Aldi Pea Snacks - Chilli with a twist of lime

I'm a big fan of Yushoi crisps,which are a vegan crisp alternative made from peas and it looks like Aldi are trying to copy them with their pea snacks under their Passion deli brand. Like Yushoi these are made peas (marrow fat peas in this case) and are gluten free and from what I can see in the ingredients list also dairy free and vegan.

They offer multipacks of 6 offering a cheaper way of stocking up on these baked not fried crisp alternatives and also offer a flavour twist with this chilli with a twist of lime of flavour.

They're just as good as Yushoi ones in my opinion although I do love the Yushoi brand and would continue to buy them in the future too. They have a nice, light crisp and airy texture , which reminds me of the texture of the salt and vinegar chipsticks even though they're made from peas. You'd never guess they were made from peas and because of this it means the pack also contains 4g protein per pack.

The flavour is really nice, a little bit of mild heat with a lovely zing of lime that I think works really well in savoury snacks. Lime is definitely underused in crisps and snacks. At 88 calories per pack, they're also a guilt free treat. A good little find in Aldi.

Bought at: Aldi
Nutrition per pack: 88 calories, 2.9g fat, 0.2g sat fat, 0.6g sugars, 0.21g salt

Score: 8/10

Nakd Lemon Drizzle Review

Always a fan of Nakd bars and they're pure wholefoods clean ingredients, I'm always excited to see a new flavour on the shelves. Now on the plus side lemon drizzle cake sounds delicious and it's good to see a more zesty flavour hit the shelves instead of more cocoa, berry or nutty versions but on the down side it replaces the previous limited edition carrot cake Nakd bar, which I loved. So it has a high bar to hit if it is to make me let go of one of my favourite flavours.

We all know the benefits of Nakd bars - no refined sugar, vegan, dairy free, gluten free, clean ingredients and this is no different, made up of 53% dates, 19% raisins, 11% almonds, 10% coconut, 6% cashews, 1% lemon and a hint of natural flavourings.

Opening it up, you instantly get a lovely fragrant zesty smell. I wouldn't say it was lemony and actually it reminded me more of vanilla sponge cake - especially those sharing ones for birthdays that come in big slabs cut into squares.

Initially biting in, it was lemony and sweet and very delicious but I wouldn't say it was lemon drizzle cake. It was just their usual nice soft texture with a lovely lemony twist that works well but the more I ate the more and more it morphed into lemon drizzle cake. It's scarily similar to the real deal, even texture wise. By the end I really couldn't tell the difference between this and the real deal. It's lovely and sweet and zesty and somehow for something made up of dates and raisins and nuts really feels and tastes like lemony sponge in texture. I swear I could even taste the icing of lemon drizzle cake.

Nakd have done it again, another fantastic healthier treat. I'm still really, really sad to see carrot cake (please Nakd bring this back too!) but this is another winner.

My only criticism is I think Nakd are starting to cut costs and bulking up their bars with more dates/raisins, instead of costly nuts. This means the sugar content of this is one of the higher bars with just under 18g (albeit natural sugars). However, considering their gingerbread bar is 11.6g sugars with 50% nut content and their are lots of new players like Squirrel Sisters, Bounce and Deliciously Ella with lower sugar content, I hope they don't keep reducing the nut content.

Price: £0.74
Bought at: Asda
Nutrition per bar: 133 calories, 5.4g fat, 2.3g sat fat, 17.7g sugars, <0.1g salt

Score: 9/10

Planet Organic Energise Raw 46 Bar - Goji, Pumpkin Seed and Hemp Protein

I love a raw bar so when I saw these Planet Organic bars in my local Boots I had to have them. I've never actually been to a Planet Organic as they are all in London so was eager to give these bars a go. Like most of these healthy bars in the market, these are vegan, raw, gluten free, paleo and organic. What makes this difference? Well firstly the ingredients list is a bit different -unlike Nakd bars which rely on natural flavours, this is made of dates like other bars but also contains cashew butter, almond butter, pumpkin seed paste and hemp protein.

This means the bar is lower in sugars than many of these raw bars at only 9.1g (natural) sugars per bar and it means it has more protein with 4.6g per bar. Flavour then comes through from goji berries and vanilla.

