I usually bring my own lunch into work but everyone once in a while I'll treat myself and grab a sandwich from M&S. As I do it so infrequently, it's always a hard decision to make. There's always so many interesting and mouthwatering options on the shelves. Although this came out in January as part of the 'New Year, Health Kick' types of range, I've always had my eye on this super rainbow wrap.
Vegetarian sandwiches are usually pretty safe and uninspiring and based on cheese. This is a really interesting sounding mix however with beetroot falafel, quinoa, grated carrot,edamame beans in a pomegranate dressing. Even just looking at this wrap is a delight - look at all those colours! It just looks so healthy and vibrant and fresh. I couldn't wait to dig in.
With so much going on , it is ram packed with filling - no scrimping here! - and yet the soft, tortilla holds everything together perfectly. With every bite, my wrap remained intact and none of the filling escaped or fell out. Considering it includes very finely shredded carrot and quinoa grains and tiny, this is remarkable.
All the different components make this a joy to eat. There are so many textures going on. The beetroot falafel is the star. Great big, chunky pieces that are have the nuttiness of chickpeas complemented by sweet, earthy beetroot. The carrot adds a cool, crisp and refreshing crunch, the edamame little pods of beany goodness. There's also some roasted peppers that are soft and sweet and the pomegranate dressing is refreshing and brings everything to life. It makes a great swap for mayo. The quinoa soaks up the dressing and adds further interest to each bite.
This had 50p off so was £2.80 I think. Although the wrap looks quite small, it is pretty filling. Not something I would want to buy every day due to the price but as a healthy treat, it's delicious!
Price: £2.80 (50p off)
Bought at: M&S
Nutrition: 239 calories per wrap
Score: 8.5/10
Eating well isn't boring. With so many amazing new healthy snacks and options on the market, I love being able to choose the best foods for my body to nourish myself and to fuel my busy life Instagram: theexcited_eater
Friday, 29 April 2016
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Marks and Spencer Gluten Free Chicken and Mushroom Crispbakes Review (Made without wheat)
As I mentioned when I tried the new M&S soya yogurts, M&S has recently focused a lot more on free from and in my store had a whole chilled area just for free from products with everything from the dairy free yogurts I tried to crumbles and ready meals without meat. At the same I also bought these wheat free and gluten free crispbakes.
I've always preferred M&S crispbakes to other supermarkets as you get a lot more high quality filling in them and less cheaper stuff to bulk it out. Chicken and mushroom is always a classic combo so this sounded promising.
The pack was easy to open and after simply baking in an oven for 20 minutes out came a rather delicious looking bake with an inviting golden crust. Certainly from appearance you wouldn't know it was wheat and gluten free. This was also true when cutting it, it was nice and crunchy without being brittle and the whole thing didn't disintegrate or fall apart. I simply served it with couscous and (rather a lot) of veg.
Trying just a bit of the crunchy outside area, I can resolutely say no one would be able to tell it was wheat and gluten free. It was savoury, moreish and satisfying in both texture and taste. However, the real star of this is the filling. There were huge chunks or chicken in here! Not just little bits dotted here and then but great big pieces that were moist and utterly delicious. Seriously there's more chicken in this than any other ready meal I've tried. It was so generous with the filling and the mushrooms complemented it perfectly for a really delicious dinner. The filling isn't wet as there is no sauce but it is tender and by no means dry.
I would 100% buy these again. They were quick, easy and delicious dinner. And whilst it's it doesn't taste like a free from product, the biggest selling point is the sheer quality and quantity of the filling. Everyone can enjoy this.
Price: £1.70
Bought at: Marks and Spencer
Nutrition per crispbake: 213 calories, 10.4g fat, 1.2g sat fat, 0.9g sugar, 1.2g salt
Score: 8/10
I've always preferred M&S crispbakes to other supermarkets as you get a lot more high quality filling in them and less cheaper stuff to bulk it out. Chicken and mushroom is always a classic combo so this sounded promising.
The pack was easy to open and after simply baking in an oven for 20 minutes out came a rather delicious looking bake with an inviting golden crust. Certainly from appearance you wouldn't know it was wheat and gluten free. This was also true when cutting it, it was nice and crunchy without being brittle and the whole thing didn't disintegrate or fall apart. I simply served it with couscous and (rather a lot) of veg.
Trying just a bit of the crunchy outside area, I can resolutely say no one would be able to tell it was wheat and gluten free. It was savoury, moreish and satisfying in both texture and taste. However, the real star of this is the filling. There were huge chunks or chicken in here! Not just little bits dotted here and then but great big pieces that were moist and utterly delicious. Seriously there's more chicken in this than any other ready meal I've tried. It was so generous with the filling and the mushrooms complemented it perfectly for a really delicious dinner. The filling isn't wet as there is no sauce but it is tender and by no means dry.
I would 100% buy these again. They were quick, easy and delicious dinner. And whilst it's it doesn't taste like a free from product, the biggest selling point is the sheer quality and quantity of the filling. Everyone can enjoy this.
Price: £1.70
Bought at: Marks and Spencer
Nutrition per crispbake: 213 calories, 10.4g fat, 1.2g sat fat, 0.9g sugar, 1.2g salt
Score: 8/10
Tuesday, 26 April 2016
Eat Natural Light and Lovely Bars Review
After quite enjoying the Protein Packed Eat Natural bar, I decided to give the new Light and Lovely bars a go as well. Rather than a protein hit these are all about fibre and a lower calorie count with 115 calories per bar. This is around half of what you would find in your typical Eat Natural bar.
The multipack of four has a nice and clean ingredients list with gluten free oats, buckwheat and cornflakes as the base stuck together with glucose syrup and red apple, plums, coconut and chia seeds for flavour and texture.
