Arla Protein Greens Mango, Kale and Lime Yogurt Review

I've long been a fan of the Arla Protein yogurts of which I've reviewed several (passion fruit, raspberry, vanilla, ginger) so was delighted to see a new variant on the shelf, intriguingly subtitled Protein Greens that is mango and kale flavoured.

Like all the rest of the range, its super high in protein with 20g per pot and for only 155 calories and its low fat. I've no problem with greens or veg in my yogurt after enjoying some of the new Waitrose vegetable yogurts but I love the thick clagginess of the Arla range and its high protein content so was very keen to try this.

The first thing I noticed is that the texture seemed a little looser than the standard raspberry, blueberry and strawberry ones. This might be because the product has no sugar in it but is instead sweetened with fruit juice like the vanilla and ginger yogurts. I'm not sure if the juice adds a bit of liquid that makes the thickness of the quark slightly diluted. It is still super thick and creamy though, more than any other yogurt , just not as quite as much as the standard Arla Protein products.

Flavour wise, any veg haters will have no problem with this. It's just a sweet fruity mango flavour, that comes through. It's delicious but a bit of shame not too get a bit of kale bitterness in. I was hoping for a green smoothie type of flavour (yes I'm weird).

The kale is a bit misleading really. It's way down the ingredients list so really doesn't add anything. It's a another delicious and high protein product but it's really just a mango variant. As the texture is slightly less thick than the other flavours I'll probably buy more of them but I would still get this again.

For those interested in macros, this version is slightly higher in sugars with 15g per pot vs 12g in some of the other flavours but with the same 20g protein.

Price: £1.25
Bought at: Asda
Nutrition per pot: 155 calories, 1.1g fat, 1.0g sat fat, 15 sugars, 20.2g protein, 0.16g salt

Score: 8/10

Pastella Protein Pasta

Pasta = carbs = bad right? Well firstly I completely disagree carbs are bad and would never want to rule them out of my life. However, I do acknowledge that a big bowl of pasta isn't necessarily the most nutritionally rounded meal you could have. So how about some protein pasta to up the protein content of your meal, leave you fuller for longer and all from plant based sources?

This little gem I stumbled across accidentally in Waitrose and I'm really impressed by it. Packing a whopping 21g of protein in each 125g it all comes from the added pea protein so a great way to up your non animal protein and perfect for vegans and vegetarians. In addition the ingredients list is uper clean with just durum wheat flour, pea protein and wheat flour. There's no added salt or sugar.

It only takes 2-3 minutes in boiling water to cook and I had mine with some beetroot pesto and salad to up the veggie credentials further and it's really nice. The texture is a little different to normal pasta, a little softer, a little less chewy but not enough to question it much. There is no taste whatsoever from the pea protein and because of the 21g protein it just seems a lot more filling and healthier for you.

I'm completely sold on this product and definitely intend to use regularly in the future.

Price: £1.25
Bought at: Waitrose
Score: 9/10

SCI MX Pro2Go Protein Cookie Oatmeal and Raisin

I'm not normally one for proper protein bars and cookies. I do look for protein in my snacks but prefer it to feel more natural. This kind of protein product always feels a bit steriody bodybuilder for my liking. I've bought things like Quest bars in the past, which everyone raves about but I just find them so artificial.

This promises a whopping 23g protein and promises to deliver it in cookie form. Sounds too good to be true. I wasn't sure what to expect and when opened up, initially I thought it didn't have that proper cookie with a kind of anaemic colour and texture and odd slightly artificial milky smell (from the protein). It's also very soft - soft enough to smush with your thumb but it also holds together - it's not a dry, crumbly cookie but instead quite like a dough.

However, it actually taste pretty decent for a protein cookie and a million times nicer than the likes of Quest bar. It's not as good as a real cookie but it doesn't taste overly sweet or artificial and it's not chalky or hard going to eat.

