NEW! Lindahl's Vanilla and Raspberry Flavoured Quark (Waitrose)

Happy New Year guys and gals! Have you woken up aiming to turn over a new leaf? Whilst I think that everyone can and should set themselves goals at any point during the year, January the 1st does present itself as somewhat of an opportunity to kick those dreams into motion. Sometimes it's the smaller goals that can bring us joy; for example one of my 2016 resolutions was to have peanut butter and chocolate every single day -simply because I love it- and yesterday I completed my little challenge (admittedly sometimes that meant sneaking Reese's peanut butter cups into my suitcase).

Other goals have been more significant -2016 was the first year since 2012 that I have completely avoided hospital admissions- and for that I raised a glass (or two) last night. I feel very fortunate for my life right now, and I'm super excited for what 2017 has to offer. Sure there's a mixture of resolutions and goals that'll be challenging, but that's what makes life interesting! 

For many people New Years diets will be coming into force from today. It's something that grates on me a little bit, but only because I think that healthy lifestyles should be a way of life and something that includes balance. As a snack reviewer it may look like I live on a diet of pure junk food, but most of the time (70% ish) I eat relatively healthily (certainly not clean though!), and I'm pretty active. One of my daily food staples is LIDL's Milbona Skyr pots -they're cheap, a brilliant source of protein and fat free. I flavour them using sugar free syrups to make them more interesting (Salted Chocolate Espresso, Tiramisu and banoffee are personal favourites) but I'm still always on the look out for new brands to try.

Cue Lindh's, which isn't Skyr at all, but Quark. Both Skyr and Quark are technically soft cheeses, although quite often they sit amongst the yogurt section in the supermarket. I buy Skyr because it's cheaper (at Lidl anyway), and the only sweet flavoured Quark pots widely available are the ARLA protein pots -which I don't particularly rate. So when I spotted these new Lindahl's Raspberry & Vanilla pots on offer at Waitrose for 70p (per 150g pot) I just had to give them a go!

Lindahl's is the number 1 Quark brand in Sweden, and a quick glance at their website made me very envious of the selection that the Swede's get to choose from!The pots contain no added sugar and are suitable for vegetarians. 

Raspberry
First up was the raspberry, and when I peeled back the lid I uncovered a pale pink substance so thick that the individual peaks had remained intact.

Delving my spoon into the Quark revealed a dense mousse like appearance, which simply melted away in the mouth. Instantly I was reminded of the Petit Filous fromage frais pots I enjoyed as a child. Despite the lack of sugar the Quark was sweet enough (more so than the ARLA pots), and I enjoyed every last morsel. Delicious.

9/10

Vanilla
When it comes to Skyr, nothing beats Icelandic Skyr's Vanilla pots. I only wish I had more money so that I could buy them on a regular basis. My love of the vanilla Skyr made me all the more excited to try this Lindahl's Quark version.

The pot had the same consistency and creaminess of the raspberry, although it wasn't as flavourful. The vanilla was less pronounced, and sat delicately in the background. Still delicious, but just not quite as good as my beloved Skyr I'm afraid.

9/10

Summary
These are the perfect snack or light dessert for those looking to up their protein intake and/or eat healthily this January. At only 90Kcal per 150g pot* they're filling and delicious. They're also only on an introductory offer -so if you also like them then stock up pronto like I plan to! Also, if we all buy enough then maybe *just maybe* Waitrose will start selling Lindahl's white chocolate Quark. Please Waitrose?


*Macros P:16.5/C:5.3/F:0.3