Alpro Coconut Ice Cream

As a lover of all things coconut, I have realised that it is a totally underused flavour, even in vegan food! Which is particularly odd when coconut is considered to be such a miraculous health food at the moment, what with all of the coconut oil appreciation going on right now! Here is what Alpro have to say about their brand new ice cream.

Alpro® Coconut is made from carefully selected coconuts, giving our ice cream its delicious rich taste & creaminess. With less sugars & saturated fats than the market reference in ice cream, Alpro® Ice cream is a delicious treat to indulge in!

• Ice cream made from coconut
• 100% plant-based
• 30% less sugars & saturated fats
• Made from nature's tastiest ingredients
• Free from colours and preservatives
• Free from dairy and gluten
• Suitable for vegans

The ice cream isn't as sweet as the other flavours but I think that this actually worked better with the coconut flavour, it was subtle and very mild in taste. I think that this probably would have worked better with a topping like a Choc Shot sauce and mayb some dessicated coconut to sprinkle on top. But in all fairness I did still thoroughly enjoy this on its own.

Rating - 7/10
Vegan - Yes
Calories - 167 per 100g
Buy Again - Probably

Tesco FreeFrom Porridge Pot

Picture this. A chilled Autumnal morning, when the sky outside looks miserably grey, but the sun is clearly present yet you fail to feel its heat. You can't avoid glancing at what few bronzed leaves have been left cinging on the trees being furiously dragged in whichever direction the wind so chooses to take them, repeatedly, without their consent. Have I set the scene yet? Then I shall go on.
This is the perfect type of morning, in my own humble opinion, for a delicious bowl of steaming porridge to warm the soul and prepare you for the day. Especially a gruelling day of work or education (or perhaps even both!)But sometimes making porridge from scratch isn't quite feasible if you have to be out of the house in a rush so the recent development of porridge to go pots is wonderful. But until a month ago, I had never seen a vegan friendly pot before, so you can easily imagine my delight!

I couldn't actually wait until breakfast the next morning to try this, so being a little unconventional, had it as part of my lunch. It was simple to make, just boil the kettle, and pour it into the small pot, mix well and allow to cook. The result is rather good. The porridge is thick and creamy-the one and only way to have it of course. I personally enjoy my porridge a tad sweeter so I toddled back to the kitchen to retrieve a little sweetener. Then, it was undeniably perfect.
You really wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and a pot of regular porridge, the oats are no different in consistency, texture, flavour, or the way that they work. Neither can you tell that it is free of dairy because it still tastes quite creamy.

I really do think that it is brilliant that supermarkets like Tesco are making the effort to cater to those who suffer with allergies, or simply choose to avoid certain foods due to ethical reasons, because why should you be punished or have to miss out on your favourite foods just because you can no longer tolerate them etc?

So throw away your misconceptions regarding porridge being nothing more than gruel, yes I mean you! And embrace the comforting revolution!

Rating - 9/10
Vegan - Yes (Also Gluten and Wheat Free)
Calories - 237 per pot
Buy Again - The ten already living in my cupboard suggest yes...

Alpro Hazelnut Chocolate Ice Cream

I feel as though I have been waiting my whole life for this product. My poor Mother has had to listen to my whine and complain about Alpro not branching out into the ice cream market for many moons, but alas, after several years of wishful thinking, Alpro have finally come through. But the big question here is, did they come through with the goods?

Well, I am going to keep you in suspense just a little bit longer (unless you choose to scroll to the bottom on the page, which is fine I suppose). I actually stuggled to locate this ice cream for quite a while, after doing a bit of research I found out that it is currently only available in the larger Tesco stores, so I made it my mission to locate it, and obviously, from the mere fact that you are reading this review, I did indeed manage to locate this ice cream. The tub is the usual size, and the packaging looks nice, it is minimalistic and in keeping with Alpro's usual style. 

The range comes in three varieties; vanilla, coconut, and the subject of todays review, chocolate hazelnut. This is probably the flavour that I was most excited about trying because it is such a classic flavour combination. This is a bit of information about the product.

 

Alpro® Hazelnut Chocolate is made from carefully selected hazelnuts, giving our ice cream its delicious rich taste & creaminess, which are then perfectly blended with real chocolate. With less sugars & saturated fats than the market reference in ice cream, Alpro® Ice cream is a delicious treat to indulge in!

