NEW! Creative Nature Protein Flapjacks (Online)

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to receive some of Creative Nature's new protein flapjacks, you know, the ones I mentioned in my review of their superfoods bars? The flapjack flavours sounded spectacularly good too, and seeing as their superfoods bars reminded me of nakd, I thought these might pose similarities to Trek protein flapjacks bars.

Like Trek flapjacks they're made from cold-pressed fruit, are vegan, gluten and dairy free. In contrast they're smaller (40g compared to 50g) contain a mixture of vegan proteins (soya and pea instead of just soya) and contain about a third less calories, whilst delivering only about a gram less protein. 

Apple pie

Is there anything more comforting than warm apple pie (or crumble) with custard? Now don't get me wrong, I don't think that a raw protein bar is in danger of replacing the classic dessert, but surely it can't hurt to have a healthy snack with similar flavours to tickle your tastebuds when hunger strikes between meals. 

Can you see how packed full of seeds and protein crisps the bar was? It smelt incredible too with both the Apple and cinnamon emanating from the bar. It was soft, and the aromas translated into the taste. For me there wasn't enough oats to quantify it being called a flapjack, but it was certainly tasty! 

Macros per 40g bar: 152kcal P8.1/C:20.0/F:3.5

8/10

Salted Caramel 

The flavour is everywhere isn't it? So it makes sense that Creative Nature bring out their new bars in salted caramel too. 

Unfortunately whilst the texture was good, the flavour wasn't as fabulous as I'd hoped.Granted the fruity bar was sweet and had a welcome salinity to it that worked well, it just didn't scream of gooey, buttery caramel. Perhaps that's unsurprising given that it's vegan and raw. 

Macros per 40g bar: 152Kcal/P:8.4/C:19.0/F3.7

6/10 

Cacao orange

Of course I saved the chocolate flavour until last, and used it to top some chocolate flavoured skyr and served it with raspberries as part of a pre-bed treat. 

The flavour in the bar comes from a combination of cocoa fibre, cocoa butter, cacao beans and natural flavourings. It was tasty too; there was a kind of rustic feel-good quality to the chocolate which was complimented by the tangy orange. It wasn't overly sweet, but it was far from bitter either. 

Macros per 40g bar: 151Kcal/P:8.0/C:18.0/Fat3.9

9/10

If you fancy trying these protein flapjacks them please pop on over to Creative Nature's website where you can find your nearest stockist and/or place an order! As ever, a huge thank you to Creative Nature for the samples!  

NEW! Trek Chunks: Cranberry Kick & Toffee Triumph

Last week I received a box of treats from Natural Balance Foods including all of their new Trek chunk range as well as the new lemon drizzle nakd bar (which I'll review another day). Thanks NBF! I was quite impressed with the cocoa peanut peaks so was looking forward to trying the other new chunks. 

As with the cocoa & peanut flavour, each bag contains at least 12g of protein, and one of your five a day. the chunks are also gluten free and vegan friendly.

Cranberry Kick

In all honesty this was the flavour that appealed least, and I probably wouldn't have bought a bag.

"TREK Cranberry Kick Protein Energy Chunks are aptly named due to their immense and intense fruity flavour which leaps out in the company of soft moreish almond."

NBF's products never look that pretty do they? Looks aren't everything though, especially if they taste good.

...And they really do! I'm not sure that they're particularly Cranberry-y but they do taste of almond with a fruity edge. As an avid Bakewell lover the flavour really appealed, and I also liked the softer chewiness to the chunks. I'd happily buy them again.

9/10

Toffee Triumph

"TREK Toffee Triumph Protein Energy Chunks wave the flag for the traditional sweet shop flavour using simple, wholesome ingredients."

Hmm. This flavour was nice enough, but I couldn't really tell that it was meant to be toffee. It's more apple and raisin than sticky toffee, and its purely for that reason these chunks didn't hit the mark for me. They're enjoyable, but the worst of a great bunch.

7/10

Thank you Natural Balance Foods for the samples!