I have to say this combination really worked for me. I mean really worked. Whereas the protein packed bar is brittle, hard cruncher of a bar, this has a deliciously squidgey texture that is sticky, bendable and a little chewy that doesn't fall apart. It's so soft to eat with a satisfying lightness to it that is perfect for when you just want something sweet but you're not really hungry.
The bars are pretty fall but because of the lovely texture and delicious flavour, I really found myself really chewing each bite properly and focusing on the flavour. It has a sweetness to it that is really fruity and cinnamon brings a little warmth and spice. The chia seeds also really work in this adding little crunchy explosions of texture in every mouthful and a small helping of brazil nuts for a nice little crunch too.
Sure the sugar content is a little high at around 30% but a lot of it is natural sugars and because the bars are so small, each bar has less than 10g in which I was happy with. As I said, it just conquers a sweet craving in a refreshingly light and uplifting way that is based on fairly natural ingredients, which can only be a good thing in my book.
Price: £1.99
Bought at: Sainsburys
Nutrition per bar: 115 calories, 4.8g fat, 1.7g sat fat, 9g sugars, 0.05g salt
Score: 8/10
The multipack of four has a nice and clean ingredients list with gluten free oats, buckwheat and cornflakes as the base stuck together with glucose syrup and red apple, plums, coconut and chia seeds for flavour and texture.
I have to say this combination really worked for me. I mean really worked. Whereas the protein packed bar is brittle, hard cruncher of a bar, this has a deliciously squidgey texture that is sticky, bendable and a little chewy that doesn't fall apart. It's so soft to eat with a satisfying lightness to it that is perfect for when you just want something sweet but you're not really hungry.
The bars are pretty fall but because of the lovely texture and delicious flavour, I really found myself really chewing each bite properly and focusing on the flavour. It has a sweetness to it that is really fruity and cinnamon brings a little warmth and spice. The chia seeds also really work in this adding little crunchy explosions of texture in every mouthful and a small helping of brazil nuts for a nice little crunch too.
Sure the sugar content is a little high at around 30% but a lot of it is natural sugars and because the bars are so small, each bar has less than 10g in which I was happy with. As I said, it just conquers a sweet craving in a refreshingly light and uplifting way that is based on fairly natural ingredients, which can only be a good thing in my book.
Price: £1.99
Bought at: Sainsburys
Nutrition per bar: 115 calories, 4.8g fat, 1.7g sat fat, 9g sugars, 0.05g salt
Score: 8/10
Monday, 25 April 2016
Boots Carrot, Parsnip and Mango Juice Review
Fruit and veg blends are increasingly on trend thanks to the Nutribullet. I like to whip up moy own veg and fruit smoothies in my Nutribullet but when you're out and above, it's great to have some ready made options out there as a healthier alternative to soft drinks and for a quick hit of vitamins.
I picked up this carrot, mango and parsnip blend from Boots. It's a nice small 250ml bottle, which is perfect for me as this is enough to get a hit of veg and fruit without consuming a huge amount (albeit natural) sugar in one go. This drink is made from carrot, parsnip, appl juice, mango, orange juice and some lemon juice and has a very reasonable sugar content of 4.8g per 100ml - about the same as milk. It also counts as one portion of fruit and veg.
Savse is my go to out and about fruit and veg smoothie of choice for its crisp, clean and refreshing taste. This wasn't as good. It certainly wasn't disgusting or unpalatable but not as well matched as a Savse smoothie. The parsnip in particular leant a slight earthiness, which meant it wasn't as refreshing. The texture was also more watery and juice like compared to Savse.
I liked this drink to a certain extent and would probably buy again if I wanted a fruit and veg hit on the go but it's not delicious by any means and the flavour combo just doesn't quite work.
Price: £1.95
Bought at: Boots
Nutrition per bottle: 81 calories, 0.4g fat, 0.2g sat fat, 12g sugars
Score: 6.5/10
I picked up this carrot, mango and parsnip blend from Boots. It's a nice small 250ml bottle, which is perfect for me as this is enough to get a hit of veg and fruit without consuming a huge amount (albeit natural) sugar in one go. This drink is made from carrot, parsnip, appl juice, mango, orange juice and some lemon juice and has a very reasonable sugar content of 4.8g per 100ml - about the same as milk. It also counts as one portion of fruit and veg.
Savse is my go to out and about fruit and veg smoothie of choice for its crisp, clean and refreshing taste. This wasn't as good. It certainly wasn't disgusting or unpalatable but not as well matched as a Savse smoothie. The parsnip in particular leant a slight earthiness, which meant it wasn't as refreshing. The texture was also more watery and juice like compared to Savse.
I liked this drink to a certain extent and would probably buy again if I wanted a fruit and veg hit on the go but it's not delicious by any means and the flavour combo just doesn't quite work.
Price: £1.95
Bought at: Boots
Nutrition per bottle: 81 calories, 0.4g fat, 0.2g sat fat, 12g sugars
Score: 6.5/10
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Markss and Spencer Spirit of Summer Spicy Malagueta Chill Dip
Anyone who's even had a quick glance around M+S lately cannot failed to have recognised the huge wave of new products with the Spirit of Summer brand on. It's still pretty chilly where I am but even just seeing this range gets me in the mood for barbeques and drinks outside.
Spirit of Summer products have really exciting, innovative and exotic flavour combinations and frankly I want to try literally every single thing in the store. I started off though this this spicy malagueta chilli dip. M+S dips are one my go to purchase whenever I'm in store. I rarely even bother buying them from any supermarket now as the M+S ones are always so tasty with unusual variants and they are less processed with nice recogniseable ingredients.
