Arla Protein Warm Ginger Snack Pot Review

After really enjoying the Arla Mellow Vanilla Proteinsnackpot, I decided to give the ginger one a whirl as well since I adore anything gingery, have enjoyed every Arla Protein pot product I’ve tried and was looking for a high protein snack option.

I won’t run through in as much detail about the product this time – in a nutshell it’s 20g protein, just over 200 calories, filling , pretty low in sugars and I like the natural ingredients list. This time around I wasn’t surprised by the thinner consistency vs the standard Arla Pots as I already knew this was a blend of quark and yogurt, which allowed me to concentrate on the flavour.

Just like the vanilla one I can’t just how tasty the yogurt is by itself without any sugar. It’s sweetened with grape juice but the overall taste you get is just a really mellow but warming ginger. It’s just so fragrant and smooth without being overpowering and delicious to eat on its own. For someone who find so many yogurts nowadays too sweet, this is perfect and there’s no artificial sweetners in it either.

The topping for the version contains pumpkin seeds, cashew nuts, dried apple and dried carrot pieces. The carrot pieces sound off but don’t really add any vegetable flavour as they’re sweetened with apple. To be honest you can’t really taste them once mixed in bar getting a little bit of sweetness which works perfectly well with the ginger. I guess ginger in things like carrot cake work pretty well and that’s just as much the case here. 

The cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds add texture but are so finely ground you don’t need to chew them allowing you to really enjoy the thick, smooth creamy yogurt with all its fresh ginger.

I think this maybe has the edge over the vanilla one for me but I’m pretty converted to both of them – I just wish they were a little cheaper!

Price: £1.00 for 4 for £3 Asda

Bought at: Asda

Nutrition per pot: 224 calories, 8.6g fat, 1.8g sat fat, 13.8 sugars, 20g protein

Score: 9/10

Garbanzo Tomato Garlic and Herb Low Calorie Snack Review

Always one to impulsively buy things at the checkout in Holland and Barrett, I bought this chickpea snack by called garbanzo after being recommended them by a friend. Essentially they’re just chickpeas that are slow roasted in rapeseed oil and coated in seasoning and spices – in this case tomato, garlic and herb. Nutritionally, they’re a pretty guilt free snack at 88 calories a pack, minimal fat and you get just under 7g protein too. They’re also a really good source of fibre at with around 5g per pack.

Dipping them out, they unsurprisingly look like dried chickpeas with a nice herby and tomatoey smell. Biting into them they are very crunchy and pretty hard – definitely not one for people without strong teeth and a few bits I had to spit out as they were to hard to buy into. However, there were only a few of these and the majority have a pleasant crunchy texture. 

The flavour Is predominantly that nutty wholesomeness of chickpea but in a crispier form with a hint of the tomato and herbs. It’s not overly seasoned and the chickpea taste is more predominant but after eating a few you do get a bit of coating build up on your finger and this is really zingy, savoury and delicious. To be honest I didn’t mind they weren’t overly seasoned as it helped keep the pureness of the chickpeas. They’re a little pricey for what they are but they are a very healthy, guit free snack and despite being 88 calories, they really are quite filling. I would look to try others in the range.

Bought at: Holland and Barrett

Price: £1.29

Nutrition per 65g bag: 88 calories, 1.3g fat, 0.3g sat fat, 0.5 sugars, 6.6g protein, 4.8g fibre

Score: 7/10

Arla Protein Snack Pot Mellow Vanilla Review

I've long been a big fan of the Arla Protein Pots now. Though they look like a yogurt, they are actually made from quark, a kind of cheese, and offer a whopping 20g of protein per pot. I love their ridiculously thick texture (think Philadelphia consistency) with a smooth taste that isn't too sweet. I was slightly disappointed with the recent papaya and passion fruit one as I felt berry flavours worked better but was really intrigued by this new mellow vanilla version, which comes with a seperate topping compartment of fruit bits and seeds.

Like the other Arla Protein pots, they contain 20g of protein per pot but this is part of a new range along with a warming ginger one,which has quite a few differences. On a minor levels there are 220g pots rather than 200g and obviously it contains a topping compartment as well but one key difference is consistency. Whereas the normal pots are quark and extremely thick, this is a blend of quark and yogurt (40% each of the total ingredients). This gives it a very different consistency. It's more runny than the pure quark pots and other brands like Skyr but still thicker than your supermarket own label Greek style yogurt.

Whether this blend is done as a deliberate decision or a cost cutting exercise I'm not sure. If this only contained yogurt like the other flavours in the range , I wouldn't be happy as I want that thick, satisfying texture. However, as it comes with the topping, it makes sense to have a slightly looser consistency so you can stir and mix it in. Trying to stir seeds through the normal Arla pots would be a bit of a challenge.

