smoothie operator You can have breakfast in a bottle with a Lifeforce strawberry, banana, oats and honey smoothie, one of four varieties made with fresh, crushed fruits and a squeeze of honey.
The Drogheda-made smoothies, which cost €2.49 for 250ml, are a good alternative to the established Innocent brand, and have a wholesome bits-and-all appearance. Watch out for the calorie content, however, and bear in mind that no commercially manufactured smoothie is going to be as good, or as good for you, as one you make yourself. Marie-Claire Digby
not for the birds Mixed seeds in handy 45g snack packs, as well as 150g plastic tubs, are the latest healthy offering from Good 4U, the Co Tyrone company that brought Brocco Shoots to the market and kick-started a restaurant trend for using shoots such as pea, radish and garlic as garnishes. The Good 4U range includes toasted sunflower and pumpkin mixes, a multiseed mix, pumpkin seeds coated with vanilla sugar, and an addictive toasted chilli mix. The multiseed mix includes sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, linseed and sesame seeds and is delicious roasted with soy. Drizzle a glug of olive oil over a tub of seeds spread on a baking tray, roast for five minutes in a medium oven, then add soy to taste. A further 10 or 15 minutes in the oven, stirring occasionally, and you'll have a nutty, salty, savoury topping for salads, as served at the wonderful Silk Road Café, in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, or to nibble on instead of crisps. Scoop the roasted seeds back into the tub and they'll keep fresh for ages. Good 4U seeds are available from Tesco, Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Superquinn, plus Spar from November 6th. Snack packs cost 99c-€1.19; tubs are €2.49-€3.49.