Opening it up, although smaller in weight at 30g vs a 35g Nakd bar, it looks bigger due to a flatter and wider surface. It smells appetising and there's lots of texture in it and pieces in it,

It's maybe not as flavoursome as a Nakd bar as it's not an exciting flavour like carrot cake or bakewell tart but I really enjoyed it. It's fruity but with more texture and little crunchy bits of seed in. The nut butters add a creaminess and thick mouthfeel that feels more substantial. It feels like you're getting more of a bar and with its better nutritionals, it's maybe a good choice for a pre gym bar (which is what I've been using them for) rather than a treat bar.

Nutrition per bar: 126 calories, 6.4g fat, 1g sat, 9.1g sugars, 2.9g fibre, 4.6g protein
Score: 8/10

Aldi Paleo Bar Review - The Foodie Market Macadamia and Coconut

Although there is a lot of excitement around Aldi's freefrom range, I have to admit I find it a little lacklustre compared to other supermarkets. Don't get me wrong, it's great they're doing affordable health foods but the range is so much less interesting than the other supermarkets - case in point these macadamia and coconut paleo bars. They also have a brazil nut and cherr paleo bar and a cashew crush bar very similar to the Nakd Cashew cookie bar. All very well and good and made with clean ingredients at an absolute steal (these are 39p vs a 75p Nakd bar) but you can't help admit that Bounce and Nakd etc have much more treaty and interesting flavours.

Nevertheless I thought it would be worth giving them a try, a 39p it's hardly going to break the bank. To be fair to Aldi, this is just as good quality as any other raw bar - it's just natural ingredients - dates (49%), cashews (21%) , macadamias (20%), coconut (10%) and almond oil. Macadamias aren't cheap nuts and it's good to see Aldi haven't skimped on the ingredients.

It's obviously refined sugar free, gluten free and it's cold pressed and although listed as suitable for vegetarians, looks to actually be suitable for vegans. Opening it up, it's a nice, chunky bar (45g vs a 35g Nakd bar) with a coconutty smell.

You get the taste of coconut very strongly but a real raw, earthy coconut rather than a sweet, creamy coconut. The dates keep things sweet and it's tasty but not exceptional. It more than fulfils the role of a healthy bar to fuel your day but it's functional rather than a taste extravaganza. I'd probably buy it again as I liked it but it's hard to feel like this is a treat.

Price: 39p
Bought at: Aldi

Score: 7/10

Deliciously Ella Ball Review - Deliciously Ella Cacao and Almond Ball

I'm a big fan of Deliciously Ella - I've made my diet a lot more plant based over the last year and I find her recipes really simple, easy, quick and come up with tasty results. I'm also a big fan of any kind of healthy snack or energy ball and my cupboards are full of Nakd bars, Bounce Balls, Trek etc so I finally got round to buying one of the deliciously ella balls from her cafe, the Mae Deli, when I was in London last week.

The range also includes raisin and hazelnut and cashew and ginger but I went for this one partly as I love anything cacao flavoured and also it had a lower (natural) sugar content than the others. It feels like a premium product with a good quality wrapper, nice design and I love how she gives the recipe for the ball on the pack so you can make them yourself at home if you want to. This is just 3 dates, 8 almonds, 1 tsp cacao, almond butter, coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt - all very clean ingredients, natural, plant based and suitable for vegans.

Opening it up I was slightly disappointed that the ball was smaller than the pack would lead me to believe (I was expecting something bounce ball sized) but nevertheless it looked lovely and smooth.

It has a deliciously rich, fudgy texture and you get both the sweetness of dates combined with earthy rich cacao flavour with a nice salty subtle backtone which complements and emphasises the roasted almonds. It feels filling and like it's giving you energy and it was really tasty. And although I felt it was a little small, it did fill me up nicely.

I was really impressed with this and it would be great to see the Deliciously Ella brand expand and move into other foods as well!

