What does healthy eating mean? The NHS recommends eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and ensuring your diet is filled with fibre and protein. It’s clear that healthy eating and… Read more
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Can what you eat affect your mental health and wellbeing? Absolutely!
When you’re consuming a varied mix of vitamins and nutrients and keeping sugar, salt, alcohol and heavily processed foods to a minimum, it’s not just your body that can experience the benefits of healthy eating, but your mental, social and intellectual health, too.
The NHS recommends eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and ensuring your diet is filled with fibre and protein.
It’s clear that healthy eating and wellbeing are intrinsically linked, but how? Find out more with our blog on how healthy eating affects your body and overall well-being.
How does nutrition affect mental health?
If you’re wondering how healthy eating improves mental health, Harvard Health explains that “traditional” diets, like the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese diet, have a 25% – 35% lower risk of depression when compared to a typical “Western” diet.
This is because traditional diets tend to be rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood and feature only small amounts of lean meats, dairy, processed foods and sugars.
Early research is also emerging linking Vitamin B-12, along with other essential B vitamins, with chemicals in the brain that affect mood. Interestingly, today more research is being conducted into the treatment of depression with vitamin B-12 and folate.
How healthy eating affects your body
Eating a well-balanced diet gives your body the energy it needs to function. Filling your plate with colourful, nutritionally-rich food can help reduce the risk of health problems, like diabetes, heart disease and cancer, while ensuring the body’s natural processes run smoothly.
In fact, up to 80% of strokes and premature heart disease can be prevented by eating a healthy diet and being physically active. Healthy eating can also help you maintain a healthy weight and give you more energy, improving your overall wellbeing.
The social benefits of a healthy lifestyle
Eating healthy food is more than just a necessity, it can be a joy. Food can bring us together, helps foster relationships and strengthen connections with friends and family. Whether it’s a mid-week dinner after work or a celebratory meal, eating healthy, hearty food with the ones we love are just some of the social benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Eating well can also boost your self-confidence, making you more open to social interactions. By taking care of yourself and nourishing your body with healthy foods, you will start to build your self-esteem, which has a positive knock-on effect on the rest of your life; socially, at work and at home.
How healthy eating affects your brain
Now we know how healthy eating improves mental health, it’s time to look at its effects on cognitive function. The brain uses around 20% of the body’s calories, making it even more important that the fuel you’re feeding it is packed full of nutrients and vitamins. But can ‘brain food’ really improve your concentration, focus and memory?
Research shows that eating foods rich in omega-3s, such as oily fish, may boost brain function, leading to better cognition and thinking abilities. Antioxidants are also important for brain health, helping fend off oxidative stress that can lead to mental decline and brain disease.
Ever noticed how you can feel sluggish, distracted and lack concentration in the afternoon when you haven’t eaten a healthy lunch? A diet filled with nuts, fish, berries, leafy greens and healthy fats can not only help fight stress, depression and improve neuroplasticity, but is a great source of energy for the brain, helping you stay alert for longer.
Now we’ve explained how healthy eating affects your body, mind and brain, you may be wanting to introduce more healthy foods into your lifestyle. Explore our Pikt Fresh boxes, filled with organic fruit, vegetables and salad.
The social benefits of a healthy lifestyle
Eating healthy food is more than just a necessity, it can be a joy. Food can bring us together, helps foster relationships and strengthen connections with friends and family. Whether it’s a mid-week dinner after work or a celebratory meal, eating healthy, hearty food with the ones we love are just some of the social benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Eating well can also boost your self-confidence, making you more open to social interactions. By taking care of yourself and nourishing your body with healthy foods, you will start to build your self-esteem, which has a positive knock-on effect on the rest of your life; socially, at work and at home.
How healthy eating affects your brain
Now we know how healthy eating improves mental health, it’s time to look at its effects on cognitive function. The brain uses around 20% of the body’s calories, making it even more important that the fuel you’re feeding it is packed full of nutrients and vitamins. But can ‘brain food’ really improve your concentration, focus and memory?
Research shows that eating foods rich in omega-3s, such as oily fish, may boost brain function, leading to better cognition and thinking abilities. Antioxidants are also important for brain health, helping fend off oxidative stress that can lead to mental decline and brain disease.
Ever noticed how you can feel sluggish, distracted and lack concentration in the afternoon when you haven’t eaten a healthy lunch? A diet filled with nuts, fish, berries, leafy greens and healthy fats can not only help fight stress, depression and improve neuroplasticity, but is a great source of energy for the brain, helping you stay alert for longer.
Now we’ve explained how healthy eating affects your body, mind and brain, you may be wanting to introduce more healthy foods into your lifestyle. Explore our Pikt Fresh boxes, filled with organic fruit, vegetables and salad.
Thinking about starting your juicing journey? Whether you’re hoping to kick-start weight loss, feel more energised or get glowing skin, juicing can be a positive new habit that delivers a whole host of health benefits. Our complete guide to juicing… Read more
Estimated reading time: 16 minutes
Thinking about starting your juicing journey? Whether you’re hoping to kick-start weight loss, feel more energised or get glowing skin, juicing can be a positive new habit that delivers a whole host of health benefits.
Our complete guide to juicing for beginners will explain how to start juicing. Discover a run-down of the best juicing machines, top tips for juicing and easy recipes that will help you make juicing a part of your lifestyle.
What is juicing?
Let’s start with the basics: Juicing is a process that extracts the liquid from raw vegetables and fruits. This liquid – or juice – is bursting with minerals, antioxidants and vitamins, creating a delicious and nutritious drink.
Each piece of fruit or veg that is juiced creates a pulp by-product, which is made up of the left-over skin, pips and fibrous material.
While the first juicing machine was developed around the 1950s, it didn’t become popular until two decades later, spurred on by Dave Otto, who launched the first juice bar in California. Today, a whole new generation of juicers continue to keep the trend alive, with home juicing becoming favoured for its convenience, affordability and accessibility.
Hailed for its multitude of benefits, juicing at home can create healthy habits for the whole family and also means you know exactly what you’re consuming – unlike supermarket-bought juices that can be laden with shelf-lengthening preservatives and sugars.
