Leon The Ruby Red Porridge Review

Pret is always my go to when grabbing a breakfast on the go but on my latest venture through Birmingham New St, I decided to give Leon a while purely on the base of this new ruby red porridge they've introduced. It's dairy free and made with cashew milk instead along with organic oats. Cashew milk is one of my favourite nut milk and I've made porridge with it myself and it's delicious so thought this was onto a winner.

In addition it comes a strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry compote and a splodge of almond butter for even more nutty goodness. Mine didn't come out anywhere near as pretty as the store photo but it smelt yummy and looked good. I also bought an americano and was pleased to see Leon offer cute glass bottles of almond milk you can add to it for a dairy free option.

My goodness, this porridge is amazing! Something about the thick, stickiness of almond butter in conjunction with a sweet compote that is so fruity works amazingly. It feels so naughty and indulgent yet it's all wholefoods. The porridge itself is creamy and warming and just all comes together for a really filling and nourishing breakfast.

This coupled with a lovely lady who served me means this will be something I will definitely be going back for,

Price: £4.25 for a breakfast deal of porridge and a hot drink
Bought at: Leoon
Nutrition per serving: 294 calories, 8g protein, 9g sugars, 11g fat, 2g sat fat, 0.6g salt

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

Deliciously Ella Ginger and Cashew Energy Ball Review

I live off energy balls and healthy snacks nowadays - yes they contain sugar but they're generally natural sugars and definitely offer more nutrition than chocolate or biscuits. These Deliciously Ella energy balls are in a similar vein to the plethora of other healthier snacks being made from natural ingredients, no refined sugars, dairy free, wheat free, gluten free and vegan ..... but they're not free from taste.

First I will say these are ridiculously expensive. £2 when you can get a Nakd bar for 75p is quite a difference and I'm sure a lot of the money you are paying is for the Deliciously Ella name....but these are so delicious I can't help but enjoy them.

I'll admit the photo of the product looks a little....unappetising but it smells gorgeously gingery and tastes even more so. If you don't like ginger there's nothing for you here as these are extremely fiery with a earthy raw ginger taste that might not be for everyone but I loved it. The ball has the perfect texture, firm and sticky and dense and feels substantial. It's got a little sweetness from the dates with that spicy gingery potency and makes for a wholesome, feel good snack.

3 dates, 8 cashews, 1 tsp oats , 1/4 tsp ginger are the only ingredients so you can't knock their naturalness and I certainly couldn't knock the taste. Overpriced but very tasty.

Price: £2.00
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per ball: 152 calories, 6.8g fat, 1.4g sat fat, 16.1g sugars, 1.5g fibre, 3.5g protein, 0g salt

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

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

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 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

Bounce Energy Ball Sprirulina and Ginseng Review

After really, really enjoying my first ever Bounce Ball when I tried the almond protein ball, I snapped up this Spirulina and Ginseng version for a new twist on my post run snacks. This ball doesn't have as much protein as the almond with just 5g per ball but instead features the superfoods spirulina and ginseng. It's also high fibre, high in vitamin B12 and in antioxidant vitamin, which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Each ball actually has 117% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin E.

When I first tried my first bounce ball, I was taken aback by how small, squat and compact it was but after finding them quite a long eat and very satisfying this didn't phase me this time. This ball isn't quite as tough, chewy and dense as the almond bar, which I imagine makes it an easier way to try these balls but I did prefer the almond one just because I love my snacks to take ages to eat and be a bit of a workout to chew!

However, again it tasted really good and it just feels like a nice easy, digestible form of energy in a perfect little compact ball. I't's a chewy mix of almonds, oats and sesame seeds for a nice mix of textures. They're so compact, you could stick one in your pocket so really easy to transport and take on the go. Sprirulina and ginseng only make up 1.2% and 0.2% of the ingredients so frankly add no difference to the taste but it is still a nicely slightly sweetened eat with a good almond flavour from the 29% almonds which is the main ingredient. You can see how many there just from the photo all studded round the outside! There's some vanilla extract in this which gives a nice mild vanilla taste that works well with the oats and almonds.

The ingredients list is nice and clean with real whole foods and there's 10g sugar per ball - all from natural sugars like raisins, grape juice and brown rice syrup.

The texture isn't as good as the almond ball, which I loved but was still nice enough that I would buy this flavour again too. I'm a bit of a convert to Bounce at the moment!

Price: £1.99
Bought at: Holland and Barrett
Nutrition per ball: 191 calories, 9g fat, 0.9g sat fat, 10g sugars, 5g protein

Score: 8/10