It's not un-common that many people believe that healthy foods are more expensive than less healthy options.

When you look at the bigger picture, healthy eating is actually the more affordable option, especially in the long term. Here we debunk this misleading theory that healthy food is expensive and take a look at how our attitude needs to change towards healthy eating.

 

They've Been Bullsh**ing You - Misleading Reports

In October 2014 The University of Cambridge released a report saying that

'...healthy foods were consistently more expensive than less healthy foods, and have risen more sharply in price over time.' (1)

The question to ask here is how were they comparing and measuring these stats to come up with this report? Their methodology was based on price-per-calorie which is not only unfair, but also pretty damn misleading! Let us elaborate...

The prices of nearly 100 foods were assessed per 1,000 calories, but as healthy foods tend to have a much fewer calories per gram than less healthy foods, this process of measuring gives an unrealistic comparison. Basically, you would need to buy and consume around 30 cucumbers (!) to gain around 1,000 calories, compared to about one 200g packet of ginger nut biscuits. (2) 

See what we're getting at here??!

However, when The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) measured food costs based on edible weight (instead of the flawed price-per-calorie method) they found...

'...the cheapest ready-meals, pizzas, burgers and sugary breakfast cereals cost more than £2 per kilogram, whereas typical fruit and vegetables cost less than £2 per kilogram. And whilst £1 will buy you one cheeseburger, that same £1 could buy you a kilo of sweet potatoes, two kilos of carrots, two and a half kilos of pasta, ten apples or seven bananas.' (3)

Basically you get more for your money when you measure food value by weight instead of calories. Think how many meals you could make out of all those veggies!!

So what does this all mean??

We're not going to deny that in some cases healthy food does cost more, but what is important to consider is what you're actually getting for your money.

Put it this way...you're buying a house and you have found two that are the same size, look the same and are in the same location, but one is more expensive than the other. Why would you buy the more expensive one??

The more expensive house was made by experienced builders, using better quality materials. The cheaper house on the other hand was built using the cheapest materials with the builders goal being as many houses as possible for the most affordable rate. Whilst you'll see immediate savings by opting for the more affordable house, in the long term it will cost you more as the building deteriorates and you'll miss out on the premium benefits!

It's the same when choosing food at the supermarket. Do you want the cheap snack bar filled with additives and refined sugars or the slightly more expensive snack bar that uses nothing but natural, ethical and organic ingredients, that will not only keep you fuller for longer, but nourish your body with much needed vitamins and minerals.

View your health as an investment not an expense!

You're Asking The Wrong Question...

Forget 'why is healthy food so expensive', the real question we should be asking is:

Why is unhealthy food so cheap??

What corners are they cutting? What is the quality of ingredients like? What are additives and fillers are they using to bulk it out? Are their manufacturing processes ethical?

Money shouldn't be the only thing to consider when choosing the food to fuel your body - consider what are you putting in your body and how will that affect your health!

Team LoveRaw

x

What is Camu Camu?

Camu Camu is a berry from the rainforests of Peru. It’s about the size of a grape but don’t let that fool you, it provides 50 times more Vitamin C than an orange. It's great for:

• A healthy immune system
• Healthy eyes, gums and skin
• Energy levels

How to use Camu Camu everyday?

Unless you can go foraging for berries in the Peruvian rainforest, the best way to consume Camu is in the raw powder form. Due to its potent properties it has a rather strong taste and a very bitter flavour. So here are our recommendations on how to incorporate Camu goodness in your everyday lives:

1. Smoothies and Juices

Mix it in your smoothie/juice. Not a green smoothie, more fruity e.g. pineapple, banana, mango, strawberries. This balances the bitterness.

2. Porridge

Mix it into your oats with your favourite fruits and nuts!

3. Yogurt

Tastes amazing with coconut yogurt and fresh berries.

4. Tea

Mix a level teaspoon with your favourite fruity herbal tea. NOTE: Don’t use boiling hot water!