5 amazing health benefits of juicing
While the science is yet to catch up to the craze, many juicing advocates will express that the benefits of juicing are far-reaching. It’s thought to supply the body with a vast amount of vitamins, nutrients and phytonutrients that are easily absorbed by the body, allowing it to rest and heal, instead of using up precious energy on digestion.
Just some of the health benefits of juicing include:
More energy: Whether you want more energy in the morning or a boost before your evening HIIT class, juices are packed full of vitamins and nutrients that can give you a much needed energy hit.
Weight loss: Low in calories but high in all the good stuff, juices have been known for helping shift those last few stubborn pounds and can even give drastic results when combined with a healthy whole foods diet.
Mental clarity: Brain fog? Try a delicious juice filled with brain-boosting ingredients like beetroot, which is high in antioxidants. By regularly sipping your juice and staying hydrated, you can also promote optimal cognitive function.
Clear, radiant skin: It’s no secret that green juice is the secret elixir to glowing skin. Packed full of antioxidants that ward off free-radicals (which damage cells and lead to ageing), juicing nourishes the skin from the inside out.
Immune system protection: Fight off colds and flus with citrus and apple-infused juices which are known for their high doses of vitamin C and vitamin A.
Avid fans of juicing also cite other health benefits; such as better sleep, less headaches, reduced stress and thicker, shinier hair, to name just a few.
So why do so many people see such a transformation in their body and mind when they start juicing?
As well as bridging the nutrition gaps that can be found in traditional Western Diets, juicing delivers a high dose of vitamins and minerals into the body in one hit. This can help ward off oxidative stress, prevent chronic illness and help the body function at its best.
Can juicing help you lose weight?
While research into juicing for weight loss is slow to emerge, dropping some serious pounds is a well-known side-effect.
But how can juicing help you lose weight? If you’re swapping your usual sugar-laden cereal for a fresh juice that is low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals, you can expect to lose weight due to the calorie deficit this will create.
Thinking about trying a detox?
In recent years, juicing ‘detoxes’ and ‘cleanses’ have become a popular way for people to lose weight. These juicing diets often see people switch their entire day or weeks’ meals for juice – something that may cause rapid weight loss, but comes with its own problems.
Are juicing diets healthy?
During a juicing diet, people often report feeling hungrier than usual, as these liquid-based meal replacements lack the fibre, protein and carbohydrates that feature in normal, well-balanced meals. When followed for longer than just a few days, this type of extreme diet can also have a destructive effect on the metabolism and can even see a reduction in your body’s muscle mass.
Another one of the downfalls of following this particular kind of juicing ‘detox’ long-term is that when you return to your normal eating habits, people often regain the weight they’d previously lost. Instead, it can be more beneficial to introduce juicing as part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Our top pick of the best juicers for beginners
So you’re ready to invest in a juicer, but where do you start? With so many options on the market, finding the right juicer for beginners can be confusing. Today, there are two main types of juicers on the market: centrifugal or masticating. Discover the difference between the two, so you can find the right fit for you.
Centrifugal juicers:
Take a peek in kitchens around the country and you’re likely to find centrifugal juicers gracing worktops everywhere. Perhaps the most common style of home juicer, the centrifugal juicer uses a cutting disk and spinning strainer to shred fruit and vegetables in order to release their juice. With operation speeds varying between 10,000 – 25,000 rotations per minute, these powerful juicers can be great for beginners who want fast, effective results.
Pros of centrifugal juicers
If you’re looking for a quick, effective way to start juicing, centrifugal juicers are ideal:
affordable price point
average yield of juice
extra-fast speeds
beginner-friendly
a good all-rounder
Cons of centrifugal juicers
While extremely popular, centrifugal juicers have some downsides:
known for being noisy
due to its high speeds, most juices will have a thick foamy top and high level of separation
centrifugal force can reduce the juice’s nutritional value and oxidize the juice quicker, so it should only be stored for a maximum of 8 hours
less effective at extracting the juice of leafy greens
Think a centrifugal juicer could be right for you? Here are some top-rated centrifugal juicers:
When counter-top space is scarce, this highly-rated Philips compact juicer makes up to 1.5L of juice at one time.
Affordable and compact, this beginner-friendly juicer is quick to clean and can be packed away easily when not in use.
Masticating juicers:
Known for producing high-quality, crisp juices, a masticating juicer slowly crushes and chews up its ingredients to squeeze out every drop of juice. The ingredients then pass through a strainer, creating a slower running juice, but one that’s worth the wait.
The masticating juicer is often called a cold-press juicer, as no heat is produced when it runs, due to its 40 – 150 rotations per minute. These often come in two styles: ‘vertical’ or ‘twin gear’ juicers.
Pros of masticating juicers
higher quality of juice produced
juice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 72 hours
extracts more nutrients and vitamins from the ingredients than centrifugal juicers, due to its superior crushing motions and heat-free process
Cons of masticating juicers
if you’re a juicing beginner, the masticating juicer may take longer to get to grips with initially
often takes a little longer to clean until you get into a good routine
slower operating time may be a bone of contention when making your morning juice, however the fact you can store juices for up to 72 hours means you can make your drinks ahead of time
Discover some of the top-rated masticating juicers available:
Featuring a commercial-grade motor that can handle over 60 minutes of consecutive juicing, the BioChef Atlas can create cold-press juices, nut milks, nut butters and sorbets.
Preventing oxidation and producing no heat, this is the ultimate juicer for those who value power and performance.
Can you juice without a juicer?
If you want to try juicing but aren’t ready to invest just yet, it’s possible to make homemade juices with your trusty blender. Simply throw all your ingredients into the blender, blitz on high-speed and strain through a nut milk bag or muslin cloth to extract the juice.
Juicing tips for beginners
One of the things that makes juicing so popular is that, once you’ve got the gadgets and a fully-loaded fruit and vegetable bowl, it’s incredibly easy to get started. However, there are some top tips you should keep in mind to make your journey into juicing a success from the very start.
1. Know your fruit and veg
Firstly, it’s important to consider the fruits and vegetables that juice well, as well as the ingredients that will be wasted if fed into the juicer. You’ll want to turn to fruits and vegetables that have a high concentration of water, ensuring you get a good yield for your juice.