Creative Nature Chia & Cacao Brownie Mix (ASDA)

Last month I reviewed Creative Nature's Superfood bars, and promised that I would let you all know how I got on with their brownie mix. Now I've been craving brownies for a while, but for me brownies must be cooked on the outside but soft and gooey in the middle, and so supermarket versions just don't cut the mustard. I could bake my own, but a mix that you just add eggs and milk too sounded far easier. The trouble is, most baking mixes are pretty pants (I'm thinking Betty Crocker here), but I kept in mind that Creative Nature's bars had been good. There was other factor that was worrying me, but it might sound a little odd: brownies are so tasty because they're so unhealthy. Could an organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, soya-free, coconut-free, sweetener-free, nut-free, 'superfood' mix really scratch my brownie itch? There was only one way to find out...

Well, kind of. I might've added Cadbury Mini Eggs. It was the Easter Weekend after all.

The instructions called for:

1) 400g Brownie Mix (the whole bag)
2) 4 large eggs (or 5tbsp chia seeds + 15 tbsp water for vegan recipe, which is on the pack)
3) 200g butter (or dairy free spread for vegan recipe)
4) 5ml vanilla essence

I whisked the ingredients together before adding the batter to 2 lined loaf tins, which I then topped with the Mini Eggs and baked for 25ish minutes. The whole process from opening the mix to warm brownies took less than half an hour, and as a bonus my house smelt like Willy Wonka's factory. Marvellous. 

The bag suggests that the entire 400g bag makes 20 servings, but I used half (plus the whole bag of Mini Eggs) and cut my brownies into 8 bars. They were certainly squidgy! Creative Nature suggest chilling them in the fridge, but I have zero patience when it comes to food and so enjoyed my first one straight from the oven with a side of Oppo's salted caramel ice cream.

Oh. my. frigging. days. They were divine; gorgeously rich, with a dark bitter-sweet flavour. Once cool they were just as good, and dare I say it, they didn't really even need the Mini Eggs. Mmm. I'm salivating again just thinking about them.

In fact they were so good that I almost didn't share my brownies with any of my family, but I had promised my sister some, so I took one each for her and her partner on Saturday. Except her partner never got one, my sister ate them both (it's ok, he always nabs her chocolate supplies) and she even blamed me for getting her 'back into brownies'. The cheek! 😉 

It's needless to say, if you are a chocoholic who wants a healthy-ish brownie hit without the faff of baking/ you're intolerant to wheat, dairy, or nuts/ you're vegan, then you must try Creative Nature's Brownie Mix. It's available to buy directly from them online, bigger ASDA stores and Ocado. A little birdie told me that it'll soon be stocked in Sainsbury's too, so keep your eyes peeled! 

9/10

NEW! Trek Chunks Cocoa Peanut Peak (ASDA)

It's a good time of year when Natural Balance Foods release their new lines, although recently they've been mainly focused around the Nakd branch of the business. This time around though the company have brought out an extension of their Trek range in 'energy chunk' format -as well as the delicious sounding lemon drizzle bar that I've read smashing reviews of by both EatExploreEtc and Erin. The new Trek Energy Chunks are available in three flavours: Toffee Triumph, Cranberry Kick and Cocoa Peanut. But what are they? I'll let Natural balance foods explain:

"Brand new TREK Chunks are deliciously different.
Instead of relying on mysterious additives & syrups, TREK Chunks are packed with a precise cold-pressed balance of powerful wholefoods, delivering sustained energy … when you need it most.
With 12g protein and all important natural slow release energy, Chunks satisfy mid-afternoon grazing, hunger on-the-go and interval fuelling. What's more, TREK Protein Energy Chunks are vegan, gluten free and 1 of your 5 a day too."

Well there you go. Of course I opted for the Cocoa Peanut. I'm a big fan of both the Cocoa Chaos and Peanut Power Treks, and I really hoped that the new chunks would be the perfect amalgamation of the two. 

Inside the pack were 12 cube shaped chunks, which were dark in colour and firmer than expected. They smelt more of cocoa than peanut and I wondered how Natural Balance would have pitched the flavour balance. 

