Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Veganism is on the rise and this January many people will challenge themselves to ‘Veganuary’, a month-long campaign aimed at encouraging people to try out a vegan diet. A vegan diet contains only plant-based food and drink options and this can offer benefits for the environment, animal welfare and health.
The health benefits of a vegan diet depend on what food and drinks you choose. People who follow a vegan diet generally consume more fruit, veg and fibre, and less saturated fat than non-vegans, and this can have a positive impact on heart health.
Tips for healthy eating as a vegan:
Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day – keep it varied and colourful.
Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and rice, and choose wholegrain versions to increase your fibre intake.
Include dairy-free alternatives, such as soya drinks and yoghurts and choose lower-fat and lower-sugar options where possible.
Eat protein-rich foods such as beans, pulses, tofu, unsalted nuts, and seeds.
Ensure you include some unsaturated oils and spreads in your diet. Rapeseed and flaxseed oils contain omega-3 fats, which can be beneficial for heart health.
Top yourself up!
To make sure your body isn’t missing out on essential nutrients, a vegan diet needs to be well-planned, and you might need to top up on some vitamins.
At this time of the year, when sunlight exposure is limited, everyone in the UK should consider taking a vitamin D supplement. This is especially important if you’re cutting out animal products.
You’ll also need to supplement on vitamin B12 as you can’t get this from plant-based foods. Check food labels for the word ‘fortified’- most vegan spreads, breakfast cereals and soya products have vitamin D, calcium and B12 added to them.
The vegan diet isn’t the be all and end all to good health but taking a leaf out of the vegan way could set you off in the right direction when it comes to heart health. Why not give Veganuary a go? You could start with just one vegan meal a day, or one vegan day a week, and see how you like it!
To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website:
Ahead of Dry January, Morrisons has a selection of offers available on non-alcoholic drinks so that customers can continue enjoying a tipple, without the alcohol.
Products on offer range from sparkling wines for weekend nights in, to non-alcoholic beers and spirits.
29% of Scottish consumers are semi-regular drinkers of low and no alcohol products up from 27% in 2020, the fourth annual online YouGov study commissioned by the Portman Group has found.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the most popular reason for consumers in Scotland who have tried low and no alcohol to drink these products continues to be ‘being able to drive home from social events’ (chosen by 37% of respondents).
Reducing the possibility of health concerns or current medical reasons were also cited by 23% of consumers. The other main reason is to socialise without drinking excessively with 12% of respondents, whilst 9% explicitly stated they currently alternated low and no products with regular strength alcohol to moderate their overall consumption.
Furthermore, the survey shows that over a quarter (27%) of those in Scotland who have tried low and no alcohol say that their subsequent weekly alcohol has decreased since they first tried it.
These results indicate that low and no alcohol could be an effective tool for people looking to moderate drinking, often whilst at home with COVID-19 remaining an ongoing concern.
This is part of a wider UK trend towards low and no, with almost one in three (32%) UK drinkers now ‘semi-regularly’ consuming low and no alcohol products compared to one in four (25%) in 2020.
It should be noted that alcohol drinkers are the main buyers of non-alcoholic products using them as alternatives to alcohol. Well over half (58%) of UK non-drinkers have never even tried a low/no product and just 14% are semi-regular* consumers.
In response to the figures, Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator – said: “As these positive findings show, Scotland is increasingly choosing low and no alcohol products, a trend being witnessed across the UK.
“There has been a big increase in drinking low and no during the pandemic, indicating that many UK drinkers have looked to moderate their alcohol consumption by swapping with non-alcoholic options.
“These figures show the fruits of industry innovation and investment over the past decade to provide consumers with an array of lower alcohol options.”
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The 2021 survey was conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Portman Group. Fieldwork was undertaken on 9th-10th December 2021 and involved a total sample size of 2,079 adults, of which 176 were from Scotland.
The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
In the 2020 survey, the total sample size was 2100 adults, of which 189 were from Scotland. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14th – 15th December 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
With 2022 just around the corner – The Scottish Engineer wanted to give all of Drylaw Telford Community Council a little present to start the year!
From next Monday (3rd January) you can enjoy 25% off food for the whole of January.
To qualify, simply tell your server you are from Drylaw Telford Community Council facebook group when requesting your bill and the discount will be applied automatically.
You may use this discount as many times as you like throughout January and no booking if required.
