Aldi Foodie Market Veggie Burst Review

It's January and we're all trying to eat healthier. Luckily I tend to be healthy most of the time so I don't really go overboard over Christmas. I'd rather eat in moderation 12 months of the year so I can still have treats in January rather than swing back and forth between dieting and splurging.

One nice thing about everyone else wanting to eat healthily in January though is it means all the shops have loads of tasty healthy snacks in, including Aldi. I spied their take on a Graze box at the tills for the ridiculously cheap price of I *think* 30 something pence. Considering a Graze punnet is over £1, this is really good value.

Like Graze, this is a mix of healthy ingredients (cashews, almonds and edamame beans but with a tasty twist with salt and black pepper cashews and spicy paprika almonds. It's pure, natural ingredients and a really good source of protein with between 5 and 6g per pouch.  It tastes really nice with a good spicy flavour, a good combination of textures and flavours and the portion size is spot on  - filling and satisfying but also energising with a wholesome feel.

The pouch format isn't as nice as Graze's little punnets but at this price , who would complain?!

Bought at: Aldi
Score: 8/10

Meridian Coconut and Almond Butter Review

Anyone into their nut butters know that Meridian is king. These are nut butters made purely from buts with no added salt or sugar and 100% almond/ peanut/ hazelnut etc depending on the flavour you pick. Free from palm oil, you can't knock their quality and I'm a die hard fan of their almond, peanut, hazelnut and cashew butters all of which I've enjoyed on toast, bagels, oatcakes and in smoothies.

Capitalising on the love of all things coconut, they've introduced a coconut and peanut butter and coconut and almond butter mash up to the range Like the rest of the range, the ingredients list is stunnigly simple - 67% almonds, 29% coconut and 4% honey for sweetening. I had high hopes for this and couldn't wait to get stuck in.

Because of its natural ingredients, this, like all the other Meridian products, needs a vigorous good stir to blend when you first open it as the natural almond oil seperates and rises to the top but this isn't a problem for me. I got the scent of coconut and with the high almond content, it looked deliciously creamy and thick

Spreading some onto some oatcakes for a little energy boost, the texture is fairly thick with a slight runniness - maybe a little looser than their peanut butter but thicker than the hazelnut butter. It's rich and creamy in the mouth and whilst the coconut is obvious and fragrant, you do still get the almond richness as well so you get the best of both blends.

I'll admit I expected these to be the most luxurious nut butter I've ever had but whilst very nice it's no better than the rest of the range (not that that's a bad thing). It's not as sweet as I would have maybe liked so doesn't feel super indulgent or naughty but then again it's really a healthy product - albeit one that tastes divine.

Definitely one worth seeking out but perhaps not as treaty as some of the nut butters that contain maple syrup or cinnamon or blended with chocolate.

Price: £3.99
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per 100g: 647 calories, 56.1g fat, 19.9g sat fat, 7.6 sugars, 11.6g fibre, 19.1g protein, 0g salt

Score: 7.5/10

Marks and Spencer Spirit of Summer Chimichurri Nuts

Back to the Spirit of Summer range from M&S today. I’ve been pretty impressed with the summer range mostly because the flavours really appeal to me – all modern, on trend, exotic with a focus on spice and lightness. It’s a bit more spice with these chimichurri mixed nuts; chimichurri being a South American zesty and herby sauce with a chilli kick.

It’s M&S so the quality of ingredients is pretty good – all the nuts were prime pieces, no broken bits or shattered crumbs, just whole deliciously crunchy pieces with tones of flavour in themselves. I really believe it’s worth paying more for nuts if you’re going to just snack on them raw as the flavour is so much better. Once you’ve tried them, you do notice cheaper ones are more stale and rancid.

It’s a really interesting mix of cashews, jumbo peanuts, macadamias and almonds with a good equal mix of all the ingredients rather than being bulked out with cheap peanuts. They’ve been roasted and you can tell as the flavour is enhanced and you can really taste the individual nuts flavour and distinguish even against the seasoning.

The seasoning is perfectly proportioned with every nut covered in its spicy, zingy taste but even though it’s got a lot of flavour, you do also get the taste of the nut. If I’m honest the chimichurri flavouring isn’t the most delicious spicing I’ve ever tried but it is tasty, just not as exciting even though it’s fairly spicy. Definitely a tasty mix overall and perfect for a little snack bag for dipping in and out of or for nibbles with drinks before a meal.

Price; £3.50

Bought at: Marks and Spencer

Nutrition per 30g:  173 calories, 14g fat, 2.1g sat fat, 2.2g sugars, 0.35g salt

Score: 7/10

Graze Veggie Protein Power

I buy the Graze Punchy Protein nuts so often now, they’re delicious, filling and good for you and it’s great to have an alternative to crisps for snacking on that contains so much protein. They also have this Veggie Protein Power punnet which is in the same vein and promises 7g natural protein. This mix contains black pepper cashew nuts, spicy chickpeas and edamame beans. 

As usual, I just left the packaging. Perfect sized portions which are skimpy but just right for a light nibble. They’re easy to carry around and the design is lovely and stands out. Everything is high quality as usual with no damaged, dry, brittle or hard pieces and everything was in great condition.