It turns out that they did a pretty good job. The cocoa was indeed the more prominent flavour, but the chunks contained a resonant nuttiness. Texturally they were quite crunchy, a point of differentiation to the Trek bars and more similar to Nakd's crunch range. Another plus point.

In fact, I'm not sure I could find anything to moan about with the Energy Chunks save for the high -but natural- sugar content. Considering I don't pay too much attention to my sugar intake this wasn't an issue for me, and I'll be buying them again in future -especially if I find them on offer!

9/10

Solkiki Hazelnut Cream White Chocolate Gianduja Review (Online)

One of my best discoveries of 2016 was not chocolate, or even peanut butter. I was very lucky to from strong friendships last year with a couple of other bloggers whom do happen love my favourite foods, Nat and Laura I'm looking at you. Indeed Nat writes a blog purely about chocolate, and I regularly find myself drooling over her reviews of the premium brands that I haven't even heard of -let alone tried.

One such chocolatier that Nat has written highly about on a number of occasions is Solkiki, a British family business who manufacture vegan bean-to-bar chocolate. I'd never seen their products before reading Nat's reviews, but was over the moon when she kindly sent me a bar of their Hazelnut Cream White Chocolate Gianduja at Christmas. 

I only recently discovered Gianduja in November when I bought a bar of the Grown Up Chocolate Company's Hunky Dory. I loved the texture of the hazelnut paste used in the bar, and so this white chocolate version from Solkiki sounded right up my alley. I'd never had dairy free chocolate before though, so wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

"Soaked hazelnuts and cold-pressed cacao-butter create a soft, crumbly bar of creamyGianduja that is very easy on your body. We slowly stonegrind the nuts with cold-pressed cacao butter to create a delicious surprisingly healthy bar."

White chocolate that's good for you? I was sold. 

As per the images I'd seen on Nat's blog, the bar had the most exquisite design. I almost didn't want to break the bar it was so beautiful. That's it.. I'd have to eat it in one go, nibbling my way through all 56g -what a shame ;). 

As promised the chocolate was undoubtedly smooth, melting easily in the mouth. I was surprised by the flavour of it though, for it was unlike any white chocolate I'd ever experienced. At first I was unsure about the almost floral tones, but I soon became accustomed to it and started to really enjoy the unusual qualities of the bar. The hazelnuts were a subtle addition, truly ground down and offering a slight nuttiness that penetrated the white chocolate.

I'm so grateful for Nat for the opportunity to try Solkiki. The company sell a range of interesting bars including 'strawberry, coconut and pink pepperberry' white chocolate, and even a dark chocolate made from the 'world's rarest bean' which are available from their online shop.

9/10

NEW! Nakd Peanut Delight & Carrot Cake (ASDA)

If you follow me on Instagram you'll already know that Nakd bars are one of my diet staples, and are regularly taken to work for a mid morning snack. I love them because they're bold in flavour, despite being relatively saintly. I've learned that heating the bars for 20 seconds in the microwave somehow further unlocks their boldness further and turns them squidgy at the same time -double bonus. So, it's needless to say that addition of not one, but THREE new Nakd bars got me more than a little excited. The line up now includes carrot cake, peanut delight and an apricot crunch bar. I found the first two in ASDA for 75p each, but I'm yet to spot the apricot flavour -have you seen it yet?

Peanut Delight
Out of the newbie trio, Peanut Delight was -of course- the bar I was most excited to try. I'm pretty much fuelled by peanut butter these days, and love the peanut trek bar, so I expected this bar to become my new favourite Nakd.

"Go nuts for peanuts with our splendid new Peanut Delight bar, packed with all the goodness you’ve come to know and love from Nākd.  Perfect as a pick-me up between meals or just when you feel like treating yourself, this lovely bar has a deep, rich peanut taste from chunky peanut pieces and of course, they’re smooshed together with delicious dates. Made with nothing but natural ingredients, this guilt-free delight is sure to satisfy any snack-hankerings."

Get in my belly. Now.