5. Facemask

Mix 1 teaspoon of raw Camu powder with 1 desert spoon of raw honey and 1 teaspoon of yoghurt. Leave on for 15 minutes and wash off. Voila - beautiful skin!

Buy our Skin Food Booster which contains Camu Camu!

 Team LoveRaw x

Buying our Almond Drinks has just got a hell of a lot easier! We've just launched in select Sainsbury's stores across the UK, meaning you can now pick up your favourite LoveRaw Almond Drink at a store near you.

Now doesn't that make your weekly food shop so much more exciting!

Which Sainsbury's stores are you in?

We are in the following 92 stores across the the UK...

Fairfield Park	90 Clapham Road	BEDFORD
Bagshot Rd	Ringmead	BRACKNELL
Maidenhead	Providence Place	MAIDENHEAD
Newbury	Hectors Way	NEWBURY
Calcot	Bath Road	READING
Slough Uxbridge Rd	Uxbridge Road	SLOUGH
Beaconsfield	Maxwell Road	BEACONSFIELD
High Wycombe	Oxford Road	HIGH WYCOMBE
Milton Keynes	799 Witan Gate	MILTON KEYNES
Coldhams Lane	Brooks Road	CAMBRIDGE
Torquay	Nicholson Road	TORQUAY
Cobham	Bridge Way	COBHAM
Kempshott	3 Wallop Drive	BASINGSTOKE
Springfield	White Hart Lane	CHELMSFORD
Chichester	Westhampnett Road	CHICHESTER
Bishops Stortford	16 Jackson Square	BISHOP'S STORTFORD
St Albans	Everard Close	ST. ALBANS
Bybrook	Simone Weil Avenue	ASHFORD
Crayford	Stadium Way	DARTFORD
Pepper Hill	Wingfield Bank	GRAVESEND
Thanet Wt Wood Cross	Dadson Way	RAMSGATE
Sevenoaks	Otford Road	SEVENOAKS
Cheadle	Wilmslow Road	CHEADLE
Denton	Oldham Street	MANCHESTER
Preston	Flintoff Way	PRESTON
Fosse Park	Grove Farm Triangle	LEICESTER
Leicester North	501 Melton Road	LEICESTER
Lincoln	Tritton Road	LINCOLN
Low Hall	11 Walthamstow Avenue	LONDON
Beckton	1 Claps Gate Lane	LONDON
Winchmore Hill	681 Green Lanes	LONDON
Euston Tower Local	21 Hampstead Road	LONDON
Finchley Rd	02 Centre	LONDON
Canada Water Station Local	30 - 32 Surrey Quays Road	LONDON
Sydenham	Southend Lane	LONDON
Streatham Common	480 Streatham High Road	LONDON
Earlsfield Local	282 Magdalen Road	LONDON
Victoria	115 Buckingham Palace Road	LONDON
Clapham Common	133 Clapham High Street	LONDON
Fulham Wharf	27 Townmead Road	LONDON
Cromwell Rd	158a Cromwell Road	LONDON
Mayfair	38 Stratton Street	LONDON
Tottenham Court Road	15-17 Tottenham Court Road	LONDON
Warren Street Local	145 Tottenham Court Road	LONDON
Holborn	129-133 Kingsway	LONDON
Kenton	1 Nash Way	HARROW
Sury Basin	1 Sury Basin	KINGSTON UPON THAMES
Locksbottom	Pallant Way	ORPINGTON
North Cheam	566 London Road	SUTTON
Longwater	William Frost Way	NORWICH
Durham	Unit K, Arnison Retail Centre	DURHAM
Heaton Newcastle	Etherstone Avenue	NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Castle Boulevard	11 Castle Bridge Road	NOTTINGHAM
Heyford Hill	Heyford Hill	OXFORD
Shrewsbury	Meole Brace Retail Park	SHREWSBURY
Hankridge Farm	Hankridge Farm	TAUNTON
Waterlooville	Hambledon Road	HAMPSHIRE
Hedge End	Tollbar Way	SOUTHAMPTON
Watchmoor Park	Blackwater Valley Road	CAMBERLEY
Kiln Lane	Kiln Lane	EPSOM
Water Lane	Water Lane	FARNHAM
Godalming	Woolsack Way	GODALMING
Burpham	Clay Lane	GUILDFORD
East Grinstead	Brooklands Way	EAST GRINSTEAD
Hampden Park	Broadwater Way	EASTBOURNE
Haywards Heath	Bannister Way	HAYWARDS HEATH
Rustington	Unit C, Rustington Retail Park	LITTLEHAMPTON
West Grn	Crawley Avenue	CRAWLEY
Team Valley	Eleventh Avenue	GATESHEAD
Sunderland	Silksworth Lane	SUNDERLAND
Marshall Lake	545 Stratford Road	SOLIHULL
Leamington	The Shires Retail Park	WARWICK
Martineau Place	17 Union Street	BIRMINGHAM
Longbridge	Longbridge Lane	BIRMINGHAM
Bridgemead	Paddington Drive	SWINDON
Kidderminster	2 Carpet Trades Way	KIDDERMINSTER
Archer Rd	Archer Road	SHEFFIELD
Wakefield Marsh Way	Lower Trinity Walk	WAKEFIELD
Monks Cross	Jockey Lane	YORK
Winterstoke Rd	111 Winterstoke Road	BRISTOL
W'ton St Marks	Raglan Street	WOLVERHAMPTON
Cameron Toll	Cameron Toll Shopping Centre	EDINBURGH
Edinburgh Shandwick Place Local	32-36 Shandwick Place	EDINBURGH
Blackhall	185 Craighleith Road	EDINBURGH
Braehead	110 Kings Inch Drive	GLASGOW
Darnley	10 Darnley Mains Road	GLASGOW
Strand Rd	150 Strand Road	DERRY
Holywood Exchange	Holywood Exchange	BELFAST
Forestside	Forestside Shopping Centre	BELFAST
Sprucefield	5 Sprucefield Park	LISBURN
Newry	The Quays	NEWRY
Colchester Ave	Colchester Avenue	CARDIFF