The malagueta chilli apparently is a popular type of chilli in Brazil so looks like M+S are getting on board all things Brazilian for the World cup this year. When you look at the ingredients list chilli is quite far down the list but actually you do really get a hit of it in the dip so it must be pretty spicy.
Other than that there's red pepper, smoked paprikia and a heck of a lot of rapeseed oil in here. This is certainly no skinny option and over 500 calories and over 60g fat per 100g. Ultimately, I guess it's a Brazilian take on mayonnaise with egg also included. However, at least all the iingredients are natural rather than putting artificial stabilisers and gums in to make it 'skinny'.
It's also frankly delicious. The bright orange colour is as warm and inviting to eat as is it to look at. Paprikia and chill come through adding smokiness and a hint of spice respecively without being overpoweringly so and the red pepper brings sweetness. Consistency is similar to something like sour cream dips, not runny but not as thick as homous.
This was absolutely delicious alongside some chicken but also as a just a dip for crackers and even make boring vegetable crudites and carrot batons exciting. It's still a little cold for a barbeque but at the first chance, I will definitely buy this dip again as it would be perfect for nibbles outside.
Price: £1.50
Bought at: M+S
Score 8/10
Spirit of Summer products have really exciting, innovative and exotic flavour combinations and frankly I want to try literally every single thing in the store. I started off though this this spicy malagueta chilli dip. M+S dips are one my go to purchase whenever I'm in store. I rarely even bother buying them from any supermarket now as the M+S ones are always so tasty with unusual variants and they are less processed with nice recogniseable ingredients.
The malagueta chilli apparently is a popular type of chilli in Brazil so looks like M+S are getting on board all things Brazilian for the World cup this year. When you look at the ingredients list chilli is quite far down the list but actually you do really get a hit of it in the dip so it must be pretty spicy.
Other than that there's red pepper, smoked paprikia and a heck of a lot of rapeseed oil in here. This is certainly no skinny option and over 500 calories and over 60g fat per 100g. Ultimately, I guess it's a Brazilian take on mayonnaise with egg also included. However, at least all the iingredients are natural rather than putting artificial stabilisers and gums in to make it 'skinny'.
It's also frankly delicious. The bright orange colour is as warm and inviting to eat as is it to look at. Paprikia and chill come through adding smokiness and a hint of spice respecively without being overpoweringly so and the red pepper brings sweetness. Consistency is similar to something like sour cream dips, not runny but not as thick as homous.
This was absolutely delicious alongside some chicken but also as a just a dip for crackers and even make boring vegetable crudites and carrot batons exciting. It's still a little cold for a barbeque but at the first chance, I will definitely buy this dip again as it would be perfect for nibbles outside.
Price: £1.50
Bought at: M+S
Score 8/10
Saturday, 23 April 2016
Eat Natural Protein Packed Bar Review
Eat Natural isn't usually a cereal brand I go for. It's too much of a half way house between treaty, tasty cereal bars and properly healthy, nutritious ones. Eat Natural aren't as fake and artificial as things like Alpen bars or Belvita but at the same time they do have a fair bit of sugar in them. Often as much as a third of the bar.Obviously a lot of it is from natural sources like the fruit but there's also a fair whack of glucose syrup in them as well. They are also more calorific than other cereal bars. Again, this isn't necessarily bad as a refuelling option but again there are more natural and nutritious products like Trek bars, which I would rather use after the gym.
However, this protein packed version caught my high. Sugar content is much better with this - 10g a bar and this a pretty big and substantial bar as well, It also contains 10g of protein per bar, which is kind of the main attraction for me. It seemed like a good snack before the gym this evening - protein and filling too boot.
The ingredients is pretty clean - all things I recognise and that are pretty natural. It's obviously a high quality bar with lots of more premium ingredients - 45% of it is peanuts rather than the bulk coming from cheap flour like most cereal bars. 12% dark chocolate is also a nice touch espeically as it's proper dark chocolate containing more cocoa mass than sugar). Coconut flakes add a bit more interest and there's some soya protein crispies to add to the protein from the peanuts.
It's certainly a good sized bar and looks chocolatey without looking overly so and sickly sweet. One thing that is very noticeable about this bar is that is a lot tougher and solid versus other Eat Natural bars. It's certainly not a chewy bar and actually you need to work your jaw just to even bite into it. I didn't mind this as it adds to the substantial feel of the bar but I think this would put people off.
Taste wise, as it is so solid (partly due to being nearly half made of peanuts) it is also a lot drier than other Eat Natural bars with the chocolatey hit being more cocoaey with hits of dark chocolate now and then rather than being indulgent or meltingly chocolatey.
I enjoyed the bar and would have them again before the gym as it did fill me up and stop me snacking beforehand. It's not the tastiest Eat Natural but it is also less sugary and a good protein hit versus the others so it depends on what is most important to you.
Bought at: Whole Foods Market
Nutrition per bar: 215 calories, 13.3g fat, 4.7g sat fat, 9.8g sugars, 10g protein, 0.2g salt
However, this protein packed version caught my high. Sugar content is much better with this - 10g a bar and this a pretty big and substantial bar as well, It also contains 10g of protein per bar, which is kind of the main attraction for me. It seemed like a good snack before the gym this evening - protein and filling too boot.
The ingredients is pretty clean - all things I recognise and that are pretty natural. It's obviously a high quality bar with lots of more premium ingredients - 45% of it is peanuts rather than the bulk coming from cheap flour like most cereal bars. 12% dark chocolate is also a nice touch espeically as it's proper dark chocolate containing more cocoa mass than sugar). Coconut flakes add a bit more interest and there's some soya protein crispies to add to the protein from the peanuts.
