I’ve always loved the great outdoors. Previously, when I worked as a Vet, driving through the countryside to farms every day made up for midnight call-outs and long days!
Having made the move into human health as a Registered Nutritionist, I still love the connection with nature that my job brings. Staying healthy isn’t just about great food choices - staying active and giving ourselves rest amid extremely busy lives, for many of us, are just as important. Not forgetting, of course, that our genes play an equal part.
Food that’s good for us is also good for our planet – solid science now shows that more plant-based eating to ensure we all benefit from plenty fibre and other plant chemicals like antioxidants, protects us from chronic illness like heart disease, stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, obesity and cancer. The more sustainably this food is produced the better - carbon-neutral delivery, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients (and therefore packed with higher nutrients) or just made locally reducing air miles – all ensure people and nature can thrive together.
My real passion, however, is the effect of these natural, unprocessed plant-based foods on our oh so important gut bacteria! More about these another time, but being a nutritionist focussed on facts not fads, nurturing our gut bacteria is going to be the medicine of the future… from helping our mood to protecting us against bowel cancer and keeping our immune system on top form, they have a very big role in our health.
Enter Rollagranola! Packed with fibre, protein and many of the benefits of plant-based eating, extremely low/no added sugar, fabulously tasty, moving towards totally compostable packaging and delivered responsibly, it’s hard not to love! And, on a recent Scottish adventure with my daughter post GCSEs, we discovered many ways to eat it beyond breakfast…
The Grand Depart
Blessed with outstanding weather, we camped in the wilds of Torridon after an 11 hour’s drive steadily North from London…! Surrounded by some of the remotest Scottish mountains, the scenery is outstanding – just total good for the soul stuff!
DAY 1
Walking boots on, midge repellent a-plenty and doused in suncream, we climbed up Ben Alligin, all 3,235 feet! (It has to be over 3000 to be a ‘Munro’) Spoilt with stunning scenery while refuelling with Rollagranola Caveman’s Dream en route…
DAY 2
It felt like a ‘Macadamia Madness for breakfast’ kind of day - then off up Ben Damph – the views were even more incredible with my daughter (16), equally impressed. An Idyllic parenting moment, as was the mountain stream cool off on the way back down!
DAY 3
The sea was calling to revive weary legs, so we headed round the Applecross Peninsula to Sand Bay for some wild swimming and set up camp beside the beach. Later that evening, having walked up the hill behind the beach, we were treated to a golden eagle flying by and a stag keeping an eye on us… Heavenly.
DAY 4
A picturesque Rollagranola breakfast spot, more swimming and discovering, what has to be, the smallest village shop in the UK. We journeyed back to Torridon, weary, but refreshed. One very happy mother and daughter duo who are already planning their next mountain to conquer!
Thank you Rollagranola! For keeping us energised with such tasty, practical snacks – a firm family favourite, though I’m guessing we weren’t the first to take it to over 3000 feet?!