You might know her best from lighting up your TV screen as you count down to the bells, but this year, Scotland’s Queen of Hogmanay is bringing you a celebration of top quality Scottish food.
That’s right – the inimitable Jackie Bird is making a return to Hogmanay, alongside Edinburgh chef Scott Smith, to join the team behind Make It Scotch to help you enjoy a Hogmanay with Cred.
Scott, chef owner of Fhior restaurant in Edinburgh, has put aside the traditional beef steak pie or stovies and instead created an inspiring dish of slow cooked Scotch Beef PGI cheeks with skirlie, champagne glazed carrots and Bovril potatoes.
In a video filmed in the Make It Scotch Cred Test Kitchen, Scott takes viewers through his recipe while he and Jackie reminisce about some of their own Hogmanay traditions and what inspired the recipe he created.
But there was one test it had to pass… Jackie’s approval! Having been the host of Scotland’s New Year’s Eve entertainment for so many years, it was only right that she should be the first to try this dish from Scott.
Jackie said: “I’m used to spending Hogmanay in front of the cameras, but it was a delight to come back and do it for something different this year by joining Scott in the Cred Test Kitchen to try out his new Hogmanay dish.
“I wouldn’t claim myself to be a Michelin star critic but I am certain that giving this dish a go will help make this year’s New Year celebration one to remember – just the tonic we need after the tough time we’ve all had!”
You can find out her verdict by watching the video on Make It Scotch’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channel, where there is a series of festive hacks, tips and red meat recipe inspiration created for the brand’s ‘Make It a Christmas with Cred’ campaign.
Scott said: “I want my recipe to encourage people to try something different from the norm for their new year celebrations while still keeping that nostalgic feeling that Hogmanay – plus the champagne in the carrots could help use up some excess booze from the festive season!
“It would also work well with alternative beef cuts such as featherblade and parts like the skirlie can be tweaked to suit ingredients people prefer. It would suit any of the typical meals enjoyed over Hogmanay too, whether it’s the big night, New Year’s Day or a first footing dish you’re taking to visit a friend or family member.”
Lesley Cameron, Director of Marketing and Communications at Quality Meat Scotland, the organisation that promotes Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork, added:“This festive season, we want people to make it extra special by choosing an alternative type of meat, such as Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb or Specially Selected Pork from quality-assured farms that adopt best practice in animal welfare and production methods.
“Scott’s recipe is a perfect chance to celebrate the world class Scotch Beef we have in Scotland as you celebrate the start of 2022 but do it in a way that puts a twist on your usual favourites. And we are absolutely delighted to have Jackie Bird’s seal of approval too!”
For more Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork recipe videos and inspiration visit www.makeitscotch.com or follow Make It Scotch on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
——
Slow cooked Scotch Beef PGI cheeks with skirlie, glazed carrots and Bovril potatoes
Serves 4-6
Scotch Beef PGI cheeks
Ingredients
4 Scotch Beef cheeks, approx. 400g per cheek
24g sea salt
2 ltr beef stock
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
250ml red wine
150g butter, diced
Oil, for cooking
Method
The day before cooking:
Prepare a brine by heating 3 litres of water and the 24g of sea salt until the salt has dissolved. Once this has fully cooled, trim the cheeks and add them to the brine. Let them sit in the brine for at least 4 hours or overnight. This step is optional but adds even more flavour to the delicious cheeks!
On the day of cooking:
Before starting to cook, remove the cheeks an hour before starting to allow them to come to room temp.
Pre heat the oven to 180C
Heat a heavy-based casserole dish on the hob at a medium high heat and add a couple table spoons of oil.
Once the oil is very hot, add the cheeks and colour heavily on all sides. This is essential to developing good flavour.
Once coloured, remove the cheeks from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat down a little. Now add the butter, followed by the carrot, celery and garlic, and allow this to cook for about 5 minutes until lightly coloured.
Add the red wine, and once reduced by half, add the stock and bring to a boil and then back down to a gentle simmer.
Add the bay, thyme and add the cheeks back in.
Place a tightly fitting lid on and put the casserole dish in the oven for 2 and a half hours.
Remove the dish from the oven and check that the meat is tender. If ready, then carefully remove the cheeks from the pan and strain the stock through a sieve.
Add the stock back to the pan and reduce this on a high heat until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Take 50ml of this sauce out and keep aside for the skirlie.
Add the cheeks back in to the pan and keep warm.