It's certainly a good sized bar and looks chocolatey without looking overly so and sickly sweet. One thing that is very noticeable about this bar is that is a lot tougher and solid versus other Eat Natural bars. It's certainly not a chewy bar and actually you need to work your jaw just to even bite into it. I didn't mind this as it adds to the substantial feel of the bar but I think this would put people off.
Taste wise, as it is so solid (partly due to being nearly half made of peanuts) it is also a lot drier than other Eat Natural bars with the chocolatey hit being more cocoaey with hits of dark chocolate now and then rather than being indulgent or meltingly chocolatey.
I enjoyed the bar and would have them again before the gym as it did fill me up and stop me snacking beforehand. It's not the tastiest Eat Natural but it is also less sugary and a good protein hit versus the others so it depends on what is most important to you.
Bought at: Whole Foods Market
Nutrition per bar: 215 calories, 13.3g fat, 4.7g sat fat, 9.8g sugars, 10g protein, 0.2g salt
Friday, 22 April 2016
Fuel 10k Protioats Forest Fruits Review
Porridge is actually one of my favourite foods - not just breakfast food but in all foods. Thick, creamy, warming and good for you as well. It's just comforting. I guess it's why I like rice pudding too. It just feels like it's insulating you from the inside out.
However, i tend to buy pure unadultered porridge oats rather than things like the Quaker satchets as I want a healthy, unprocessed and unsweetened product. So I wouldn't usually buy something like this instant porridge pot from Fuel but I got a free sample. Fuel 10k are a breakfast brand that add protein to their products. Porridge is filling anyway but at the moment protein is key trend.
Like all porridge pots, it was a simple fill to the line with boiling water, stir, lid on and leave for a few minutes job. Forest fruit is a unusual flavour in most things nowadays, yet alone porridge so this was of interest to me. Opening the lid after following the instructions, it didn't smell particularly like forest fruits but did look quite appetising and I could see some bits of fruit dotted throughout.
Consistency wise it was runnier than I make my porridge but perfectly edible and tasted quite creamy. I thought it was fairly sweet, not overly so and it was tasty but as someone who doesn't sweeten my porridge it tasted much more processed. Whilst the forest fruit didn't particulalry come though as being obviously forest fruit, the porridge was very tasty. It was also suitably filling and I made it to lunch with no snacking - and this was after a gym session as well.
This made a nice treat but not something I would buy very often as the added sugar is just unncessary for me and I prefer to make my own from unprocessed oats so I can control the ingredients and consistency and texture. However, it was nice tasting and if you like this sort of thing, might be worth a try.
Price: £1.09
Nutrition per 60g pot: 221 calories, 2.6 fat, 0.5g sat fat, 16.5 sugars, 11.5g protein, 0.11g salt
Score: 6.5/10
However, i tend to buy pure unadultered porridge oats rather than things like the Quaker satchets as I want a healthy, unprocessed and unsweetened product. So I wouldn't usually buy something like this instant porridge pot from Fuel but I got a free sample. Fuel 10k are a breakfast brand that add protein to their products. Porridge is filling anyway but at the moment protein is key trend.
Like all porridge pots, it was a simple fill to the line with boiling water, stir, lid on and leave for a few minutes job. Forest fruit is a unusual flavour in most things nowadays, yet alone porridge so this was of interest to me. Opening the lid after following the instructions, it didn't smell particularly like forest fruits but did look quite appetising and I could see some bits of fruit dotted throughout.
Consistency wise it was runnier than I make my porridge but perfectly edible and tasted quite creamy. I thought it was fairly sweet, not overly so and it was tasty but as someone who doesn't sweeten my porridge it tasted much more processed. Whilst the forest fruit didn't particulalry come though as being obviously forest fruit, the porridge was very tasty. It was also suitably filling and I made it to lunch with no snacking - and this was after a gym session as well.
This made a nice treat but not something I would buy very often as the added sugar is just unncessary for me and I prefer to make my own from unprocessed oats so I can control the ingredients and consistency and texture. However, it was nice tasting and if you like this sort of thing, might be worth a try.
Price: £1.09
Nutrition per 60g pot: 221 calories, 2.6 fat, 0.5g sat fat, 16.5 sugars, 11.5g protein, 0.11g salt
Score: 6.5/10
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Morrisons Zesty Bean Burgers Review (M Kitchen)
As I mentioned when I reviewed the Great Food carrot falafel, Morrisons seems to have recently put a lot more focus on freefrom at the moment with whole chilled spaces just for a range of freefrom products. I also bought these zesty bean burgers at the time.
These are vegetarian and based on a mixture of sweet potato and pulses and beans - chickpeas, cannellini beans, kidney beans and black eyed beans. These are then mixed with spring onions, lemon zest and a whole range of spices to product two thick and substantial bean burgers. They are nice and compact but also thick and tasty looking with lots of colours and you can see the mix of beans flecked throughout for a very appetising appearance.
They were nice and easy to cook - just 15 minutes in the oven - and came out smelling spicy and fragrant with a nice crisp outer coating. It was also good to note they weren't breaking apart or crumbling as so often these kind of vegetarian products do. This was probably due to the fact that there is a high bean content and the sweet potato probably helps hold everything together.
Taste wise, they really stood out versus other bean burgers I tried. What I really liked about these is that they were actually properly 'beany'. As in I could both taste the flavour of the cannellini, kidney and black eyed beans and because there were whole beans studded throughout, I could feel them which gave an interesting and satisfying texture. So often with bean burgers everything is pulverished so much that they're just generic mush with nothing coming through strongly. But you do really get the bean flavour here. Apologies for the photo of a fairly meagre looking dinner - I wasn't that hungry - so just had with a mushroom, some leeks and corn on the cob.
