Efectiv Pro & Oats High Protein Flapjacks (Online)

There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t eat oats in some form or another. In fact, it was the food I missed most when in Malaysia earlier this year. Almost every morning is kick-started with a bowl of protein oats (proats if you will), but I also love granola and flapjacks too. Protein flapjacks however are often disappointing, and tend to be so far removed from real flapjacks that I’d rather have a real flapjack and get my protein elsewhere. I’m not averse to trying new products though and so when Efectiv contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I’d like to try their new protein flapjacks and Dual bars, I accepted their kind invitation. After all, the protein bar market is rapidly evolving. Gone are the days of chewy bricks, thank goodness! 

Their flapjack range currently consists of three flavours: Chocolate Orange, Toffee Oat & Cherry Bakewell. Each 70g bar is less than 270 cals and contains 14g of protein (check the bottom of the review for the full macros). They’re made with gluten free oats and whey, with no palm oil or gelatine. Efectiv have also used natural flavours and sweeteners, and the flapjacks are GMO free and certified Halal. One massive bonus for me is that they contain no soya protein or polyols, making them much kinder on your stomach. This makes them higher in carbs, but also the perfect post-workout treat. I say treat, but that’s only right if they taste good… 

Cherry Bakewell

I’d normally save the flavour I’d anticipate would taste the best until last, but my preconceptions on what these bars would taste like wasn’t especially high and so I thought I’d give Efectiv the best chance possible. 

The first thought that struck me was how much closer to a real flapjack this bar looked. It was also a decent size too. The second realisation was just how soft the bar was - often protein flapjacks are either super dry or gluey, but this was neither. 

The texture was spot on. Soft and gooey, with a pleasant chew that wasn’t hard work. The cherry flavour however was milder than I’d have liked and I couldn’t help but think that either a layer of jam or chunks of dried cherries would improve the taste. It was still the best protein flapjack I’d tried to date though. 

8/10

Chocolate Orange

Unlike the Bakewell bar, this flapjack was dark in colour. Texturally it was very similar though. 

As for the flavour, this time it was much punchier, although I’d describe it more as cocoa orange as it lacked the milkiness that I’d associate with eating a bar of orange flavoured chocolate. In fact, the flavour kind of reminded me of something that Trek might make, but it was much tastier than Trek’s protein flapjacks. 

8/10

Toffee Oat

I saved this bar until last and found myself really looking forward to it. 

I wasn’t disappointed either. The bar tasted like a proper flapjack! It was gooey, sweet, soft and chewy with a lovely toffee undertone. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that I’d happily eat the Efectiv toffee & oats pro&pats flapjack instead of a normal flapjack and I’ll be hunting down more to try in the future!

9/10

All in all, I was mightily impressed with these protein flapjacks from Efectiv. I do feel like the flavour of the Cherry Bakewell bar could be improved slightly, but that’s just a mini moan! Thank you to Efectiv for sending me the samples. The flapjacks (and the new Dual bars, watch out for the review) are available from their website.

*as promised, here's the Macro breakdown:

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! Discover Milk Chocolate with Peach and Mint (Sweets Without)

Last week I was invited to try a very unusual sounding chocolate bar by Sweets Without. I've been lucky enough to try some very interesting chocolate of late, but no low-sugar flavoured bars as yet. Peach & mint makes me think of sipping iced tea in the summer sunshine, but I'd never thought of it as a milk chocolate flavour. I was more than willing to give it a go though, so gladly accepted Sweets Without's kind offer to try Discover's chocolate bar.

But who are Discover? According to their website, they're a small team in Exmoor who produce handmade chocolate. They say: 

"Discover was launched with two goals, we needed to remove sugar from the ingredients and bring a range of flavours to the chocolate market which had not been done before. We achieved this using all-natural ingredients in the innovative and exciting varieties of healthy no added sugar, stevia sweetened, palm oil and Gluten free chocolate bars we have on offer. We also ensure that our chocolate is ethically sound and environmentally friendly."

I loved the wrapper to the 50g bar, and could smell the refreshing mint from beneath the brown paper. Uncovering it I was further impressed by the colour and glossy sheen to the chocolate. 

I then turned it over and discovered that the flat side was completely covered with peppermint leaves, giving it a grassy appearance. Embedded within the chocolate were a few dried peach slices too. I'd never seen a bar quite like it!

Biting into the chocolate I was met with a creaminess that I really hadn't expected. I thought that the Cavalier bar was good quality, but this was far better. The chocolate was every bit as sweet as its full-sugar compadres, however there was a big problem with the bar...

I just couldn't get over the gritty texture from the mint leaves, which although flavourful, completely counteracted the wonderful velveteen chocolate. It's a shame because the mint flavour was good and worked well as a combination with the chocolate. As for the peach slices, they offered very little to the bar apart from a slight chewiness and sweet edge. I couldn't really taste them against the chocolate and mint combination -such a pity.

