The benefits of using agave syrup

Our friends over at What On Earth have recently launched some delicious new organic granolas, which have excellent health benefits.  Why?  Because rather than sugar or honey the company uses organic agave syrup in the granolas.  Agave syrup (also known as agave nectar) is a healthier alternative to honey and sugar and it has numerous other benefits.  This struck a particular chord with us because we do not like refined sugars  - we don't add them to Simply Nectar drinks after all.  Hearing about natural alternatives to sugar is therefore extremely interesting and something we want you all to know about.

What On Earth's new granolas

Agave syrup is produced from the blue agave plant, which grows in the southern United States, northern South America and the hilly regions of Mexico.  There are four parts of the plant that can be used in cooking – the flowers, leaves, stalks and sap.  The sap, which is used in the production of agave syrup, comes from the flower shoots.

Agave syrup has been used for centuries as a folk remedy for its medicinal properties.  Aztecs used to mix it with salt and use it as a dressing for wounds and a balm for skin infections.  Modern medical studies have also confirmed agave’s remedial properties. 

The main health property of agave syrup is its low glycemic index.  Unlike sugar which is a processed sweetener that has no nutritive value other than calories, agave syrup is a natural sweetener.  It provides sweetness without the unpleasant sugar rush and unhealthy blood sugar spike that sugars provide.  This means it won’t cause a sharp rise or fall in sugar and will provide more consistent energy throughout the day.  The glycemic value of agave syrup is 27, whereas sucrose or sugar has a value of 92.

Agave syrup contains saponins and fructans which are known for their anti-inflammatory and immune system-boosting properties.   It also contains natural enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and a nutritious fibre called inulin.  This itself has many health benefits.  It is suggested that inulin is helpful to weight loss because of its low impact on blood sugar and its ability to decrease appetite and keep you feeling fuller for longer.  Inulin is also associated with lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of certain cancers and increasing absorption of nutrients.  Plus studies have shown that it enhances calcium absorption by as much as 20% and increases bone density by 15%.

Agave syrup has also been proven effective against intestinal bacteria and to treat colon diseases such as ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease.  If applied to the skin it can also be effective against bacteria.  Adding salt to it further boasts this.

Agave syrup can be used to replace natural sweeteners in most recipes.  It is 40% sweeter than sugar so less needs to be used – therefore cutting calories.  Amazingly just a third of a cup of agave syrup can be used to replace one cup of sugar.  If agave syrup is used then the liquid ingredients in the recipe will also need to be reduced by about a third, seeing as agave syrup is a liquid – not a dry matter like sugar.

So, there we have it – a brief overview of agave syrup to let you know all about this wonderful ingredient.  If you need to add sugar to your recipes maybe you should opt for agave syrup instead.

Simply agave,

Simply Nectar

Ekta introduces us to Diwali

Yesterday was the Hindu festival of Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights.  Every year it is celebrated in Hindu communities around the world and here in the office we had a little celebration of our own.  To be honest, I have to admit to not knowing a great deal about Diwali but luckily we have our very own tutor, Ekta.  And now Ekta has kindly offered to do a guest blog all about Diwali.

Take it away Ekta….. round of applause please

Not many know about the story behind the reason for celebrating Diwali, but it is actually one of the most important Hindu festivals.  Diwali is marked as the day in the Hindu calendar as the day that Lord Rama, along his wife Sita and brother Laxman, returned to his kingdom, Ayodhya, from a 13 year exile in the forest.  Lord Hanuman, his friend, helper and confidante also came along with them.

Photo courtesy of www.iskcondesiretree.net

The kingdom’s subjects welcomed them with great fervour and celebrations. That night being a Moonless night, they decided to light up their kingdom with all the earthen lamps they had. Thus, the festival is known and celebrated as the Festival of Lights.  The word Diwali actually means ‘rows of lighted lamps’ and during the festival houses, shops and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps called diyas.

Photo courtesy of http://fr.wikipedia.org

Diwali is followed by the Hindu New Year the very next day (which is today!) This gives families a reason to come together to celebrate, eat, drink and be merry.  It is tradition to make homemade sweets and savoury snacks in the lead to Diwali.  These snacks are then served to guests and relatives visiting each other.  As a good luck present, the elders give younger members of the family envelopes which contain cash.

Photo courtesy of www.desifoodbuzz.com

As well as making lots of food, the women in the family decorate the doorsteps of their home.  They do this by creating patterns with various coloured powders.  The designs are seen as a welcome gesture, symbolic to Lord Ram’s return and his Kingdom’s welcome.

Photo courtesy of www.thehindu.com

So there we have the story of Diwali, as told by Ekta.  Thank you Ekta!