Price: £1.99
Available at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per ball: 173 calories, 11.1g fat, 2.2g sat fat, 12.7g sugars, 2.9g fibre, 5g protein, 0.11g salt

Score: 8.5/10

Bounce Protein Energy Bites Review Coconut and Cranberry

Although I wasn't as impressed by the Cacao and Almond Bounce bites I first tried compared to their Bounce balls, I went back to try the coconut and cranberry version. My problem with the first bounce bites I tried wa that they lacked that really dense, fudgy, chewy texture that give you a real jaw workout. However, I did enjoy them as well and as I love coconut thought I couldn't go to wrong with these.

Bounce bites are little flat squat discs made up of natural ingredients and a good mix of carbs, fats and protein without refined sugars. In this case the ingredients are:

Cranberries (Pineapple Juice Syrup, Cranberries, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Oil) (22%),
Whey Protein Concentrate (from Milk) (13%), Cashews (Nuts) (13%), Coconut (12%), Sunflower Seeds (11%), Gluten Free Grain Dextrins (from Brown Rice), Currants, Whey Protein Isolate (from Milk) (6%), Rice Flour, Water, Soya Lecithin (Emulsifier), Vegetable Oil

They smelt quite fruity and coconutty as soon as I opened the packet. Having got used to the texture of bounce bites versus bounce balls, I didn't get that initial disappointment this time around. I do still definitely prefer the texture of bounce balls, they just feel so substantial and indulgent. These are a lot firmer with a slightly odd offmilky aftertaste. But it's not altogether unpleasant just a little odd.

What I have found these incredibly useful for is quick out the door energy burst on the way to the gym first thing in the morning. I can just have four of these and I feel I have the energy to hit the gym without being weighed down. As such the mini bite format and portionability of these with a resealable bag is really useful. Looking back I think I prefer the cacao almond ones but I have enjoyed these as well.

Price: £2.99
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per 30g: 127 calories, 6.3g fat, 2.4g sat fat, 7.8g sugars. 6.3 protein, 0.03g salt

Score: 7/10

Chic P Hummus Rreview Chic P Carrot, Ginger and Turmeric Humms

One of the best things about going veggie is all the delicious, colourful lunches you get to make. All my work colleagues comment on how vibrant and interesting my lunches and I think once you start moving away from bread and start filling a container full of plant based wholefoods, it automatically just looks so instagram worthy. One thing this week, which has added a lovely burst of sunshine to my lunchboxes this week is this carrot, ginger and turmeric hummus from a lovely new brand called Chic P.

I came across this in Wholefoods where the lovely lady sampling showcased a variety of interesting new takes on hummus - including a cocoa and banana one! Chic P stands for sustainability and reducing food waste and all their hummuses are made from rejected vegetables because they're imperfect looking. In addition, the products are made from raw vegetables with no added sugars and are vegan as well.

Just look at that amazing golden colour! I know turmeric always brings a sunny glow to whatever it touches but this is still the most healthy looking dip I've ever seen. Made from carrots, chickpeas, tahini, ginger and turmeric, it's just natural ingredients that come with lots of health benefits. Turmeric is a bit of a superfood with supposed anti inflammatory and anti cancer properties and is something I add to everything nowadays from curries to smoothies - and of course I love a turmeric latte! Ginger is great for digestion but also adds a lovely depth of flavour marrying the natural sweetness of the carrot with the creaminess of chickpeas and fragrance of turmeric,

Although this has a very distinct, strong and powerful flavour, I've also found it wonderfully versatile. It's been a staple in all my salad bowls and boxes this week, I've served it with falafel, with Thai sweetcorn fritters and of course it works simply as a dip as well. I've even used it on spelt bread for toast in the morning for a punchy wake up call.

It is more pricey than your average hummus at £2.49 for 170g but one I really think is worth it as it adds something very different to what's out there, is natural, healthy and has a really good ethical background.

Price: £2.49
Bought at:Wholefoods Market

Score: 9.5/10

Whitworths Full of Super Cayenne Chilli Flaxseed Crisps

Always on the look out for healthy snacks, I was really delighted to see these new flaxseed crisps from Whitworths. I've always associated Whitworths with cake ingredients, dried fruit and sugar rather than health but they've launched a new Full of Super range composing of raw bars, maca-roons and these flaxseed crisps.

I like flaxseed anyway and add it to my porridge every morning so was intrigued to try a crisp version as I enjoy other health crisps like kale crisps or chickpea flour crisps. My Sainsburys had both the garlic and herb flavour and these cayenne chilli ones which I went for as I like a bit of heat.