Fruits and vegetables that juice well: Apples, berries, cherries, celery, cucumber, ginger, kale, mint, orange, spinach, tomatoes, pineapple, plums, pears, beetroot, lemon, peaches, melons, kiwis and more
Fruits and vegetables that don’t juice well: Bananas, avocado, rhubarb, blueberries
If you crave a creamy avocado or sweet banana in your morning juice, you can blend these (and follow by sieving them for an extra-fine texture) and simply stir the puree into your juice for extra flavour and goodness.
2. Perfectly prepare your juicing ingredients
Should you wash, peel and pit your juicing ingredients? Whether you choose to buy organic or not, it’s always a good idea to wash your fruit and veg before consuming to remove any nasties. We also recommend removing any hard peels from citrus fruits, like oranges, satsumas and limes, as these can dominate the taste of your juice.
To keep your juicing machine working at its optimum, it’s also a good idea to remove the indelible outer layers of pineapples and melons, as well as pit the stones from cherries, peaches and nectarines. If in doubt: if you usually eat the peel, it’s generally fine to use in the juicer.
3. Can you juice with frozen fruit?
Unlike a smoothie, which blends the entire fruit or vegetable and often contains other ingredients like nut butters, milks and ice, juicers don’t work as well with frozen fruit. As freezing reduces the water content in fruit and vegetables (at least temporarily whilst frozen), frozen ingredients don’t create as much juice.
Instead, thaw out your frozen fruit and veg before adding to your juicer for a better yield.
4. When juicing can you freeze it?
To preserve the vitamins and prolong the life of your juice, you can freeze it immediately. Simply store it in an airtight container, leaving an inch at the top to allow for any expansion that may occur when freezing.
What’s best: juicing or eating fruit?
One of the most attractive aspects of juicing is that you can pack in a rainbow-inspired array of fruit and veg, without having to prepare, chew and digest it all. As a result, your system is flooded with a variety of different beneficial minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients, quickly. This is also great if you’ve got picky eaters in the family – as you can disguise all types of greens in their daily juices.
But does this outweigh the benefits of munching on a juicy peach or chowing down some crispy kale? According to the Mayo Clinic, juicing is no healthier than eating whole fruits and veggies. While the juice in fruit and veg (which is extracted in the juicer) contains most of the vitamins and minerals, the fibre is lost during the juicing process. Juicing also doesn’t curb your appetite in the same way that eating whole vegetables and fruits does, so you may be feeling hungrier if you reach for the juice over an apple or salad.
On the plus side, juicing contains fresh, raw fruit and vegetables that are as close to their natural state as can be. This means they haven’t lost any nutritional value due to cooking processes like boiling, baking or roasting – so you’re getting the most from your fruit and veg.
One study published in Scientific Reports also found that vegetable juice may improve your gut microbiome and encourage the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut, as they contain polyphenols, nitrates and oligosaccharides.
8 fun ways to use your fruit and vegetable juicing pulp
If you’re wondering what you should do with your juicing pulp, you might be pleasantly surprised. No, it’s not destined for the waste bin, instead it can be used or recycled in a variety of inventive ways. From freezing and baking, to recycling and drying, here’s how you can reduce your juicing pulp waste:
Add it to a smoothie: Not only can your juicing pulp add extra flavour to your smoothies, it can provide your drinks with extra fibre that’s great for digestion. Freeze leftover pulp in ice cube trays ready for your next smoothie.
Composting: Use up your juicing scraps by starting an at-home composting bin. Whether you’re living in an apartment or house, you can turn your pulp into mineral-rich compost that can be used in potted plants, vegetable patches and more.
Use in soups: Add extra minerals and fibre into your soups by using your juicing pulp. If you’ve made a carrot and orange smoothie, consider adding the pulp to a carrot and coriander soup, or try adding the pulp from your green juice into a thai-inspired soup with complementing flavours.
Homemade cereal: If you love to make homemade granola, why not turn your pulp into a crispy, healthy breakfast cereal? Blended with medjool dates, coconut oil, oats and dried fruits, your juice pulp can be quickly baked and repurposed into a delicious granola.
Fritters: Transform the pulp from your vegetable juices into tasty fritters. Whether served with salad for a light lunch or with rice and a chilli sauce for dinner, vegetable pulp fitters make for a fast and filling meal.
Muffins: While most muffins are packed with refined sugar, juicing pulp muffins make for a healthy alternative. Pulp works particularly well in muffin recipes as it helps to keep the cakey texture moist and gives you the option to forgo sugars in favour of more natural sweeteners.
Dog treats: Want to make sure your four-legged friend can benefit from your new healthy juicing routine? This recipe from Good Nature uses leftover pulp to create delicious dog treats that are sure to get tails wagging.
Crackers: Tasty, easy to make and ideal for a healthy snack, juicing pulp crackers don’t require any Bake-Off-worthy skills, but can pack a punch when it comes to taste. Lather on hummus, homemade spreads or cream cheese for an easy hunger-buster come 3pm.
3 delicious juicing recipes for beginners
When it comes to juicing for beginners, the key is to master a few classic juicing recipes that you love before getting creative in the kitchen. Mixing and matching your favourite flavours can be a source of great enjoyment in the kitchen. Here, we’re sharing some juicing recipes for beginners to get you started.
1. The green + clean one
Everyone needs a healthy green juice recipe in their arsenal and we love this refreshing blend. Bursting with iron and vitamin C, vitamin A and folic acid, this juice has a light, naturally sweet taste with a touch of zing, leaving you feeling awake, clean and full of energy.
Juicing shopping list:
2 handfuls of spinach
1 medium apple (core removed)
1 large cucumber
1 medium lemon (peeled)
1 handful of parsley
Step 1
Start by washing your fruit and veggies. Core your apple and remove the lemon’s peel. Cut the apple, cucumber and lemon into chunks.
Step 2
Feed everything into your juicer!
Step 3
If you have a centrifugal juicer, you may want to use a froth separating jug to catch your juice. Otherwise, simply wait for the final drops of juice, drink and enjoy!
