Oppo Mint Chocolate (The Co-Op)

Oppo is one of those brands that I probably wouldn't give a second glance at if it wasn't for instagram. The social media platform is seemingly in love with the healthy ice cream (or maybe just the people I follow are) and so I've found myself wanting to find out what all the fuss is about for a very long time. The trouble is, it's rather expensive stuff, and at roughly £5.00 for 500ml I'd rather play safe with my pennies and buy a tub of Ben & Jerry's. A few months ago my friend (and fellow blogger) Nat offered to send me some money off vouchers for Oppo at Waitrose, after which an amusing conversation ensued with the staff in my local branch -who had never heard of it and were thinking I was confused with Oreo. No joy there then! Fortunately for me, I've recently been introduced to Shopmium* which had an offer enabling me to buy a tub for a far more affordable £2.50, and so I persuaded Bert to drive me across town to the larger Co-Op where the Oppo range is stocked to pick up a tub. 

So who are Oppo and what makes them so special?

Oppo are all about making healthy yet indulgent tasting ice cream, hence the name Oppo, which stands for opposites. Their products are made from fresh milk, virgin coconut oil and stevia leaf, and all three flavours come in at under 60 calories per scoop. 

Faced in the Co-Op with the choice between Mint Choc Swirl, Madagascan Vanilla and Salted Caramel, I thought I'd opt for the latter. Then I remembered Nat swearing by the mint chocolate and changed my mind!

"Oppo combines American mint leaves, a rich cacao swirl and spirulina (sourced from the South China Sea) to create a smooth, creamy and refreshing ice cream with indulgent swirls of rich chocolate. 
One tablespoon of Spirulina contains 4 grams of Protein and an abundance of vitamins and iron.
Green doesn't have to mean boring."

It certainly was very green! It's been a very long time since I've had mint chocolate chip but I remember loving it as a child and as soon as it was open the nostalgia kicked in and I couldn't wait to get stuck in. Would it work well with warm chocolate stollen? Let's hope so!

The ice cream was quite tough to scoop, and tended to come out in shards rather than a perfectly formed quenelle, but I kind of bodged and patched it together to try and make it presentable for you. There were subtle ripples of chocolate sauce throughout and it smelt refreshingly minty.

Texture-wise there was a slight graininess to the ice cream that I'm not accustomed too -especially having recently discovered Jude's. The flavour was delicious though, delivering a freshness (that remarkably didn't remind me of brushing my teeth) combined with a chocolatey note that permeated throughout. It was then that I realised that the sweetness didn't taste any different to that within the non healthy ice creams I eat on an almost daily basis, surely that's a win for Oppo? 

Oppo's mint chocolate swirl was a welcome change, but I can't afford to buy it regularly and I'm not sure I'm ready to give up my sugar-laced nightly treats anyway! 

7/10

*Shopmium. Ever heard of it? If you haven't downloaded the app and you like to save yourself a penny or two then you really need to! It's free from the android and iPhone app store and offers you the chance to try products for free/a fraction of the price. You simply buy the products, scan the barcode and send a photo of your receipt (all via the app) and then they send you a refund (normally within 48 hours). It's amazing! I had 2 free boxes of Go Ahead bars last week thanks to Shopmium. Oh, and if you use my referral code you'll even get a free bar of Lindt chocolate! Even better. My code is: AEAYEAKT.

NEW! Nutri-Bombz (Online)

I was very lucky to recently receive a sample box of goodies from Nutri-Bombz, a company that you might have heard of if you regularly use instagram -they seem to be everywhere at the moment! But who are they and what do they do? 

"Nutri-bombz contain no added sugars, additives or preservatives; just really healthy snacks that we deliver to your desk or door."

The box handily fit through my postbox, which means no nasty "we've got a parcel waiting for you" note to deal with. Inside there were 12 bombz in total -4 different flavoured packs containing 3 bombz- which all sounded delicious! The containers are designed so that you can open just one segment at a time, but I was too greedy for that and ate each pack in one sitting. 

Goji Fruit'N'Nut Breakfast Bombz
The healthiest sounding of the bunch. As ever I tried it first expecting to like it the least. This flavour is simply made from nuts, fruits, seeds, cacao and vanilla powder which means it is gluten & dairy free and also suitable for vegans.

The balls (oo-er) had a slightly irregular homemade quality to them, which I rather liked. Texturally they were soft, and moister than expected -much more so than Nak'd's products for example. I loved the additional crunch that came from the pumpkin seeds, and found that I really enjoyed them! 