It's nice that it also comes with a plastic spoon to make this a great on the go protein source or for taking out to work or the gym. The yogurt/quark mix feels lusciously creamy in the mouth with a smooth, authentic vanilla flavour. It contains real vanilla seeds and it's nice seeing them speckled through the pure white yogurt and the whole thing has a lovely vanilla smell.

Like the other Arla products, it's not too sweet -interesting to note on these that they are sweetened with grape juice concentrate rather than normal Arla Protein which is a mix of sugar and stevia. Total sugar for the entire pot is good at under 14g and all natural from the grape concentrate and the dried fruit in the topping.

The topping of this pot contained pumpkin and sunflower and dried apple and raspberry. It's a good generous portion and I actually ended up not using it all. Once swirled through the yogurt, it makes a fantastic mix and reminded me of the feeling of eating a Muller Corner before I moved to healthier products. The apple and raspberry add a fruit counter balance to the mild vanilla and the seeds add texture without overpowering the taste of the yogurt.

Overall I loved this product, great nutritionals and delicious to boot. They're a little expensive for what they are but certainly something I would buy again. They're really filling and satisfying. At over 200 calories they're more than a normal yogurt but you have to remember this isn't full of nasties, is meant to fuel you and is full of protein, calcium and good stuff.

Price: £1.00 Asda or 4 for £3
Bought at: Asda
Nutrition per pot: 226 calories, 9g fat, 2g sat fat, 13.8g sugars, 20g protein

Score: 9.5/10

Coconut Collaborative Dairy Free Milk Little Choc Pots Review

Whilst I tend to prefer soy for my yogurts, coconut makes the best dairy free desserts. It provides a natural creaminess and richness from the good fats that make coconut products feel so indulgent. Having really enjoyed Rebel Kitchen's Coffee Coconut Yogurt, I decided to give these new chocolate ganache desserts from the Coconut Collaboriative a try.

According to the coconut collaborative - Our Little pots of chocolate ganache are the perfect thing to satisfy that sweet tooth in calorie-controlled portions. At just 105 calories per pot, they are the ultimate chocolate fix. They are rich, velvety, and extremely delicious. Our Little Choc Pots are a combination of dark chocolate and coconut cream, therefore containing all the health boosting properties of coconut milk. Coconuts are full of fatty acids, and, instead of storing them, the body uses these fats instantly for energy. Even better, they contain zero cholesterol.

All sounds pretty promising - I ordered these via Ocado so couldn't really tell what they would look like. Upon getting the pack of 4 x 45g pots, I could see instantly why they are 105 calories even though coconut is pretty calorific. The pots are absolutely miniscule! If you really wanted, I imagine you could scoop the entire pot out with a table spoon and eat the whole thing in one bite.

However, being one to want to prolong my dessert as much as possible, I went with a little plastic spoon and scraped miniscule mouthfuls out at a time. And actually this is really the best way to eat it as goodness these are rich. I thought the coconut yogurt from Rebel Kitchen was rich but these are even moreso. They are definitely up there with any kind of resturant dessert for pure indulgence mouthfeel. It is so thick that you would have difficulty spreading it with a knife and is almost solid. But this makes them feel so creamy and delicious.

Even people not interested in dairy free would find this utterly indulgent. It is a really intense, chocolatey hit and it's nice to see the ingredients use proper dark chocolate - one containing more cocoa mass than sugar. There isn't really much of a coconut flavour - it's pretty darn chocolatey so it's pretty accessible for all but the coconut fat does add that richness.

Frankly any more than a 45g pot and you would feel sick. I actually wouldn't be able to make my way through a whole pot by itself as it's so decadent. I ended up having it with a banana to lighten it up a bit and to spread the chocolatey mouthfuls with a bit of freshness. It's also fairly sweet, which I would like to see tempered down a bit but it is a very special dessert.

Utterly naughty feeling and satisfying but at 105 calories, it's a pretty guilt free dessert.

Price: £2.99
Bought at: Ocado
Nutrition per 100g: 234 calories, 14.4g fat, 11.2g sat fat, 22g sugars, 0.1g salt

Score: 8/10

Marks and Spencer Fruity Tropical Fish (Vegetarian Sweets) Review

M+S have always been one of the best places to get vegetarian sweets. Veggie Percy Pigs and Colin the Caterpillars are always a great choice but they’ve recently launched a whole load of new sweets for the summer and it’s fantastic to see there are a lot vegetarian ones as well. Also tempted by the jelly meerkats, I went for these Tropical fish sweet instead – just for the sheer brightness of the packaging and the amazing colours and design of the fish. With their bright yellow and pink design with stripe and fantastic attention to detail – love the little 3d lips they have – they’re sure to appeal.