We celebrated Diwali in the office yesterday by eating traditional foods such as Motichoor Ladoo, which I can confirm were delicious!  And yes, I did have to get Ekta to write that spelling down for me!  Motichoor Ladoo is made of flour and sugar, among other ingredients.  It is a sweet Indian delicacy and is generally made for special occasions.  Hmmm, maybe we should make some pizzas that can be eaten of special occasions?!

Motichoor Ladoo

Today is the New Year for Hindus so we should wish you all a Happy New Year!

Peace, love and Diwali pizza,

What On Earth

Your chance to win some Simply Nectar

You’ve got to be in it to win it, right?  So enter this competition for your chance to win an amazing gourmet hamper worth £150.  The competition is being run in the fantastic, new, Take a Breath magazine.
 

We’ve teamed up with our friends at What On Earth and Le Pain Quotidien to offer this great hamper stuffed full of deliciously luxurious products.  The hamper includes a variety of our yummy nectars and a huge selection of other goodies. 

Here is the complete list of contents:

• Simply Nectar Mango - 75cl
• Simply Nectar Pear - 25cl
• Simply Nectar Raspberry - 25cl
• Simply Nectar Apricot - 25cl
• Simply Nectar Peach - 25cl
• Simply Nectar Orange - 25cl
• What On Earth 400ml Organic Coconut Milk
• What On Earth 700g Organic Tomato Passata
• The English Tea Shop 30g (15 pyramid bags) Lemon Grass Ginger and Citrus
• The English Tea Shop 60g (40 bags) De-Stress Tea
• The English Tea Shop 60g (40 bags) Detox Tea
• Adorn Bamboo Chopping Board-medium 210mm x 370mm
• Le Pain Quotidien 454g Organic muesli
•  Le Pain Quotidien 450g Organic granola
• Le Pain Quotidien 300g Acacia honey
• Le Pain Quotidien 652g Agave Syrup
• Le Pain Quotidien 185g Organic traditional Harissa paste
• Le Pain Quotidien 15 Chamomile Flowers pyramid tea bags
• Le Pain Quotidien 400g Organic Dark Chocolate Spread
• Le Pain Quotidien 370g Organic Raspberry Jam
• Le Pain Quotidien 250g Organic Strawberry Jam
• Le Pain Quotidien 250g Organic Blood Orange Spread
• Le Pain Quotidien 500ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Le Pain Quotidien 250ml Canola Oil

(The Le Pain Quotidien food products noted above are made by What on Earth)

For your chance to win this amazing prize, all you need to do is come up with three witty captions for the following images.  We need something that will make even the grumpiest of people crack a smile.

As always terms and conditions apply to the competition, which are as follows:

• All entrants must be over 18 and must live within the distribution area of Take a Breath (Guildford, Godalming, Farnham, Haslemere, Cranleigh and surrounding areas)
• All entries must be by 17 November to be valid
• All entries must be submitted using the online form
• The winner’s name will be printed in the December 2012 issue
• No purchase is necessary
• One entry per person
• No part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize
• Incorrectly completed entries will be disqualified
• If you win a competition, we will notify you by e-mail and phone. The judges’ decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

To enter the competition please visit the Take a Breath website: www.takeabreathmag.co.uk/hamper

Also, please read the magazine's Privacy Policy which tells you how it uses any personal information it may collect when you enter a competition.

Now get those creative hats on and get entering.  We wish you the very best of luck.

Simply competitions!

Simply Nectar

 

Using fruit as a healthy substitute in cooking

Being an avid user of Twitter I tend to be logged on to the site all day every day.  I find it a fascinating way to keep up with the goings on in the world.  During a regular day of being nosey and seeing what everyone had to shout about I noticed a tweet that took my interest.  It mentioned that fruit can be used as a substitute for certain ingredients in baking.  This struck a particular chord with me because here at Simply Nectar we know only too well that fruit can be used instead of sugar.  Simply Nectar drinks don’t contain any refined sugars.  If the drinks need sweetening at all we just add a dash of grape juice.  That is all they need.   Knowing this I was then intrigued to find out more about other ways fruit can be used to sweeten products and what else it can replace.  My curiosity encouraged me to delve deeper into the subject and this is what I found out.

Fruit can be used to replace artificial sugars and sweeteners in most recipes.  You can swap about half a cup of fruit for one cup of sugar.  It can be used in all forms too – from liquid to solid.  Fruit juice – such as Simply Nectar (of course!) – can be used to add sweetness to food.  If you want to juice your own fruit then you can obviously do this but make sure you use the fruit pulp as well as the juice because this can thicken as well as sweeten.  Another thick liquid you can use is apple sauce.  This can be used as a healthy replacement to butter and oil as it has similar properties to these ingredients.  It allows the finished product to retain its moisture so deducting oil or butter from the recipe won’t dry it out.