2. Morning sunshine juice
Vibrant, delicious and tangy, this sweet sunshine juice is sure to brighten even the dullest days. Brimming with vitamin C, potassium, biotin, vitamin B6 and folate, this nutritious juice helps ward off free-radicals, protects your immune system and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Juicing shopping list:
1 Carrot
1 Orange
½ small pineapple
1 inch of fresh ginger
Step 1
Scrub your ginger and carrot, peel your orange and discard the prickly outer skin of the pineapple.
Step 2
Chop all ingredients into chunks to make it easier for your juicer to handle.
Step 3
Following your machine’s instructions, drop the ingredients into the juicer chute and wait for your liquid sunshine to emerge!
3. Strawberry, watermelon and mint juice
Whether whizzed up as a refreshing treat on a sunshine-soaked afternoon or mixed with ice and your favourite tipple, this delicious juice is filled with sweet strawberries, refreshing watermelon and a hint of mint. Our suggestion? Use strawberries that are in season and serve with ice.
Juicing shopping list:
2 cups of strawberries
2 cups of watermelon
Handful of mint
Ice
Step 1
De-head your strawberries and remove the peel from the melon. Chop into small chunks. It’s fine to use the mint leaves and stalks, just cut off any bits that have wilted.
Step 2
Push your fruit and herbs into the blender and place a cup below the funnel to catch the pink succulent juice!
Step 3
Mix in some ice cubes and drink immediately.
Let’s get juicing!
Ready to start juicing? Why not load up on fresh fruit and veg ready for your juicing experiments with our Pikt Fresh boxes, which deliver organic fruit and vegetables straight to your door? Explore our huge selection of fruit and vegetables to create your own box today.
Thinking about introducing some affordable superfoods into your diet? Packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, superfoods are a great way to get the nutrition your body needs to operate at its peak. While some can be notoriously expensive, there… Read more
Thinking about introducing some affordable superfoods into your diet? Packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, superfoods are a great way to get the nutrition your body needs to operate at its peak.
While some can be notoriously expensive, there are a whole variety of healthy superfoods available that won’t break the bank.
Discover our top 10 superfoods to eat when you’re on a budget:
1. Sweet Potato
Baked, mashed or sliced into wedges, sweet potatoes are not only delicious but bursting with health benefits. Containing vitamin C, fibre, iron, beta-carotene and potassium, as well as a number of other vitamins and minerals, sweet potatoes support gut health and may even have cancer-fighting properties according to research published by the National Library of Medicine.
2. Broccoli
Loaded with bioactive compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body’s tissue, broccoli may not be exotic but it is one of the most accessible and affordable superfoods in the UK. Its nutritional value varies depending on the way it’s consumed, but according to Healthline, broccoli still remains an excellent source of vitamin C regardless of whether it’s boiled, steamed or eaten raw. It’s also a great plant-based source of calcium, protein and fibre.
3. Apples
There’s a reason the age-old saying of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” still prevails today. Apples are high in vitamin C, antioxidants and potassium, with recent research also showing that apples may help lower cholesterol and even regulate the gut microbiome. Making the humble apple deserving of a place in our top 10 superfoods,
4. Lentils
One of the lesser-known cheap superfoods, Lentils are an exceptional source of protein. In fact, one ounce of lentils has almost the same amount of protein as a steak. A vegan superfood rich in folate, potassium, iron and a variety of antioxidants, this slow-burning superfood keeps you fuller for longer, prevents spikes in blood sugar levels and has even been found to reduce inflammation.
5. Bananas
One of the most popular fruits in the world, the banana helps fight bloating, lowers blood pressure, supports the heart and keeps you fuller for longer, thanks to its nutritionally-dense make-up. Vitamin B6, fibre, magnesium and potassium are all delivered in one serving, making this an affordable superfood and tasty option for your mid-morning snacks.
6. Berries
From blueberries to blackberries and strawberries, berries are cheapest when eaten in season or frozen. Bursting with antioxidants, they help reduce oxidative stress, which is responsible for ageing and illness, plus they’re packed full of vitamins that are particularly beneficial for heart health, brain health and blood pressure.
7. Oats
Whether whizzed into your smoothies or warmed up into a hearty porridge, oats are incredibly nutritious. Loaded with fibre, protein and carbohydrates, as well as a variety of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals, they’re one of the most nutrient-dense, cheap superfoods you can eat. What’s more, oats are one of the very few foods that contain avenanthramides, which helps to lower blood pressure and enhance nitric oxide production, which can lead to better blood flow.
8. Beetroot
Beetroot is a nutritional powerhouse chock full of iron, nitrates, magnesium and betaine, as well as vitamins Vitamins B1, B2, B3. Historically used to treat fevers, skin conditions and constipation, today this vibrant purple food can help lower blood pressure, with some small studies also showing it has a positive effect on exercise performance.
9. Beans
When money is tight, beans offer a great source of nutrition, are a versatile cooking staple and are ultra-affordable. High in protein, fibre and folate, beans can help reduce inflammation, improve gut health and can aid weight loss. A recent study also identified beans as one of the top antioxidant foods.
10. Garlic
Ancient cultures used garlic to reduce fatigue and keep their labourers working for longer. Evidence also shows that Olympic athletes would eat it in Ancient Greece to enhance their athletic performance. A great vegan superfood that’s filled with potent antibacterial and antifungal properties, as well as a host of antioxidants, garlic is known for warding off common colds, reducing blood pressure and even lowering cholesterol.
How can superfoods benefit you?
With their high concentration of vitamins and minerals, superfoods deliver your system with even more nutrition than your average piece of fruit, vegetable or packaged snack.
But are superfoods really super? From fighting off free-radicals – which damage healthy cells causing ageing and illness – to lowering blood pressure, promoting a healthy heart and supporting the nervous system, healthy superfoods have a range of different benefits. However these foods are not miracle workers (despite what marketing teams may say). Instead, superfoods work best when incorporated into a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Why are superfoods so expensive?
From coconut oil to spirulina and goji berries, healthy superfoods may pack a punch in the nutrition department, but they can cause a dent in your bank balance. This is because they’re often grown overseas and imported or intensively farmed out of season. In contrast, cheap superfoods are often priced lower as they’re more readily available, especially when grown locally and in season.
Pack more superfoods into your diet by creating your own Pikt Fresh box. Featuring only fresh, organic fruit and veg, you can try a variety of affordable superfoods, without any nasties.