Glazed carrots
Ingredients
6 carrots, medium sized
3 star anise
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp caster sugar
175g butter, diced
150ml champagne (or your bubbly of choice such as prosecco or cava)
1 ltr beef stock
Oil, for cooking
Salt, for seasoning
Method
Peel the carrots and cut into pieces about 7cm long.
Heat a heavy based saucepan with a little oil on a medium high heat and add the carrots with a little salt for seasoning.
Colour the carrots until golden and then add the champagne. Reduce this by a third and then add all the remaining ingredients. Top up with water to ensure the carrots are submerged by about an inch.
Turn up the heat to a gentle boil and continue to cook for about 15 minutes until almost all the liquid has gone. Shaking the pan every now and then to move the carrots around.
Once the carrots are tender, turn the heat up high to finish reducing the liquid and creating a shiny glaze on the carrots.
Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Bovril potatoes
Ingredients
2kg Maris piper potatoes
2 onions
500ml vegetable stock
3 tbsp Bovril (optional)
100g butter
Salt, for seasoning
Method
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Ideally do this on a mandoline, the thinner the better.
Peel and very thinly slice the onions.
In an ovenproof dish, arrange a layer with a third of the potatoes, followed by a third of the onions. Add a little salt for seasoning and a drizzle a teaspoon of Bovril across the layer.
Repeat this process two more times to fill the dish and then pour over the stock.
Distribute the diced butter on top and place the dish in the oven (already pre heated to 180C) for 1 hour.
Turn the oven up to 210C and finish in the oven for 15 minutes to crisp up the top before serving.
Skirlie
Ingredients
150g pinhead oats
2 shallots, finely diced
50g beef dripping
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
50ml sauce from the cheeks
Method
Melt the dripping in a frying pan and add in the shallots with a little salt.
Cook the shallots for 5 minutes until they are lightly caramelised.
Add the oats and stir well to ensure the fat is being absorbed evenly and cook them on a low heat for about 8 minutes until toasted, lightly cooked, but still retaining bite.
Now add the sauce from the beef cheeks and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the chopped parsley.
Adjust the seasoning if needed and keep warm.
To serve
Bring the casserole pan with the cheeks up to a gentle boil and carefully baste the Scotch Beef Cheeks with the sauce and turn them over a few times to glaze the cheeks.
Spoon the skirlie between your serving plates and place a cheek on top, followed by lots of the sauce form the pan.
Add the carrots to the plate.
Put the potato dish on the table as a side for everyone to help themselves.
Pour yourself a whisky!
TIPS:
The potatoes can be prepared and cooked in the oven at the same time as the cheeks. These can then be put back into the oven at 210C before serving to reheat and crisp up the top.
If you are unable to get beef cheeks, then the recipe can be replaced with beef featherblade. Increase the cooking time by 1 hour for this.
The beef can be cooked the day before to save time. If you do this, then don’t reduce your final sauce when removing from the oven. Chill the whole casserole down and store the beef in the cooking liquid to finish on the day.
Pornstar Martini was the UK’s most popular cocktail with 144,000 Google searches over the past 30 days.
Aperol Spritz and Negroni came in a respective second and third.
There have been 50,000 searches for cocktail recipes alone and 14,800 searches for Christmas cocktails in the past month showing a 223% increase.
EggNog a traditional Christmas cocktail made the number nine spot
A study by kitchen equipment experts experts Maxima Kitchen Equipmentanalysed Google data to find the nations favourite cocktails this Christmas.
The UK’s favourite cocktail this year is a Pornstar Martini with 144,000 searches in the past 30 days alone. The cocktail, which is traditionally made from Vodka, vanilla syrup, lime juice, passion fruit, prosecco and passoa liquer. The popular cocktail was only created in the early 2000’s in LAB London bar and has risen to popularity ever since being a staple drink of choice.
Aperol Spritz came in second and received 80,000 searches over the past month. The cocktail is made up of Aperol, prosecco, soda water and lime. The cocktail is often described as an Italian sunset originating from northern Italy in the late 1950’s.
Negroni which is traditionally an Italian cocktail came in third place for the most popular cocktail this Christmas. It’s made up of gin, Vermouth Rossi, Campari and garnished with orange peel. Traditionally, it is stirred not shaken and served on the rocks (over ice). The cocktail received 71,000 searches this month.