The sweets are firmer than I was expecting – more so than a Percy Pig but also more chewy and gummy than something like a foam banana. The fruit flavour is really nice, sweet, summery and most definitely tropical. They’re nice and light to eat and don’t taste artificial and you can tell they contain real fruit juice.

What  I also liked about these is that it’s a small 70g bag – I’m fed up of sweets always being around the 200g mark as we all know once they’re opened, they don’t last long. This small bag helps prevent overconsumption and because they have a nice firm texture and lots of flavour, I didn’t feel the need to eat the whole bag in one go either.

The fact they’re veggie and contain no gelatin is completely unnoticeable – everyone would like these sweets – they’re fun, retro and perfect for summer

Bought at: M+S
Nutrition per sweet: 14 calories

Score: 7.5/10

Boots Gluten Free Chicken Salad Sandwich

 I’ve always maintained that Boots does the best meal deals out of the mainstream shops. Typically you’re forced to have a sandwich, crisps or chocolate or a sugary or artificial drink. Boots offers a much wider range, allowing you to have yogurts, cereal bars, birch water, Graze boxes, veg crisps….it’s just so much better. And as well as healthy salad options I found their first gluten free offering – a chicken salad roll.

It looked fairly appetizing although the filling did look a little stingy as it was dwarfed by the roll – but on the positive side you could see actual chunks of chicken in there. It is well packaged with a cardboard tray to minimize travel damage or being squashed.

Opening it up, the roll felt soft and no different to your standard roll and actually the flavour of the roll is quite nice. Definitely one for those that prefer brown rolls and bread as it’s quite dense with a slight nuttiness. There are also lots of seeds in there for added texture. However, it is really quite dry. This wouldn’t be a problem in itself if there was more filling but overall it just felt like a dry eat.

The chicken I had was tender and soft and the mayo was lemony and light but there just wasn’t enough of it to lubricate a quite starchy roll. I’m not sure whether the gluten free roll or the filling was to blame but overall it was quite tiring to eat.

Having said that I really did like the flavour of the roll and nutritionally it’s really quite good for a shop bought sandwich with less than 1g salt. I actually overall enjoyed and would buy it again as it was rasty enough and healthy. It would be just nice to have a bit more flavour or mayo to make it a bit easier to eat. One to have with a glass of water

Price: £3.00
Bought at: Boots

Nutrition per roll: 312 calories, 15g fat, 1.7g sat fat, 1.8g sugar, 0.8 salt

Score: 7/10

Marks and Spencer 0% Fat Greek Style Yogurt with Mango and Nectarine Review

Marks and Spencer tend to make pretty nice yogurts as they focus on using natural ingredients rather than pumping them full of sweetners and rubbish like Muller do. Greek style yogurt is my preferred choice nowadays as I prefer the thicker texture, creaminess and they tend to be higher in protein. Usually I like plain Greek style to top fruit or to add nuts and seeds to but it's nice to have a flavoured snack pot now and then especially for places like work.

Like all M+S yogurts, the ingredients list is nice and short and there's a good fruit content of both mango and nectarine at 10% each. There is some sugar in the compote but sugar is much further down the ingredients list and considering the whole product is less than 10% sugars, that's pretty reasonable especially as mango and nectarine are both pretty sweet fruits with higher natural sugars than things like strawberry.

You can see a good layer of the compote at the bottom, which is a sunny and vibrant yellow, perfect for a summer snack. Opening the pot up, the Greek style yogurt was smooth and slightly creamy but definitely more runny than my preferred 'stick a spoon in it and it will stand up' type. Nevertheless eating the yogurt by itself provided a clean, mild taste.

The compote let it down for me. Whilst I could taste the mango and nectarine, of which there were plenty of good chunks that were juicy and sweet, it all just tasted a bit too sweet and one dimensional for me. The compote almost reminded me of jam with its sweet stickiness and thickness. I think a lot of people would really enjoy this but I think because my tastes are skwered to really thick yogurts nowadays, I just didn't appreciate this as much.

I did enjoy the yogurt and I can't fault the quality and the nutrition is pretty good but it's just not for me.

Price: £0.85
Bought at: Marks and Spencer
Nutrition per 100g: 62 calories, 0.2g fat, 0.1g sat fat, 9.2g sugars, 0.13g salt

Score: 6.5/10