These are a genuinely healthy proposition. They're dairy free, gluten free and wheat free, soy free and suitable for vegans. Just look at the ingredients below - it's genuine whole foods.

Flaxseeds (50%), buckwheat (19%), sunflower seeds, quinoa (4%), dried red peppers, dried onion, sea salt, spices (1%) [ground ginger, ground cayenne chilli pepper (0.5%), turmeric], chia seeds (0.3%), dried garlic

Nutritionally this makes them really pretty good.  8g carbs per pack vs 6g protein and 6g fibre and with no added sugar. Flaxseed are also a really good source of omega 3 and each pack of these contains a whopping 3.9g

Pouring them out, they are nice perfect little discs sprinkled with lots of seeds. Whilst these do taste a little wholefood-ey and maybe wouldn't appeal to everyone, I thought they were really delicious and very moreish. A good crunchy texture, similar to seeded crackers with a nice good hit of spicy cayenne spice made for a really tasty snack. I said I was going to split this 35g bag into two servings but I easily ended up scoffing the lot, they were that moreish with a nice savoury flavour.

My only criticism is they are expensive. They were £1 on promotion at Sainsburys but even this is pricey for a single bag of crisps yet alone the £1.50 full price. Considering healthier options are becoming more mainstream and there are affordable options out there like Nakd which aren't inaccessible, I do feel these are overrpriced. But like I said I really enjoyed them so would probably buy them again at some point.

Price: £1.50
Bought at: Sainsburys
Nutrition pr bag: 171 calories, 11g fat, 1.2g sat fat, 8.3 carbs, 0.9g sugars, 6.3g fibre, 6.4g protein, 0.5g salt

Score: 8/10

Hippeas In Herbs We Trust

I've seen a lot of praise for these chickpea based snacks and as I know I love homous and chickpea crisps I decided this would be a safe bet. What makes Hippeas different is that they act like a mainstream crisp and come in individual bags and also do a range of flavors rather than being plain. The fajita sounded tempting but fajita/spicy crisps and snacks are fairly common place whereas this herb variant sounded a bit different.

In the same way they act like normal crisps, they look like a normal crisp and resemble wotsit without the scary luminous glow and that horrible coating that sticks to your fingers. Texture wise, they're maybe a firmer than normal crisps, certainly moreso than wotsit, with a harder texture, which gives a good crunch, which I like. Although hollow, they really don't taste airy.

The flavour is also good. It's a nice mix of subtle onion, tomato, garlic, basil, oregano and thyme which you can taste but that doesn't dominate or overwhelm the crisps and with no one ingredient taking over.

At 91 calories a bag, a source of protein and high in fibre, it's a pretty healthy savoury snack choice and actually this isn't a compromise vs normal crisps because they don't taste like a diet option like Walkers sunbites and you get a good serving in a bag. They're also gluten and dairy free but they just taste good and happen to be better for you. I'll definitely be checking out more of the flavours but it would be great if they did multipacks of these as they're pretty expensive for a single bag.

Bought at: Boots
Price: £1
Nutrition per bag: 91 calories, 4g fat, 0.4g sat fat, 0.6 sugars, 1.7g fibre, 2.7g protein, 0.3g salt

Score: 7.5/10

Moma Super Seeds Porridge

After enjoying the coconut and chia Moma porridge pot and having an early morning where I had no access to a microwave for my usual porridge, I thought I'd give another one a go - this time the superseeds. This one does contain dairy and is your normal porridge but also has no added sugar and actually because of the dairy you get more protein in it as well. As well as being high in protein, it's also a really source of fibre and we all know about oats and their cholesterol lowering function. A nice touch about this one as well is that it's gluten free.

In addition to gluten free oats and skimmed milk powder, it contains pumpkin seeds, linseed and chia seeds. This adds a nice textural contrast to the creamy, soft porridge and adds a little flavour. It's super simple to make, just pour in boiling water to the line, stir and wait five minutes so very convenient if you don't have access to a microwave or hob but still want porridge.

Having dairy in this one, I think makes it an improvement over the coconut milk one as it means the texture is much more rich and creamy. It also feels more filling, I guess because the milk adds necessary and protein. This plus a banana and a latte kept me suitably full until lunch.

