten free pasta
This is so close to non-gluten free that I forgot it isn’t regular pasta. It doesn’t have a sandy texture – check, tastes normal instead of weird-check, and doesn’t fall apart when it is cooked – check. Brilliant!
24th November 2019
Delicious GF pasta
My husband is gluten intolerant so I usually just cook and eat what he eats. You wouldn’t know this pasta is gluten free from the taste – it’s amazing. We’ve tried other gluten free pasta which have tasted awful but we’ll keep buying this brand.
20th November 2019
Really good gluten free pasta
Tastes more like normal but it is gluten free. Easy to do al dente as does not go overly soft as usual gluten free do.
2nd September 2019
Excellent
We have found the whole range so far to be really tasty. The pasta cooks very well and taste is good. Definitely one of the best.
Garofalo pasta is available at Ocado.com, Amazon.co.uk, Booths and local stockists.
6. Avoid unsustainable palm oil Unsustainable palm oil has led to huge portions of the Indonesian rainforest being lost and the extraction of palm oil is pushing animals such as orangutans, elephants and Sumatran tigers closer to extinction. Check if a product contains palm oil and whether it is sustainable. (Giki sets a high bar for sustainable palm oil, due to the destruction unsustainable palm oil causes.) 7. Prioritise better packaging Better packaging means less plastic, less rubbish and more recycling at the end of the cycle. If you’re not sure of what a box or wrapper is made of, just scan the barcode of the product and look out for the Better Packaging badge. 8. Buy British, in season, plastic-free fruit or vegetables Buying local, in season and with zero plastic means it took less air miles and less waste plastic for landfill to make this product. Even though it should be pretty straightforward, we know it is tough to find this option in major UK supermarkets. If you find it really difficult or impossible, tell your supermarket manager, or try a local greengrocer or market if you have one. You may have more options there.
9. Take the train If you are planning a trip, try to take the train as a preferred transportation over flying or driving. For example, two people will emit three times more carbon traveling in the car than by the train. If you are going solo, you will emit six times as much. Travelling by train also means you can relax! 10. Spend some time in nature Even if you live in a city, there is always a park somewhere. Going for walks and spending time in nature can entertain you, free of charge and with no environmental impact. It is always a great spot to take the family and enjoy activities with little to no carbon impact!
iBy Jo Hand, founder of Giki, the Social Enterprise and mobile app that makes it easy to find sustainable, healthy and ethical products in major UK supermarkets.
Smile PROMOTION
Gluten Free Summer baking
WE believe when you are everyone to enjoy. gluten free, you can still The Victoria Sponge recipe above enjoy delicious bakes and uses our Gluten Free Self Raising treats. That’s why as the White Flour and is an easy all-inUK’s number one gluten free flour one method to create this brand* we’ve created classic crowd-pleasing a range of gluten free summer bake. flour blends made with naturally gluten free ingredients that Where to buy: Our flours are available at freee-foods.co.uk, make it easy for you to through major bake at home. retailers and selected
With many flours in independent retailers. the range, including Self Raising, Plain, White Info: For more gluten free recipe inspiration, Bread, Brown Bread and visit our website Buckwheat - all certified freee-foods.co.uk gluten free by Coeliac UK - there’s something for *Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 22 March 2020.
Delicious Gluten Free Victoria Sponge
EQUIPMENT 2 x 18cm/7”round tins mixing bowl
TEMPERATURE 180°C, Fan 160°C, 350°F, Gas 4
COOKING TIME 30-35 minutes
YOU WILL NEED 175g FREEE Self Raising White
Flour 175g butter, softened 4 eggs 175g caster sugar butter, for tin 4 tbsp jam 50g cream 100g icing sugar
METHOD (Makes 1 cake) 1. Rub some oil around the inside of two 18cm/7” round baking tins or insert baking liners and preheat the oven. 2. Sieve the flour into a large bowl. 3. Add the butter, eggs, sugar and beat well. 4. Divide the mixture between the prepared baking tins. 5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cakes are just brown and start to come away from the side of the tin. 6. Turn the cakes out on to a wire rack, remove the liner if used, and leave to cool. 7. Spread jam onto one cold sponge. 8. Whip the cream and spread it over the jam. 9. Place the second sponge on top.
freee-foods.co.uk
intolerance Food What you need to know about...