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Purees are also a good way to add sweetness and the trusty apple can be used once again.  An apple puree will work especially well in many baked goods.  Pear and prune puree can also work well as they can replace a significant amount of sugar in cake mixtures in particular.  You can even play around with sweet vegetable purees like pumpkin, sweet potato or butternut squash.  They all add nutritional benefits.  You could try using the purees with spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.   You can make your own puree or sauce by simmering one cup of water with around a quarter of a cup of fruit for about an hour.

Image courtesy of Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As well as pureeing the fruit, you can use overripe fruits such as pears, bananas, figs and mangoes.  If you drain off the excess juice from these fruits then you can usually use an equal ratio of fruit to sugar.  Overripe fruit doesn’t just have to be added to recipes either.  Why not mash it up to form a paste which can then be used as a topping.  Smother it on toast, bagels or muffins instead of jam or chocolate spread.

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Another option is to use the zest of a lemon, orange or lime to add sweetness and enhance the fruitiness of a dish.  Dried fruits also work well.  Try fruits such as plums, apricots, raisins and cranberries.  When fruit is dried it retains its natural sugars and so can provide bursts of sweetness if used in baking.  Take caution though.  Dried fruit is very dense so it needs to be used in small quantities in particular recipes, otherwise it may ruin the end product.  It may sink to the bottom of the mixture or not get distributed equally. 



Image courtesy of Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So there we have it; the proof that fruit can be used in lots of ways and can be used to replace many ingredients.  We all for getting rid of added sugar in food and drinks and now you can help us.  Stop including artificial sugars and sweeteners in your recipes and start using fruit.  It’s pure, natural goodness and by the sounds of it it’s also very easy to use.  Give it a try and see for yourself.

Simply fruit,

Simply Nectar

Our time at the Restaurant Show

Talk, eat, drink, repeat.  Talk, eat, drink, repeat.  Talk, eat, drink, repeat.  This is exactly what we did for three days when exhibiting at The Restaurant Show.  We talked lots, we ate lots and we drank lots.  What a good three days we had!

The Restaurant Show was held at Earls Court from 8-10 October and it saw thousands of restaurateurs, caterers, owners, chefs, sommeliers and hoteliers bounding through the doors.  They were all there to discover new products and services, taste some food and drink and make some new connections.  We managed to do exactly that and we’re pleased we could help others do that too.

We had a stand at the show along with our buddies What On Earth.  For three days we served up samples of all of our delicious nectars and juices and it seems that visitors to the Restaurant Show were pleased with our offering. They lapped them up!  Peach and Pear were certainly clear favourites.  We also stood by while What On Earth gave out tasters of yummy organic pizzas and organic desserts, which everyone seemed to wolf down.  We both seemed to feed many a hungry and thirsty mouth, including Jeremy’s!  We also managed to meet and chat to lots of new people, which was extremely exciting.  There was a real buzz around the What On Earth/Simply Nectar stand and we really enjoyed our time there.

What made our three days even better was our positioning.  Why?  Because we were directly opposite The Deli Station stand and next to the Fever Tree stand.  The Deli Station had some amazing food available and Fever Tree had some delicious soft drinks.  By offering them some of our nectars and some What On Earth food we managed to get a few lovely bits in return.  We really were eating and drinking all day long.  It was great!  Well, great for our tums but not so good for our waistlines.  Oops!

Hopefully our greed will die down a bit next week because we’re off to do ANOTHER show.  Yep, you did hear correctly.  We’re going to be exhibiting at the Independent Hotel Show next week.  Eeek, two shows in two weeks.  It’s certainly a busy time for us at the moment.

We’ll be sure to post some photos of our time at the Independent Hotel Show next week.   If you’re there come along and see us on stand IH97G…even if Jeremy does look like this!  We may even give you some free Simply Nectar and What On Earth pizza if you're lucky.

Simply exhibiting,

Simply Nectar

Have a Better Brekkie – this week and every week

Better Breakfast Week is now upon us and we couldn’t be happier.  Not only is Simply Nectar an official sponsor of the event but we also absolutely love breakfast.   It is by far the best meal of the day and all of us here at Simply Nectar HQ could graze on lots of different food at breakfast time. 