Again, I prefer to make my own porridge and this isn't cost effective but it's probably the best and most nutritious porridge pot I've found.

Price: £1.29
Bought at: Ocado
Nutrition per pot: 254 calories, 4.3g fat, 0.8g sat fat, 9.9g sugars, 5.4g fibre, 14.4g protein, 0.4g salt

Nakd Peanut Delight Review

The new apricot crunch and the carrot cake Nakd bars have both been winners with me (although I don't think any Nakd bar I've ever tried hasn't been delicious) and now it's time for the third and last of the new trio - peanut delight.

Peanut butter is a great flavour for snack bars anywhere but I was interested to see Nakd's take on peanut. This is actually only peanut delight rather than peanut butter and it has probably the simplest ingredients of any Nakd bar - dates, peanuts and a pinch of sea salt. And that is literally it so totally plant based, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, gluten free, wheat free and with no added sugar. All in all a pretty healthy, wholesome snack in my opinion.

I've seen mixed reviews of these with some enjoying it and others who feel let down. I have to say I'm a really big fan of this bar. It is the one I put off until I finished all my other ones simply because the ingredients list is so short, it just didn't seem very exciting. But actually it's simplicity really works.

One big thing is just how chunky the peanuts are - these aren't your normal nuts smooshed down and dotted throughout the other Nakd bars. They are a lot more noticeable here with a chunkier texture, which I quite like as I prefer my snack bars to feel a bit more substantial. Taste wise it's not really peanut butter or even peanutty in taste as such. It's more of a peanut and date mish mash. This sounds a pretty obvious point but with no natural flavouring in this bar, the date taste is stronger than others where it is is masked to taste like coffee/ bakewell tart/ carrot cake. This is another reason for some of the negative reviews but I liked the simplicity.

The touch of sea salt adds a very, very, very faint savouriness which complements the natural date sweetness and just brings out the peanut taste a little more. It felt satisfying to eat and I think this could be a regular Nakd bar for me. It's not so much a treat as the carrot cake one which really is like eating carrot cake but what this offers is a much more crunchy, nuttier Nakd than any of the others.

It's another success by Nakd and whilst carrot cake is maybe the best of the three new flavours (such a shame it's limited edition) apricot crunch and peanut delight are both absolutely delicious as well. Get all three of them, variety is always a good thing!

Nutrition per bar: 149 calories, 7.5g fat, 1.4g sat fat, 13.6g sugars, 4.8g protein

Score: 8/10

Sainsburys Deliciously Freefrom Coconut Vanilla Iced Dessert

Dairy free is all the rage nowadays and whilst I am not dairy intolerant and still love my milk and yogurts, I am very much into my almond and coconut alternatives as well. Dairy free milks and yogurts are pretty mainstream and easy enough to find now and it seems ice cream is the next area that’s set to boom. Sainsburys did a big freefrom push earlier this year with loads of new own label options across every sector from pasta sauces to bread and cakes to cereals. One thing that grabbed a lot of attention was there new freefrom ice creams made of coconut and available in vanilla, strawberry and chocolate versions.

This ice cream is made from - Water, Coconut Milk (30%) (Water, Coconut Extract), Sugar, Inulin, Dextrose, Coconut Oil (4%), Vanilla Extract, Thickener: Carob Gum, Cellulose; Colour: Beta-carotene  - so suitable for vegans and those avoiding dairy. It's also gluten free and wheat free.

Because of the coconut milk base this is actually really quite high in saturated fat. And whilst health bloggers claim it’s good for you, I’m still not convinced and think too much sat fat is bad and that the best fats are those in things like nuts, avocado and seeds which are monosaturated. It’s also just as sugary as normal ice cream at 22% - for context that’s the same as salted caramel haagen daaz and not much further behind than Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough at 25% .

What I was impressed with was just how scoopable this was after leaving out for a few minutes. Nice and soft, it felt creamy and looks quite attractive with a simple yellow colour (albeit one derived from added colour beta-carotene).  