• Ice cream made from hazelnut
• 100% Plant-based
• 30% Less sugars & saturated fats
• Made from nature's tastiest ingredients
• Free from dairy and gluten
• Free from colours and preservatives
• Suitable for vegans

Now, onto the review! The ice cream is pretty difficult to distinguish from that of the more traditional dairy version in both taste and texture. It is creamy with a lovely smooth consistency which  would give brands like Haagan Dazs a run for their money! The flavour certainly didn't disapoint either, it was rich but not sickly with enough sweetness to work well against the nutty hazelnut. I found myself thoroughly enjoying this tub of ice cream and was actually quite sad when I finished, albeit extremely satisfied. 

Rating - 9.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 177 per 100g

Buy Again? - YES!!!

Vivani Vegan White Chocolate with Strawberry Bar

White chocolate always takes me back to my youth (I say this as though I am nearing 71 not 21) because of its sweet creamy flavour that was a staple part of our sweet cupboard in the form of Milky Bar. Unfortunately these days are no more as I now live the dairy free life, so instead I must search high and low for suitable alternatives to satisfy my sweet cravings.


I was starting to become quite disheartened in my quest for the elusive vegan white chocolate, and I was just about to give up when I stumbled across this bar at a local vegan fair. My prayers were seemingly answered in the form of this Vivani White Chocolate with Strawberries and Wafer Brittle. From the name alone I was instantly intrigued by this European chocolate bar. I knew very little about the brand so I thought that a bit of research was required, and obviously, I am going to share it with my lovely readers. 

What Is Important to Us

• All our ingredients are organically grown and certified.
• Cocoa varieties are of top quality and are used in an optimum ratio of mixture.
• All other ingredients are of top quality, too. The vanilla we use, for example, is real Bourbon vanilla.
• We deliberately exclude lecithin, especially soy lecithin*.
• We do not use genetically engineered ingredients.
• Each sort of chocolate has an elaborate recipe of its own.
• The manufacturing process has been tuned to maximum conditions (intensive rolling mill treatment, longtime conching).
• A perfect system of quality assurance guarantees a continuous high standard 

Now, onto the review! The chocolate bar is wrapped in silver foil for freshness and covered in perhaps the prettiest packaging I have seen in a while, the design is clear and easy to read and sets the tone for the whole brand as friendly but professional with a distinctly high quality feel to it, which I obviously appreciated.
Upon unwrapping the bar I was greeted by this creamy white bar with pink speckles scattered throughout, I preferred the bar a little melted as I think that is the only way that you can truly enjoy all of the chocolate flavours, but that is my own personal preferences so feel free to ignore it if you wish.
The melt on the bar was actually really impressive, something which dairy free chocolate often lacks. The smooth texture of the bar worked brilliantly with the crunch of the perfectly tart freezedried strawberry pieces and the chewy wafer brittle. I loved the contrast between all of the different flavours and textures and thoroughly enjoyed the way that they all stayed completely distinct wilst complimenting eachother.

 I can't get over how delicious this bar was, the taste was, dare I say it? Better than Milky Bar!


Rating - 9.5/10
Vegan - Yes
Calories - 573 per 100g
Buy Again - Certainly Am!

These are available at The Vegan Tuck Box

Pop Works Apple Pie Popcorn

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It is always a pleasant surprise to come home only to find that your ever so kind mother has bought you something new to try that just so happens to be accidentally vegan. 

 

The packaging itself is rather snazzy and stands out from the other products on the shelves with its eye catching metallic foil and bright colours. The bag is 90g so it is well filled.

The flavour is rather lovely with the apple sour tang of the apple being the dominant flavour. The cinnamon worked well as you would expect from this classic flavour combination and brought a nice sweetness to balance out the sour flavour of the apple. I really enjoyed this and still can't quite believe that it is entirely free from dairy!

 

The popcorn is of a good quality with almost no unpopped popcorn kernels. The flavour was well distributed and evenly coating the popcorn. 

 

 

 

Rating - 9.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 135 per 30g

Buy Again - Yes!

Fry's Peppermint Cream

I myself was quite surprised to discover that Fry's Peppermint Creams were vegan. Who would have thought that such a delicious and well known chocolate bar would be leading a secret vegan life! 

"Fry & Sons. It consists of a fondant centre enrobed in dark chocolate and is available in a plain version, and also peppermint or orange fondant. Fry's Chocolate Cream was one of the first chocolate bars ever produced, launched in 1866. Like the first chocolate bars they are dairy-free and vegan."

