If you’re a dedicated meat eater, it’s worth trying a week of vegetarianism, your colon will thank you for it!

Why not spend the morning investigating recipes and ideas using the websites below, or get started with our delicious Cauliflower & Asparagus Tart, which includes Quaker Oats for an even healthier veggie meal.   

Ingredients

For the pastry:
300g self-raising wholemeal flour
1 tsp vegan bouillon powder
125ml rapeseed oil
125ml rice milk or Soya milk

For the filling:
olive oil, for oiling and frying
1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets
125g asparagus, trimmed and washed
2 red onions, chopped
50g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
125g frozen sweet corn, mashed
250ml sweetened Soya milk
250ml rapeseed oil
1 lime, juice only
2 tbsp Quaker Porridge Oats
2 dessertspoons vegan bouillon powder
2 tbsp vegan tomato sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
smoked paprika
freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Oil a 30cm/12in flan or pie dish. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.
2. To make the pastry, place the flour and bouillon powder in a bowl and rub in the oil, then mix in the milk. Knead the pastry gently for a few moments, then roll out on a floured surface and use it to line the prepared dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until just cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, steam the cauliflower and asparagus until hot but not cooked – about 4-5 minutes.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and mushrooms until soft. Add the mashed sweet corn and stir until hot.
5. Heat the soya milk in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Transfer to a food processor or liquidiser, add the rapeseed oil, season with pepper and mix well. With the machine still running, add the lime juice and mix thoroughly to prevent curdling.
6. Add the oats, bouillon powder, tomato sauce and mustard to the milk mixture and blend again.
7. Oil the inner base of the pie crust, then spread a thin layer of the oat mixture over it. Place a layer of the mushroom mixture on top, then a layer of the cauliflower, followed by the remaining oat mixture.
8. Arrange the asparagus spears on top and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Return the tart to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes. Serve with a green salad.

Enjoy!!

Bingo on the pier, fish and chips for lunch, and a paddle in the sea.

Well, it might be a bit nippy for paddling, but it can still be invigorating to have a stroll along the promenade.

And if all that sea air works up and appetite, take along some of our delicious Brownie Oat Cookies.

Ingredients

85g all-purpose flour
135g white sugar
80g Quaker Oats
30g unsweetened cocoa powder
5g baking powder
2g salt
2 egg whites
80ml light corn syrup
5ml vanilla extract

Method

1. Spray the cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the egg whites, syrup, and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls on the prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

4. Enjoy!!

Round up some friends or neighbours and have a good old natter over a pot of coffee and these delicious chewy cherry and sultana flapjacks.

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter
200g Demerara sugar
200g honey
400g Quaker oats
50g glacé cherries
50g sultanas

You will also need a 20cm x 30cm (8in x 12in) cake tin, greased.

Method

1. Put the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Add the oats, cherries and sultanas and mix well.

2. Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared cake tin and spread to about 2cm (¾in) thick. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges, but still slightly soft in the middle.

3. Let cool in the tin, then turn out and cut into squares.

4. Enjoy!!

…with these delicious Hot Cross Biscuits!

What you will need:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Quaker Oats
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
5 tablespoons stick margarine or butter, chilled
1/4 cup currants or raisins
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter, melted
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons buttermilk

Method:

   1. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet.
   2. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, pie spice, baking soda and salt; mix well. Cut in 5 tablespoons margarine with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
   3. Stir in currants and peel. Add buttermilk; mix with fork just until dry ingredients are moistened.
   4. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface; knead gently 6 to 8 times. Pat dough into circle 1/2-inch thick. Cut with floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Brush tops with melted margarine; sprinkle with additional oats, if desired.
   5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove to wire rack; cool 5 minutes.
   6. For icing, mix together 1/3 cup powdered sugar and enough buttermilk to make a thick icing; drizzle in a cross shape over each biscuit. Serve warm.

Makes 1 dozen biscuits.

Nutrition Information: 1 biscuit. Calories 180, Calories From Fat 60, Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 1.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 170mg, Total Carbohydrates 26g, Dietary Fibre 1g, Protein 4g, Total Sugars 8g.

Take the kids to the zoo or public farm.

A quick and easy healthy snack idea to take along is Toasted Oat & Yoghurt Layer.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

50g Quaker oats
6 tbsp fat free Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp honey
100g blueberries

(Serves 2)

Toast the oats by dry frying them in a frying pan for 1-2 minutes until golden.

Mix together the yoghurt and honey and place half in the base 2 sundae glasses (or plastic cups with lids if heading out).

Then sprinkle half the toasted oats into the glasses.

Top with half the blueberries then repeat the layers.

Delicious – but no feeding the animals!

Places to visit:

Marwell Zoo

London Zoo

Colchester Zoo

Bristol Zoo

Chester Zoo

Longleat