It's a nice soft eat with a mild sweetness and generic oat taste. The raisins are nice and sweet and juicy and with a good mix of spices (cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and caraway), it's actually fairly tasty. I guess my only concern is the use of artificial sweetness sucralose but having said that it's lower in sugars than a cookie and the ingredients list is quite short for this kind of product.With the whopping 23g protein (albeit at a hefty 300 calories) it's got to be better than a standard biscuit. Not necessarily my kind of thing but one for weightlifters for sure

Nutrition per cookie: 300 calories, 9.2g fat, 3.3g sat fat, 5.3g sugars, 23g protein, 0.53g salt

Warburtons Protein Wraps

Generally I often find 'protein' branded products are all hype and whilst they may contain a little extra protein, they're generally not that good for you or that necessary. However, I have to say I was really quite impressed by these protein wraps from Warburtons.

Each one contains a pretty impressive 10g of protein - that's more than an egg and it's coming from plant sources as well. Wholemeal flour is a natural source of protein anyway but this then has additional plant based protein from pulses in the form of chickpea flour, pea protein and navy bean flour. Pulses are also excellent sources of fibre and as well as being protein, the wraps are high fibre with 5g each. They're not labelled as vegan but appear to be although are made in a factory that uses milk.

They definitely feel very different to normal wraps when both handling them and eating them. They're maybe a little stiffer, slightly less soft and feel a bit more wholesome. In some ways they remind me of the texture of gluten free wraps. But this isn't a criticism. I actually really like the flavour and texture of these - they feel more substantial, more wholegrain and I guess if you're after just a delicious wrap and not interested in health these might be a bit worthy but I think they're tastier than normal wraps due to the nuttier flavour and the texture the pulses bring.

Keeping it plant based I filled mine with roasted red peppers, onions, hummus and pumpkin seeds and it made for a delicious lunch and felt more filling yet also lighter than a normal wrap. I imagine these would be great for vegetarian burritos as well and something I will continue to buy.

Price: £1.27
Bought at: Morrisons
Nutrition per wrap: 184 calories, 3.3g fat, 0.8g sat fat, 2.4g sugars, 10.2g protein, 5g fibre, 0.67 salt

Score: 8.5/10

Aldi 0% Fat Greek Yogurt Review

After liking the genuine Greek yogurt from Aldi I tried earlier in the way it seems they listened to one criticism of wanting a 0% fat variant as well. I know fat isn't bad but it's great to have a fat free option as well so long as it's not full of sugar.

And this isn't. With a minimal 3.5g sugars per 100g, no fat, a whopping 10g protein per 100g and all for 62 calories, this product is a nutritional powerhouse. It's really useful for someone wanting to up their protein intake especially if you don't eat meat.

For a fat free product, you wouldn't know it's fat free - it's super thick, super creamy and tastes rich. It's also genuine Greek yogurt from Greece, not Greek style and oh did I mention it's a mere £1.39. I had it with some cocoa nibs and some Graze protein granola topping for lots of good stuff in the guise of a tasty dessert and it was lovely but would be just as good for fruit or with cereal for breakfast as well or adding protein to a smoothie.

I'll admit Aldi isn't my favourite shopper as their health offering isn't as varied, expansive or as interesting as other places but for healthy basics like this, you can't fault them.

Bought at: Aldi
Price: £1.39

Arla Skyr Rhubarb and Beetroot

Skyr is maybe my favourite brand of yogurt (although I do like a lot of yogurts) and the fact it's lower in sugar than most other yogurts, really high in protein and super thick means it's a staple in my fridge. But they've just upped their game yet again with two new yogurts with vegetables in!

Now this sounds slightly odd but in reality it's no different to the mixed veg and fruit smoothies you can get which are predominantly more sweet and the veg they've used is sweeter types you find in juices as well. There's an apple, carrot and ginger one and this rhubarb and beetroot one. In addition to being high in protein and with some veg, these ones have no added sugar with sweetness only coming from grape juice, the fruit and natural sugars in the yogurt.

Texture wise, I might have imagined it but this seemed slightly looser and not as thick as other skyr (particularly the plain one) although the protein content is similar. This might be the fact it uses grape juice rather than sugar to sweeten so the liquid might make it seem a bit runnier. But don't get me wrong, this is still miles thicker than most other yogurts and definitely wouldn't be seen as runny.