This is another nice mix. The edamame beans are the least interesting element but still tasty with a nice soft crunch and they take on a bit of the chickpea coating. The chickpeas are delicious with a nice mild heat and all were the perfect texture – no overly hard ones to damage your teeth on! The coating is tasty with a nice chilli dusting. The star of this punnet though is the black pepper cashews. Delicious creamy cashews in a peppery coating that is just moreish with a nice savoury hit. I just wish there were more of these in a punnet as it is predominantly the chickpeas and edamame.

It’s a fairly filling little snack for 132 calories and with less salt than your average bag of crisps and the 7g protein, a good choice for a mid morning or mid afternoon snack. Frankly they’re a perfect nibble any time of the day

Price: £1.19

Bought at: Boots

Nutrition per punnet: 132 calories, 6.7g fat, 1.1g sat fat, 6.9g protein, 0.9 sugars, 0.25 salt

Score: 7.5/10

Elephant Food Superfood Snack Nuttin' But Energy Megamix

You can't beat a good bag of trail mix for just carrying around for a little munch on when you're out and about or just something you can dip your hand into at the office or at home. However, I'm fed up of those standard boring bags of just raisins, sultanas with a few nuts (usually cheap peanuts) thrown in. So when I saw this mix by Elephant Food, the combination blew my mind,

This instead is the far more exotic sounding mix of raw cacao nibs, raw brazil nuts, cashews, roasted tamari almonds, sunflower seeds and toasted buckwheat clusters covered in 70% cacao dark chocolate, What an absolutely intriguing and original idea. The Elephant Food superfood snack range comes in little 30g individual satchets for eating in one or, as I bought, larger 100g bags that are also resealable.

Looking into the bag I was really impressed by the wide range of things going on. This is one bag where they haven't skimped and there's a really even mix of the ingredients. All the nuts and seeds are good quality and it's a really fantastic mix of textures and flavours with no two handfuls being the same. The star of the show I have to say is the dark choc coated buckwheat clusters - they are seriously good and addictive. Buckwheat is a low GI grain and it's crunchy texture pairs perfectly with the 70% cocoa choc which has just the right level of sweetness but also a dark intensity that marries beautifully with the buckwheat but also when you eat a piece along with the nuts and seeds. Frankly I could really happily buy a bag of these just by themselves.

The tamari almonds have a slight saltiness to them which also works fantastically with the other flavours. There's just so much going on with these and I found as well as eating from the bag by the handful it made a nice topping for yogurt or porridge as well. It's a genuinely healthy snack with the magnesium and minerals from the nuts and seeds, great for boosting your energy, and even with the choc buckwheat clusters, the product is only 6.3% sugars or only 3.2g per serving. It's also a good source of fibre and plant protein.

The bag is also resealable which I appreciate helping keep things fresh but also making it perfect to carry out and about with you without the fear of fishing seeds from the bottom of the bags. This is a top quality snack and really quite unlike any other trail mix I've seen. I'd be interested in trying more from Elephant Food

Price: £2.49
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per serving: 269 calories, 18g fat, 5.5g sat fat, 3.2g sugars, 4.3g fibre, 7.7g protein, 0.01g salt

Score: 8/10

Foodie Market Natural Seed Mix (Aldi)

This is a very short review as this is a very simple product. I picked this seed mix up in Aldi for the absolute bargain price of 65p. It's nothing complex - just sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, goji berries and pine nuts. Nothing artificial or nasty, just clean, natural ingredients.

I liked the fact it's just a small 100g bag as, much as I like this kind of product, it's not something I want to keep eating loads of so it means you can get through it without getting bored of it.

Everything in it was very fresh and of high quality. The seeds were crunchy and crisp and the berries soft and plump, not shrivelled up and dried out. The ratio is done well too. Enough berries for sweetness but not so much that this becomes overly sugary. I will definitely pick these up again. Perfect pack size and perfect price.

Price: 65p
Available: Aldi

Pros: Healthy, natural, good price, good pack size
Cons: Pack isn't resealable

Score: 7/10

Marks and Spencer Garam Masala Spiced Nut Mix

I am always on the lookout for healthier snacks and particularly enjoy finding new treats that are still nutritious to review. When I spotted these garam masala spiced nuts in M&S, I was intrigued by something I hadn't ever seen before. Nuts, nutritious as they are, tend to be pretty plain and not exciting.

This mix is again part of the summer of flavour range and promises an interesting blend of sesame seed coated cashews, spiced peanuts, roasted chickpeas and dried coconut slices. Just looking at the mix through the bright, funky bag reveals a mish mash of shapes and colours.

A lovely aromatic scent arose from the bag upon opening and pouring some out revealed the quality of ingredients. You recognise the components and the nuts, seeds and chickens provide a real energy and nutrient boost.

But these are tasty as well as healthy. The mix is covered in all manner of spices from cumin and lemongrass to kaffir lime leaves and coriander. Of course there's also some chilli present but these aren't in the least bit hot - just huge hitting flavour with lots of crunch. These are as addictive as crisps and I would happily get these out for social occasions.

The sesame seed cashews are the highight of the mix. Slicked in the sweet flavour with lots of crunch, although they do have a tendency to stick together. However, all the elements are extremely moreish and the coconut adds fragrance too. It's a totally addictive bag and has made me eager to seek out more of these nut and seed mixtures that have added flavours.

Price: £2
Available: Marks and Spencer

Pros: Unusual, exciting flavour, nutritious, reasonably well priced. Something new
Cons: Would be nice if the bag was resealable

Score: 7/10