Afood intolerance is difficulty digesting certain foods and having an unpleasant physical reaction to them… It causes symptoms, such as bloating and tummy pain, which usually happen a few hours after eating the food.
The number of people who believe they have a food intolerance has risen dramatically over recent years, but it’s hard to know how many people are truly affected. Many people assume they have a food intolerance when the true cause of their symptoms is something else. What are the symptoms of food intolerance? In general, people who have a food intolerance tend to experience:
tummy pain, bloating, wind and/or diarrhoea skin rashes and itching
These symptoms usually happen a few hours after eating the food.
It can be difficult to know whether you have a food intolerance as these are general symptoms that are typical of many other conditions.
Is there a food intolerance test? A number of companies produce food intolerance tests, but these tests are not based on scientific evidence and are not recommended by the British Dietary Association (BDA).
The best way of diagnosing a food intolerance is to monitor your symptoms and the foods you eat. See what happens when you cut out the suspected food for a while, and then reintroduce it into your diet.
Food diary Try keeping a food diary, noting:
What foods you eat any symptoms you have after eating these foods when these symptoms happen
Trial elimination diet Once you have an idea of which foods may be causing your symptoms, you can try excluding them from your diet one at a time and observing the effect this has. Try cutting out the suspected food from your diet for 2 to 6 weeks and see if your symptoms improve. Reintroduce the food to see if symptoms return. You may find you can tolerate a certain level and you only get symptoms if you have more than this amount. Consider seeing a dietitian to make sure you’re receiving all your recommended daily nutrients while you do this trial. Find a registered dietitian. Never restrict your child’s diet unless this has been advised by a dietitian or your doctor. Could my symptoms be something else? If you regularly have diarrhoea, bloating, tummy pain or skin rashes but you’re not certain of the cause, see a GP. A GP may be able to diagnose the cause from your symptoms and medical history. If necessary, they’ll order tests, such as blood tests. You can also do some research yourself. It may help to find out about other conditions that cause similar symptoms. For example, find out about:
irritable bowel syndrome stress and anxiety disorder lactose intolerance coeliac disease inflammatory bowel disease food allergy
The bowel is a sensitive organ and it’s common to have bowel symptoms when you have been ill or feel run down or stressed. Is it a food intolerance or food allergy? A food intolerance is not the same as a food allergy. Here’s how to tell the difference.
A food allergy:
is a reaction by your immune system (your body’s defence against infection). Your immune system mistakenly treats proteins found in food as a threat can trigger allergy symptoms, such as a rash, wheezing and itching, after eating just a small amount of the food (these symptoms usually happen quickly) is often to particular foods.
Common food allergies in adults include fish and shellfish and nut allergies.
Common food allergies in children include milk, eggs, fish, peanuts and other nuts can be life-threatening
A food intolerance:
does not involve your immune system – there is no allergic reaction, and it is never life-threatening causes symptoms that happen gradually, often a few hours after eating the problem food only results in symptoms if you eat a substantial amount of the food (unlike an allergy, where just traces can trigger a reaction) can be caused by many different foods
What causes a food intolerance? It is often unclear why a person is sensitive to certain foods.
If your symptoms happen after eating dairy products, it’s possible you may have lactose intolerance. This means your body cannot digest lactose, a natural sugar found in milk, yoghurt and soft cheeses. A GP can usually diagnose lactose intolerance by looking at your symptoms and medical history.
Some people have trouble digesting wheat and experience bloating, wind, diarrhoea, being sick and stomach pain after eating bread.
Otherwise, the culprit may be a food additive, chemical or contaminant, such as:
monosodium glutamate (MSG) caffeine alcohol artificial sweeteners histamine (found in Quorn, mushrooms, pickled and cured foods, and alcoholic drinks) toxins, viruses, bacteria or parasites that have contaminated food artificial food colours, preservatives or flavour enhancers
Gluten intolerance Many people cut gluten from their diet thinking that they are intolerant to it, because they experience symptoms after eating wheat.