This translates into a nice creamy, thick texture – it certainly didn’t feel like a sorbet and isn’t icy, watery or thin tasting. It’s not quite ice cream as it’s maybe a little oily and maybe a bit more girtty but this is really minor and for all extents and purposes it’s pretty indulgent in mouthfeel.

The flavour is okay…. To be honest coconut is the main taste you get and I would describe it as a coconut with hints of vanilla taste rather than a vanilla taste that just so happens to be made of coconut. It’s sweet and pleasant tasting but it’s not overly exciting. Considering the sugar and sat fat is comparable to normal ice cream, I think I’d rather just have a scoop of Ben and Jerry’s instead as this isn’t exactly a clean and pure product either. Vegans and those who can’t eat lactose will love this but it’s just as unhealthy as regular ice cream and the taste although nice just isn’t enough to make me choose this instead of my favourite brands.

Price: £3.00

Bought at: Sainsburys

Nutrition per serving: 193 calories, 8.4g fat, 7.5g sat fat, 20.7g sugars, 0.03g salt

Score: 7/10

Nakd Apricot Crunch Review

I’m really back into Nakd bars again now that they launched their three new flavours of peanut power, apricot crunch and carrot cake. I’ve reviewed the carrot cake one previously which was insanely good and today is time for the apricot crunch version. I don’t really buy the crunch variants of the Nakd bars as the flavours are generally quite tame – strawberry, cocoa, banana and when they do cherry bakewell, gingerbread and cashew cookie ones it’s a bit of  no brainer.

However, apricot promises something new and interesting and you don’t see many apricot cereal bars out there. Before even opening the bar I could tell it was going to deliver on the apricot front, the smell is so strong you can even detect it without opening the pack. Once opened it’s even more intense with a lovely, sweet, floral, juicy smell of apricot.

Having not had a protein crunch Nakd for a while, the texture was a nice surprise. It’s a much firmer texture than the others with a crispiness to it that comes from the soya crunchies, which I like. Like all Nakd bars, the ingredients list is short and sweet – dates, soya crunchies, raisins,  cashews, apricot, apple juice concentrate and a bit of natural flavouring and of course it’s gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and vegan.

The taste is really nice with all  the treaty dessert like Nakd bars out there, it’s great to have a really fruity one and this one is really fruity indeed. It’s refreshing, summery and fragrantly sweet and a great addition to the range. Carrot cake still has the edge due to its awesome likeness to the real deal but this is pretty good too.

Nutrition per bar: 105 calories, 2.2g fat, 0.5g sat fat, 14.3 sugars, 5.4g protein, 0.2g salt

Score: 8/10

Nutribrex Coconut and Crispy Rice

After adding Nutribix to my ever increasing cereal repertoire (I just love the stuff and tend to eat it twice a day!), they've added a new coconut and crispy rice variant to the range and also renamed themselves as Nutri-brex. Slightly odd choice of name I must admit and at first I thought it was some kind of temporary PR thing in relation to Brexit but apparently they're actually sticking with this.

Like the regular Nutribrex it's a sorghum based breakfast cereal in biscuit form and is gluten free as sorghum does not contain gluten like wheat so I imagine very nice for coeliacs who miss their Weetabix or Shredded Wheat. What I liked about the original Nutribrex was how simple it was, allowing you to top it and customise each day however you want.

With crispy rice, coconut and cinnamon in this, this has a flavour all of its own. It's not super strongly flavoured so actually still works very well with whatever you choose to throw at it but because of the coconut and cinnamon it's also very nice just as it is. You can definitely get the tropical taste of coconut, which partners surprisingly well with the warmth of cinnamon. It's a cereal that would equally for breakfast in summer or winter.

The crisped rice doesn't add a huge amount and for me gets a bit lost but does add a little bit of crunch and textural interest. Like the regular Nutribrex these need a serious amount of milk and soaking time to soften them but it's worth it in the end.

I think I probably prefer it to the original overall and now I've got another cereal to feed my addiction to the stuff

Bought at: Asda
Nutrition per 3 biscuit serving: 201 calories, 4.2g fat, 2.2 sat fat, 4.1g sugars, 4.9g protein, 3.8g fibre, 0.22g salt

Score: 8/10

Koele Triple Baked Coconut Chips - Lemon and Chilli

More coconut reviews again today. I am trying to buy other snacks I swear. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from these coconut chips by Koele. I knew they would be a little like the strips of coconut but was interested to see if the addition of a lemon and chilli flavouring would actually deliver that savoury crisp feeling. For a small 30g bag at 130 calories, it feels huge and there are loads in here. I genuinely can’t believe they are 130 calories. Predominantly this is coconut that is tripled baked along the seasoning and coating. It’s gluten free, natural and free of preservatives. 