Which section of Sainsbury's will I find the Almond Drinks? 

You will find them in the chilled drinks section. Not sure where that is? Just ask a member of staff in store. 

Team LoveRaw x

Modern farming is letting our veg down! We’ve looked into what’s been going wrong and what needs to change. 

So, it turns out that we aren’t getting the same amount of nutrients in our fruit and veg as our grandparents did and in some cases, you’d have to eat more than double the amount that your ancestors did just to get the same nutrient intake...hello food baby! We’ve researched into this issue to see where modern farming is going wrong, as well as what we can do to make up for this loss.

What We Discovered

Donald R. Davis, a biochemist from the University of Texas at Austin, conducted much of the in-depth research into our nutrient problem. He studied the decline of nutrients in our fruit and veg in the UK (and US) in the last 50-100 years and published an article summarising the three main kinds of evidence that tell us about this decline. Here we’ve broken them down for you:

1. The (literal) s**t we’re putting on our crops is diluting it

Whilst advanced fertilisers and irrigation systems, as well as environmental changes, has seen our crop yield increased in both physical size and numbers over time, unfortunately, this increase has been linked to a drop in nutrient content. This is called ‘the dilution effect.’[1]

Scientists studied this with raspberry plants and found that, although fertilisers increase nutrient content, these nutrients become diluted in the rest of the plant due to it's increased in size. [2] In short, the more crop we have to eat (because of the super-fertilisers), the less nutrients we get in each veggie.

