Whitworths Full of Super Coconut Raw Bars

I've picked up some of the Whitworths Full of Super range before (the cayenne flaxseed crisps were very moreish) and so decided to give the coconut raw bars a go as well. I've become a lot more conscious about what I eat and am increasingly picking vegan options for snacking made with natural, wholesome ingredients as frankly there's just as much choice nowadays and without dairy it just has to be better for the planet.

This is a mix of:

Coconut flakes (25%), sunflower seeds (22%), agave nectar, almonds (10%), cashews (10%), buckwheat, golden flax seeds (3%), chia seeds (0.6%), vanilla, quinoa, acai.

So all things I recognise and feel good about putting in my body. The bar is gluten free with no soy and suitable for vegetarians but also has no dairy or eggs in the ingredients so also okay for vegans (although there is risk of contamination). Sugar as we all know is not good and impressively this bar has less than 10g sugars in total all from unrefined sugars.

It's quite high in calories (245) and fat but you would expect that from nuts, seeds and coconuts but it does also mean you get nearly 7g of natural plant based protein, a really good source of fibre (almost 6g!) and it contains 34% of your vitamin B12 of the day, which is something those avoiding animal products can struggle to get enough of in their diets.

What I like about these raw bars is that Whitworths make two smaller bars in each pack so you can eat them in two sittings if you like, which makes it last longer. They're fairly filling and after lunch, I find one bar is enough to curb a sweet craving.

These are much more solid than say a Nakd bar with a sturdier, thicker texture and feel more substantial. It's a little sweet with a really strong coconut flavour, which you would expect. It does taste quite raw and wholefoods-esque rather than the more mainstream options like Nakd but nutritionally this probably holds up better and contains less sugar. The coconut flavour is very full on and might not be to everyone's taste, especially if you're used to sweetened fake coconut in things like Bounty or sugary coconut yogurts but I really enjoyed it.

The only thing that stops this being a regular to my snack bar box is the price. £1.50 is a lot for one bar and even on £1 is still much more expensive than a lot of other options out there. For a big well known company like Whitworths I would expect these to be more accessible - there are loads of bars in Holland and Barrett cheaper than this. Nakd Bars are also much cheaper and offer multipacks too so this is kind of where it falls down. It's a very nice bar and nutritionally good but also rather pricey.

Price: £1.50 (bought on £1 promo at Tesco)
Bought at: Tesco
Per Bar: 245 calories, 16.4g fat, 6.4g sat fat, 9.9g sugars, 5.7g fibre, 6.9g protein

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

Whitworths Blueberry and Seed Shot

I've mentioned before how I love finding healthy snacks. It's certainly nice to be able to balance out all the really indulgent stuff I eat! These Whitworths shots have been out for a while now but I've only just got round to trying them - and I wish I'd done it sooner!

The concept and packaging is great. Each 'shot' is a little 25g pack of dried fruit and extras that you can carry out and about for an easy, convenient snack and each 25g pouch is under 100 calories for a light guilt, free treat. I like the fact they're individual pouches as it makes for a controlled portion and you're not even forced to buy a multipack. At 49p each, I also think they're a decent price.

This shot contained a tempting mix of raisins, dried blueberries, pumpkin seeds and yoghurt coated sunflower seeds. It's a more unusual mix than other dried fruit mixes with a good ratio between soft, sweet fruit and crunchy seeds. There's a good balance of flavours and textures with nothing dominating the other ingredients. The yoghurt covered sunflower seeds were my personal favourite - smooth, creamy but with an addictive crunch.

I really enjoyed this. It satisfied a small, sweet craving but didn't leave me feeling sick or full. I like it's a fairly natural product and whilst there is some sugar in it, the positive goodness of the vitamins and minerals in the seeds and dried fruit also means you're getting some nutrition too. I'm definitely going to try the rest of the range.

Price. 49p
Available: Major supermarkets

Score: 8/10