Bananas in December? Sure. Pumpkins in March? Of course. As consumers, we’re used to getting exactly what we want, when we want, regardless of what’s in season. But eating seasonal vegetables and fruit can benefit your taste buds, your wallet… Read more
Bananas in December? Sure. Pumpkins in March? Of course. As consumers, we’re used to getting exactly what we want, when we want, regardless of what’s in season. But eating seasonal vegetables and fruit can benefit your taste buds, your wallet and the environment.
Find out more about switching to seasonal food and discover the fruits and vegetables in season by month in the UK.
Here is your run-down of the seasonal fruits and vegetables by month and season in the UK.
What are seasonal fruit and vegetables?
Eating seasonal food means consuming fruit and vegetables within the season that they’ve been grown. In the UK, we have four distinct seasons, meaning we have a variety of fruits and veggies in season at different times of the year.
Head to your local supermarket and you could be easily fooled into thinking strawberries grow in the depths of winter and beetroot at the start of spring. Often, out-of-season produce is shipped in from different countries or intensively farmed closer to home using a concoction of pesticides and fertilisers to ensure year-round availability. In fact, Pollution Issues revealed that over half of our vegetables are imported and 95% of all of our fruit comes from abroad.
Are seasonal vegetables cheaper?
Buying fruit and veggies in season can be more affordable as they are often readily available within the season they’re grown in. When produce comes from overseas, its transportation, packaging and import costs are all factored into the retail price, which can make exotic or out-of-season fruits and vegetables more expensive.
Local vs seasonal food
It’s also important to consider that eating seasonal food and local food are two different things, too. Fruit and vegetables grown locally may be harvested close to home, but if the crops are grown out of season they’ll require much more heat, light and fertiliser, increasing their carbon footprint. Seasonal veg thrives within the season it’s supposed to be grown in and has a smaller environmental impact.
Where to buy seasonal fruit?
Modern shopping habits make it hard to discern what’s in season and where it’s grown. While some may be lucky enough to live near local farm shops, fruit and vegetable delivery boxes are becoming a popular way to enjoy fresh, seasonal fruit and veg in the UK.
Seasonal fruit and vegetables in the UK
It’s no secret that fruits and vegetables in season taste better. From juicy Victoria plums to succulent British strawberries and earthy purple beets, seasonal food is bursting with flavour, sweetness and crunch. Find out what veg is in season and when with our seasonal fruits and vegetables list.
Spring: March, April, May
Spring seasonal vegetables UK:
Carrots
Asparagus
Spinach
Curly kale
Cucumbers
Savoy cabbage
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Spring onions
Lettuce
New potatoes
Wild garlic
Spring season fruits:
Gooseberries
Rhubarb
Summer: June, July, August
Seasonal vegetables for summer:
Broad beans
Beetroot
Tomatoes
Salad leaves
Courgettes
Green beans
Onions
Peas
Mangetout
Cucumber
Cauliflower
Radishes
Broccoli
Watercress
Seasonal fruit for summer:
Blueberries
Strawberries
Plums
Raspberries
Blackcurrants
Cherries
Elderflower berries
Autumn: September, October, November
Seasonal vegetables autumn:
Mushrooms
Pumpkin
Squashes
Broccoli
Potatoes
Celery
Chard
French beans
Sweetcorn
Onions
Peppers
Chillies
Turnip
Autumn fruits UK:
Elderberries
Plums
Blackberries
Damsons
Apples
Rhubarb
Pears
Sloe berries
Winter: December, January, February
Seasonal vegetables for winter:
Brussel sprouts
Celeriac
Parsnips
Potatoes
Red & white cabbage
Swede
Mushrooms
Turnips
Leeks
Beetroot
Cauliflower
Fennel
Shallots
Kale
Pumpkins
Seasonal fruit for winter:
Pears
Apples
Cranberries
Start eating more seasonally by exploring our Fresh Pikt boxes filled with organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables.
How many food miles did your last meal rack up? As consumers, we’re often blissfully unaware of the journey our food has been on before it’s served up on our plates. From tomatoes grown in the Netherlands to oranges ripened… Read more
How many food miles did your last meal rack up? As consumers, we’re often blissfully unaware of the journey our food has been on before it’s served up on our plates.
From tomatoes grown in the Netherlands to oranges ripened in Spain, our food goes on quite an adventure to reach us.
So, what are food miles and are they bad for the environment? Is eating locally the answer to living more sustainably? Find out with our food miles guide.
The biggest import category is fruit and vegetables, with the BioEthics Education Project reporting that 95% of fruit and 50% of vegetables eaten in the UK come from abroad.
The Food Foundation reveals that the majority of our fruit and veg is grown in Spain, the Netherlands, South Africa, the Republic of Ireland, Chile and Costa Rica.
How do food miles affect the environment?
If you’re wondering how food miles affect the environment, first we have to look at how food is transported.
Plane, train, lorry and car; all of these forms of transportation cause pollution by releasing carbon emissions into the air – even your trip to the supermarket adds to your items’ food miles. While air freight only accounts for around 11% of the UK’s food transport emissions, this method of transport creates around 50 times more carbon emissions than shipping and ten times the emissions of road transport.
These emissions degrade air quality and produce greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and can stay in the air for just a few to thousands of years, warming up the planet and causing climate change.
How to reduce your food miles
If you want to reduce food miles, first you must look at where your food is coming from. But it’s not quite as straightforward as just shopping locally.
Fruit and veg grown out-of-season in the UK can actually have a higher carbon footprint than food grown abroad and transported into the UK. This is because our normal climate can’t produce strawberries, wheat or berries year-round, unless intensive heating and farming methods are used. Therefore, it can actually be kinder on the environment to source fruit and veg from abroad.
Another important food miles fact to consider is when different foods come together to create one product; like trail mix or cereal. For instance, the nuts in your morning cereal may come from China, before being mixed with other grains in Switzerland and transported to the UK. This all adds to the product’s food miles and, ultimately, its carbon footprint.
Are food miles important?
With all these factors to consider, are food miles important? The simple answer is yes – reducing your food miles can drastically reduce your household’s carbon footprint. However, with little information available on supermarket packaging around carbon emissions, it can be hard to weigh up the real cost of buying your produce from the UK or overseas.