Somehow the bar looked different to what I expected, I thought that it would just be a mini Trek, but instead it was dark and glossy with a strong date scent.  

Taste-wise it was disappointing. I regularly stuff dates with peanut butter as one of my favourite healthy evening snacks (utterly delicious if you've never tried it) and therefore usually love the combination. Nakd seem to have got the proportions all wrong though: there's far too much date and not nearly enough peanut. In fact the only nod to peanuts were the occasional soggy chopped nut that cropped up every now and then. The resulting flavour lands the bar a long way into the sweet camp, and I found it to be longing for a good sprinkling of salt -and preferably a coating of peanut butter too. Not even warming it through could save it. I'm afraid it's not one I'll buy again.

3/10

Carrot Cake
I've mentioned a good few times over these past few months that I'm partial to a good slice of carrot cake. I was a bit dubious about this carrot cake flavoured raw, vegan and gluten free bar. After all surely nothing could compare to an indulgent homemade affair, adorned with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.

"Feeling the need for something desserty without the guilt? Presenting a special guest treat, this is a crave-busting carrot cake bar that tastes just like the real thing, but with the added bonus of being super-healthy too! This Carrot Cake bar is unique and special which is why it’ll only be around for a short time, it’s bound to be snapped up quick so you’ll want to get involved as soon as you can to avoid disappointment! With the warming spice of cinnamon accompanied by soft walnuts, raisins and dates this one really takes the cake."

Can you see the flecks of carrot dotted about the bar? I could smell the cinnamon the moment I peeled back the wrapper..

Hurrah Nakd! This is what I've come to expect from you! The bar was soft and chewy, whilst packing some serious punch. They have worked their magic and absolutely nailed the flavours of one of my favourite cakes. Moveover Rhubarb & Custard, the new Carrot Cake bar might just have claimed the top spot. I microwaved the second half of my bar and found -for the first time ever- that it wasn't any better warm... which makes it perfect for eating on the go. I'm gutted that this is a limited edition flavour, so I'll be sure to stock up whilst they're still around!

10/10

Have you tried any of the new bars yet? Are you in agreement with me and Kev (find his review of both bars here) or do you like the Peanut Delight bar like the lovely Erin (read her review here).

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...

Lenny & Larry's The Complete Peanut Butter Cookie (CSN)

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pop into Cardiff Sports Nutrition whilst visiting the Welsh capital recently; the company sell a huge arrange of sports supplements, and as such stock a vast array of peanut butter. I always feel a bit intimidated when shopping in a dedicated sports store as I clearly don't look like an athlete, but the guys in there were friendly and helpful. I was on a mission to buy some coco-banana peanut butter (and that's another story) but I thought I'd have a quick browse amongst the snack bars and spotted this Lenny & Larry's peanut butter cookie which took my fancy.

Lenny & Larry's complete cookies boast 16g of protein, 6g of fibre and are vegan friendly. My only gripe is that the packet displays the nutritional information for half a cookie... I mean who eats only half?

I know I complained about the suggested serving size, but the cookies are pretty big (about the same diameter as my hand!). I read somewhere that the cookies are better served warm, so I broke of a chunk to try cold, and heated the rest for 30secs.

Whilst waiting for the microwave to do its thing I nibbled the cold cookie, and discovered a completely unexpected texture. Instead of being chewy or hard, it was deliciously light and fluffy with a cake-like consistency, and it tasted damn good! Sometimes high-protein snacks have an odd aftertaste, but this was completely different -just nutty and moreish.

I enjoyed the cold chunk, but the warm cookie was out-of-this world. It was so tasty and comforting, and transported me into peanut butter heaven. There were little chopped peanut pieces dotted about, which added to its authenticity and texture. Despite its size, the taste didn't become sickly or cloying as I had feared, it just filled me up (both in terms of joy and appetite) and I certainly couldn't have had the willpower to stop eating half-way through.