2. Our grandmas’ veg was better than ours

This evidence comes from studying ‘historical food composition data’ via the ancestry.com for carrots and broccoli. A nutrient ratio was calculated by dividing modern plant nutrient data with historical data. Davis tells us:

‘...the strongest evidence for declines occurred for minerals in vegetables, especially calcium and copper, with median declines of 17% - 80%.’ [4]

He explains that although this 80% drop might seem too steep to be true, he found that copper also had the largest ‘dilution effect’ in the raspberry plants study.

3. ‘Super-veg’ vs. the golden oldies

These studies were pretty similar to the fertilisation studies, except they compared the nutrient content of historical low-yield and modern high-yield cultivars (basically a modern selectively-bred super-veg). This was to see if their genetics make a difference to their nutritional value. The first culprits of this ‘genetic dilution effect’ was broccoli, which was seriously lacking in calcium and magnesium compared to its ancestors.[6]

In theory, this issue could be affecting all of our food, as a further study looked into the correlations between yield and mineral concentration in 14 types of wheat, with similarly pessimistic results.

...But Supplements Aren't the Answer

Most solutions to this problem come in the form of synthetic supplements such as capsules, tablets, liquids, or powders. These impersonators mimic the way natural vitamins work in our bodies. Although made to be chemically almost identical, they’re created in a different way to those found in fruit and veg, so the body may not react to them as effectively.

It’s better to get your nutrients from entirely natural food-based products, because that way you’re absorbing the vitamins alongside other contents like minerals, cofactors and enzymes that help with absorption. For example, one study found that with apples, the positives associated with vitamin C came from other elements of the fruit. They explained that

‘vitamin C in apples with skin accounts for only 0.4% of the total antioxidant activity, suggesting that most of the antioxidant activity of fruit and vegetables may come from phenolics and flavonoids in apples.’[8] (You don’t get these bits in synthetics).

We believe that people should be consuming their vital nutrients through foods rather than artificial supplements. It would be pretty tough to double your food intake just to reach this goal, so we’ve done the hard work for you...

We've Got Your Back

To help you up your intake of vitamins and minerals without resorting to supplements, we’ve created Food Boosters! They’re made up of 100% natural, certified organic ingredients meaning that their high vitamin and mineral contents will be absorbed as though you were eating the veggies whole (which you actually are, just dried). The ingredients used in our Food Boosters were chosen because of their particularly high vitamin contents, and have been designed to be added to pretty much any of your daily meals and drinks. Each Food Booster boasts a different health benefits (approved by the European Food Safety Authority) meaning that you don’t have to alter your diet (or eat twice as much) to increase your vitamin intake...goodbye food-baby!

We have Skin Food, Energise, Easy Greens and Immunity. Now, do yourself a favour - order some Food Boosters, make a cracking meal and sprinkle it aaaaall over!

 

Team LoveRaw x

It's common knowledge that you are most likely to catch a nasty bug in the colder months, however there are many reasons why you should maintain a healthy immune system all year round. Here's why and what you can do!

PREP FOR 'FLU SEASON'

'Flu season' tends to rear it's ugly head around November. With the influx of germs comes the frantic immune boosting attempts, with most of us wishing we'd prepared in advance instead of waiting to be hit by the plague! By boosting your immune system in advance you'll be less likely to suffer from the cold that's doing the rounds!

SUMMER COLDS 

Not only should we be preparing our immune systems in advance for the winter colds, Dr. Bruce Hirsch (physician for infectious diseases at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y) has reported that summer colds often last longer AND have a higher chance of recurring! (1) Don't assume you're safe from colds during the warmer months!

PLANES

Let's not forget that with the summer comes holidays and travelling on planes - basically a flying germ capsule! Microbiologists have tested planes and found that germs can survive for hours and even days after the passenger who brought them on board has departed (2). Gross.

Maintaining a strong immune system by healthy lifestyle choices throughout the year will help fight off illnesses; because quite frankly we're too damn busy to be ill! 

HOW TO HELP BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

GET PLENTY OF ZZZZ'S

Certain hormones, proteins, and chemicals are released whilst we sleep and it's these bad boys that help restore our immune system! The University of Pennsylvania has found that even short-term sleep loss can have a significant impact on how our immune system functions (3). 