One of the easiest ways to live more sustainably and reduce food miles is by eating what’s in season and sourcing it locally. At Pikt Fresh, our organic fruit and veg boxes are designed with the seasons in mind. We partner with farmers and growers that care about producing the best possible fruit and veg going and work with nature – to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Discover more about our seasonal boxes or check out our blog to find out more about what’s in season and when.
It’s fair to say right now we are all a lot more conscious of what food we choose to supply to our bodies when refuelling. Yes, you heard me right – refuelling is how I like to refer to the… Read more
By Dean Piper – @deanpiperisalive (14/1/21)
It’s fair to say right now we are all a lot more conscious of what food we choose to supply to our bodies when refuelling. Yes, you heard me right – refuelling is how I like to refer to the act of placing food into my own body.
After all, our body is the best little machine we are ever likely to meet or need to refuel. It’s full of miracles, extremely complex and more than ever before needs protecting against this funny weird world we are all living in. And this is just in a normal year…nevermind being in the midst of a global pandemic – it’s integral we all strive to stay healthy and keep our immune system strong every single day.
One way I’ve learnt over the past few years to stay as healthy and strong as possible is by eating organic food and this path to health has rather naturally lead me to Pikt Fresh and their home delivery service of organic produce.
In my mid to late 30s I was becoming more and more lethargic and tired. I wasn’t exercising enough, I was lazy and mostly lacking energy throughout the day. My diet (or fuel, dear reader) was rubbish. Nowadays, the new improved me is full of energy – some would say bursting at the seams.
As part of my road to health, I visited Body Camp in Ibiza and had a complete life turnaround with their seven-day programme. They taught me about plant-based eating and the importance of eating unprocessed “clean” foods. The lessons I learnt there have stuck with me until this very day and I’ve never felt better in myself. They say health is real wealth and if that’s the case I’m really rather rich…
The importance of organic vegetables, fruit and salad have been documented so much over the years but in short I’ll give you a little run down of the facts so you don’t have to go searching for it…
THE STATS
A 2014 study into organic fruit and vegetables at Newcastle University concluded that in organic food, quantities of antioxidants, which help prevent cancer and heart disease and boost immunity, are between 19 and 69 per cent higher.
Organic dairy has also been found to contain higher levels of omega-3 fats (up to 50 per cent higher, according to a 2016 European study) and is much lower in saturated fats. This will help lower blood pressure and ultimately reduce the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke.
Organic vegetables and fruit are often fresher as they don’t contain preservatives meaning they get to your supermarket shelves (or Pikt box) far quicker.
Organic TASTES miles better. Fact.
Organic farming practices are far better for the planet we live on. They use less energy, help conserve water, reduce soil erosion and increase soil fertility.
Now, buying organic goods has been a complete farce for the past decade or so. You often have to search for it endlessly at large supermarkets (there’s no dedicated organic section) and then the smaller chains on smaller high streets don’t stock organic goods. It’s mindboggling stuff.
Then there’s the conversation about the cost of organic food being higher than the usual mass-produced items – especially when we all need to watch our spending.
So this is why towards the end of last year when I discovered Pikt Fresh and the work Matt Godfrey and his wife Sam were doing I was genuinely blown away. I believe wholeheartedly with every aspect of the business they have created – the ethos and morals of Pikt are epic for humans and the planet we live upon.
Firstly, I was thrilled Pikt delivered amazing organic produce direct to people’s doors across the UK without any carbon footprint (via DPD). Then there’s zero plastic packaging too – so everything is recycled when you unpack.
Then let’s chat pennies – one of the biggest bonuses was just how cost effective their seasonal veg, fruit and salad box was. It’s not expensive – the mixed box costs just £30 and includes 60 portions. I mean, you’re not going to get better than that in a supermarket with organics…
Another thing to consider is the pandemic and how we are living just now. People just don’t want to be in a shop searching for organic produce for ages when there’s a rampant disease on the march through the world. No more shops for me…just a box delivered to my door that hasn’t put my health at risk at all. It’s a no
2020 has really upped the vegetable box delivery game in London. For those of us who are food conscious and environmentally conscious, we usually aren’t just looking for what’s convenient – we also want to minimise our environmental impact. There… Read more
2020 has really upped the vegetable box delivery game in London.
For those of us who are food conscious and environmentally conscious, we usually aren’t just looking for what’s convenient – we also want to minimise our environmental impact.
There are a few strong considerations I take into account when it comes to choosing the right vegetable delivery box for me.
So, what is it about Pikt that has made me make the switch from Abel & Cole?
Why Am I Writing This?
Before I unwrap my Pikt experience for you, you might be questioning why I’ve been motivated to write this article.
About me: I’m a vegetarian (doing my best to be vegan most of the time) digital marketer (you can check me out at Rainbow Dragon Digital) who lives alone. I thoroughly enjoy cooking for myself, but I never follow recipes.
I met the owner of Pikt, Matt Godfroy, on LinkedIn as he wanted to have a consultation about the marketing direction of Pikt and its parent company, SunFresh Produce.
We had a very fruitful hour discussing my ideas and opinions on Pikt’s strategy. As a thank you for the session, Matt offered me a code to get a £30 box of vegetables and asked me if I would be happy to write a blog post about it (since writing is what I most adore about my work). He even offered to pay me for the writing on top of receiving the free box!
While I’m super grateful for the extra veg and the bit of enjoyable paid work, I am also very conscious about maintaining my integrity.
I want to therefore be clear that while this piece of writing has essentially been sponsored, I am giving my completely honest review of my experience and opinions of Pikt.
My Veg Box Rating System
I’ve been using veg boxes on and off for a few years and have stopped and started for various reasons. Here’s the criteria on which I personally use to determine if a veg box is right for me:
Quality – I usually want organic produce (I’ll explain why) and I also specifically want produce that isn’t going to go bad in a few days’ time – I’m feeding only me after all!
Delivery – While I’m home all the time these days, so delivery day isn’t a huge deal for me, there isn’t a safe place for the delivery person to leave my box in the block I live in. That means it can’t be delivered at a time when I’m not home or not awake!
