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Lupin A High Fibre and High Protein Food
The events of the last few years have changed how many of us work and many aspects of our lives, including what we eat. One of the things we have seen is the drastic emptying of shelves and fluctuating inconsistency of our food sources. Many of us want to manage our health better, and sourcing healthy local products has become increasingly important. The good news is that Lupin is fantastic for your health and is grown here in WA. Lupin is a high-protein, nutritious legume and contains all the essential amino acids. Four tablespoons of lupin has as much protein as two eggs and is also a good source of fibre. Additionally, lupin is low in fat and saturated fats and contains plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If you are looking for a healthy snack that will give you the nutrients your body needs, try some of the lupin-based products we have at Coastal Crunch! It is one of the best sources of dietary fibre available; Lupin beans have more protein in a 100-calorie serving than other popular legumes, including chickpeas and soybeans. What is dietary Fibre? Dietary fibres are indigestible carbohydrates that pass through the large intestine and provide our gut flora with what they need to flourish. There are different types of dietary fibre, some of which perform different roles in the gut.Soluble fibres in foods slow down digestion and can help lower blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fibre is an excellent way to keep your bowel regularity. Prebiotic fibres promote the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines. Lupin and Weight Regulation Lupin also has high amounts of two types of protein protective against weight gain and helps stabilise blood glucose and insulin levels.High fibre foods tend to have fewer kilojoules (calories) per gram, so a bowl of lupin granola is lower in kilojoules than other protein sources. It helps your body delay absorbing any sugars avoiding that dreaded sugar spike. Lupin and gut health Oligosaccharides in Australian Lupin are the prebiotics that feeds the good bacteria in your gut. This is great for maintaining healthy gut flora and keeping your intestines running smoothly. They promote the growth of friendly bifidobacteria in the intestines. The growth of friendly bifidobacteria in the intestines is associated with a decreased risk of allergies and asthma, and benefits gut health. Healthy snacks have many health benefits, including reducing the risk of obesity and heart disease, improving bowel regularity, promoting healthy blood sugar levels and protecting against weight gain. Some potential health benefits include refreshing gut flora, improving mineral absorption, protecting against intestinal infections and improving some inflammatory conditions. If you have tried everything else, adding our lupin-based products to your diet may be the answer to your gut health prayers! Why Lupin Protein Bars? Protein bars are a fantastic way to starve off those sugar cravings and balance your diet if you want to protect your health and regulate your weight. By reaching for one of these, you can enjoy a sweet indulgence but also know that you have gone for a healthy alternative that won't disrupt your meals.Our founder and in-house Chef, Tim, has created a range of gluten-free protein bars and vegan snacks that can be a great alternative to the classic unhealthy snacks around, and the lupin flakes and honey used in them are 100% sourced from WA growers. Dipping into his bag of tools and knowledge of the best ingredients for his recipes, Tim has teamed up with WA beekeepers to source the best honey possible. He then locally sourced Lupin from WA farms to bring us a range of protein bars that are gluten-free, vegan and very easy to pack in the bag and take anywhere. They are also endorsed by the Coeliac Society of Australia.His specialty range is Skinny Dippin ' Protein Bars, which have no refined sugars packed with 12 grams of protein. So whether you're after a healthy snack to tide you over until your next meal or looking for an indulgent treat that won't send your blood sugar levels into orbit, Coastal Crunch's range of bars and snacks are perfect for you!They come in Cacao and Almond and Cranberry and Honey and make the perfect snack for the lunch box or to take after sport of exercising outdoors.Each of our products is made with love and care, and we hope you'll take the time to try one out today!
Learn moreRECIPE: Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
A gluten-free version of a Christmas favourite. Easy to make and tastes just a sinful as the traditional cookies! Recipe Card Included at the end, bottom of the page. INGREDIENTS COOKIES Butter 500gms Rice Malt Syrup 120gms Coconut Sugar 400gms Bicarbonate Soda 20gms Ginger Powder 60gms Cinnamon Powder 40gms Buckwheat Flour 900gms Sea Salt 5gms GLAZE Butter 50gms Honey 25gms Sea Salt 5gms TOPPING Gingernut Granola 120gms METHOD Melt butter, rice malt syrup and coconut sugar together in a pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the bicarbonate soda, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, sea salt, and buckwheat flour. Add the melted butter mixture in the dry ingredients and mix together until combined and a dough is formed. Using your hands shape the dough into a rectangular block and place between two sheets of baking paper. Roll out into half a centimetre thick sheets. Place in the fridge for approximatly 45 minutes to set. Preheat the oven 180 degrees celcius. Once the sheets of dough have cooled down and set, cut them into the desired shapes. Place evenly spread out on trays lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Melt the butter, honey and sea salt to make the glaze. Brush a generous amount of glaze over cooled cookies and sprinkle with Gingernut Crunch granola.