Spicing was also excellent - not spicy by any means but packed full of flavour and the lemon zest really works. Its sharpness custs through the beans adding freshness and zing to it. Zesty is definitely the right name to put in the title.
I was really impressed with these bean burgers for a supermarket own label product and will definitely buy them again. I've said it before but it's great that Morrisons are selling more freefrom and healthy products - especially when they taste so good!
Price: £2.20 (on promo, usuall £2.34)
Bought at: Morrisons
Nutrition per burger: 207 calories, 8.1g fat, 0.6g sat fat, 7.1g sugars, 0.4g salt
Score: 8/10
These are vegetarian and based on a mixture of sweet potato and pulses and beans - chickpeas, cannellini beans, kidney beans and black eyed beans. These are then mixed with spring onions, lemon zest and a whole range of spices to product two thick and substantial bean burgers. They are nice and compact but also thick and tasty looking with lots of colours and you can see the mix of beans flecked throughout for a very appetising appearance.
They were nice and easy to cook - just 15 minutes in the oven - and came out smelling spicy and fragrant with a nice crisp outer coating. It was also good to note they weren't breaking apart or crumbling as so often these kind of vegetarian products do. This was probably due to the fact that there is a high bean content and the sweet potato probably helps hold everything together.
Taste wise, they really stood out versus other bean burgers I tried. What I really liked about these is that they were actually properly 'beany'. As in I could both taste the flavour of the cannellini, kidney and black eyed beans and because there were whole beans studded throughout, I could feel them which gave an interesting and satisfying texture. So often with bean burgers everything is pulverished so much that they're just generic mush with nothing coming through strongly. But you do really get the bean flavour here. Apologies for the photo of a fairly meagre looking dinner - I wasn't that hungry - so just had with a mushroom, some leeks and corn on the cob.
Spicing was also excellent - not spicy by any means but packed full of flavour and the lemon zest really works. Its sharpness custs through the beans adding freshness and zing to it. Zesty is definitely the right name to put in the title.
I was really impressed with these bean burgers for a supermarket own label product and will definitely buy them again. I've said it before but it's great that Morrisons are selling more freefrom and healthy products - especially when they taste so good!
Price: £2.20 (on promo, usuall £2.34)
Bought at: Morrisons
Nutrition per burger: 207 calories, 8.1g fat, 0.6g sat fat, 7.1g sugars, 0.4g salt
Score: 8/10
Tuesday, 19 April 2016
Marks and Spencers Venison, Red Wine and Juniper Crisps Review
I think these are a belated winter edition of crisps from Marks and Spencer that I missed during the time due to all the other goodies they had out before Christmas as they were selling them off for £1 a bag in my local branch and it certainly seems a nice flavour to enjoy in front of fire on a cold night.
It might be April now but it's still been pretty cold and it seemed a nice sounding flavour so I bought them anyway. As you'd expect from an M&S product, it's high quality - all of the ingredients list I recognise and there are no flavourings to acheve the flavour and it actually does contain venison, red wine and juniper.
How well does this translate into a crisp? Good but not great. Like all of M&S' handcooked crisps, these have the perfect texture. Very crunchy, very satisfying to eat with a big bite and thick, chunky texture. This makes them extremely addictive and the sort of crisp texture I like - I real couldn't go back to the paper thin mush of things like Walkers.
Flavour wise they were tasty but I'm not sure how well I could identify venison, red wine or juniper. To me, they just tasted like (very tasty) beef crisps. Venison and beef are essentially the same animal so it's not surprising but certainly I would definitely say they tasted like nice beef crisps. There's a little sweetness that complements the meaty flavour well, which I would assume is red wine but again not obvious. Juniper I definitely couldn't taste at all but the crisps do have a complex, smoky flavour with lots of layers.
Very delicious crisps and certainly worth it for a £1 but I wouldn't go out of my way to seek them out.
Price: £1.00 (half price)
Bought at: M&S
Score: 7/10
It might be April now but it's still been pretty cold and it seemed a nice sounding flavour so I bought them anyway. As you'd expect from an M&S product, it's high quality - all of the ingredients list I recognise and there are no flavourings to acheve the flavour and it actually does contain venison, red wine and juniper.
How well does this translate into a crisp? Good but not great. Like all of M&S' handcooked crisps, these have the perfect texture. Very crunchy, very satisfying to eat with a big bite and thick, chunky texture. This makes them extremely addictive and the sort of crisp texture I like - I real couldn't go back to the paper thin mush of things like Walkers.
Flavour wise they were tasty but I'm not sure how well I could identify venison, red wine or juniper. To me, they just tasted like (very tasty) beef crisps. Venison and beef are essentially the same animal so it's not surprising but certainly I would definitely say they tasted like nice beef crisps. There's a little sweetness that complements the meaty flavour well, which I would assume is red wine but again not obvious. Juniper I definitely couldn't taste at all but the crisps do have a complex, smoky flavour with lots of layers.
Very delicious crisps and certainly worth it for a £1 but I wouldn't go out of my way to seek them out.
Price: £1.00 (half price)
Bought at: M&S
Score: 7/10
Monday, 18 April 2016
Great Food Baked Carrot Falafel Review
Morrisons has really impressed me lately with their big focus on stocking more freefrom items - it's great to see some more dairy free, gluten free and vegetariain offerings there as they were really trailing behind Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose.
My store now has a whole chilled cabinet dedicated to freefrom products, which is where I found these baked carrot falafel by Great Food. Falafel are always delicious so I was interested to see what carrot would bring to the mix/ These are gluten free, dairy free and suitable for vegetarians so pretty much anyone can eat them. It's also great to see such a clean ingredient list and there is no added sugar to it either.