Packaging – I’m aiming for as close to a zero-waste lifestyle as I can get, so I want a veg box that doesn’t come with all the plastic waste the vegetables and fruit so often seem to come with.
Variety – Some people hate the fact that veg boxes deliver things they’re not really sure they want. I love being surprised and being introduced to new vegetables I’ve never experienced before. I want a service with a variety of interesting stuff because I’m easily bored with the same food every day.
Ethics – Ideally, I want to only buy from businesses I know are doing the right thing or, at the very least, making a concerted effort to do the right thing.
That’s the lens through which I’m judging Pikt. Let’s see how it did on each count in comparison to my experiences with other boxes I’ve ordered in the past. If you don’t care for the long story, feel free to skip to the end where I summarise why I made the switch to Pikt.
For reference, the veg boxes I’ve used in the past include Abel & Cole (which I used years ago as well as who I’ve been using for the last few weeks), Oddbox, and Pale Green Dot.
Quality
Rating: 5/5
My opinion on eating organic is that it usually doesn’t matter too much except for the “Dirty Dozen” (the 12 vegetables that are most likely to retain pesticides). Since those 12 are probably in most boxes, I do feel like I have to insist on organic produce from my veg delivery boxes.
Thankfully Pikt’s boxes, like Abel & Cole and Riverford, are all organic and pesticide-free so no worries there. While I loved the price and locally sourced nature of Pale Green Dot, the fact that it’s not organic was the main reason I stopped using them.
I’m not one to be too fussy about bumps and scrapes on my veggies and fruits. Just slice out the bad bits and carry on is how I usually operate. With Pikt, though, every item was so carefully wrapped that everything was in pristine condition (perhaps wrapped a little too much – I’ll explain when I get to Packaging!)
In terms of freshness & lasting quality, I’m writing this about a week after my delivery and I still had the kale and spinach leaves in a salad today. Even though they were not sealed away in plastic, they’ve survived pretty well in the fridge!
Everything else that was in the box has definitely survived the week (and made for some delicious meals!).
Delivery
Rating: 5/5
I love Oddbox’s whole concept of giving ugly fruits and vegetables a happy home. But the major problems I had with them is that 1) they’re not organic and 2) they delivered at around 4am and there isn’t a safe place to leave boxes at my apartment block (I had mine stolen a few times so had to stop using them).
I’m not a morning person, so I have very begrudgingly been accepting Abel & Cole’s 7am deliveries, only because they claim this is more environmentally friendly (driving around more quickly in the early hours). I have also been begrudgingly accepting that they get to dictate the day of my delivery as well, meaning I have to have it every Friday or miss an entire week.
Pikt does it totally differently.
Instead of using their own delivery people they deliver through DPD. Which means we get to choose our own day of delivery and they arrive at a reasonable hour. DPD even let me know that morning at what hour I could expect the box to arrive at my door – I feel spoiled.
The flexibility of choosing the delivery day is really beneficial to me. Sometimes I’m feeling lazy on the weekend and don’t feel like cooking – so delaying my delivery to Monday means I will have fresher produce during the week. Or if I know my boyfriend is visiting that weekend, I can bump up the order a day so that I have time to plan a nice meal.
But what about the minimising impact of the delivery that other boxes do by dictating delivery day and time? Pikt’s answer to this is optional carbon offsetting, which I definitely take up. To me this feels a little more like circular design than simply minimising impact, but I do realise there is some controversy about whether carbon offsetting is truly effective in minimising overall impact.
Packaging
Rating: 4/5
Here Pikt does something that I haven’t found any other veg box to do – it’s completely plastic free.
When I tried Lola’s I was so horrified by the amount of plastic in the box that I never ordered from them again. Abel & Cole, Oddbox and Pale Green Dot all did a pretty good job of minimising plastic. Abel & Cole have some interesting biodegradable forms of plastic but again there’s a whole controversy there about how long they actually take to break down. All of them tend to still have some slivers of single-use plastic they deem ‘necessary’ to maintain freshness – particularly for salad leaves and cucumbers.
Pikt completely bucks this trend – the salad, fruit, tomatoes everything came in little carboard boxes or wrapped in brown paper. All easily recyclable.
Despite being a uniquely plastic-free veg box, I still had two small gripes that brought Pikt’s rating down a point.
First, there is just way too much packaging. Even if it’s all recyclable, it’s still a lot of unnecessary waste and I am trying to aim for a zero-waste lifestyle – which doesn’t only mean no plastic, but also minimum wasted material in general.
I totally understand that this is the price to be paid for ensuring safe delivery of pristine produce and consumers can be so intolerant of bumps and bruises. Since that’s less of a concern for myself, I would have liked to have had a “minimum packaging” option so that only the most fragile of vegetables and fruit were actually wrapped up, and I then accept any damage that might be caused in transit. I’m hoping this is something Pikt might be able to add to the product in the future.
My second gripe is that the boxes don’t get reused. They deliver in such great, sturdy boxes that it feels wrong to just put it in recycling. Most other veg box delivery services pick up the boxes on the next delivery – but that’s because they’re doing their own logistics (and delivering at ungodly hours). I know that All Plants (which deliver frozen meals rather than vegetables) used to give you a return label to send them back the packaging to be reused – but I admit I don’t know how that balances out in terms of environmental impact.
I think it would bump Pikt right up to a 5 if the packaging could be minimised, and if they found a good solution for reusing the boxes.
Variety
Rating: 4/5
I’m a bit weirder than the average person when it comes to veg boxes – I really enjoy not knowing what I’m about to get each week.
I can get that same level of surprise with Pikt’s premade boxes. However, I want both vegetables and fruit, and that only comes in the £30 box size, which is just a touch too big and too expensive for me alone on a weekly basis. I’d prefer a box that was more like £17-£20 in size, which they have but not mixed fruit and vegetables.
Panoramic food background with assortment of fresh organic vegetables
Of course, I can totally build my own box each week – which is fine, but it doesn’t quite give me that element of surprise anymore. This is perfect, though, if you want to be able to plan ahead a bit with what you’re going to cook (and to ensure you get basics in your box like onions!)