Learn moreRECIPE: Lupin Crumbed, Baked Chicken
A delicious gluten-free alternative to fried chicken. Using only a small amount of oil for cooking instead of deep-frying, this will definitely satisfy your cravings for crunchy, succulent morsels of chicken packed full of flavour. Recipe Card Included at the end bottom of the page. INGREDIENTS: Chicken thigh (large) 2 pieces Crumb Mix: Lupin flakes 1 cup Cayenne pepper ½ tsp Garlic granules 1 Tbsp Onion flakes 1 Tbsp Paprika 1 Tbsp White Pepper (ground) Celery salt 1tsp Sea Salt ½ tsp Curry powder 1 tsp Olive oil 2 Tbsp METHOD: Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius on the fan setting. Trim the excess fat/sinew/bone off the chicken thigh pieces and pat dry with a paper towel. In a bowl combine all the other ingredients, mixing the olive oil thoroughly with the other ingredients. Coat the chicken a piece at a time by placing it in the crumb mix and pressing the crumb mix on generously. Place the crumbed chicken on a baking tray and cover any exposed chicken flesh with crumb mix. Baked at 180 degrees for 20 minutes to start with or until the chicken is cooked and the crumb turns golden brown. Check if the chicken is cooked by piercing the thickest part with a knife to see if it’s fully cooked. If the flesh is no longer raw and pink and the knife comes out hot to the touch, the chicken is cooked. NOTES Serve with a simple salad of shredded lettuce, carrots, apples and cucumber paired with a tangy chilli, tamarind & lime dressing.
Learn moreRECIPE: Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
If you love a good cheesecake but want one without the rich decadence of traditional dairy, this recipe is perfect for a spring time dessert. It's tangy and fruity with a creamy texture and a chocolatey base! Recipe Card Included at the end bottom of the page. INGREDIENTS BASE Cacao Hazelnut & Chia Protein Crunch 200gms Dates 105gms Hot Water 25gms FILLING Raw Macadamias 1.5cups Maple Syrup 90gms Coconut Oil 50gms Lime Juice 70gms Lime Zest 1 fruit Vanilla Extract 5gms Salt 5gms Fresh Strawberries 1cup METHOD BASE Soak the dates in the 25gms of hot water. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes. In a food processor, blend the Protein Crunch granola until it becomes a fine crumb or soil. Remove the blended Protein Crunch granola from the food processor and blend the dates and hot water to form a puree. Combine the blended Protein Crunch and date puree, mixing well till a paste is formed. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 18cm mold. And leave in the fridge while preparing the filling. FILLING Cover macadamias in hot water and allow to soak for an hour. Drain and allow to drip dry for 10-15 minutes. Blend macadamias with the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Pour onto the Protein Crunch base and spread evenly. Wrap with clingwrap and allow to set for 4-5 hours in the fridge. TOPPINGS/GARNISH As desired. We used a cashew buttercream, assorted berries, Cacao Hazelnut Protein Crunch and mint leaves.
Learn moreCRUNCHY BITES: Coastal Crunch & Carbon Credits
With sustainability being a key pillar of the values that Coastal Crunch represents, the packaging we use for our products has always been one of our biggest challenges. The business was born with the goal of being ‘plastic free’. Our very first granola was packaged in biodegradable ‘Earth Bags’ that achieved this goal, but we had to stick labels to the bags which weren’t recyclable or compostable. As we quickly found out, our sealing equipment and the design of the bag meant that there wasn’t a great seal on the finished product. Our granola was going stale quickly, and we couldn’t be confident in the shelf life we were putting on the best before dates. Add to this the plastic labels we were putting on the bags and the whole thing just didn’t make sense. After much internal deliberation, we decided to bite the bullet and move to a less environmentally sustainable packaging, but one that allowed us to create a more sustainable product. The new packaging was made from kraft paper with a PET plastic film. This achieved an airtight and moisture proof barrier between the product and the environment, and meant our product was food safe and shelf stable. While we weren’t happy to have to use plastic packaging, we did make a promise to ourselves that we would make amends to the environment somehow, as we grew the business. To this end, we are now super proud and pleased to announce that we are now taking steps to reduce the carbon emissions of our business activity by purchasing certified carbon credits. For every 250kg of granola we sell, we are purchasing 1 carbon credit and supporting a project either internationally or here in Australia to reduce carbon emissions and build a more sustainable future. For last quarter, we have supported ‘Improved Kitchen Regimes in Rwanda’. This is a Gold Standard carbon credit project (VER) that provides households with energy efficient cookstoves. Over 20,000 stoves are now in use in the Bugesera District of Rwanda, where local communities burn biomass for cooking, mainly in the form of unsustainably collected firewood. These cleaner stoves require substantially less fuel. Critically for the people, they result in a better quality of life and improved health. This is a CO2balance project, a British profit-for-purpose carbon management consultancy. CO2balance ensures the project addresses several UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). You can read more about this specific project here https://www.goldstandard.org/projects/cleaner-cook-stoves-rwanda, and you can go to this link to see Coastal Crunch on the register. Each quarter we will be choosing a different project to support in our effort to reduce our own carbon footprint.
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