 

Better Breakfast Week is a new idea introduced to the world this year.  The aim of the week is to get the nation waking up to a healthier breakfast; to help them understand the importance of this meal.  Throughout the week (24 – 30 September) there will be lots of events and fun activities going on around the country.  Great breakfast recipes will be suggested and competitions will be running so keep your eyes peeled.  You can even win this hamper that contains Simply Nectar and lots of other goodies: http://betterbrekkie.com/whats-on/

 

 

If you don’t really understand all the hype around breakfast, don’t get that excited by it or are bored of your current breakfast routine then you need to read on because we are going to give you some excellent breakfast ideas.  If you don’t eat breakfast at all then you definitely need to read on as it really is an important meal for the body and the mind.  From helping with your weight to improving your mental and physical performance, breakfast really does have a lot to answer for.  Click here to find out more breakfast facts.

Simply Nectar is a perfect addition to any breakfast and it can be used to liven things up a bit.  There are many imaginative ways Simply Nectar can be used and here are a couple of our favourites.  Give them a try and see what you think:

Simply Nectar Muesli

Ditch the usual breakfast routine and tuck into something a little more exciting.  Instead of covering your cereal in milk pour over some Simply Nectar and enjoy a nutritious breakfast with a fruity twist. 

Our top suggestion would be to combine the thicker nectars with muesli to allow for a filling, flavoursome brekkie.  Cover the muesli in Simply Nectar (our favourites are Peach or Mango) and allow the fruit and oats to soak up the liquid.  We like ours soggy so we leave it for at least 10-15 minutes.  Throw in some extra nuts and raisins to allow for more texture and flavour and hey presto, there you have it.  If you’re feeling particularly adventurous why not mix it all with a few spoonfuls of yoghurt to give it a creamy edge.

Simply Nectar smoothie

1 bottle of Simply Nectar Mango

1 bottle of Simply Nectar Peach

1 banana (mashed)

2 tablespoons of vanilla yoghurt

1 tablespoon of oats

¼ cup of semi-skimmed milk

3 ice cubes

Pour the Simply Nectar Mango and Simply Nectar Peach into a blender and add the mashed banana.  Blend until smooth.  Add the yoghurt and oats and blend for another couple of minutes to allow the oats to mix.  Pour in the milk and blend until desired texture is reached.  Pour into a glass and serve with ice (optional).

So, what are you all waiting for?  Tuck in and enjoy a better breakfast....any time of the day!

Simply breakfast,

Simply Nectar

Funny looking fruit? We respect it all

I have heard recently that wonky fruit is rife across supermarket shelves at the moment.  Hurrah!  Let’s hear it for the fruit!  Apparently because of Britain’s unpredictable weather of late all our fruit is growing a little strangely.  And best of all is that people are buying the fruit regardless of how it looks.  That’s what we like to hear!  At the end of the day, the fruit is going to get eaten so why does it matter what it looks like?

We at Simply Nectar are rather pleased that the fruit being sold at the moment is mishappen.  Why?  Well, because we are never prejudice against the fruit.  We happily take all shapes and sizes of fruit for our drinks.  Besides, it’s not the look that counts but the flavour.  We do nothing but respect the fruit and that shines through in all our drinks.  We only take the juice and pulp after all.  The rest is fed to our livestock.  Plus, it’s not like our drinks come out looking like this, is it?! 

But perhaps they should?!

Supermarkets across the country are having to relax their rules on what fruit looks like in order to take on all the strange shaped stock.  A campaign by farmers means that supermarkets are not allowed to waste perfectly good food just because it looks a bit odd.  “Hear, hear,” that’s what we say.  All fruit should be allowed on the shelves if it is perfectly tasty and in date.  Surely we are not a nation to judge fruit on its appearance?  Apparently we are.  EU rules on fruit that is out of shape were relaxed in 2009 but some shops and supermarkets still want high standards so, according to them, all fruit must be the so called right colour and right shape.  Some farmers are forced to throw away up to 40 per cent of their stock because of these strict rules.  This isn’t good because it’s putting some farmers out of business.  This is something we need to try and banish as soon as possible.

Luckily it seems that a lot of consumers agree with us because many people are still buying fruit, regardless of whether it is a little (or a lot) out of shape.  Good on you Britain – support your farmers and don’t judge the fruit based on its shape.  They’re growing naturally into any shape they want – just as Mother Nature intended.  And come on let’s face it, some odd shaped pieces of fruit are rather funny to eat and look at.  Here are some good examples:

Photo: joannagoddard.blogspot.co.uk

Photo: carsickdave.blogspot.co.uk

Photo: onnthoughts.blogspot.co.uk

Photo:  forums.soompi.com

Photo:  fotozup.com

Photo:  www.sunlive.co.nz
 

So there we have some odd/rude looking pieces of fruit.  Have you come across any strange ones yourself?  Have you ever taken photos?  If so, let us know.  If not go hunting in the supermarkets for some - now is the time to do it after all!

Simply odd looking fruit.

Simply Nectar