Flavour wise, if I ate this with granola, it just tastes like a nice rhubarb yogurt with a slightly sweet flavour that isn't sugary or overly sweet but slightly tart and quite refreshing. If you eat it on its own, the beetroot becomes noticeable with a definite beetroot aftertaste with its earthiness. I really liked it but then I like things like smoothies with beetroot in. Overall despite being a veg yogurt you couldn't call it bitter and it is still a nice sweet yogurt - albeit one with a more unusual and polarising taste that I really enjoyed.

Price: £1.80
Bought at: Tesco

Score: 8/10

Aldi Greek Yogurt Review

After being really impressed the Aldi Domio Yogurts, I decided to give their Greek yogurt a go. The first key thing for me was that this is authentic, actual Greek yogurt not those 'Greek Style yogurts'. At £1.29 for a 500g tub vs the £2.39 I would normally pay for Fage Greek yogurt, I thought I had nothing to lose.

Opening the tub I was met with the thickest, most dense, creamy yogurt - proper hold a spoon upright yogurt. It scoops out beautifully and feel substantial and rich and creamy. I tried a little on its own and both the flavour and mouthfeel were perfect. Smooth, super thick, rich and creamy , it's really indulgent in texture with a smooth flavour that isn't too sharp. You can tell it's proper Greek yogurt.

I had mine with some fruit for breakfast along with nuts and chia seeds (all very healthy and worthy!) and it's super substantial and filling. Because this is real Greek yogurt and the full fat stuff it's very satisfying. Taste wise, I would say it's actually as good as Fage Total and actually slightly creamier and a bit less claggy.

However, whilst I enjoyed it, I think Fage still has a slight edge for me just based on nutritionals. Sugar wise the Aldi Greek yogurt is brilliant at just 3.2% sugar (all of which is natural from lactose) making it lower than Fage and the lowest sugar yogurt I've ever seen. However, Fage also do a fat free version and I would prefer a fat free version where a serving isn't 9.5g of saturated fat. I know natural fat from dairy isn't seen as bad any more but I do prefer my yogurt to be not so high in fat. Even the full fat Fage yogurt only has 3.6g sat fat in 100g whereas this has 7.6g.

The other selling point of Fage is its protein - 9% protein vs the 6.4% protein per 100g in this. It's a tough one really as overall I would definitely recommend this yogurt - it tastes delicious, is natural, authentically Greek and a great price but would prefer to see a lower fat, higher protein version.

Price: £1.29
Bought at: Aldi
Nutrition per 125g serving: 165 calories, 13g fat, 9.5g sat fat, 4g sugars, 0.25g salt

Score: 7.5/10

Pret Protein Packed Superbowl

Expensive as it is, I do like to treat myself to a Pret now and then and like the fact they are first with new trends and offer genuinely healthy lunches on the go. The new protein packed superbowl caught my eye today as I was in need of a less carby lunch following a carb heavy breakfast and this ticked the box nicely.

It's all simple real food. Chargrilled chicken and egg form the protein basis and it's on a bed of lentils and quinoa - both pulses known for being good vegetarian protein as well as low GI. Chuck in some healthy fats from avocado, superfood spinach and then parsley, peas and lemon juice for flavour and a seed mix for crunch and extra protein and you've got a rock solid nutritional lunch right there.

Is it the most exciting taste ever? No, it is as you expect simple wholefoods but they do all taste great and complement each other nicely if not setting your taste buds nicely. What I like about Pret is that it tastes fresh. The avocado is firm but ripe and very creamy rather than mushy, the leaves aren't wilted but perky and crisp and the chicken in particular is very flavoursome and tender rather than the nasty stuff you get in cheap pre-packed salads.

It's just a good tasting healthy lunch and it really kept me going. I also bought a bag of kale crisps from there and this tided me over until dinner time with no need to snack. I can't afford to spend £5 on a salad every day but it was a good fit for me today.