Mojito came out globally as the most searched cocktail but only made fourth place in the UK with an impressive 68,000 searches. The classic cocktail has many variations but is traditionally made up of rum, soda water, mint leaves, granulated sugar and lime. The origins of this cocktail can be dated back to 1586 it is believed.
Cosmopolitan came in fifth place for the favourite cocktail for this Christmas with 68,000 searches in the past 30 days. The cocktail is made up of lemon vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice.
Margarita came in sixth place with 64,000 searches, it was the top choice of cocktail in the USA and 3rd globally. It is made up of Cointreau, lime juice and tequila.
Seventh place was a Pina Colada with a search volume of 63,000 just in the past month. The summer themed cocktail originating from Puerto Rico is still a favourite even at Christmas it turns out. The cocktail is made up of white rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice.
The cocktail Mimosa took eighth place with a total 61,000 searches. The cocktail is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute and made up of champagne and orange juice.
In ninth place was the traditional Christmas cocktail Eggnog which is made up of eggs, milk, cream, spices such as nutmeg and vanilla, rum and finished off with a whisky or a brandy. It received a total of 59,000 searches.
Espresso Martini which came in tenth place with a search total of 56,000 in the last month. The cocktail is traditionally made up of vodka, coffee beans, and coffee liquer. As a nation of coffee lovers, it is easily understandably how an alcoholic version of the beverage can rank in our top list.
A spokesperson from Maxima Kitchen Equipment commented: “The cocktail industry has grown more and more profitable over recent years however, these search numbers are bigger than anticipated, suggesting that cocktails are now a staple of British culture regardless of if they are consumed at home or in bars.”
To help customers with Christmas Eve tradition of leaving carrots out for reindeer
Morrisons is giving away 10,000 wonky British carrots to customers who want to leave out refreshments for Father Christmas and his reindeer on Christmas Eve.
The wonky carrots – which are oversized, misshapen and scarred, but still taste delicious – will be handed out in bags labelled ‘Carrots for Rudolph’ from the entrances of our 498 Morrisons stores across the UK from Wednesday 22nd December.
The move aims to introduce children to wonky veg and encourage families to buy large, misshapen or slightly scarred carrots. During the festive period, our carrot sales soar, from a typical 500k bags-a-week in Morrisons to over 1.4 million in Christmas week, although wonky carrots only account for between 10% to 15% percent of sales.
Andy Todd, Carrot Buyer at Morrisons said:“Leaving out a carrot for Rudolph is a magical Christmas tradition and we want to make it easy for our customers to get involved.
“At the same time, we want to highlight that wonky carrots are just as tasty as perfect-looking carrots and help support our farmers.”
As British farming’s single biggest customer, we chose to make farmers the heroes of our Christmas advert this year. We wanted to thank them for all the work they do to help make Christmas so special – including growing and picking the carrots for both our festive lunch and for us to leave out for Rudolph.
The tradition of leaving food and drink out for Father Christmas and his reindeer can be traced all the way back to ancient Norse mythology where children would leave out food for Sleipner, the eight-legged horse ridden by Norse God Odin, in the hope that he would stop by on his travels and leave gifts in return.
Aldi Scotland has launched its ‘Not Socks Again?!’ campaign for the second year running, following its widespread success in 2021, which saw more than 2000 pairs of socks donated to good causes.
The initiative encourages customers to donate any unwanted or extra unused socks they may have received as Christmas gifts to charities supporting people in need across Scotland.
Every year, millions of people receive socks for Christmas that they often don’t want or need, charities across Scotland do, and Aldi’s ‘Not Socks Again?!’ campaign aims to put these gifts to better use by donating new and unused socks to those who need them most.
Aldi’s Sock Amnesty’ boxes will be in stores across Scotland from the 3rd of January until the end of the month, where people can drop off their unused socks to help keep vulnerable people warm this winter.
The Bethany Christian Trust are working toward the goal of ending homelessness in Scotland. The team at the Bethany Christian Trust offer a broad range of services, from assistance with housing, education and employment, to crisis intervention wellbeing support.
Nathanael Smith, Community Fundraiser, Bethany Christian Trust, said: “It’s surprising how much a good pair of socks can make a difference in someone’s life.
“It’s a simple gift that can mean warmth, comfort and dignity to those in need. Thanks to Aldi for making such an amazing project possible.”
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “Following an immensely challenging year, the team at Aldi Scotland were eager to support charities which are working tirelessly to help those in need.
