Those of you who have been following me for a while will know I’m a big fan of using hemp seeds and hearts in my recipes, so when the lovely guys at Good Hemp asked me to partner up with them on the Good Hemp’s guide to the best sustainable food delivery in London I jumped at the chance.
It’s no great surprise that after a summer of feeling free, being encouraged to Eat Out To Help Out, and let’s face it enjoying some level of normality in our everyday lives, that we’re now left with a rise in COVID cases, leaving us with a stark reminder that we all need to take some level of responsibility and perhaps pull back a bit. Six months ago when this all began we were all in total shock and receptive to making small changes to our usual ways of living – whether this meant focusing on what we were eating, simply reconnecting with nature, or making a conscious effort to reduce our household waste, we had bought into the need to make changes for our health, our kids and for the good of the world beyond our life span. Naturally some of this seems to have been forgotten in amongst the desire to move back to a normal way of living, but this week’s newly imposed government restrictions reminds us that COVID is still here and we need to take action. For me this means eating consciously – think lots of plant based goodness, supporting local producers and taking full advantage of the glut of amazing September produce from our local farms and gardens – twinned with self-care, whether it be some form of exercise, spending time in nature or creating recipes in my kitchen.
What we need is a gentle nudge, and the lovely people at Good Hemp have created just the thing to help us take small steps to help ease us back in to a healthier, more sustainable way of living. These guys have thought of everything and put it all together in one place to create an in-depth guide to the best sustainable food delivery in London, bursting with quick and easy, simple ways to make positive switches in the way we shop and eat. Think veg and recipe box schemes to make cooking good food at home simple and achievable (perfect for mid week dinners when time is tight), London based independent ethical online grocery stores providing a platform for some amazing small brands shipping UK wide as well as giving tips on growing your own, whether your outdoor space is limited to a simple small pot of herbs or a little veg plot. My personal favourite bits are the delicious, simple recipes devised by some amazing plant based chefs, perfect to try out when you have a little extra time over the weekend.
Let’s face it, it’s nothing new to us, we are well aware that eating more plant based diversity helps boost our immune system as well as keeping our mental state strong at the same time. And there are loads of simple steps we can follow to get more of this delicious goodness inside us. Take the lovely guys at Good Hemp, they make it super easy and accessible to switch to plant based alternatives – and with full transparency in the way they farm and produce their hemp products as well as their health and environmental consciousness being at the forefront of everything they do. And for people like me living with a complex range of food intolerances, all their hemp products are vegan, dairy free, gluten free * and free from nuts. Not only do they make the most varied selection of hemp based products I’ve ever seen (if you’ve not seen their new CBD range, it’s a must to check out!), but they support some of the best small batch foodie businesses around.
Bursting full of good fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals for a healthier immune system, heart, brain, as well as positively glowing skin and hair (I’m in!) hemp makes for an obvious, healthy plant based alternative. And what’s more, it’s classified as a seed, so anyone struggling to fill their kids packed lunch boxes five days a week, try swapping out the usual pine nuts in pesto and replace for hemp hearts for a quick and simple pasta pesto salad – trust me, your kids will love you for it – as will your nut free school!
I’m off to nibble on some delicious Hemp Seed Streusel Muffins, a recipe devised especially for the Good Hemp Guide by the lovely Izy Hossack. I switched out the suggested flour for Buckwheat flour to make them gluten free and they came out just perfect.
* Good Hemp milk is 100% gluten free however their barista milk does contain malt extract which is derived from wheat, it is therefore fine for gluten intolerance suffers and coeliacs however if you suffer specifically from a wheat allergy Good Hemp would not recommend you use this variation. Their Creamy Hemp Milk is gluten and wheat free.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Good Hemp. All views and opinions remain my own.