But it’s hard to know whether these symptoms are because of an intolerance to gluten, an intolerance to something else in wheat, or nothing to do with wheat at all. It may help to read more about cutting out bread from your diet.
Very few people need to cut out gluten from their diet, although it’s important to do so if you have coeliac disease (which is not an intolerance, nor an allergy, but an autoimmune condition). How do I manage it? If you’re confident you are intolerant to a particular food, the only way to manage this is to stop eating the food for a while and then reintroduce small quantities while monitoring how much you can eat without causing symptoms.
Check food labels to see which sorts of foods to avoid.
If you think your child may have a food intolerance, check with a GP or dietitian before eliminating foods from their diet, as a restricted diet could affect their growth and development. Cows’ milk, for example, is an important source of calcium, vitamin D and protein. When do I need to see a specialist? A GP may refer you to a specialist if they’re not sure what’s causing your symptoms and further tests are needed.
You may also be referred if your child has digestive symptoms (such as tummy pain and diarrhoea) and:
is not growing well has not responded to any elimination diets that your healthcare professional recommended has reacted suddenly or severely to a food has a suspected food allergy
iThis content is courtesy of the NHS website – for more information visit: www.nhs.
uk/conditions/food-intolerance/
No Knead Bread
THERE is something magical about the smell of freshly baked bread… If you fancy a little of this magic in your home, here is a failproof recipe for homemade no-knead bread, suitable for kids and absolute beginners. No skills needed – just a little bit of patience while the yeast is doing its thing….
WHAT YOU NEED:
Cast iron or casserole dish with lid 12-18 hours of patience while the dough rises (so best to prepare the dough the night before you plan to bake) and 1 hour for baking
Ingredients FOR 1 LOAF
400g strong white bread or all-purpose flour (wheat or spelt or half/ half) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon dried yeast
HOW TO MAKE
1Mix flour, salt and dried yeast in a bowl. Add 350ml of lukewarm water and stir with a tablespoon – that’s it! 2 Cover the bowl with foil and let it rise for 12-18 hours (or put it to bed overnight).
3Tip the dough onto a floured surface and fold it onto itself a few times with a dough scraper or floured hands. Let it rise for another hour.
4In the meantime, put the cast iron dish or casserole dish on a tray in the lower part of your oven and preheat the oven to 230°C. 5 Take the very hot form out of the oven and carefully drop the dough into it. Put the lid on and bake for 30 minutes.
6Remove the lid with kitchen gloves (careful – it’s superhot!) and bake for another 20-30 minutes until golden brown and crisp. It should sound hollow to the touch when tapped.
7Let the bread cool down a little before breaking and adding your favourite jam. Enjoy!
TOP TIP: Why not try this recipe with your favourite gluten-free flour?
Smile Cuisine WHAT YOU NEED 250ml heavy (whipping) cream An empty jam jar (500ml) 10 minutes and a little bit of elbow grease! Method 1 Fill the jar halfway with heavy cream and seal the lid firmly. 2 Shake the jar from top to bottom for about 6-8 minutes until it begins to thump and slosh – take turns and get the kids to help out here! 3 Shake for another minute or two. Now you have butter and some buttermilk. (If you like your butter salty you could now add some sea salt and shake a bit more to mix in the salt.) 4 Scoop the butter out and put it onto a plate. Enjoy! It is a delicious spread for your homemade bread. TOP TIP If you want to store the butter, form the butter mass into a ball, compressing it under cold running water to get all of the buttermilk out of it. It should keep for a couple of days in the fridge. Author: Katleen Decker SHAKE UP HOMEMADE BUTTER IN 10 MINUTES More than just good food
The basis of everything 42 7 top tips for a healthy family digestion 43 Let’s Yoga – easy low cobra 44 Healthy ways to manage family conflict 47 A healthy approach to home-schooling 50 Sleeping your way to good health Smile Health