Opening the bag you get a good hit of aroma with lots of spiciness and a good savoury hit. The pieces are very small flakes, which are very thin and I was a little worried because of their thinness they would just be soft and flaky.

But surprisingly these are really crunchy. They have a good crunch in the mouth, feel very satisfying and actually do deliver that crisp sensation to a certain extent. If I wasn’t looking at them as I put them in my mouth, I could very easily convince myself I was eating shards of crisps. The flavouring is spot on – it’s really punchy and strong flavoured. I’ve found on a lot of these types of products (especially popcorn) the coating is really sporadic and not evenly coated but that’s not the case here. Every piece was bursting with flavour and it actually delivers on the taste it promises.

The lemon and chilli seasoning is actually fairly spicy with a nice, mild heat. Combined with the more subtle lemon it makes for a nice sweet, tangy, spice sensation. It also works very well with the natural coconut tropical taste and whilst there is the potential for this to go too sweet, it stays nice and savoury and salty.

I wasn’t expecting a lot from these but they were really nice. They actually remind me a little of all those lentil crisps or wholegrain waves out in the shops at the moment with a nice light texture with a nice crunch and a good flavour hit.

Price: £1.89

Bought at: Holland and Barrett

Nutrition per bag: 130 calories, 10g fat, 4g sat, 6g sugars, 0.16g salt

Score: 7.5/10

Nakd Carrot Cake Review

I think it’s fair to say when Graze announced their new launches there was a lot of excitement and hype about it. I totally bought into the hype as well as Nakd bars are a particular favourite snack of mine. They’re tasty, healthy, natural and the perfect balance of being light but fairly satisfying for a perfect sweet treat. I straightaway went overboard and got all three of the new flavours  - Peanut Delight, Apricot Crunch and the limited edition Carrot Cake.

The carrot cake was obviously the one I had to start with. Usually I try and save what I think will be my favourite until last but I just couldn’t resist this. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Generally Nakd bars are pretty authentic with their flavours although rhubarb and custard let me down a bit. I’ve also been bitten numerous times by cereal bars and yogurts promising to taste of my favourite desserts and cakes and that not delivering. So would this give me a carrot cake hit?

Like all the Nakd bars, it’s a perfectly simple and natural ingredients list – simply dates (48%) , walnuts (20%), raisins (14%), almonds (10%), cashews (5%), carrots (3%) cinnamon and a bit of natural flavouring. It’s also dairy free, gluten free, wheat free, vegan and one of your five a day. So a pretty healthy choice all round. But of course it needs to be delicious as well.

Opening up and smelling it, my heart did sink a little bit. I couldn’t really detect anything like carrot cake and it just had that familiar date smell of Nakd bars. However, with the first bite my fears were reassured. It does actually taste like carrot cake!!!

I think having things like carrot and cinnamon in the recipe really as the taste is pretty authentic and you get all that lovely sweet, slightly spiced sponge taste of a genuine carrot cake. What makes this work extra well is the texture. It’s that lovely soft but slightly firm chewiness of a Nakd bar but combined with the lovely carrot cake taste it does actually feel like you are eating a carort cake once you start chewing and it breaks down as the bar has a slightly similar mouthfeel.

The high walnut percentage also massively helps in adding to the authenticity with a good amount of little bitesize pieces studded throughout the bar. You can taste and feel the walnut in each mouthful and again they just add to a genuine carrot taste. Myabe it was my imagination but I swear even a slightly sweetened iced topping was dancing around in the background.

In a nutshell, I loved these. Nakd have got the flavour spot on. It’s delicious, healthy and in my opinion has an authentic carrot cake taste. In all honesty, I can’t see these staying as limited edition. People are already going wild for them and I think they’ll sell well. I really hope it gets added to the range permanently!

