Month: August 2022 Page 2 of 4

Porridge is considered one of the healthiest foods for a hearty breakfast. But more often than not, I tend to have porridge for lunch instead because it makes me feel full longer and avoids snacking in the afternoon.

Vegan porridge could be the easiest vegan recipe to make because you just need to replace dairy with non-dairy milk, such as soy, oat, or almond milk. So, in this post, I’m going to show you a simple vegan banana porridge recipe. But before that, let’s clarify a few myths about porridge.

My perfect morning is spent drinking coffee, eating porridge and reading the paper at a local cafe.
Anton du Beke

What’s the difference between porridge and oatmeal?

When I typed ‘how to make porridge, how to make oatmeal’ in Google Ngram Viewer, the analysis tool showed that since the year 2000, the phrase ‘how to make porridge’ has been much more widely used than ‘how to make oatmeal’. But are they really that different?

The only difference is that porridge can be made from various grains, such as oat, corn, quinoa, millet, brown rice or buckwheat. But as for oatmeal, it’s the porridge made from oats, and that’s why it gets the name – oatmeal. However, today, porridge and oatmeal are used interchangeably since oat is the most used type of grain in making porridge.

Myth 1: Oatmeal is made from oats, but porridge can be made from different grains, including oats.

blueberry topped oatmeal — Photo by Valeria Boltneva on Pexels.com

What kind of oats should I use in porridge?

Generally speaking, there are eight main forms of oats, and the ones often used in the porridge recipe are: steel cut oats (aka Irish/Scottish oats), rolled oats and quick oats. The specific type of oats you use depends on the cooking time, texture and nutrition value you’re looking for.

Type of oats	Cooking time (avg)	Nutrition value	Texture
steel cut oats	15 – 20 mins	high	chewier texture
rolled oats	5 – 7 mins	middle	creamy texture
quick oats	2 – 3 mins	low	soft, mushy texture

The table shows the comparison among those three types of oats

Myth 2: If you’re looking for less processed, go for steel-cut oats. However, if the texture is your main concern, then the more processed oats, the more gooey texture it has.

Is porridge healthy?

Oats, the most commonly used ingredient in porridge, have numerous health benefits, including being rich in fibre and minerals, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and keeping us full for longer. But, not all porridge is healthy. For example, homemade porridge is usually more nutritional because ready-made ones typically contain additives and more sugar.

Myth 3: Watch out for what’s added to the porridge because they determine whether it’s healthy or not.

What side are you on – savoury or sweet porridge?

Porridge can be made into a savoury or sweet taste depending on the flavourings and toppings added. I tried the savoury version, but I think I still prefer sweet porridges. Also, the sweet one generally takes less time to prepare and cook. However, you can find plenty of savoury porridge ideas online.

Myth 4: Porridge can come in different flavours, even spicy tastes!

oats, banana, peanut butter, mango, soy milk

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Vegan Banana Porridge

easy, creamy and yummy vegan banana porridge

Course Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword porridge, vegan

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 5

Servings 2 people

Calories 250kcal

Cost £5.00

Equipment

1 saucepan
1 spatula

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

80 gram oats (I'm using steel cut oats)
1 ripe banana (don't use unripe bananas as they won't give natural sweetness)
1-2 tbsp peanut butter (or almond butter)
¼ tsp salt

Wet ingredients

200 ml hot water
80 ml non-dairy milk (I use soy milk to give more protein)
2 tbsp superfood powder (optional)
50 gram raspberries (optional)
half mango (optional)
handful of your favourite seeds, such as sunflower seeds (optional)

Instructions

soak oats in hot water in a small saucepan for at least 3 minutes (if you're using steel-cut oats) to reduce the cooking time. Meanwhile, mash the banana in a bowl.
turn the hob on, add mashed banana and milk and give a quick stir.
once the porridge starts bubbling, set a medium heat setting on the knob. Keep stirring to avoid the bottom part getting burnt.
add superfood power if you have any
add a bit of salt
add more milk if you'd like your porridge more creamy
dish it up when it reaches the consistency you like
add peanut butter and other toppings, such as nuts and soft fruits.

Video

Notes

*The best part of the recipe is that you don’t need to add sugar or maple syrup, as the banana and fresh fruit provide natural sweetness.

Voila, now you have a perfect home comfort vegan banana porridge/oatmeal to enjoy.

Why vegan porridge?

As I mentioned in my other post, I believe a plant-based diet is crucial in protecting the planet. So, whenever possible, try vegan recipes! That shows you’re saying no to dairy products, which are one of the leading causes of global warming. And to be kind to our planet, we all need to do our bit, no matter how small the action is.

Climate change is sometimes misunderstood as being about changes in the weather. In reality, it is about changes in our very way of life.
Paul Polman

21 Plastic Pollution Quotes Leading To The Right Actions

By Rachel

On August 13, 2022

In Eco-friendly lifestyle

I was in the supermarket checkout queue the other day. There were six checkouts. When I looked around, I was the only one who had brought reusable grocery bags, and the rest of the customers bought new shopping bags for their groceries. At that time, I wished I could tell them not to use new plastic bags because plastic pollution is a huge worldwide problem.

Plastic pollution is harming our marine life and Mother Earth. Just take a look at some of the shocking facts and stats below:

Plastic bags dominate 14.1% of ocean garbage, followed by plastic bottles 11.9% and food containers 9.4%. (2021)
Globally, we get through a staggering 1 million plastic bottles every minute, most of which end in landfills.
By 2050, there’ll be more plastic than fish in the sea.