Opening the pack they looked like regular falafel which was reassuring as it means they were nice compact, solid pieces that weren't flaking or falling apart. Like normal falafel, they primarily consistent of chickpeas, a great source of fibre and vegetarian protein, but 34% of the product is carrot.
The carrot is extremely subtle and if someone didn't know they contained carrot, they would unlikely identify it. However, that is not to say these aren't delicious because they are and were very tasty, high quality falafel.
I ate them both cold from the packet and warm and found both equally delicious. The texture holds together when cooking them but they are crumbly and melting in the mouth with a nice aromatic hint from the coriander, cumin and parsley.
Chickpeas dominate the flavour with their nutty, savoury bite and they are extremely moreish. If I take one cold from the packet, it is very difficult not to consume another one straightaway. Warm is my preferred option. Heat brings out the flavour even more and it's nice for them to crisp up a bit in the oven but even microwaving for half a minute so intensifies the aroma.
These will definitely become a regular purchase for me as we enter the summer months. It's a nice, convenient and quick addition to meals, would go great with salads or stuffed in pitta in houmous and are delicious as a snack by themself.
It's great to see genuinely healthier packaged food becoming more and more mainstream and I would be interested in trying out the rest of the Great Food range.
Price: £2.74
Bought at: Morrisons
Nutrition per 3 falafel: 132 calories, 6.4g fat, 0.6g sat fat, 0.9g salt, 1.7g sugars
Score: 8/10
My store now has a whole chilled cabinet dedicated to freefrom products, which is where I found these baked carrot falafel by Great Food. Falafel are always delicious so I was interested to see what carrot would bring to the mix/ These are gluten free, dairy free and suitable for vegetarians so pretty much anyone can eat them. It's also great to see such a clean ingredient list and there is no added sugar to it either.
Opening the pack they looked like regular falafel which was reassuring as it means they were nice compact, solid pieces that weren't flaking or falling apart. Like normal falafel, they primarily consistent of chickpeas, a great source of fibre and vegetarian protein, but 34% of the product is carrot.
The carrot is extremely subtle and if someone didn't know they contained carrot, they would unlikely identify it. However, that is not to say these aren't delicious because they are and were very tasty, high quality falafel.
I ate them both cold from the packet and warm and found both equally delicious. The texture holds together when cooking them but they are crumbly and melting in the mouth with a nice aromatic hint from the coriander, cumin and parsley.
Chickpeas dominate the flavour with their nutty, savoury bite and they are extremely moreish. If I take one cold from the packet, it is very difficult not to consume another one straightaway. Warm is my preferred option. Heat brings out the flavour even more and it's nice for them to crisp up a bit in the oven but even microwaving for half a minute so intensifies the aroma.
These will definitely become a regular purchase for me as we enter the summer months. It's a nice, convenient and quick addition to meals, would go great with salads or stuffed in pitta in houmous and are delicious as a snack by themself.
It's great to see genuinely healthier packaged food becoming more and more mainstream and I would be interested in trying out the rest of the Great Food range.
Price: £2.74
Bought at: Morrisons
Nutrition per 3 falafel: 132 calories, 6.4g fat, 0.6g sat fat, 0.9g salt, 1.7g sugars
Score: 8/10
Sunday, 17 April 2016
Nutribix Gluten Free Wholegrain Sorghum Cereal
Cereal is probably one of my favourite foods and a staple of my diet although I do prefer to keep to the simple options - Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, Porridge etc that I can then customise and top myself for added nutrition. Sadly the majority of cereals that hit the shelves are overly sweetened, overly processed sugar bombs so I don't often get to try new ones. Weetabix Protein I tried recently and absolutely loved (review here) but browsing the freefrom page on Ocado, I found a kind of Weetabix esque product... but without the wheat - making it a gluten free cereal.
Instead Nutribix is made from wholegrain sorghum, which is a type of genus of plants according to wikipedia whatever the means. Essentially it's a type of anicent grain and mostly found in Australia, which is where this product comes from.What this translates into though is a cereal that looks very similar to Weetabix, 96% wholegrain, low in sugar and a source of fibre.
The ingredients are nice and minimal with only a touch of golden syrup for sweetness, some salt and some added vitamins apart from the sorghum. The box probably isn't the most exciting one ever but I have to say practically speaking it's pretty good. Unlike Weetabix which are wrapped up and need yo be lifted out of the box, these are wrapped in a kind of paper tissue making them nice and accessible without getting cereal all over the worktop.
They're slightly smaller than a Weetabix and feel lighter - probably due to being made of sorghum. I had mine with almond milk, fresh fruit and some chia seeds and spelt flakes scattered on top.
For all it's likeness to Weetabix, it tastes nothing like it so those hoping for a wheat and gluten free like-for-like swap might be disappointed. However, that's not to say I didn't like because I thought this had a really unusual, natural and nutty taste.
The texture is different to Weetabix too - less firm and disintegrates more leaving a feathery kind of texture in the mouth, which I enjoyed as well. It tastes natural and isn't sweet allowing you to customise it however you want. The flavour isn't too pronounced but it is deep and of wholegrain which is something I particularly enjoy.
Despite being gluten and wheat free, anyone who likes plain cereals or things like Shredded Wheat would appreciate these. I will definitely buy them again and it's great to have another choice to add to my regular cereal repertoire that is also good for you.