Price: £4.99

Bought at: Pret A Manger

Nutrition per bowl: 411 calories, 16.9g fat, 3.9g sat fat, 3.6g sugars, 32.7g protein, 1.3g salt

Score: 7.3

Bounce Protein Energy Bites Cacao and Orange

I've reviewed plenty of the bounce balls before and I am a big fan of them even if they are expensive. I just find them a really convenient post or pre exercise calorie dense ball and I love their ridiculously chewy, heavy and close texture. They're feel satisfying and a good source of protein. They've now expanded into a range of snacking bags called bounce bites - available in three flavours: coconut and cranberry, sweet and salty almond and these cacao and orange ones.

The principle is sound -take an existing product and make mini bites of it in a sharing bag - it's something that seems to work for Cadbury and chocolate and cakes so why not for healthier snacks too. This 90g sharing bag has a recommended 3 x 30g servings and nutritionally they're pretty good with each serving giving you 6.6g protein, 7.4g sugars and 129 calories and apparently a good mix of fat, protein and carbs. There's no refined sugar and is made up of your usual cashews, whey protein, dried fruit and seeds etc.

I was expecting little mini versions of bounce balls so was surprised by the flat disc shapes of the bites, which were uniform in shape rather than the squashed irregular shape of Bounce Balls. Biting into my first one I have to admit these are a bit of a disappointment and not as good as bounce balls. The taste is right and I get the cacao and orange - although worth noting this is a healthier wholefoods chocolatey orangey taste rather than a treat version. The taste is actually pretty good but the texture is all wrong.

Rather than the dense fudginess and chewiness of Bounce balls these are dry and kind of dusty tasting and a little tough. I'm also a little confused by the size of the bag, 90g is too much but then the serving sizes are quite small and 129 calories and 6.6g protein is less than a standard bounce  balls so not as good after exercise. A sharing bag also seems odd for a food I associate with after the gym. I think I'd just rather have a bounce ball.

Price: £2.99
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per 30g: 129 calories, 6.3g fat, 2g sat fat, 7.4g sugars, 6.6g protein

Aldi Domio Blueberry Yogurt

After being really rather impressed by the passion fruit Danio yogurt copycat by Aldi, I decided to give the blueberryone a whirl as well. I've made no secret that when it comes to yogurt I like high protein ones that super thick and the Aldi Domio yogurts do just this with a high protein content and a thickness that stands up to my 'hold a spoon upright unsupported' test.

Blueberry is also my favourite fruit and a favourite yogurt flavour of mine. Something about tart, plain yogurt and its creaminess just complements the sweetness of berries.  Now this is more of a jammy compote at the bottom so does have some added sugar and it is quite sweet and sticky but I fully expected this as that is what you get with Danio yogurts.

Once again this fully delivers and in my opinion is probably just as good the brand. The top is wonderfully creamy and also a dense but mousse like airiness that makes it feel indulgent and more a dessert than a yogurt. The blueberry compote is sweet but not overly so and when eating with the creamy yogurt almost tastes like a cheesecake without the base. There were also lots of whole bits of blueberry in there as well, which held their shape rather than disintegrating.

At 39p a pot and with a high protein content and fat free, I am fully sold on these yogurts. They taste great and whilst the sugar is a little high, you can always choose to leave some of the compote rather than mix it all in. These are likely to become a regular evening snack for me

Price: £0.39
Bought at: Aldi
Nutrition per pot: <0.5g fat, <0.1g sat fat, 16 sugars, 0.12g salt

Score: 8/10

Tesco Smoked Ham Egg Omlette Wrap

So if you follow any diet trends, bread and carbs are very much out and protein is in. Everyone seems to be adding more protein to their products from cereals to yogurts but Tesco have comepletely written the rules on sandwiches and wraps by ditching all the bread completely and instead making an omlette wrap. It's certainly different and caught my eye when looking for something that would fill me up and sustain me.

