Ryvita Thins Caramelised Onion Flatbreads

Ryvita Thins are something that is always a staple in my household. Ever since they first came out, I've just found them such a handy store cupboard snack - I can use them in lunch, they make an instant snack with hummus and dips and I even enjoy eating them on their own. There has never been one in the range I haven't enjoyed so when I saw they released a caramelised onion flavour, it was a no brainer.

They are essentially the same as all other Ryvita Thins - wheat and rye flatbreads that are super thin with a nice crunch, this time with the addition of toasted onion, nigella seeds and sugar. How odd for a company nowadays to call out sugar - but these aren't high in sugar with 0.5g per bite. Each one is also 27 calories and they are low fat. These Ryvita Thins are also accidentally vegan as well.

Opening my pack it was a rare nice surprise to see every single thin in the whole pack was intact as I usually find these are one of the worst products to get snapped and broken before you open them - not that this spoils their taste and I tend to break them up when I use them anyway.

I had them on their own just to get the taste and indeed there is a pleasant slightly sweet caramelised onion flavour. It's flavourful and impactful when you're eating them plain but also fades away when dipped in things as well they don't overpower whatever you top them with making them very versatile. I quite like the idea of dipping them in a fondue as per the suggestion on the front of pack.

It's another tasty addition to the range - I wouldn't say it was better or worse than any of the other Ryvita Thins out there, just another delicious one to add to the collection if you like them.

Price: £1.90
Bought at: Sainsburys
Nutrition per flatbread: 27 calories, 0.4g fat, 0.1g sat fat, 0.5g sugars, 0.05g salt

Score: 8/10

Jacobs Ciabatta Sundried Tomato and Basil Crackers

As we continue to (needlessly in my opinion) shun in bread, there's been a boom in crackers and crispbreads as we look for lighter options. I buy a lot of oatcakes, crackers and savoury biscuits - perfect any time of the day for a quick less sugary nibble and equally as good as lunch option or just for dipping into houmous and dips.My favourite nowadays are the thins you get, which are perfect for dipping and I tend to favour Jacobs for these. However, thee new ciabatta crackers looked interesting and a bit different.

They had original and caramelised onion version as well but I went for tomato and basil for a more Italian flavour to go with the ciabatta style. Each box comes with five individually wrapped packs of three biscuits - a must have for me nowadays as it helps with portion control, freshness and makes them easy for taking out and about.

The little 'best thing since sliced bread' message on the packs made me smile and the biscuits looked appetising although there is a clear difference in appearance between top and bottom. The top has a more rough, rustic texture, darker in colour with an uneven surface. The bottom looks more like a standard cracker albeit with lots of visible flecks of herb and tomato.

Funnily enough upon eating them you really do get a ciabatta feel, - it has that crunchy, stonebaked, roasted flavour and there's lots of air pockets between the top and bottom for a fairly good representation of the bread. Don't get me wrong, real ciabatta is much more satisfying but these do taste very different to normal crackers. The tomato and herb was a little too subtle and the ciabatta taste was the element that came through more strongly for me.

They were perfectly delicious on their own and dipped in houmous but I'm sure there's all kinds of creative things you could do with them maybe topping them with tomato puree and cheese for a pizza style experience. At 41 calories each, I expect they'll appeal to those looking to lighter options for bread.

Price: £1.39
Bought at: Waitrose
Nutrition per cracker: 41 calories, 1g fat, 0.4g sat fat, 0.3g sugars, 0.2g salt

Score: 7/10

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

Tesco Healthy Living Rice Cakes To Go

Portion packs are always a winner in my opinion. They stop things getting stale, they help you take things out and about and prevent you from eating too much.

These Tesco ricecakes are nothing particularly new or exciting but it's a simple idea and done well. It's just 5 individual packs of 3 ricecakes. No flavoring or interesting twists, although they do contain buckwheat for a little savoury edge and a bit more texture.

Each pack is a mere 75 calories for three whole slices. The pieces, I think, have a better shape than normal rice cakes and are good for dunking and dipping. They don't particularly have a strong taste but this makes them ideal for topping as you can completely customise them. They're also low in fat, salt and sugar.

At £1.59 for the 5 packs, it is a more expensive way to buy rice cakes but the convenient packaging outweighs this for me.

Price: £1.59
Available: Tesco

Score: 8/10

Thomas J Judge's Fiery and Flavorsome Jalapeno Melts

Initially I only bought these crackers because Tesco was clearing them out but I'm so glad I did as these are a great little brand. Fudge's make premium biscuits and this is all evident with the funky, cool packaging with a retro image and some quirky bits of text.

Inside reveals a nice little box lined up with the golden crackers. They're very thin and petite and would be great for serving to guests either before or after a meal. The ingredients list is refreshingly short and natural. Nothing but products you recognise and would use if you made your own crackers.

The crackers have a lovely crisp and short texture that crumbles in the mouth beautifully. Made with cream and butter, they have the most buttery taste that isn't in the least bit greasy.

The cheese is powerful without being overpowering and best of all it's an authentic cheese taste from actual cheese, rather than flavorings. And behind the initial tangy cheese flavour is a really hot and tasty kick of jalapeno. I absolutely love the heat these provided. It's full of flavour, peppery and with a real kick. If you don't like chillies these will probably be too hot for you but I loved it.

Whilst £3 might be a lot for these, they make a really sophisticated nibble that is a little different to what else is out there.

Price: £2.99
Pros: Natural, real ingredients. Authentic taste. Lovely fiery jalapeno kick. A nice, light eat that's not too filling.
Cons: Pricey. Very high salt content

Score: 8/10

Mini High Bake Water Biscuits by Sainsbury's

It sounds a bit strange to get so excited and be so positive abut product that is actually so plain but I really rated these new mini water biscuits from Sainsbury's.

Essentially, they are literally nothing more than six bags of very plain crackers but everything about the execution of these delivers and exceeds what other crackers are doing.

Firstly, I like through fact they're six individually wrapped bags rather than one big bag. Usually, I open crackers and don't get through them that quickly so they start to go off. These individual bags mean I can just open each bag as and when I need it, so there is no waste and I don't feel pressurised to eat more than I want. These mini bags also means they're easy to transport so really convenient for taking out and about. The bags are well protected with air and none of the crackers were broken in any way in the bag I ate.

Opening my bag, I was really surprised by how many crackers it contained. Often with mini or portion controlled packs, you only get six or seven little bites but there were plenty of crackers in these. I suppose they are very flat but even so it's still a very generous portion and makes for a very satisfying snack.

These are also perfect for a light snack as, even with all those biscuits, the bag is only 81 calories. The ingredients list is very simple: flour, oil and very little sugar and salt - so as snacking goes these are pretty healthy.

Yes, they're pretty plain but I still found them an enjoyable eat. The biscuits are firm, crisp, with a nice snap and crunch. I didn't find them dry either and they would also be great for dunking into houmous or dips as well. They're well seasoned and very moreish. With such a low calorie content, these make a great alternative to crisps. You get the crunch, the bag and a savoury hit and with no guilt.

Granted, these aren't the most exciting thing ever and I would never call them a treat but they'll definitely be something I buy regularly as they make a simple, healthy snack and are great value in relation to other healthier snacks.

Price: £1.20
Available: Sainsbury's

Pros: Simple, natural and wholesome. Fills a savoury snack craving. Satisfying. Portion control and great for on the go.
Cons: I suppose they're not full of flavour compared to other snacks

Score: 8/10