Aztec seed that can help you lose weight: Tiny chia seeds are high in nutrients, low calorie and hitting the mainstream
Chia seeds are nutritious and low in calories
Just a year ago, you would only have found chia seeds in health food stores, but the tiny, super-healthy seeds have gone mainstream — and can now be found in virtually every supermarket.
Retail analysts Mintel say the use of chia seeds as an ingredient in products has seen a ten-fold increase globally in the past five years.
The Chia Co, which produces 60 per cent of the world’s chia seeds on farms in Australia, Kenya, Nicaragua and Tanzania, has enjoyed 100 per cent year-on-year growth in turnover since 2003.
The seeds can be sprinkled on breakfast cereal, yoghurt, salads or cous cous, are high in protein and contain a wealth of health-promoting minerals and antioxidants.
Their nutritional qualities have made the seeds popular with athletes but they are low in calories, too, so are attractive to dieters.
Earlier this year, Tesco began selling five chia products and will be selling three more next month. Wholefoods buyer Rosie Goodson said: ‘Chia has had an incredible rise to mainstream prominence. We launched some chia products as a trial in 250 stores at the beginning of the year, and since then demand has grown, especially for the seeds, on a weekly basis by word of mouth.
‘We will be doubling the amount of stores that stock them later this year, and are also considering widening the range.’
Meanwhile, at Waitrose, nutritionist Joanne Lunn says: ‘We recently launched Chia seeds into our Waitrose LOVE Life range and we’ve already seen sales grow by 67 per cent.’
Chia, a plant from the mint family that develops both black and white seeds, is said to be one of the world’s oldest sources of nutrition, eaten by the ancient Aztecs and Mayans as early as 3500 BC.
Products containing chia include Burgen Sunflower and Chia bread (£1.40 a loaf, widely available), Chia Pods — dairy, sugar and gluten-free pots made with coconut milk and fruit (£2.49/170g, Tesco), Sunflower and Chia Rolls (M&S, £1.50 for four) and Helen’s Seeds for Cereal Milled Linseed, Gojiberry & Chia Seed (£2.69/230g, Ocado).
Going up... going down
Supermarket prices fluctuate far more than you'd think. Here, mySupermarket.co.uk - which tracks the prices of thousands of groceries - reveals the biggest price changes between July and August...
White eggs are to have a comeback, thanks to the Happy Egg Co.
Cracking news! White eggs are back
White eggs are to have a comeback, thanks to the Happy Egg Co.
The eggs, which have larger yolks than brown-shelled eggs — making them the perfect choice for cooks and bakers — were a common sight in the Fifties and Sixties but have almost died out.
Laid by white, free-ranging hens, the white eggs are sourced from Happy Egg Co farms, which pride themselves on the highest standards of animal welfare.
The colour of the eggshell is dependent on the breed of the hen.
In general, white hens produce white eggs and brown hens brown eggs — but actually the way to tell for sure is to look at the earlobes of a hen. Yes, they really do have them. They will be the same colour as the eggs they lay.
Up until the early Seventies, white eggs were popular in the UK, but their numbers began to diminish as consumers expressed a preference for brown eggs. It is likely they were perceived as healthier — which is a myth.
Since the Eighties, the British industry has produced almost 100 per cent brown-shelled eggs.
The new white eggs are packaged in bright-white cartons so they are distinguishable from Happy Egg’s yellow egg boxes.
Rob Newell, head of brand marketing at the Happy Egg Co, said: ‘The success of a trial launch of white eggs last December highlighted to us that consumer demand for these delicious eggs is high.
‘Interestingly, it used to be that only white eggs were sold in this country, so it feels great to bring back a classic ingredient that was once a staple in Britain.
‘And the fact that white eggs typically have larger yolks means they’re also a great choice for cooks who want to enjoy the very best when it comes to taste and flavour.’
The Happy White Egg Co cartons are available in Tesco now and at Morrisons supermarket from Saturday, at £1.99 for six.
No comments:
Post a Comment