Inside of a standard wrap, the filling is held together by an egg crepe.Eggs obviously mean protein and to up it even a more the filling is protein based with smoked ham and yet more egg! There's also a bit of carrot, spinach and tomato chucked in there to try and add some veg into quite an egg and animal based product and then some full fat cream cheese to add some much needed moistness and again to make it even more filling. What this adds up to is a product that is 13% protein and only 3.8% carbs. Per pack that works out at as a total of 6.3g carbs and a whopping 21g protein for 226 calories.

I wasn't sure what to expect. The first doubt I had is whether an omlette wrap would even hold together and keep the filling inside. Actually it works pretty well, it didn't rip at all, the filling stayed in and it holds together nicely although it is slightly strange holding an omelette as the vehicle to get it to your mouth.

On a taste perspective, it's not bad. I wouldn't go as far as to say delicious and if you're after something tasty, you'd be better off with a normal sandwich but if you pick this you're probably after protein and nutrition not taste. It's maybe a little dry. When you get a good blob of cream cheese it really helps so a bit more of this wouldn't go amiss. However, it tastes nice enough and I guess the best way of putting it is that it tastes of a cold omlette - make of that what you will. I certainly think it's quite original and it's great Tesco are responding to what people are looking for.

Price: £2.35
Bought at:Tesco
Nutrition per pack: 226 calories, 12.4g fat, 5.3g sat fat, 6.3g carbs, 2.5g sugar, 21.6g protein, 1.1g salt

Score: 7/10

Bounce Cacao Mint Protein Ball Review

I'm well and truly obsessed with bounce balls these days despite their extortionate price. It's not even because they're convenient or because they pack a good hit of nutrition and protein in an energy packet that's great post gym, I just love the texture of them. It is definitely polarising and either you love they're chewy, extremely dense and almost solid fudginess or it's completely unpalatable for you. I'm definitely in the former - I love it's just as much an exercise for your jaw to eat as it is to fuel your actual exercise.

Almond is probably still my favourite one at the moment as it's marzipan-esque tastes just complements the density so well but I decided to branch out and give the cacao and mint one a whirl. Again, it's a nutritious snack with 10g of protein coming from whey and pea proteins and rice bran and it's also high in unsaturated fats, fibre and vitamin E with a good whack of sunflower seeds blended in too. At 9g sugar per ball, it's definitely a lot less sugary than most snacks and you are getting a good dose of other nutrients as well.

Opening it up, like all other bounce ballsm it's squat, small and dense and you intially think this won't be fillling. How wrong you are to think that. With a super high density and chewiness not only do they take a good while to munch your way, they feel filling too. Chocolate and mint is obviously a classic combination so I was interested to see how this would translate into a healthy snack especially with the attractive cacao nibs studded around the ball.

It's definitely delicious but more on the minty side. Not overpoweringly or tooth paste minty but because of the reduced sweetness it's not as chocolatey as say an after eight. It also uses cocoa for the chocolate hit which is much more understated and earthy than actual chocolate. It still tastes delicious and whilst almond is still my favourite bounce ball, I would happily eat this again.

Price: £1.99
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per ball: 176 calories, 7g fat, 2.1g sat fat, 9g sugars, 2.7g fibre, 10g protein, 0.43g salt

Score: 8/10

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

Nature Valley Protein Salted Caramel Review

I used to really enjoy Nature Valley bars back in the day and bought them all the time. A nice, crunchy texture, pleasantly sweet and flavours I really like such as coconut, almond or maple syrup. However, with all the new bars and breakfast biscuits that came out, they fell off my radar completely and with over 10g sugar a bar, healthier alternatives also came out.

Since then they’ve launched new lighter popcorn bars and also protein bars, which I never tried. The protein bars seem to have undergone a rebranding with more protein per (10g) and are now gluten free and they have introduced a salted caramel version, which I decided to try.

Opening it up, it looked promising – it’s a big dense, heavy bar with a very high nut content (38% peanuts and 9% almonds) and an attractive yogurt type bottom layer. It tastes really good with a sweet, salty flavour although it doesn’t really taste of salted caramel per se and the caramel didn’t really come through for me. The texture was very firm and a bit of a jawbreaker, which wasn’t a deal breaker as it made the bar feel satisfying and substantial although it is quite a dry eat so a hot drink does help.