Wowzers, Lenny & Larry's you've got a new fan right here. The complete cookies aren't exactly cheap, with an RRP of £3.29 each, but you can buy them from Cardiff Sports Nutrition's website for £1.99. The Complete Peanut Butter Cookie is the perfect snack for Athletes, Vegans and peanut-butter nuts alike!*

9/10

*And no, unfortunately they haven't sponsored me!

The Food Doctor Pineapple & Banana Wholesome Bar (Tesco)

In an effort to combat obesity and stop us from overindulging on chocolate and sweeties, Britain's checkouts have gradually been moving towards displaying healthier snacks. It was thanks to this change that a range of snack bars I've not seen before caught by eye, made by nutritional therapists turned health-food manufacturers 'The Food Doctor'. I've been vaguely aware of the brand for a while now, gently ignoring their healthy -but expensive- products including their multi-seed pittas and quinoa pots, but I hadn't come across their 'wholesome' bars before -which Tesco have recently started stocking. A quick google search informed me that the bars themselves aren't new -infact Kev reviewed the range way back in June 2014.

The bars are wheat and dairy free, contain no added sugars, are high in fibre and Vegan friendly. I almost opted for the apricot and almond, but then I was swayed by the inclusion of my favourite fruit (banana) and chose the pineapple bar instead.

It was extremely sticky (even more so than the Perk!er goji bar), and it was an unattractive brown colour (think slimy bananas!). It  had a chewy consistency, broken up nicely with the slight crunch of the plentiful sunflower seeds that permeated the bar. Flavour-wise, I could only taste a generic fruity sweetness, which unfortunately mean it lacked the real tropical or banana punch that I longed for.

I liked the texture of the bar, but that's about it. Food Doctor have got a long way to go to compete with Nakd's products in terms of flavour, so I probably won't buy them again.

4/10

NEW! Perk!er Goji & Cranberry Quinoa Bar (ASDA)

Whilst perusing Nakd Bars (currently on offer) in ASDA's gluten free section, I spotted a couple of new -unusual sounding- bars from Perk!er. Now, whilst I find the use of an exclamation mark as part of their name quite irritating, I was intrigued by their use of a grain I've not much experience of -Quinoa. Quinoa seems to be experiencing something of a craze recently amongst the clean eating brigade, and in similar vein to Chia/Flax seeds I've given it a bit of a wide berth. 

BBC good food however, informs me that it has been a staple food for the Incas and their descendants for thousands of years, and that its now being seen as a great wheat free alternative to starchy grains. Apparently it contains "twice the protein content of rice or barley, and is also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. Quinoa also possesses good levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fibre." So there you have it!

Perk!er have created three different quinoa bars (Cashew, Chia & Pumpkin Seed, 
Goji & Cranberry, and Cacao & Cashew) but our ASDA only had the Goji variety in stock. For those who are interested, they are: gluten, wheat and dairy free, low GI, high protein and vegan friendly!

The bar was quite sticky, and I was pleased to see lots of glossy red cranberries and seeds dotted throughout. The quinoa was crunchier than expected, resulting in a satisfyingly munchy texture. The bar was also much sweeter than expected, which was a pleasant surprise for my tastebuds*. I really enjoyed the combination of flavours and textures, and I'll buy both this one and try the Cacao one in future. 

8/10

*I later read that the bars contain 15.3g of sugar, which (more than) explains the sweetness! 

Nakd Caffé Mocha

As you might have gathered if you've read my previous posts, I've recently fallen in love with cold press snack bars, such as Nakd, Trek, and the cheap (but very tasty) Tesco Banana Bliss. I'm starting to get alarmingly excited by trying flavours I've not seen before; so when I popped into an odd little independent Health Food shop and spotted the Nakd Caffé Mocha, I ignored the fact it was more than double the price that they're currently on offer in ASDA for, and snapped it up.

The Caffé Mocha bar is just as saintly as the other Nakd Bars, consisting purely of Dates, Cashews, Raisins, Cocoa and natural flavourings. It also contains one of your five a day, and is suitable for anyone who's Vegan, Coeliac, or Lactose intolerant.