WORK IT!

We already know that regular exercise is good for our health, but a study has found that a 20-minute session of moderate exercise per day can also stimulate the immune system and produce an anti-inflammatory cellular response (4). Another great reason to get off that butt and start working out!

A SPOT OF SUN

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is essential to activating our immune defences. Without sufficient vitamin D the killer cells in our immune system will not be able to fight off infections in your body (6). You only need 15 minutes in the sun to absorb your daily dose of vitamin D - a perfect excuse to grab a brew and chill on your lunch break. (7)

**IMPORTANT: Too much sun can cause skin damage. Avoid prolonged periods of time in direct sunlight and make sure you wear sun screen if you are going to be in the sun for longer than 15 minutes.**

IMMUNITY FOOD BOOSTER ON EVERYTHING!!

Made from nothing but organic turmeric, maca, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper, Immunity Food Booster is high and iron and copper which contributes to the normal function of the immune system (8)! You only need to add 1 - 2 teaspoons in your food. It's aromatic flavour lends itself perfectly to curries, soups, dips and golden milk - sprinkle that good s*** everywhere!

Norwegen health coach, Anne-Line talks to us about how a positive mind can benefit your whole day...

Why is it so important to start your day with a positive mindset?

What's the first thing you should do as soon as you wake up?

What should you eat for breakfast?

Describe your typical morning routine.

If you only had time to do a couple of things to put you in a positive frame of mind what would they be?

How do you maintain that positivity throughout the day?

We talk to marketing student and recipe developer, Kaja about the importance of healthy eating whilst studying...

Research published in the Public Health Nutrition journal, offers the strongest evidence yet of a link between healthy eating and positive performance from students. Kaja discusses the types of food that fuels her day and how to stay healthy on a student budget!

Do you think that there is a link between healthy eating and study performance?

Yes, definitely! Eating healthy makes me feel really energised and awake. In addition good sleeping habits gives me daytime alertness, I rarely go to bed after 10pm. Exercising also makes me a happy person which is important for my study motivation.

 

Which foods do you feel help with your concentration when studying?  

Veggies and fruits! I usually bring some freshly pressed green juice with me to lectures. My favourite combo is green apples, spinach, cucumber, ginger and lime. A bar is also great as a fast snack whenever I feel my concentration is going down. LoveRaw's Rosehip & Lemon snack bar is my favourite! Basically, fast carbs are great brain fuels. (I stick to healthy options such as fruit)

 

How do you stay healthy when you are busy and on-the-go?

One of the most important things I've learnt when it comes to eating healthy is to be prepared. I do a lot of meal planning and meal prep. At the beginning of the week I plan all my meals and purchase whatever I need for them. I prepare my breakfasts, snacks and lunches every evening so I don't have to rush making meals in the morning before I go to school. I also find it helpful to have bars and fruit available to grab whenever I'm in a hurry. I rarely go anywhere without a bar in my purse!

What tips would you give for eating healthy on a budget?

Healthy eating is renowned to be quite expensive. However, when you exclude meat, fish, dairy and other processed foods you'll have quite a lot of money left for veggies, fruit and other plant-based foods. So for me it's never been a problem to eat healthy on a budget. I do pay attention to discounts though and try to eat as seasonal as possible. Doing meal prep and bringing your own lunch and snacks is also a good way to avoid ending up purchasing lunch and other snacks at school/work etc.

Describe what you eat in a typical day.

I usually have matcha nice cream topped with oats, nuts, seeds and berries for breakfast. A cold-pressed juice and a bar as a mid-morning snack. Ezekiel toasts with coconut oil, spinach and avocado for lunch. A fruit as an afternoon snack. A mix of quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes, kale and avocado for dinner. And a raw chocolate for dessert - I always have dessert!

What's your favourite 'study fuel' recipe?!