Price: £3.79
Bought at: Ocado
Nutrition per 3 biscuit serving: 174 calories, 1.7g fat, 0.3g sat fat, 1.0g sugar, 0.27g salt
Score: 9/10
Instead Nutribix is made from wholegrain sorghum, which is a type of genus of plants according to wikipedia whatever the means. Essentially it's a type of anicent grain and mostly found in Australia, which is where this product comes from.What this translates into though is a cereal that looks very similar to Weetabix, 96% wholegrain, low in sugar and a source of fibre.
The ingredients are nice and minimal with only a touch of golden syrup for sweetness, some salt and some added vitamins apart from the sorghum. The box probably isn't the most exciting one ever but I have to say practically speaking it's pretty good. Unlike Weetabix which are wrapped up and need yo be lifted out of the box, these are wrapped in a kind of paper tissue making them nice and accessible without getting cereal all over the worktop.
They're slightly smaller than a Weetabix and feel lighter - probably due to being made of sorghum. I had mine with almond milk, fresh fruit and some chia seeds and spelt flakes scattered on top.
For all it's likeness to Weetabix, it tastes nothing like it so those hoping for a wheat and gluten free like-for-like swap might be disappointed. However, that's not to say I didn't like because I thought this had a really unusual, natural and nutty taste.
The texture is different to Weetabix too - less firm and disintegrates more leaving a feathery kind of texture in the mouth, which I enjoyed as well. It tastes natural and isn't sweet allowing you to customise it however you want. The flavour isn't too pronounced but it is deep and of wholegrain which is something I particularly enjoy.
Despite being gluten and wheat free, anyone who likes plain cereals or things like Shredded Wheat would appreciate these. I will definitely buy them again and it's great to have another choice to add to my regular cereal repertoire that is also good for you.
Price: £3.79
Bought at: Ocado
Nutrition per 3 biscuit serving: 174 calories, 1.7g fat, 0.3g sat fat, 1.0g sugar, 0.27g salt
Score: 9/10
Saturday, 16 April 2016
Up & Go Mixed Berries Breakfast Drink Review
I love breakfast. And that is an understatement - if there is one meal I'm obsessive about it's the first meal of the day and I am absolute cereal, muesli, porridge addict. I always make time for breakfast and love topping my cereals with fresh fruit, nuts and seeds to customise it and create something new each day.
So initially I thought this Up and Go - which markets itself as a breakfast replacement - wouldn't be for me. I wouldn't ever skip breakfast and don't eat cereal bars as a replacement yet alone have a drink instead. I just can't imagine a drink will ever be as satisfying or filling or nutritious as a simple bowl of porridge with some fruit on top. However, I can see why they might be useful for those on long commutes and always late but I would always prefer real food.
Up and Go claims it is just as good as a normal breakfast with all the fibre, protein and calcium of a bowl of bran flakes with semi skimmed milk and is fortified with vitamins. Apparently it is also Australia's no 1 breakfast - do Australians really not make time for a decent breakfast in the morning?
As I said I would never replace breakfast with a drink so my Mixed berry Up & Go never replaced my beloved bowl of cereal. However with its protein claims I thought it would be a good post gym drink - quick and easy to digest with the fibre to fill me up and counter that hungry pang I get post gym and some protein to refuel my body with.
Sticking the straw in and taking a slurp, I was really impressed by the texture, it tasted thick and oaty and felt satisfying and refreshing - a kind of a cross between a drink and food. The 250ml carton is just the right size and it's perfect for carrying around and taking to the gym (or sticking in your bag for breakfast if you take it for it's original purpose).
The mixed berry flavour was pretty tasty, maybe a little overly sweet and perhaps a little artificial but not overly so and I did quite enjoy the overall experience. With around 9g of protein it felt right after a work out and it's also nice to get a hit of calcium, vitamins and minerals too.
Would I have one again - I'm not sure - taste wise it was nice but the sugar content (around 18g per carton) felt a bit unnecessary. I know milk will have natural sugars in but I would rather have it without added sugars and the fructose as well. There's also a little too many stabilisers and e numbers for my liking.
I think on reflection I would probably try other flavours in the range but wouldn't want to consume them too regularly as they're not really very healthy. Fine, after a gym session when you've at least burnt off some calories but definitely not a breakfast replacement as it's quite a hit of sugar that wouldn't keep you going all morning.
Price: £1.39
Bought at: Waitrose
Nutrition per 100ml - 69 calories, 1g fat, 0.1g sat fat, 7.4g sugars, Protein 3.8g
Score: 6.5/10
So initially I thought this Up and Go - which markets itself as a breakfast replacement - wouldn't be for me. I wouldn't ever skip breakfast and don't eat cereal bars as a replacement yet alone have a drink instead. I just can't imagine a drink will ever be as satisfying or filling or nutritious as a simple bowl of porridge with some fruit on top. However, I can see why they might be useful for those on long commutes and always late but I would always prefer real food.
Up and Go claims it is just as good as a normal breakfast with all the fibre, protein and calcium of a bowl of bran flakes with semi skimmed milk and is fortified with vitamins. Apparently it is also Australia's no 1 breakfast - do Australians really not make time for a decent breakfast in the morning?
As I said I would never replace breakfast with a drink so my Mixed berry Up & Go never replaced my beloved bowl of cereal. However with its protein claims I thought it would be a good post gym drink - quick and easy to digest with the fibre to fill me up and counter that hungry pang I get post gym and some protein to refuel my body with.
Sticking the straw in and taking a slurp, I was really impressed by the texture, it tasted thick and oaty and felt satisfying and refreshing - a kind of a cross between a drink and food. The 250ml carton is just the right size and it's perfect for carrying around and taking to the gym (or sticking in your bag for breakfast if you take it for it's original purpose).
The mixed berry flavour was pretty tasty, maybe a little overly sweet and perhaps a little artificial but not overly so and I did quite enjoy the overall experience. With around 9g of protein it felt right after a work out and it's also nice to get a hit of calcium, vitamins and minerals too.