As you can see, the cashews are clearly visible once the bar is broken. I've learnt from experience that Nakd bars are lovely warmed in the microwave for twenty seconds, giving them a comforting gooey-ness. I did nibble the end before heating, and it was tasty cold (but better warm). Both the coffee and the chocolate flavours were well represented within the bar, although its far less sweet than many of the other bars within the range.

I enjoyed the bar, but it comes way down my list of favourite cold-press snacks (perhaps an indication of why it's a less widely available flavour). I missed the usual Nakd sweetness, so I'd choose the Rhubarb & Custard over the Caffé Mocha Nakd bar every time.

6/10

NEW! Coconut & Pineapple Flavour Popcorn (Boots)

Whilst picking up my meal deal from Boots, I spied this new Coconut & Pineapple flavour popcorn. I hesitated, wondering whether it would fare any better than their rather revolting Cinnamon & Vanilla flavour which I reviewed back in October, but as the bag cost just 70p I decided to take a punt on Boot's having improved their range. 

I opened it up, and saw lots of fluffy looking plain coloured kernels. I could detect a slight whiff of tropical flavour, which unfortunately wasn't as aromatic as the popcorn made my Propercorn or Portlebay. Biting into my corn, I realised that the flavour was just as lacking as the smell -there was the mildest hint of pineapple, with absolutely no coconut to be found. 

The kernels lacked the crunchiness of Portlebay's Kracklecorn, and without any flavour to back it up, I just felt like I was eating mouthful upon mouthful of polystyrene. To make things worse there was loads of unpopped corn, and at one point I actually thought I'd broken a tooth. Propercorn Peanut & Almond is an absolute taste sensation and utter joy to munch, but this popcorn from Boots just felt like a never-ending chore to eat. 

1/10

Trek Peanut Power Bar (Boots)

Given how much I adored the Trek Cocoa Chaos bar, I decided to pick up their Peanut Power bar this week. This Trek bar contains: 100% natural ingredients, no added sugar, 1 of your 5 a day, and they're wheat free, gluten free, dairy free and Vegan to boot. Wowzers! Does a snack get much healthier than that?

Anyway, following Erin's advice (from Guilt Free Veggie), I popped my bar in the microwave for 30 seconds so as to enjoy it warm with a cup of coffee.  

Christ. Can a bar that tastes this good really be so saintly? The bar went soft and gooey, in a similar way to hot peanut buttery toast, which made it utterly comforting. The nutty flavour was striking, probably due to it containing real peanut butter (11%) and peanuts (8%). Dates account for 33% of the bar's ingredients, which makes me believe the great things I keep hearing about the combination of peanut butter and mejool dates. 

Yum, yum, yum. Well done Trek... I'll been keeping an eager eye out for the Banana Blast bars... 

10/10

NEW! Good4U Banana & Cocoa Super Bites (ASDA)

Happy New Year! May your 2016 be healthy, happy and full of mischief!

Have you got any New Years resolutions? Are you joining the gym, the clean eating brigade or giving up alcohol? I'm bucking the trend and starting an anti-diet, which will include munching on lots of my favourite foods! However if, unlike me, you're on a bit of a health-kick, I've got a food review for you today.

ASDA have recently started stocking the complete range of the new Good4U Super Bites: Banana & Cocoa, Cocoa & Orange and Coconut. They are are all raw seed & fruit bites which are wheat free, dairy free and vegan. I chose the banana and cocoa due to my love of both flavours -anyone agree with me about the utter food perfection and heavenly nature of a banana & nutella toastie? 

The snack size pack contained 30 nuggets which convincingly resembled miniature cocoa-dusted truffles. They were squidgier than expected, and slightly chewy. The cocoa tasted dark and bitter, but much need sweetness came from the dates and raisins. The banana flavour however, was underwhelming and was completely overshadowed by the intensity of the cocoa. There was no doubting its inclusion in the ingredients, it just felt more of an afterthought than the star of the show -missing the mark in a similar way to the Meridian peanut & banana bar I reviewed at the beginning of November.