7/10

Choccy Hazelnut Nutri-Bombz
I had heard brilliant things from other Instagrammers about the deliciousness of this flavour. The combination of chocolate and hazelnut always makes me think of Nutella, so my hopes were heightened before the pack was even open. As with the goji flavour, these bombz are gluten & dairy free, as well as being vegan friendly. 

The bombz were generously coated with a smattering of chopped hazelnuts. Unfortunately they just weren't chocolatey enough for my liking -I'll stick to Nutella for my choccy hazelnut fix in future. 

6/10

Coconut Nutri-Bombz 
Also suitable for vegans and the above allergies; would -and could- this taste like a healthy bounty?

The coconut, dates and cacao worked well together, but again I felt it wasn't chocolatey enough for me. I found that the cacao and dates fought for dominance and I'm afraid that the dates won. The coconut was punchy though, and I liked the tropical element. The coconut nutri-bombz are a good, healthy snack choice for warm summery afternoons. 

7/10

Salted Caramel Protein Bombz
The protein-bombz pack an impressive 4g of protein each (12g per pack!). The protein comes from milk however, so they're not suitable for vegans or those with a lactose intolerance. This flavour was another one that came highly recommended on Instagram, so would I feel as disappointed as I was with the hazelnut bombz?

Not at all, I really loved the fudgy, slightly indulgent taste to these bombz! They were really tasty and I would happily have them again.

8/10

Conclusion
Nutri-Bombz offer a great product, and I'm suitably intrigued by most of their other flavours -especially banana pie, cappuccino, peanut butter and rhubarb and custard! 

So how does it work? Well, you head over to their website where you let them know which bombz appeal to you, where then hand-select four flavours and post them out to you... all for £4.99 per box! Marvellous. 

Thank you to Nutri-Bombz for sending me the sample box.

Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs (WHSmith)

I first spotted these Hippeas chickpea puffs a few weeks ago in the WHSmith in Birmingham train station. I looked at the price and assumed that I'd be able to pick them up cheaper elsewhere (seeing as train station stores are usually so overpriced). The trouble was, I couldn't find Hippeas again anywhere! So on my way back from London on Saturday afternoon I made sure that I popped into the Paddington WHSmith especially to pick some up. At £1.50 for two bags they had also come on offer and didn't break the bank, hurrah!

Sowhat are Hippeas? Hippeas are organic, vegan, gluten-free, high fibre, and low fat puffed chickpeas. The company are also keen to 'give back' and say:

"We believe in change from the ground up. That’s why we support Farm Africa, a charity who do just that.Working in Sub-Saharan Africa, they help farmers become more pioneering andproductive, climate-smart and competitive, enabling them and their communitiesto grow their own way out of poverty."

So, they're healthy and ecologically friendly, but that only matters if they taste good! I picked up a pack of the "Pepper Power" and "In Herbs We Trust" to try.

Pepper Power

Why did I opt for this flavour when I know I'm not keen on overly hot foods? WHSmith only had two varieties and I wanted to be able to compare both. 

The bag was only half full, but that's on par with most other savoury snack bags, and it only claimed to weigh 22g after all. The golden puffs looked like larger -less luminous- Wotsits, but the texture was entirely different. They were crunchier, and more satisfying to eat than the cheesy maize based snack. The trouble was, they were very 'flavourful' -and by that I mean they were super peppery. I needed a large glass of water to wash them down with!

6/10

In Herbs We Trust
This Hippeas flavour seemed to be much more up my street. A quick scout at the ingredients list revealed that they were seasoned with a mixture of sea salt, onions, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic and pepper. That sounds almost Italian. I like Italian.

Wow, as soon as the bag was open I was struck by the most wonderfully Mediterranean aroma. Seriously, had I just wandered down the streets of Sorrento? It was clear that these shouldn't be eaten on the train or bus -for fear that you'd be mugged for them. I hoped that the smell would be a true indication of the taste...

..and it was. They were so utterly moreish. The earthy tones of the chickpeas amalgamated with the flavourings perfectly. I enjoyed their crunchiness too, which was much more satiating than eating a bag of potato crisps. They were seriously good.