Nutrition per bar: 148 calories, 7.6g fat, 0.7g sat, fat, 15.6g sugars, 2.8g protein, <0.1g salt

Score: 9/10

Pulsin Pea Protein Isolate

Although I am well on board the protein trend, this is the first protein powder I’ve bought. I am definitely not someone who is a stereotypical bodybuilder and primarily protein for me is about nutrition and overall holistic wellbeing rather than about big arms and a restrictive diet full of shakes and bars. I’ve always been put off protein powders a little bit as they seem so scientific and therefore not real food. However, I recently purchased this bag of pea protein from Pulsin who also make bars I like as well the Beond bars I’ve reviewed previously.

This is literally essentially just a bag of pea protein isolate, which essentially is a pea flour/ dust but it terms out peas actually quite a lot of protein. This powder is 82% protein with just 0.8% carbs and per 10g spoonful you get 8.2g protein – about the same as an egg.

It’s a completely natural, additive free protein source that is suitable for vegan and is free from soya, dairy, gluten and is non gm. There isn’t a freefrom box it doesn’t tick! It’s also a source of amino acids and vitamins A, B6 and C. Pouring it out it’s a bright green colour and you can kind of smell a trace of peas with a very floury texture.

The brand suggests it can be used in smoothies, porridge and juices so I went and used it a Nutribullet. I kept it quite simple and used a big heaped teaspoon of the powder along with a handful of blueberries, half a banana and a little almond milk  and water and whizzed it up.

The great thing about a Nutribullet is how thoroughly it blends everything so the pea protein got completely lost in the smoothie and therefore wasn’t noticeable with all the sweetness of the fruit but added a good dollop of protein to my drink. Although the powder is apparently unflavoured, I have noticed it does have a quite savoury pea tone, which means depending on what else you put in your smoothie, you might get a background taste of it as it isn’t neutral.

However, so long as you don’t try and put too much powder in and add in lots of flavour, this isn’t usually a problem and it’s a great way to add protein to your smoothies in a natural, plant based way. I’m sure there’s lots of other things I could do with it like adding it into soups (imagine it would work very well here) or even adding to pasta sauces to balance out a quite carb heavy meal with some protein.

The bag is also well designed and resealable and the perfect size at 250g vs those hulking big sport protein powders that you have to shove your hand in to get a scoop and then ends up getting dust everywhere.

I can imagine this would be a very useful product for vegetarians or those struggling to get enough protein.

Bought at: Wholefoods Market

Nutrition per 10g: 35 calories, 8.2g protein, 0.2g fat, 0g sat fat, 0g sugars, 0.38g salt

Score: 7 /10

Meridian Cashew Bar Review

Meridian are the kings of nut butter - they're my staple brand as I love they are made with just 100% of any given nut with no added palm oil, salt or sugar and if it's almond or cashew butter for example, it is properly almonds and cashews and not bulked out with cheaper nuts. They also have a bar range and again a high nut content is the key focus. In this cashew bar for example it is 55% cashew nut so considerably more than mainstream brands that promise nut flavour and then are like 3% nuts.

This 40g bar contains 6g protein and there is no added refined sugar with the sweetness coming from brown rice malt, agave and some fruit juices. This ingredients is short and clean and its made with Meridian's cashew butter, which I love anyway so it all looked pretty promising.

It's a fairly decent sized bar and at around the 200 calorie mark, a more substantial snack as well. Opening it up it smelt like a nut butter and has a greasy film to it which was a good sign in my work suggesting the natural oils from the nuts. This bar has a soft, chewy texture with a reasonable density but it's pretty easy to eat and feels pretty energising.

The taste is pretty much cashew butter. It's really not a sweet bar in anyway and the cashew butter is very prominent. There is a little vanilla flavouring in there but it doesn't come through and overall lacks a little excitement. It's a very tasty bar, it's healthy and I would buy it again but it's not one I would go out of my way to search for as the taste is pretty one dimensional and they're pretty pricey. However, it is satisfying with a nice texture and filled me up nicely in a natural way so is perfect for an energy boost.

Price: £1.59
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per bar: 201 calories, 12.1g fat,2.4g sat fat, 8.7g sugars,2g fibre, 6.2g protein

Score: 7/10