Would I have one again - I'm not sure - taste wise it was nice but the sugar content (around 18g per carton) felt a bit unnecessary. I know milk will have natural sugars in but I would rather have it without added sugars and the fructose as well. There's also a little too many stabilisers and e numbers for my liking.
I think on reflection I would probably try other flavours in the range but wouldn't want to consume them too regularly as they're not really very healthy. Fine, after a gym session when you've at least burnt off some calories but definitely not a breakfast replacement as it's quite a hit of sugar that wouldn't keep you going all morning.
Price: £1.39
Bought at: Waitrose
Nutrition per 100ml - 69 calories, 1g fat, 0.1g sat fat, 7.4g sugars, Protein 3.8g
Score: 6.5/10
Friday, 15 April 2016
Boots Roasted Beetroot, Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad Review
I’m a pretty big fan of Boots for their meal deal and options. Whilst Sainsbueys and Tesco seem to force you into buying crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks, Boots offers genuinely healthy and more interesting and fresh options. I picked up this cauliflower, beetroot and quinoa salad as part of their meal deal and reading the ingredients list I was pleased to see how clean it was. There was nothing I didn’t recognize and there was no added sugar or weird ingredients.
Cauliflower, quinoa and beetroot are all pretty on trend ingredients and all worked with the goat’s cheese dressing that came with it. Containing crème fraiche it had a nice tangy punch which livens up the cauliflower and particularly works well the sweetness of the beetroot. Goat’s cheese and beetroot always make perfect bedfellows. If I had one criticism I think there is too much garlic in the dressing – it’s quite overwhelming and is so strong it overtakes the goat’s cheese which is pushed into the background.
It would also be nice if there was a bit more substance to the salad. With just quinoa and veg, it’s not hugely substantial and at 104 calories isn’t a lunch by itself. A few nuts, houmous or something like some cauliflower falafel would bulk it up a bit.
However, it’s great to see genuinely clean and healthy on the go options on the market especially as vegetarians are usually so undercatered for. Containing 2 of your 5 a day, it left me feeling uplifted and not weighed down.
Bought at: Boots
Score: 7.5/10
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Arla Protein Passionfruit and Papaya Review
High protein yogurts are becoming a real staple in my shopping basket recently - they feel like a tasty treat after lunch but also fill me up to stop any more snacking. Arla Protein is one of my favourite brands. Each 200g pot contains 20g of protein (that's about 2 and half eggs) , is under 150 calories and is low in fat and sugar. It's ticking every nutritional box possible!
All the previous flavours have been berry variants - blueberry, strawberry and raspberry so it's interesting to see a tropical take on it with this passionfruit and papaya version.
Like all the other Arla Protein pots, this isn't actually yogurt but quark, a kind of set cheese - that sounds disgusting but they are really delicious and this is what helps them achieve such a thick and creamy texture and the high protein content. I have seen that these pots do tend to be a love it or hate it product - some people seem to absolutely hate them and find them too thick and too filling. But this is really the purpose of them and I love how they are so thick, you can literally stick a spoon in them upright unsupported. They are thicker than any Greek yogurt as well.
Giving a stir helps loosen it up slightly but they are still much thicker than any kind of yogurt and have the consistenc of whipped cream, which makes for a really indulgent texture and mouthfeel but without all the fat. I added a few cacao nibs to make this feel like even more of a treat.
The tropical flavour came through and although I wouldn't necessarily pick out the papaya, the passionfruit was strong and had a sweet tropical flavour. Whilst it was still enjoyable, the flavour just didn't work for me as well as the berry variants. It's maybe because generally in yogurts I prefer berry tastes to exotic fruits but whilst I did enjoy it and happily finished the pot, in future I will stick to the old flavours.
I still fully recommend the brand though - after finishing this I was nicely full and set for the rest of the day and they make a perfect on the go breakfast or pre or post gym snack as well.
Bought at: Sainsburys
Price: £1.00
Nutrition per pot: 130 calories, 0.4g fat, 0.2g sat fat, 12g sugars, 20g protein
Score: 7/10
All the previous flavours have been berry variants - blueberry, strawberry and raspberry so it's interesting to see a tropical take on it with this passionfruit and papaya version.
Like all the other Arla Protein pots, this isn't actually yogurt but quark, a kind of set cheese - that sounds disgusting but they are really delicious and this is what helps them achieve such a thick and creamy texture and the high protein content. I have seen that these pots do tend to be a love it or hate it product - some people seem to absolutely hate them and find them too thick and too filling. But this is really the purpose of them and I love how they are so thick, you can literally stick a spoon in them upright unsupported. They are thicker than any Greek yogurt as well.
Giving a stir helps loosen it up slightly but they are still much thicker than any kind of yogurt and have the consistenc of whipped cream, which makes for a really indulgent texture and mouthfeel but without all the fat. I added a few cacao nibs to make this feel like even more of a treat.
The tropical flavour came through and although I wouldn't necessarily pick out the papaya, the passionfruit was strong and had a sweet tropical flavour. Whilst it was still enjoyable, the flavour just didn't work for me as well as the berry variants. It's maybe because generally in yogurts I prefer berry tastes to exotic fruits but whilst I did enjoy it and happily finished the pot, in future I will stick to the old flavours.
I still fully recommend the brand though - after finishing this I was nicely full and set for the rest of the day and they make a perfect on the go breakfast or pre or post gym snack as well.
Bought at: Sainsburys
Price: £1.00
Nutrition per pot: 130 calories, 0.4g fat, 0.2g sat fat, 12g sugars, 20g protein
Score: 7/10
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