10/10

Summary
Pepper Power might not be my bag, but if you like spice I'm sure that you'll be able to handle it better than me. I loved the herby flavour, and now am desperately seeking the "Far Out Fajita" and "Sweet & Smokin'" packs too. I've noticed that Holland & Barrett have just started stocking Hippeas, but our local branch only stocks the two flavours I've reviewed! Keeping my eyes peeled...

Cocoa Chaos Trek Bar

Today's review is not about a new product, however they're new to me and so I'm hazarding a guess that I'm not the only soul to have not tried these before. It's only recently that I've discovered cold press fruit & nut bars such as the Nakd Christmas Pud and Tesco's cheaper Banana Bliss bars. Trek is owned by Natural Balance Foods who also own Nakd so I had high hopes for this chocolate brownie inspired protein bar. 

Opening the pack, I discovered the bar was segmented into three. It didn't look very filling, but it did look very dry and I kind of wish I'd reached for the biscuits instead. Biting into it however, I was met with a lovely, deep dark chocolatey flavour. Each segment was more than a mouthful, and the chocolate seemed to intensify with each bite. Texturally it was slightly on the dry side, but considering it's lack of butter that's understandable. 

Each bar is pretty virtuous- they contain no added sugar, syrup, gluten,wheat or dairy. If that wasn't enough, they also contain 10g of protein, 1 of your five a day and are vegan friendly. I won't be replacing all of my chocolate bars with these bars, but if you're after a healthy alternative I suggest giving the Trek Cocoa Chaos bars a go!

8/10

Cappuccino Popcorn Review & Portlebay Round-Up

Cappuccino Popcorn

I've made my way through the entire box now (thank you again Portlebay for the opportunity to sample your range!). The packet I saved until last was Cappuccino, a flavour I've been dying to try since I discovered the brand in September. It sounded so original, and I love coffee and coffee flavoured products -especially cake and chocolate!

I opened the bag, and was met with quite a mild coffee flavour. The corn was dusted with a dark brown powder, and as usual there were no un-popped kernels. Flavour-wise the popcorn wasn't as expected, the Crispy Bacon & Maple syrup actually has more of a sweet edge. The coffee didn't come through as strong as I'd have liked either- more latte than cappuccino.

Sorry Portlebay, I'm not as fussed on this variety- although that's probably a good thing because it's less widely available than most of the other flavours! 

6/10

Portlebay Round-Up

From left to right, I've ranked my favourite to least favourite Portlebay flavours. Overall I think their quality is astounding, and if you're after a healthy snack at a reasonable price you cant go far wrong with their products. 

Big love to Portlebay! 

Here are the links to my revews of their other flavours:
Cinnamon Swirl
Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup
Wasabi & Sweet Ginger
Lemon Sherbet
Very Berry
Sweet & Salty 
Chilli & Lime

Apple & Cinnamon Bounce Energy Ball

Another Boots meal deal equals another opportunity to try a snack I wouldn't ordinarily buy. The little Bounce Energy Balls caught my eye a few weeks back, and although I was a bit unsure as to what to make of of them,  I finally bit the bullet and got round to picking up an Apple and Cinnamon one this week.

They are only little and easily fit in the palm of my hand. However the packaging professes plenty of health benefits, including that they are high in Antioxidant Vitamin E, which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress -whatever that means. They are a "chewy mix of cashews, Whey Protein and Seeds", and are gluten free, high in protein and contain no artificial preservatives. 

The ball, once unwrapped, looked like a rather alien-esque brown blob, and was embellished with chopped cashews. The flavour was better than expected with a strong sweet cinnamon flavour, well balanced by the apple. It was really dense which made it satisfying to nibble, although given the size of it, it didn't take long to eat.

I enjoyed the Bounce Ball, but as I'm not an athlete I wouldn't spend the RRP of £1.99 to buy one.

6/10

Tesco Beautifully Balanced Tandoori Chicken

Tesco sent me some vouchers to try their new frozen beautifully balanced range as part of their Orchard scheme*...

'"Our new Tesco Beautifully Balanced range of ready-meals, soups and pasta sauces are expertly prepared with great quality ingredients, then frozen to keep all that fresh flavour locked in. So it’s really easy to enjoy deliciously healthy food in a flash."

I chose the Tandoori Chicken which it suggested microwaving (from frozen) for 12 minutes. I'm always a bit dubious about microwaveable frozen chicken, and was expecting a dry, tasteless (although apparently healthy!) meal. The pack contained two chicken breasts in a Tandoori sauce with red onion and red & yellow peppers. I couldn't fault it on Tesco's promise of it being ready in a flash, and I served it with easy cook rice, which meant that my entire dinner was ready in less than 15 minutes. 