I feel very glum to be writing such criticisms of what sounds like a wonderful company. I love their ethos, but for me this just doesn't quite work. Sweets Without are selling all sorts of their exciting sounding bars though so please do check out their website if you like the sound of no-added sugar fig & cashew/coffee & cardamom dark chocolate or rose petal & lavender milk chocolate. I think the cherry & walnut and cinnamon milk chocolate bars sound particularly special!

6/10

**Thank you to Sweets Without for the sample!**

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

FlapJacked Mighty Muffins: Maple Pumpkin, S'mores and Apple & Cinnamon (Online)

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about FlapJacked's Buttermilk Protein Pancake & Baking Mix and also promised to review their Mighty Muffin range. Today I'm reviewing 3 of the 6 flavours -so you'll have to come back again to find out how the peanut butter, chocolate, and peanut butter & chocolate flavours fare. But first, let's get to grips about what Mighty Muffins are all about...

"FlapJacked Mighty Muffins are a delicious, certified gluten free, protein packed and high fibre muffin developed with scrumptious flavour, balanced nutrition and convenience in mind. Bursting with pockets of flavour in every bite, Mighty Muffins pack 20 grams of protein and 240 calories in each serving (1 container). The patented probiotic GanedenBC30 has been added to help you support immune health as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Simply add water, microwave for up to 1 minute (time will vary depending on the power of your microwave) and you have a delicious meal or snack on the go."

Gluten free, high in protein and scrummy to boot? Surely not. 

Maple Pumpkin
As usual I opted for the flavour that I thought I'd like least (although they all sounded good to me). I peeled back the lid to find a fair amount of powder, before adding 60ml of water using the provided container as suggested. 

As I stirred the mixture my nostrils were greeted with an array of spices which instantly made me even hungrier; it's a good job I didn't have to wait for this cake to bake in the oven! My microwave took a little longer than the advised 60 seconds to make the muffin peak out the top of the tub (but it is only low watt).

I was still too eager to eat my muffin and soon found that it was still gooey in the middle - but I pretended it was supposed to be a fondant. The flavours were really delicious though, maple and pumpkin are underutilised in the UK, and I loved the combination of spice and sweet. I wasn't expecting the little crunchy maple bits in the muffin either, but enjoyed the contrast in textures.
Maple Pumpkin Mighty Muffin was every bit as scrumptious as FlapJacked promised, and it's certainly a treat I'll happily enjoy over and over again.

9/10

S'mores 
This time I knew the drill: I added my water and mixed, before attempting to give my muffin a sufficient amount of time in the microwave.

The S'mores muffin was packed full of chocolate chips and marshmallow pieces. The cake had a fluffy texture this time (thanks to my patience), but I found that without the spice that the protein flavour was much more prominent. I primarily use whey protein to bake with and haven't ever tried Pea protein before. All of FlapJacked's products are made using a combination of both. It didn't taste bad, but it certainly wasn't your usual sponge cake flavour. 

6/10

Apple & Cinnamon

I was in need of some comfort food after a long day yesterday, so opted for cake and ice cream for pudding. This was much healthier than it sounds though, thanks to the Mighty Muffin's low sugar and fat content and OPPO's low sugar content. Is my healthy halo glowing yet? I think not.

The heavy dose of cinnamon in this cake was scrummy, although now I'd detected the protein taste in the S'mores muffin I couldn't ignore it in the background of this flavour too. The combination of warm cinnamon cake with ample apple pieces and salted caramel ice cream was wonderful though, and I felt like I was eating a hug in a bowl. Serious noms.

8/10

Flapjacked's Mighty Muffins are available to purchase from their website, where you will receive 10% off by using the code AMY10.

If you want to be in with the chance of WINNING 6 Mighty Muffins AND a Protein Pancake Mix amongst many other goodies, please enter my instagram competition.

Thank you to FlapJacked for the samples!

NEW! Pandy Protein Candy Soda Shakers Review (CNSport)

The protein ever-expanding protein product market knows no bounds. Once upon a time I mocked the high street brands who were jumping on the high protein bandwagon, but since then I've returned to fitness and have cupboards full of bars and powders that supplement my diet (especially because I'm not a huge meat eater).

There's seemingly been a gap in the market though: protein sweets. Ever eaten a bag of Haribo and thought "I wish this was helping me hit my macros"? No? Nor me! Pandy have provided the answer to any of you who have however, and I know that I'm certainly not averse to the idea now that they're here!

"Pandy has three different bagged jelly candy products that are entirely free from sugar, gluten and lactose. They also have a high protein content, are low in calories, and are packed with BCAA. The candy is made in Sweden with the best calibre ingredients and the highest quality standards."