How about recycling plastic? Unfortunately, how we recycle plastic escalates more unsolved problems because of the sheer volume of plastic we produce and consume daily! Our addiction to plastic is poisoning us and future generations. Plastic waste also causes serious climate change because nearly 99% of plastic is derived from fossil fuels.

So, we’ve got to think hard about our addiction to plastic and how we can stop that. I understand it is hard to change our behaviour if we aren’t fully aware of the seriousness of plastic pollution. However, awareness is just one side of the coin. We also need the belief that you and I together can make profound impacts and lead to great things. This all starts with small steps from individual actions, e.g. not using single-use plastic or buying plastic bags. Remember: we, human beings, are the cause but can be part of the solution if we’re doing the right thing!

Here, I hope the 21 plastic pollution quotes below will raise our awareness, radically change our relationship with plastic and ultimately, we and future generations can all live in a plastic-free world. Less plastic, more living!

Quotes about saying no to plastic use

For the sake of the planet, less plastic, please. – Sir David Attenborough
Giving up plastic water bottles is really, really easy. You just replace it with a reusable water bottle. – Moby, musician
Plastic will be the main ingredient of all our grandchildren’s recipes. – Anthony T. Hincks
A plastic-pollution-free world is not a choice but a commitment to life – a commitment to the next generation. – Amit Ray
We humans have become dependent on plastic for a variety of uses, from packaging to products. Reducing our use of plastic bags is an easy place to start getting our addiction under control. – David Suzuki

If we say no to plastic bags, it will save millions of people down the line. – Amit Ray
I hate plastic bottles. Just think about it before you buy one. We pay more for a gallon of water than we do for a gallon of gas. – Philippe Cousteau

Quotes about plastic pollution and the marine environment

What goes in the ocean goes in you. – surfrider.org

Industrial pollution and discarding plastic waste must be tackled for the sake of all life in the ocean. – Sir David Attenborough
We are being choked to death by the amount of plastic that we throw away. It’s killing our oceans. It’s entering into our bodies in the fish we eat.” – Kevin Bacon
Not only are plastics polluting our oceans and waterways and killing marine life – it’s in all of us, and we can’t escape consuming plastics.” – Marco Lambertini

Quotes about single-use plastic

It’s only one straw, said 8 billion people. – Unknown
Plastic pollution is one of the most visible signs of unsustainable consumption and production. – Inger Andersen
Of all the waste we generate, plastic bags are perhaps the greatest symbol of our throwaway society. They are used, then forgotten, and they leave a terrible legacy”. – Zac Goldsmith
It cannot be right to manufacture billions of objects that are used for a matter of minutes and then are with us for centuries”. – Roz Savage

Quotes about plastic waste

Plastic disposal not only pollutes the land but the water and the air, the three primary elements for any living being on the earth. – Sir P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar
Plastic pollution is a global issue: killing wildlife, contaminating our oceans and waters, and lasting far longer than it is used.” – Leonardo DiCaprio
Only we humans make trash that nature can’t digest. – Charles Moore
Plastic waste is now found in the most remote areas of the planet. It kills marine life and is doing major harm to communities that depend on fishing and tourism. – António Guterres
There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere. – Annie Leonard
Pollution from oil and gas development, toxic runoff, and miles and miles of plastic trash foul the waters and threaten marine life. – Frances Beinecke

How to Make Vegan Mayo? Ready in 3 MINS

By Rachel

On August 11, 2022

In Plant-based-diet

The vegan diet has become a trend in recent years, and there are many reasons for its rise. However, for me, it’s the environmental issue more than anything else, as I believe a vegan diet is crucial in protecting the planet.

So in this post, I want to show you how to make homemade vegan mayo. You only need 4 key ingredients, no chopping, no cooking, and just in 3 minutes, you’ll be rewarded with delicious, thick, creamy vegan mayo!

People eat meat and think they will become strong as an ox, forgetting that the ox eats grass.
Pino Caruso

What is vegan mayo?

Mayo is an essential pantry staple because it is such a great flavourful food enhancer. Traditionally, mayo is made of egg yolks, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice) and salt. However, some people use the whole egg instead of just the egg yolk. Either way, the regular mayo involves animal products in the making, so vegans can’t consume it.

As for vegan mayo, it still uses oil, vinegar and salt. But egg yolks are replaced by one of the following vegan ingredients: unsweetened soy milk, silken firm tofu or aquafaba. Aquafaba could sound alien to you, but you might already have it in your kitchen cupboard – it’s the liquid from tinned chickpeas. It’s also referred to as chickpea water, chickpea brine, or garbanzo bean water.

How does vegan mayo taste?

Honestly, I can’t taste the difference between the regular mayonnaise (i.e. egg-based mayo) and the vegan version. Vegan mayo is also generally healthier than egg-based mayo because the vegan one contains less saturated fat (because it’s eggless). For the homemade version, you can also use healthier oil in the recipe, such as avocado oil or olive oil, for a milder flavour.

Can I buy vegan mayo from shops?

Yes. Today, you can get vegan mayo from any chain supermarket. Most big brands have launched their vegan mayo product, including Heinz, Hellmann’s and Nando’s. Some supermarkets also introduced their own vegan mayo brands, such as TESCO, ASDA and CO-OP. However, nothing can beat the homemade version as you can twist it to the exact taste you like.

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