The chicken breasts were nice and plump, and actually retained a lot of moistness despite being subject to the wrath of my microwave. The peppers were succulent- even my other half ate them who normally refuses to eat any veg. I was actually really impressed! The sauce had a certain kick, but just an enjoyable heat and certainly not a sweat inducing intensity. Anyone who says you can't eat healthily when pushed for time and on a budget (the pack should have cost £3) should give this range a go! 

8/10   

*If you shop at Tesco and you're not part of the Orchard scheme, I suggest you sign up! It's a free service run by Tesco, who invite you to try certain 'programmes' where you can try certain ranges or products for a fraction of the price- or most of the time completely free. 

Nakd Christmas Pud Bar

Today's review is of another festive product first released last year that I didn't get round to trying. I didn't think it would be my cup of tea, and I feared the horrible brown rice syrup that seems to be present in a lot of healthier snack bars. The only reason I even contemplated buying them was due to Erin's blog post about the Christmas Pud bars (we seem to have similar tastes and she thinks that they are pretty damn tasty).

I tried a few different outlets but had no luck, so I ended up buying a couple of different bars instead. First I tried the Banana Crunch Bar... then the Banana Bread bar... and I really enjoyed them both! So, long story short, in the space of a week I've fallen slightly in love with the Nakd bar range. Yesterday I received a Twitter tip off that Sainsbury's might be a good bet, which was a good hint because I finally tracked them down, hurrah.

The bars are 35g each and are attractively packaged in a festive green wrapper, complete with Christmas hat. I love Nakd's attention to detail- especially the tiny little 'Hi Mum!' hidden under the seal. The Christmas Pud bars' only ingredients are dates, cashews, raisins and natural flavouring "smooshed together," which means they are Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free, count towards one of your five a day, and are totally Vegan friendly.

Unwrapping the bar, I was greeted by a strong festive aroma. It was well spiced, and the tones of cinnamon and nutmeg were particularly pungent. Texture-wise the bar was dense and chewy, which meant that it's quite satisfying to eat for such a small snack. Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of Christmas Pudding because it's so heavy and cloying -particularly after a main meal-  but this little bar has all of the flavour without any of the stodge.

Well played Nakd!

8/10

Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup Portlebay Popcorn

I'm down to my last three bags (and favourite sounding flavours) now from the sample box that Portlebay Popcorn sent: Cinnamon Swirl, Cappuccino and the cause of today's review- Crispy Bacon and Maple Syrup. I love bacon frazzles, and I imagined this popcorn to taste similiarly. As with the Wasabi popcorn, the sweet element coming from the maple syrup (which I also love in it's own right) fazed me slightly... I just can't imagine pouring syrup onto bacon like the Yanks do.

When I opened the bag, I was greeted with a dusty orange coloured popcorn. I could smell hints of bacon, but the aroma most prominent was that of the syrup. This was also reflected in the taste, and although I could detect the smoked bacon element, the sweet maple was definitely more overpowering. I didn't believe that a ratio favouring Maple Syrup over bacon would work well, but once again Portlebay have turned my preconceptions on their head- the salty bacon tang balanced the sweetness out perfectly.

I absolutely loved this Popcorn, which I'm over the moon about because it's one of two flavours that our local Boots stock, meaning I can enjoy it again and again. I'd recommend trying this product if  you're either a maple syrup fan or a sweet and salty popcorn kind of person.

9/10

Very Berry Portlebay Popcorn

Very Berry is the first of sweet popcorn flavours up for review from the box that Portlebay sent me. I've never tried a berry flavoured popcorn before, but I always like red and purple sweets best, so I was looking forward to trying this out. 

The popcorn looked very girlie because it is dusted a pretty pink colour. It is Portlebay's signature style- light and fluffy yet satisfyingly crunchy. The berry flavouring is sweet and almost fizzy, reminding me of their Lemon Sherbet Popcorn which was the product that made me fall ever-so-slightly in love with the brand in the first place. Unfortunately my palette is not developed enough to determine the individual notes of blackcurrants, cranberries and raspberries; but it is definitely a berry flavour nonetheless. 

I think that this is a lovely product, and it's a pretty healthy snack option if you're craving sweeties but don't want all of the sugar. I think I marginally prefer their Lemon Sherbet flavour, but there's not a huge gap between the two. 

7/10