“In winter, charities are always looking for essential items to be donated, and so we thought, why not encourage our customers to donate any unwanted gifts of socks to people who truly need them.
Aldi will also contribute a £250 donation to each charity in the hope of helping the most vulnerable in our communities.
Aldi’s Sock Amnesty boxes will be in store from 3rd January and customers are invited to drop off any unwanted, new and unused, socks which will be donated to the charity in their local area.”
This initiative builds on Aldi’s commitment to supporting communities across Scotland. Since 2016, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund has supported over 500 local clubs with more than £290,000 worth of donations.
In addition, Aldi has helped to provide over 10 million meals to vulnerable people across the UK through its partnership with community engagement platform, Neighbourly. Aldi also helped 12 local foodbanks this year after it relaunched its popular Supermarket Sweep programme this year.
To find your nearest Aldi store please visit their website here and donate your unwanted socks this Christmas.
For those looking to fit in some last-minute festive shopping, Fort Kinnaird has confirmed its opening times for the run up to Christmas.
The centre will be open from 9am until 6pm on Saturday, 10am until 6pm on Sunday and from 9am until 9pm Monday to Thursday. On Christmas Eve, Fort Kinnaird will be open from 9am to 5pm.
Fort Kinnaird is home to a huge range of brands, including high street favourites Clark’s, Next and OFFICE, and restaurants such as Bread Meats Bread, Nando’s and Wagamama, as well as a 7 screen ODEON cinema.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We know many people have started their Christmas shopping early this year, but there’s also many who still have plenty to do or those last few bits to buy.
“We’re open right up until Christmas Eve, and look forward to welcoming visitors doing their festive shopping or spending some quality time with friends and family – right up to the big day.
“With our late night opening hours, we’re giving people even longer to shop meaning they can choose to visit at a time that’s more convenient or perhaps a little quieter for them.”
The centre continues to have extra measures in place to help visitors feel safe. Face coverings are compulsory in all indoor areas and we’re encouraging everyone to maintain a safe distance from others.
We have enhanced cleaning regimes in place and our retailers are encouraging contactless payments where possible. Our stores and restaurants are also carefully managing visitor numbers to be confident that everyone can maintain social distancing.
Free parking is available as usual, and all visitors are encouraged to check the opening hours for individual retailers directly with them before setting off.
The centre’s opening times for the rest of the festive period are:
Christmas Day: Closed
Boxing Day: 9am – 6pm
27th- 30th December: 9am – 9pm
New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: Cinema and selected restaurants open only. Please check with individual retailers for opening hours
2nd January: 9am – 6pm
For more information to help plan your festive trip to Fort Kinnaird, head here.
Morrisons via Deliveroo can deliver groceries to your door –
Extended opening hours –
Blue Light card holders get 10% off in store –
Home delivery slots for the festive period may be hard to come by in December but you can still have your Christmas grocery shopping done for you.
At Morrisons, we offer Click & Click from over 350 of our stores, including a same day option. There is currently availability across the country for collection right up until December 23rd with convenient one hour slots to choose from throughout the day.
There is no charge to use the Click & Collect service when booking ahead and only a £1.50 fee when using the same day option. To use the service, customers simply need to register at Morrisons.com, select the time they want to collect their order and then choose the item they want. There is a £40 minimum spend.
Alternatively, customers can use Deliveroo to have their Morrisons shopping delivered straight to their doors in as little as 20 minutes. Over 190 additional Morrisons stores have been added to Deliveroo in recent weeks, more than doubling the number of stores offering the service and meaning that most major towns and cities nationwide now offer Morrisons via Deliveroo.
As well as expanding the number of stores that offer the service, we have also added hundreds of new products to the Deliveroo menu including a wider selection of our ‘The Best’ range. There are also Christmas classics such as mince pies and yule logs as well as party food, fruit & vegetables and meat and fish from our Market Street counters.
To help our customers who prefer to shop in store, we are extending our opening hours from Monday 20th to Thursday 23rd December and will be opening from 6.00am until midnight. On Christmas Eve our stores will open at 6.00am and close at 6.00pm.
To say a huge thank you to all of our emergency service workers, we are offering all Blue Light card holders 10% off their shopping with us in store until January 2nd 2022.
NHS workers can also join our NHS Club to receive discounts off their shopping and for NHS customers wishing to use Morrisons.com we offer a free delivery pass.
For information on ordering Morrisons groceries this Christmas visit:
