Burtons Fish and Chips Brown Sauce Review

So after bringing back Fish and Chips, Burton's seem to have had a success on their hands with curry and pickled versions also hitting the shelves. I must admit these are a bit of a guilty pleasure. Laden with all kinds of weird ingredients and very salty - but they are moreishly addictive and enjoyable.

As a follow up, Burtons have launched a red sauce (basically ketchup) and brown sauce version of their snack. Fans can vote for their favourite of the two and the winner will become a permanent addition to the range. Although I get fish and chips and ketchup as a combo, who on earth would have brown sauce with it? Although for some reason this is the flavour I went for as it seemed more unusual and you can get other tomato sauce crisps.

I chose to merely glance over the ingredients list because reading it too closely would probably put me off. However, per small 25g they're not too hard at 122 calories a pack and actually when you empty them out you do get a fair few in a pack.

Opening the pack, the smell that came out led me to believe these weren't going to live up to their name. It didn't particularly smell of brown sauce but actually smelt quite sweet and syrupy and oddly enough it reminded me of orange gelatine sweets like Haribo rings, which is never a good first impression!

The crackers do look pretty cool as do all Burtons Fish and Chips with a good mix of both shapes. Texture wise, they live up to standard with a satisfying crunch that is also slightly crumbly and short. However, the brown sauce flavour just didn't work for me at all. It wasn't particularly strong unlike the standard Fish and Chips or curry version. which hit you over the head with salty flavour. These were underwhelming and what taste there was, was poor.

They actually tasted pretty sweet and artificial to me and really didn't resemble brown sauce in the slightest as there was none of the complexity or spices or savouriness I expected to come through. It just tasted a bit cheap and sugary and this is supposed to be a savoury snack.

I still love the original and curry Fish and chips but certainly wouldn't buy these again. Unless the red sauce version is even more abysmal, I don't see this becoming a permanent addition to the range!

Bought at: Sainsburys
Price: £1 on promo for a multipack of 5 x 25g (usually £1.59)
Nutrition per pack: 122 calories, 6.1g fat, 1.3g sat fat, 2.0g sugars, 0.4g salt

Score: 4/10

Weetabix Protein Review

I don't think anyone can have failed to notice the influx of new protein enhanced products in the supermarkets with breakfast cereals particularly getting a lot of protein offerings. Special K, Eat Natural, Fuel ...they're all at it. Weetabix have already been making footsteps into protein territory with Weetabix Protein crunch and Weetabix Protein Breakfast drinks on the go. Neither of these products have appealed to me though - a little too sugary for a breakfast offering.

Weetabix Protein however is a protein enhanced version of the usual Weetabix bricks - so a good plain cereal with minimum sugar or additives. Looking at the ingredients and nutrition, I was very impressed. The main difference to standard Weetabix is added wheat gluten, rice flour, wheat starch, wheat germ and cocoa (though there is no chocolatey taste so don't worry about this).

This translates into a product that is almost double the protein of standard Weetabix - 19g per 100g vs 10g per 100g on standard Weetabix. For a two biscuit serving you get just under 8g of protein - about the same as an egg. Add some milk to it and you're getting even more protein.

Like standard Weetabix it is also low in fat, sugar and salt so a perfect everyday breakfast. Pouring it into a bowl, I had a minor criticism in that this seemed to get more mess over the worktop trying to prise the biscuits out than standard Weetabix but I may have bought a particularly bashed up box from my Sainsburys.

Texture and taste wise I felt this was largely similar to standard Weetabix except for one addition - the protein crispies studded throughout. Even when saturated in milk, these inclusions remained crispy for a little bit more of an interesting texture when eating the biscuits.A lot of reviews said these seem to soak up more milk than normal Weetabix. I didn't really find this to be the case - maybe they need a tad more but it's not really noticeable.

I like to turn my Weetabix into mush and then make a kind of paste which I top. Weetabix is always a great blank canvas to top with whatever you want and this is no exception. Today I had strawberries and prunes on it and mixed some flaxseed in (a great source of omega 3!) but most toppings would work well here.

The Weetabix is mild and comforting in taste but as said the embedded crispies make it just a bit more interesting. What's nice about this protein cereal as well is that it contains no soy unlike a lot of protein enhanced products. Both Special K and Fuel use this in their protein cereals.

Weetabix is such a household staple that it often seems unexciting and gets forgotten about but I really enjoyed these Weetabix Protein and it's got me wanting to eat it more often. You can customise it in so many ways and it's good for you. A 2 biscuit serving is also enhanced with over 80% of your iron and contains lots of other added vitamins so also great for vegetarians who might struggle to get enough.

And the proof of the protein - I did feel slightly more full after these than maost other breakfast cereals.Filling, tasty and healthy - I would certainly buy these again

Bought at: Sainsburys
Price: £2 (on special offer)

Nutrition per 2 biscuit serving: 144 calories, 0.8g fat, 0.2g sat fat,1.9g sugar, 0.10g salt

Score:9.5/10

Graze Punchy Protein Nuts Review

I used to buy Graze boxes a lot in the past but have since stopped partly due to the cost of them but also because it's becoming easier and easier to find healthy new snacks in the shops without having to rely on an online subscription.

Last year Graze launched some of their boxes into Sainsburys, Boots and Whsmiths and they seem to be getting more listings and I believe they're in Tesco as well. I still love the brand and think what they do is really good so I was delighted to be able to get a pack of these punchy protein nuts as part of the Boots meal deal - they used to be excluded but you can now select them as a snack.

I, like many others I'm sure, am trying to get more protein into my diet and what can be better than nuts which also have many other health benefits and vitamins and are a source of good fats. Whilst I'm happy to eat plain nuts as a topping on my porridge or cereal, they are a little bit boring on their own, which is where Graze comes into hand.

This box, like the rest of the range, is attractively designed and a nice convenient single serve portion that is easy to carry around for an energy boost whenever you need it. This is a mix of almonds, salted peanuts and chilli and lime cashews for a slightly more interesting mix.

I do find you get what you pay for nuts and that bulk buying cheap ones means you get hard, rancid ones. Graze usually deliver on quality and these are up to their usual standard. Flavoursome almonds and deliciously moreish salted peanuts that are subtly salted rather being too salty. The real hit though was the chilli and lime cashews - utterly delicious, zingy with a very mild heat but certainly not spicy. I could have a punnet of these just by themselves but it was to have the mix of tastes, textures and also the different vitamins from the different nuts.

Nutritionally it's a really good snack with 8g protein per punnet, low sugars and 0.35g salt. The portion size is just right - not meagre or skimping but also not too many. This was rally satisfying but I also didn't feel like I'd eaten too much and kept me going until I next ate.

Bought at: Boots
Price: £1.29

Nutritions per punnet: 246 calories, 20g fat, 2.8g sat fat, 2g salt, 0.35g salt

Score: 9/10

Savse Smoothies Super Green Broccoli, Pear, Spinach & Kale

I'm a big user of my Nutribullet and love whipping smoothies but it’s also great having healthy options when out and about and this Savse Supergreen Smoothie came to my rescue when I needed a hit of vitamins one lunch time.

The ingredients list is super clean – apple, pear, broccoli, banana, spinach, kiwi, lemon and kale and nothing else whatsoever! Savse smoothies are also raw and cold-pressed to lock in all the nutrients and goodness in this powerhouse of fruit and veg as opposed to normal juices, which are pasteurized.

I personally feel the vivid green is attractive and I was excited to try it. Considering over a quarter of the bottle is broccoli, kale and spinach, there is no bitterness whatsoever. It’s certainly not as sweet as say orange juice but I prefer things to not be too sweet and this level is perfect. The lemon juice adds a nice touch of acidity and the whole thing feels refreshing and just plain nutritious.

No one flavour comes out particularly stronger but that is testament to the mix being perfect here. I suppose it does taste ‘green’ but it’s very palatable and easy to drink. And when something tastes this good and provides you with 2 of your 5 a day, it’s a great example of more healthy options for consumers.

Bought at : Boots

Nutriition per 100ml – 38 calories,  Nil fat, Nil Sat fat, 7.1g sugars, <0.01g salt

Graze Mince Pie Flapjack

I think everyone must be familiar with the Graze concept by now - 4 tasty and unusual snacks delivered to your door, which can be as healthy or as naughty as you like. Fitting into the latter category, is this limited edition Garze punnet - a Christmas take on a flapjack.



Graze flapjacks in my opinion are one of the tastiest offerings they do (although I have to say pretty much the entire range is delicious and the variety is fab). Their flapjacks have a lovely texture, soft and squidgy and almost like fudge like but with an oaty texture you can really feel and taste. They're sweet but not overly so and are a nice sensible portion.

Like all other flapjacks in their range, these are beautifully coloured and look very appetising. I like the fact they are cut into three slim rectangles to make the snack last a bit longer (and I have on very self conrolled ocassions been known to use this to eat the pieces in seperate snack occasions!).

The flapjack has a nice festive smell, not overly so but you do get hints of cinnamon, ginger and cloves and all those lovely Christmas cake spices. Biting in, the texture was perfect as always. Dense, chewy and satisfying and with a lovely buttery, rich taste. It's slightly gooey and feels like a real treat.

Now, I didn't think the flapjack tasted particularly like mince pie, I guess it's missing the pastry flavour because the base is oats and as it only contains dates (and at just 12%), it's missing that mix of currants and raisins you get in a typical mince pie. But it's not bad at all, in fact it's really rather delicious. It might not taste like mince pie but it is unmistakenly Christmassy.

All the spices blend and complement each other and the sweet, syrupy oats make a great carrier for their sweet, festive flavours. They're not overpowering but you do taste them and it does give a Christmas cake like flavour.

A real winner from Graze for me and worth trying to get hold of one before they disappear

8/10

Available from www.graze.com

Per portion: 234 calories, 11g fat, 3.6g saturated fat and 17g sugars.

Marks and Spencer Butternut Squash, Feta and Spinach Muffin (In Store Bakery)

Marks and Spencer hands down have my favourite in store bakery. For me every item has the same quality you would get in somewhere like Starbucks or Pret but without the price tag. In spite of all the trends of gluten free and carb cutting, I absolutely adore baked goods and just the smell when you get near the instore bakery grabs my attention and seduces me into having a browse.

M&S always have such interesting items with unusual twists that appear seasonally for a few months and then disappear. I've always enjoyed their seasonal, savoury treats (a caramelised onion and feta scone one summer was a particular highlight) so this autumnal take on a muffin sounded right up my street.

It's certainly a pretty hefty looking piece, which it needed to be to warrant it's price tag at over £1. However, it is also pretty filling and makes substantial and delightful lunch. The muffin is packed with salty feta, sweet, creamy butternut and the inclusion of pumpkin seeds both in and on top of the muffin add some nice crunch for a perfect texture contrast to the soft, spongy muffin. The spinach adds a nice green hit of veggie goodness without no bitterness.

The muffin is absolutely delicious with a real savoury kick that is immensely enjoyable. My one criticism is that this is one crumbly little number and whether you try and cut it or bite into it, it does have a habit of breaking up. But this a small price to pay for something so delicious. It makes a really interesting change to standard bread or rolls and is so packed full of flaovur, it doesn't need anything else to accompany it

8.5/10

Nespresso Vanilla Amaretti Pods (Christmas Limited Edition 2015)

I'm still relativrly new to the Nespresso world, only having picked up a machine a few months ago. I adore my coffee so have been working my way through the various pods but this is my first experience of a Christmas limited edition. I absolutely adore any almondy and love amaretti and the existing vanilla flavoured Nespresso pods are my regular weekend latte so this was a no brainer for me.

Like all  Nespresso capsules, it's smartly and attractively packaged and I love the edition of Christmassy sparkles.

As soon as I the popped the capsule in the machine and started making the coffee, I could smell the delicious smell of amaretti, a warming almondy scent - a good start!

Like the vanilla pods, I prefer my flavoured coffee to be made as milky cappuccinos or lattes so I also used the Nespresso aeroccino to make my own amaretti latte - my very own take on Caffe Nero's seasonal latte from last year!

The drink was warm and comforting although the amaretti only comes through as an undertone with the vanilla flavour being more pronounced. However, it's great to have a flavoured coffee that doesn't involve the sugar or artificial sweetners you get in coffee shop sticky syrups. Whilst the regular vanilla pods are still my favourite flavoured pods, this made a lovely seasonal treat.

7.5/10