I have mixed feelings about its healthiness. Its gluten free, 10g protein and actually a really good fibre content too at over 5g a bar and actually it’s low in sugar too at just over5g bar so significantly less than other bars and with high protein, fibre, it feels like an all round better snack.

But then I look at the ingredients and it just uses too many things which seem a bit odd like fructose, palm fat, maltodextrin and put me off but then again they use a lot of nuts so I don’t understand why they would then compromise on quality here.

If I felt more reassured that these were healthier, I’d rate them a little higher. However, it is filling and tasty and certainly better than anything from the likes of Kelloggs or things like Alpen bars.

Price: £2.89

Bought at: Waitrose

Nutrition per bar: 200 calories, 12.3g fat, 3.1g  sat fat, 5.4g sugars, 5.1g fibre, 10.3g protein, 0.43g salt

Score: 7.5/10

Marks and Spencer Spirit of Summer - Crayfish, Rice and Quinoa Protein Pot

Protein is in as we all know and protein pots are one of the trendy new products in all the supermarkets following them being introduced in the likes of Pret. The protein pot isn't a full lunch or a snack but a little pot focused on protein typically 200 calories or under and also popular with the 5:2 diet crowd. Protein pots typically started out as basically pots of ready hardboiled eggs with some spinach in but as Pret and restaurants continue to innovate, M&S continues to try new things with a crayfish, rice and protein pot.

It's 134 calories and currently included in the Spirit of Summer lunch/sandwich meal deal as a snack option - definitely a more nutritious choice than a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar (although probably less enjoyable). Quinoa is a grain with more protein than others and also very on trend and then you also have the crayfish and some edamame beans for some more protein in the pot.

There's also a bit of spinach and some salad leaves and to make the whole thing more enjoyable a coconut, lime and chilli dressing. If I'm honest it's not the most exciting thing to eat in the world but it is tasty and a very easy way to get a boost of protein. The dressing, like most I have tried at M&S, just works and brings the whole thing to life. With exotic, creamy coconut, zingy lime and a bit of mild heat, it saturates the rice and quinoa giving the whole thing a very light, summery and uplifting feel.

It is also more filling than any other snacks as a result of the protein so perfect for everyone looking to make a healthier choice although it's hard to choose this when M&S have so many other delicious (and naughty!) goodies.

Bought at: M&S
Nutrition: 134 calories per pot

Score: 7/10

CocoPro High Protein Coconut Water

Coconut water is still on trend. Protein drinks are still on trend. Combine the two and you’ve got an ultra trendy product. This high protein coconut water from CocoPro adds whey protein isolate to coconut drink for a coconut water with a whopping 20g of protein. Protein is obviously essential for exercise and coconut water is famed as a great rehydrator as well so this is a gold star product for after training.

In addition the product contains some grape juice concentrate and stevia for sweetness but there is no refined sugar and in total it is only 2.8% sugars which is significantly lower than juices and many other drinks. There’s also a touch of vanilla flavouring which I guess is to counteract the whey protein taste in a similar way many protein powders are flavoured.

Pouring it out I was shocked by the colour. As a small 330ml carton you would usually drink straight from the carton so it was a bit unnerving to see such an odd coloured product. My first sip was also really strange – it tasted neither of the refreshing taste of coconut water or the creamy milkshake like flavour of other protein drinks. Instead it an odd, almost bitter and sharp taste with a quite strong vanilla flavour that clashed.

However, once used to this very different taste, I really enjoyed it. It’s a strange mix of creamy, dairy and coconut water which seem odd together at first but was tasty. It’s got quite a chalky texture and is quite drying in the mouth but it wasn’t dislikeable. It’s probably not something for the mainstream or for when you want a delicious drink but for its prime purpose after sport, it works. Very strong nutritionals, natural ingredients in a satisfying drink in an easy on the go format.

Price:  £2.79

Bought at: Holland and Barrett

Nutrition per carton: 137 calories, no fat, 9.1g sugars, 20.2g protein, 0.1g salt

Score: 7.5/10

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