5 health shop finds you need to try

Feeling peckish? Here are the five 5 health shop finds you need to try.

With health shops now on every other corner, once-exotic produce is quickly becoming a mid-week dinner staple. But we’re not complaining. With an ever-growing knowledge of nutrition and access to more food than ever before, there’s never been a better time to start trying new things and begin reaping the benefits. Whether you’re looking for the next superfood trend, shopping with an intolerance, or are simply after your next foodie obsession, here are the 5 health shop finds you need in your life.

Buzz word

Bee pollen has long been used in holistic therapy around the world and is hailed for its superfood qualities, so it was only a matter of time before it made its way onto our plates. And quite rightly so. It contains levels of protein on par with that of meat sources and is known to contain strong antibiotics properties, so it’s certainly a smart nutritional choice. It can boost immunity, protect against nasty bugs and colds and can help to keep your energy ticking over just right all day. ‘How should we eat it?’ was (obviously) our first question. Sprinkle over yoghurt or ice cream, combine with smoothies or use as a topping for salads, fruits and pasta dishes for a seriously good health kick.

Bee Pollen, £6.99, nutriseed.uk

Full of beans

Pasta alternatives can often leave a lot to be desired, but this Edamame Mung Bean Fettuccine is a real foodie find. Made purely from beans and water, don’t be fooled by this unassuming legume. It’s not just organic and gluten-free, but also astonishingly high in protein. With regular pastas having no more than 5-6g of the stuff, this substitute boasts a whopping 25g. Not content with that, it also offers 9g more fibre than white pastas. Safe to say it’s our new-found love. How did we live without it?

Explore Asia Edamame Mung Bean Fettuccine, £3.29, ocado.com

Say cheese!

Cheese-lovers, rejoice! This vegan, dairy-free offering from Nut Crafter is a real gem. If you’re avoiding the ‘king of cheeses’, Parmesan, we may have found your new best friend. Made from grated organic raw almonds, nutritional yeast and sea salt, it bears the same texture, taste and general yumminess as its Italian counterpart – fluffy, nutty, fruity and savoury. Pop it on your salads, sprinkle it into pastas and risottos, and marvel at its greatness.

Grated Almond Parmavegan, £5.20, nutcrafter.co.uk

Spread the love

There were nut butters. There were nut spreads. But now there’s nut-based cheese (bear with – you’ll want to). Nut Crafter’s ‘Frawmage’ is made from organic raw and activated cashew nuts, acidophilus cultures and sea salt to bring us a creamy, rich and wonderfully savoury spread. It’s low in fat, sodium and calories and high in iron and vegetable protein. And (as if we have to say it), it’s 100 per cent dairy-free and suitable for vegans. Available in two flavours – original and chive – so if you’re partial to a spot of smoked salmon and cream cheese or have a penchant for toast-toppings, this needs to be on your next shopping list.

Spreadable Double Cream Frawmage, £3.50, nutcrafter.co.uk

Jammy dodger

Coconut water made its debut in 2014 and we’ve been (happily) riding the tropical wave ever since. But this find really does take the, well, coconut. Likened to Dulche de Leche, this Coconut Jam from Naturally Good Food is made from two simple ingredients, coconut milk and coconut sugar, boiled together to make a caramel-like spread. It offers a fudgey but (unsurprisingly) coconut flavour, perfect for use in a dessert sauce or cake filling (or straight out of the jar, but we didn’t tell you that…).

Coconut Jam, £4.95, naturallygoodfood.co.uk