Good concept, but for a healthy chocolate hit I'd rather have the Cocoa Chaos Trek Bar (which the delectable Erin informs me is even tastier microwaved).

5/10

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

NEW Tesco Banana Bliss Bars

As I mentioned when I reviewed the Nakd Christmas Pud bars last month, I'm having a bit of a passionate affair with their range. I've since tried the Cocoa & Strawberry Crunch bars, which are so tasty! The only problem is... I'm a bit skint. So love them as I do, I have to limit the amount of bars I buy. 

Tesco may have solved my problem however, because they've released two new cold pressed fruit bars: Banana Bliss and Berry Blast. Priced at £1.19 for four bars they undercut Nakd's approximate 75p a bar RRP by about two thirds! Similar to Nakd's Crunch range they are also high in protein and are wheat & dairy free 

Cold pressed fruit and nut bar with dates, soy protein crispies, raisins, cashew nuts and banana.

As I'm sure you'll agree though, price isn't everything, and if they taste pants then what's the point? Nakd's banana bar is my favourite of their Crunch range, so I decided to try Tesco's version. 

The bars are a similar colour, but Tesco's is more rectangular in shape. Consistency wise, I found Tesco's to be slightly more crunchy (you can see the soy crispies in the photo below) which I preferred.The flavour was indistinguishly different to Nak'd's bars, with a strong and natural banana taste. 

Nak'd I love you, but Tesco- you've got me hook, line and sinker. If you're a regular consumer of Nak'ds range I urge you to give these supermarket brand version a go! 

8/10

NEW Chocolate Orange Beanies Coffee

I love coffee -especially flavoured coffee. However, as a student I sadly don't have a huge amount of disposable income to be able to regularly get my fix from coffee shops (although I did treat myself to the new Tiramisu latte at Costa yesterday, which I thought was delightful). 

Fortunately there is a solution in the form of flavoured instant coffee. I fell in love with the Douwe Egberts 'Flavour Collective' range when it was released two years ago, and haven't really returned to standard coffee since. More recently I've dabbled into Beanies' flavoured coffee range, although my local Tesco only stocks their Amaretto Almond. Sainsbury's stock a much larger range and so I took the opportunity to stock up on the different flavours when I visited recently, including the new Chocolate Orange Coffee.

Chocolate instant coffee is something I've had bad experiences with. I once bought Little's Swiss Chocolate Coffee, but it was so bitter and had such a disgusting chemical aftertaste  that I was put off the idea completely; so much so that I haven't even dared try the Douwe Egberts version. As the entire Beanies range was on offer for £2 per jar, and given how much I enjoy their Amaretto Almond coffee, I decided to give their jaffa-inspired coffee a go.

'So chocolatey, so orangey, it’s not theirs it’s ours! Smooth milk chocolate with tangy orange flavours - try it once, you'll be hooked - trust us! At just 2 calories per serving every cup of Beanies Chocolate Orange is like a little taste of happiness. All our flavours are 100% SUGAR FREE and suitable for Vegetarians & Vegans!'

Lifting the lid, I was greeted by the sweet scent of dark chocolate combined with an orangey citrus zing- it certainly smelt better than what I remember of the Littles' coffee. Sadly, the chocolate didn't translate as well in taste, however the orange was much more palatable and came through as the star flavour. I guess that making a chocolate coffee with no sugar but maximum taste is quite the challenge, which meant that the cocoa element had a similar (although much less sharp) synthetic aftertaste to the Little's chocolate coffee.  Fortunately the orange saved the day, and whilst it's certainly not my favourite coffee, it won't be going in the bin. It's a shame though, because I think that the other Beanies coffees are wonderful.

5/10

Ratings I'd give other Beanies Coffee:

Amaretto Almond 8/10 

-It's smooth with lovely end note of Almond

Cinder Toffee 6/10

- I didn't find that there was huge amount of flavour, although it's pleasantly sweet

Irish Cream 9.5/10

- If you like bailey's I'd highly suggest buying this, it's difficult to believe this creamy coffee is just 2cals* per serving!

*unless you give it a good slug of milk like I do!