Pandy have produced three varieties: fruity 'Sour Plates', liquorice 'Salty Kettlebells' and pop flavoured 'Soda Shakers'. Fortunately for me my local sports nutrition shop manager, protein guru, and all round good guy Conor (of CNSport -who can also deliver) has just started stocking their entire range and offered me a bag to sample. The Soda Shakers sounded hardest to resist and so I gleefully nabbed a bag.

The 70g bag contained 20+ bottle shaped sweets, with a roughly even mixture of cola and lime flavours. They looked so convincingly like normal sweets that I'm not sure I was convinced that the whole pack could contain just 151kcal on 16g of protein!

Damn. They tasted just as good as they looked, and were addictive to boot. They were chewy and sweet with a surprising flavour likeness to their full-sugar and non-protein containing counterparts. Even my Haribo addicted other half was impressed!

So where's the catch? Well the only ones I could find is that they're still quite high in carbs (43g per 70g which comes from polyols) but that makes them perfect for leg day, am I right? They're also not suitable for vegetarians (due to the pork gelatin but that's probably obvious because they're jelly sweets) and excessive consumption may have some dodgy side effects for your tummy (also unsurprising due to the sugar substitutes used). They are however gluten and lactose free!

9/10

Macros per bag: 151kcal P16/C43/F0

Thank you Conor for the sample, I'll be buying more shortly! 

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.

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...

NEW! Lumberjack Protein Packed Flapjacks (Online)

If you follow me on Instagram you may already know that I have recently returned to the gym after a break of a few years. With my mission to tone up and gain muscle mass, one of my concerns is how to get enough protein into my diet. I don't eat a huge amount of meat, and often prefer to have peanut butter at lunchtime instead of something more sensible. Fortunately there are a veritable plethora of high protein products available on the market now; some of which I've found to be utterly delicious (the vanilla and fruity Icelandic Skyr pots for example) and others I've found inedible (such as the B'Jammin PB&J and Protein Active Peanut Chia Blast bars). 

I was thrilled to recently receive a huge box of Blackfriars Bakery treats to review, which included a trio of Lumberjack Protein Packed Flapjacks. I'd never heard of Lumberjack before, but then I read the attached note and discovered that they are a new branch of the Leicester based company. I was a bit dubious about the flapjacks as I'd had such a bad experience with the PhD Protein+ Peanut Butter flapjack -so bad was it that it ended up in the bin! Would these be the same? I hoped not, especially as they came in such interesting sounding flavours.. Each of the flapjacks contains between 22-23% protein, are gluten free and suitable for vegetarians.

Ginger, Orange & Dark Chocolate

I love the packaging of all of these bars, they look really colourful and I imagine that they would really stand out on the shelf against their competitors.

As you can see, there was a decently thick layer of dark chocolate topping. It smelt like a normal flapjack, which sounds silly, but I was expecting the pungent chemical/whey protein odour that I'd experienced in the past. 

Biting into it, I would have been forgiven for thinking I was eating a regular flapjack. It was soft, squidgy and buttery -thanks to the inclusion of real butter. Thank the lord! The chocolate wasn't particularly dark, but I preferred it that way. Combined with the orange flavour which infused the oats, the flapjack tasted remarkably jaffa cake-esque. That was until I hit the ginger, which didn't enter every mouthful but occasionally injected it's warm, spicy tones into the bar. 

I was impressed.

8/10

Vanilla Flavour Fudge With Chia & Hemp Seeds

I was a bit surprised when I peeled back the wrapping and discovered the naked bar beneath, Where oh where was the fudgy topping I expected?

Once I had bitten off my first chunk, I forgave Lumberjack entirely. I'm not the world's biggest advocate of chia seeds (they seem a bit tasteless and therefore pointless to me) but the flavour and texture of the bar was amazing! The delightfully sweet vanilla fudge was omnipresent, and the crunchy texture from the seeds kept the bar just as interesting as the ginger did in the first flapjack. 

Another winner!

9/10

Yoghurt Flavour & Mixed Berries

I was actually a little concerned by the time I tried this last flavour in case it was disappointing in comparison to the others. I was therefore pleased when I unwrapped the flapjack and saw a thick yoghurt-y topping. This was looking good.

Sweet bejesus! One of my best friends makes the most incredible white chocolate and cranberry flapjacks, and I kid you not, these tasted so darn similar! I think I'm going to have to check that she's not Mrs Lumberjack in disguise. The tart cranberries and sweetened dried blueberries worked perfectly with the raspberry flavoured oats, offering the ultimate in dried fruit symphony. What made the flapjack taste even more indulgent was the yogurt topping, but that's pretty self explanatory seeing as yogurt coated raisins are one of the best snacks known to man. Note to self: must buy some ASAP.  

10/10

Conclusion

I've been mightily impressed with this new range of protein flapjacks from Lumberjack. They taste less like a health product and more like an indulgent treat. If I were you I'd head on over to Blackfriars' website ASAP -where you can get 10% off until the end of July by using the code 'LUMBERJACK10'.

Many thanks to Lumberjack for the free samples.