The bigger reason that Pikt’s rating gets dragged down in this realm is the range of products on offer. They’ve got a lot of very cool vegetables I’ve not seen in other boxes (rainbow carrots in my last box made my stir fry lots of fun!) but it doesn’t quite compare to the much wider range of groceries available on Abel & Cole – which you could add to your premade vegetable box order whenever you needed, making it a little more convenient than Pikt.
That said, I didn’t make a huge amount of use of that with Abel & Cole (since they’re actually quite expensive!), so it’s not a major sticking point for me.
Ethics
Rating: 5/5
To be fair, Pikt has a little advantage here when it comes to my personal review since I’ve had a chat with the owner directly.
Pikt doesn’t earn a perfect score here just because it is B-Corp certified, Soil Association certified, allows you to round-up to donate to their charity foundation, provides carbon offsetting options, and generally provides an ethical service – Matt also informed me that everyone at Pikt is paid above a living wage.
He also informed me that the unscrupulous pricing and produce management by supermarkets was part of what drove him to offer a service that ensures farmers aren’t being ripped off and that there are shorter supply chains. I am extremely pleased to see business owners like Matt taking a big stand on topics like this.
The ethos of most veg box delivery companies is exceptional – I particularly love how Abel & Cole are specifically transparent about the farms they work with and even show us photographs and bios of all the places they get their products from. If there’s anything I think Pikt could work on here, is that extra layer of transparency, which I believe will come it’s just a matter of time.
So why did I make the switch?
To summarise here are Pikt’s ratings against my criteria:
Quality – 5/5
Delivery – 5/5
Packaging – 4/5
Variety – 4/5
Ethics – 5/5
To me, this is was a very close race with Abel & Cole and I’d argue that it’s likely that they’re on par just in different ways.
The disadvantages for me, personally, with Abel & Cole are ones of convenience. With Pikt, I get to choose when I get my box and it’s delivered at a reasonable hour.
But also, with Pikt I know that absolutely everything I’m getting is going to breakdown within a few years at most. With Abel & Cole, I’m still getting some small bits of plastic.
So I feel like overall, Pikt is giving me minimum impact and maximum convenience.
I’m so enthusiastic about supporting a business that I feel is trying to do the best thing across their entire supply chain – not just for us consumers, but also for the famers, and for the planet. That’s the maximum I can expect, I think, from a veg box delivery company, and I’m sure the tiny issues I have with Pikt’s boxes are one that will be solved in time.
Autumn Amazingness with Pikt Fresh Organic, Plastic Free Fruit & Veggies Review: September 2020 With the Autumn weather firmly planting its roots it can be easy to head straight for the snacks and convenience foods. However, Pikt fresh provide a… Read more
Autumn Amazingness with Pikt Fresh Organic, Plastic Free Fruit & Veggies Review: September 2020
With the Autumn weather firmly planting its roots it can be easy to head straight for the snacks and convenience foods.
However, Pikt fresh provide a perfect healthy alternative, as you can stay snug and warm inside, as they deliver plastic free, fresh 100% organic fruit and veggies direct to your door.
Family run, Pikt are a brilliant bunch and work hard to source all this lovely organic produce, so you can simply sit back, relax and wait for the sweet sound of your doorbell.
They have made the ordering process extremely easy. Their online platform is user friendly, you can see exactly what you are ordering and you are not committed to a subscription, so you can enjoy a non-pressured shopping experience.
Pikt are all about being healthy and ethical, as they are fully plastic free, deliveries are carried out by carbon neutral DPD and Pikt are B-Corp meaning that they are actively committed to social change taking care of both our planet and people.
My favourite Pikt box is the Homey, as it allows flexibility for me and my family to choose exactly which produce we would like allowing us to mix things up a little.
As you can see from the photos the fruit and veggies are fabulous, fresh and full of goodness. From beautiful blueberries to gorgeous greens you are spoilt for choice.
Make sure you Pikt a healthy Autumn for you and your family Enjoy.
There are a number of significant health benefits associated with eating organically. In this article we will discuss five of them in more detail. Reduced exposure to heavy metals and pesticidesFruit and vegetables labelled organic will have been grown without… Read more
There are a number of significant health benefits associated with eating organically. In this article we will discuss five of them in more detail.
Reduced exposure to heavy metals and pesticides
Fruit and vegetables labelled organic will have been grown without using most artificial fertilisers or synthetic pesticides. These chemicals are considered safe for use in conventional farming but some studies raise concerns about the health implications of long term exposure.
In 2014, The British Journal of Nutrition published an article showing organically grown produce was 48% less likely to result in a positive test for cadmium. In addition, a common herbicide used in farming has been classified as a “probable human carcinogen” and an insecticide has been connected to developmental delays in infants.
Organic food benefits the environment and is good for you
Pesticides used in conventional farming can run off the land with water flow, contaminating the water supply with the same pesticides. This can result in complications both for plant and animal life relying on the water and for any people who drink it or use it on any crops. Organic farming practices help to conserve water, use less energy, increase the fertility of soil and reduce soil erosion, resulting in benefits for both people and the environment.
Increased antioxidants
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published an article in 2017 regarding a six year study in which researchers found onions grown organically were found to have an approximately 20% higher antioxidant content than those grown in a conventional manner. These researchers even speculated whether previous studies may have been affected by study periods being too short and other variables, such as weather conditions. Other research has found evidence that organic fruit and vegetables are also high in calcium, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and chromium
GMO free
Organic produce is GMO free. GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and GE (genetically engineered) foods are those where the DNA has been changed in some way that has not occurred in nature or from crossbreeding. These alterations are usually to enable resistance to pesticides or to produce an insecticide. Whilst GMOs can be classified as safe, there have been concerns raised over long term effects and some links have been made between GMOs and gastro-intestinal issues for humans.
Fresher food
As organically grown fruit and vegetables don’t contain preservatives, they can’t be stored as long. This can actually be an advantage as they have to get to the shelves faster and therefore can often be fresher. Fresh food tastes better – buying organically may be the closest you can get picking your own produce whilst still having the convenience of buying from a supplier! Even better and potentially fresher is an organic fruit and veg delivery to your door.
The debate continues over whether organically grown vegetables and fruit are genuinely healthier but there is significant evidence in their favour.