My spelt & banana pancakes! They're so easy to make and still tastes good after being brought in a box.

Follow Kaja on Instagram for more healthy eating inspo!

We talk to marathon runner & fitness blogger Charlie, aka The Runner Beans, about how to start running if you're a newbie...

According to Sport England’s Active People survey, running has had the biggest increase of any sport in England, rising by 63,000 to 2.1 million in 2015! With this in mind and along with our own recent new found love for the sport, we jumped at the chance to interview 6 times marathon runner Charlie. Here are her top tips for beginner runners!

How far, frequently and fast should you run to begin with?

I think it's all depends on the person - but I'd suggest starting slow. Often people think they can't run because they set off too fast and then struggle to complete a mile, however if they slowed right down, they would be able to run further than a mile! I love the couch to 5K app for complete beginners - it's a really friendly way to start running.

What and when should you eat before and after a run?

Personally I like something simple like toast with peanut or almond butter and a banana pre long run, then something with a combination of protein and carbs post run. I actually love something like chocolate mylk or an iced latte as soon as I finish a long run!

Do I need to invest in proper running gear?

I think the two most important bits of kit to invest in is your shoes and your bra. Spend money on these and then you can buy cheaper leggings, tops etc. However be aware of the fit and material - there's nothing more annoying than something falling down or chafing when you are running 26 miles!

Which running apps would you recommend?

Strava or RunKeeper - both free and great for analysing your stats.

How do you maintain the motivation to run?!

I have running goals that I know I won't be satisfied until I achieve them! I want to qualify for the Boston marathon which means running a sub 3.35 marathon. I'm not a fast runner so it's going to take me a lot of work to get there, but I'm determined to reach it.

Check out Charlie's blog The Runner Beans for more inspiring blogs on running and fitness! 

(Photography by Will Patrick)

What a year it's turning out to be for LoveRaw! We kicked off 2017 with the launch of our re-brand, introducing you all to our awesome new packaging and revamped logo.

Today we are super excited to announce a brand new product range to the LoveRaw collection. On-the-go almond drinks!

Available in three innovative flavours - Cold Brew Caffe Latte, Cacao & Cardamom and Turmeric Chia Latte - these handy 350ml drinks are packed full of flavour! Boasting a high % of almonds and nothing but natural ingredients, they taste utterly indulgent, but without any of the guilt!

 

The Light Bulb Moment

Ever craved the taste of a fresh creamy drink, but wanted to avoid a dairy? We hear you! Whilst there are plenty of 1 litre plant based drinks on the market, the option of smaller “on-the-go” ranges, specifically almond based drinks, are extremely limited. We knew at this point we had to launch a drinks range to fill that gap in the market!

 

Lets Talk About Almond Mylk

Have you ever noticed the actual percentage of almonds that go into other brands? About 1 - 2 %, and they are frequently 'filled out' with rice mylk. As a company we either go hard or go home, so our mylks have a whopping 5% of almonds, and the flavours...oh the flavours! We have taken the classics and given them each a unique twist. There's something to suit everyone's palette, so give them a go and let us know what you think!

Team LoveRaw

So whats new with LoveRaw?

We have some extremely exciting news to share with you - after many very late nights, long days and debates... our brand relaunch is here! To check out what we’ve done, head over to our shop.

When I first launched LoveRaw in 2013, I was literally a one-woman band. I would be designing packaging as well as making, marketing, and selling the bars. At that time, packaging was simply functional, and I didn't have budget for designers. Now, it’s time our packaging reflects who we are at LoveRaw.

So who are we? Definitely not a rustic health-food company. We are fierce, vibrant, youthful, edgy, and full of passion. The past 18 months have been eventful; I've moved my life and business between countries, had a baby, and built LoveRaw from the ground up again. LoveRaw has come a long way since the one-woman band, and now I have a talented, amazing team.

Relaunching is just the start - we have so many more exciting things coming up and we can't wait to share it with you all! 2017 is the year of LoveRaw!