Articles & stories

If you’re unsure about the latest superfoods, then join the queue! For an easier way of joining the healthy eating revolution then read on… It seems like every time we open a newspaper or check our favourite news website there’s a new miracle food taking over the headlines. While some of the health benefits are undeniable, you might be surprised that there are Secret Superfoods already hard at work in your favourite Oakhouse meals.

As the nights draw in and we begin to feel a cold snap in the evenings, it’s clear that autumn is on the way, and along with it the start of cold and flu season. Did you know that the food choices you make now could help you fight off the coughs and sniffles later on in the year? Now is the time to start boosting your immune system for winter. Eating certain, vitamin and mineral rich foods is one of the easiest ways to give yourself a fighting chance against the inevitable germs that come your way in the autumn in winter.

We’ve all been in a position where the lure of fast food and sugary, salty snacks has been too strong to ignore. That could soon be a thing of a past, if a new study from the USA is to be believed. Would you rather eat a juicy burger or a stick of celery as a treat? For most of us there’s no question! Most of us know that low-fat, low-salt and freshly cooked food is better for us, but we’ve all made bad food choices at one time or another. Scientists at Tufts University have recently published their findings into what makes us crave unhealthy food, and they appear to have discovered the secrets of over-indulgence!

 There has been a large increase in demand for meals to be made without certain ingredients to cater for a wide variety of dietary requirements due to a heightened level of awareness of allergens. However, due to the increase in demand, manufacturers and re-sellers have cottoned on to this; in turn increasing prices for the customer. Thanks to this almost unscrupulous move by the providers to wring more profit from this sector, the gross worth of this market has increased by almost £600 million in only 5 years; now worth an astonishing £806 million.

Why not try a selection of our 60 Mini Meals? These offer the perfect solution if your appetite is smaller in the summer months, but you still want to enjoy our great tasting dishes and personal service. With prices from just £2.30, our Mini Meal recipes offer great value, and make preparing a deliciously light meal a

Do people with diabetes need a special diet? Not according to the Food Standards Agency. New guidance is revealing that following a healthy diet is now enough to help combat the effects of diabetes. Essentially this means that all “suitable for diabetics” labelling and diabetic meal plans will be replaced with the same diet advice that applies to everyone, whether they have diabetes or not. Leading diabetes organisations say that having a balanced diet is the healthiest approach to managing the disease, and you should aim to eat a variety of food from the following groups:

This summer has been a mixed bag so far. But as the temperature heats up it’s important to remember to stay cool this season. Have a look at the tips from Oakhouse Foods for staying safe and healthy in the summer. Stay hydrated Drinking a lot of liquid in these long summer days is essential to stay healthy. You need to continuously replace water that you lose throughout the day. Men and women should drink 2.0 litres of fluid per day to stay fully hydrated. All drinks count towards this; however water is the best choice. Alcohol and salty food can lead to heightened levels of dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include:

Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is something that we’ve had drummed into us for as long as we can remember. A new study could be about to change all of this… The study from the University College London examined the diet and lifestyle of 65,000 men and women between 2001 and 2013. The conclusion? Those who ate seven or more portions of fruit and veg a day were reaping in the health benefits. Their overall risk of death was lowered by 42%, while the risk of dying of cancer was slashed by 25%. These figures are in addition to the existing five-a-day benefits, such as a lower risk of stroke, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

If you enjoy flavours and ingredients from around the world but you don’t have the time or culinary skills to create exotic dishes from scratch, don’t worry: we have developed a range of global frozen meals that will appeal to all taste buds. The great thing about our selection of ready meals is that different family members can choose exactly what they’d like on the dinner menu. So, if you have a craving for curry but someone else has been looking forward to Chinese food, no one will be disappointed – in fact, you could make it a truly global evening, with a dining table full of different dishes from around the world.

We’re delighted to announce the winners of our Winter Wordsearch competition featured in our Appetiser magazine - massive congratulations to Mrs Jeakings, Mr E L Merrills, Mr R Thornhill, Mrs D Le Roy and Mrs Williams! Thanks to everyone who entered and don’t forget to look out for our next