Now that I've given you a bit of background information, here is the review! The bar itself is a good quality dark chocolate which is unsurprising because the company have had so long to perfect the recipe. The slight bitterness that is associated with dark chocolate creates a nice contrast and helps to balance out the intense sweetness of the fondant. I really do enjoy these bars as they are simple in their flavours but done very well. The bars are a satisfying size and pretty low in calories compared with other similar bars, which in my eyes, justifies eating more...

I've noticed that these have become a little easier to find in supermarkets and are no longer limited to corner shops and discount stores. I've also been informed that they are readily available in Dubai! And certain British people eat these almost daily because they are so good, sometimes they even eat two bars in one go! But who can deny someone of their home comforts. 

Basically, these are really delicious and such a classic bar that you cannot help but love them! So treat yourself and pick up a bar today.

Rating - 9.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 205

Buy Again - Definitely! 

Jealous Sweets

I was recently approached by the people at Jealous Sweets who asked me if I would like to try some of their new range of sweets to review, obviously I said yes! I didn't really know much about the company so I decided to do a bit of research. 

Everyone loves to be given something precious – a thing of beauty to be admired. We’ve created a range of mouth wateringly moreish treats to tantalise your tastebuds and all our Jealous Sweets are beautifully crafted and like jewels they’re irresistible.

All our Jealous Sweets are 100% vegetarian, gluten free, full of natural fruit juices and free from artificial colours and flavours.

There are nine different jewel boxes in our range – all created for those with an eye for something special.

Fizzy Friends

I expected these to be sour but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were simply sweet and fizzy. The fizz worked perfectly with the sweetness to add a degree of interest and intrigue to these tasty little sweets. They came in a variety of fruity flavours, I particularly enjoyed the berry ones. Overall, these were simply delicious!

9/10

Fruitylicious

Once again, I loved these sweets. You really can tell that they use natural fruit juices rather than artificial chemicals and additives, the real taste of the fruits is perfect, the texture of the sweets is brilliant considering they are vegan, and you probably wouldn't be able to easily tell the different between these and regular sweets (I'm talking about texture because their flavour is by far superior!)

9.25/10

Sour Beans

If you enjoy sour things, then you will absolutely love these! They are amazingly sour, yet still have plenty of flavour to satisfy you and make the experience delicious. They had a nice crunch from the crispy shell and a brilliant chewy quality from the inside. These came in what I can assume were berry based flavours, I think that this was a smart move because they would have been too strong otherwise!

8.75/10

Marks & Spencer Apple Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns

Marks & Spencer's don't offer the greatest selection of vegan products but when you find something that is accidentally vegan, it is a truly beautiful moment.

I am a lover of hot cross buns and I thought I would chance it by checking the ingredients, minimal hope was in my heart, but to my immense surprise and joy there was absolutely not sign of dairy, or anything else derived from animals! So I instantly put two packs into my basket and promptly made my way to the checkout, whilst forgetting almost everything else I had been asked to buy through my sheer excitement... I did go back obviously because I am a good person and my mum wouldn't have been overly impressed if not!

The hot cross buns are so incredibly fresh it is unreal, they almost melt in your mouth. Even the crust is soft and moist! How is that even possible?! The dough is laced with juicy currents, sultanas, and deliciously wonderful Apple pieces. I really can't get over how good these are, they are lightly spiced so that they are warming yet not too overwhelming or strong. 

I am currently enjoying these as part of my breakfast and I have absolutely no regrets, they keep me full until a late lunch and I definitely feel satisfied.

Rating - 9.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 186

Buy Again - Certainly!

Alpro Coconut Soya Yogurt

I have written this delightful review for Adam, my newest reader who loves nuts in all shapes and forms, even more so than the honey badger! I eagerly await your views and response. 

I had a few apprehensions about this yogurt because I thought that it was going to be like a coconut milk yogurt, thankfully this was a perfect combination of soy and coconut so it was still light and fresh without being too rich or thick.

The coconut flavour was beautifully subtle so it didn't overpower you or taste soapy as things sometimes can. There was a lovely sweetness to it which made it perfect when paired with fruit or muesli or perhaps with some coconut shavings and dark chocolate sprinkles to make it an indulgent dessert experience. I can imagine that this would be rather delicious if used in making overnight oats or something like that. 

Basically I loved this yogurt and I am so incredibly impressed with this tasty offering from the fabulous people at Alpro. I bet even a great Commodore would approve!

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 54 per 100g

Buy Again- Definitely!

Nak'd Carrot Cake Bar

Carrot cake used to be one of my favourite cakes, it was sweet, nutty, fluffy, with a lovely flavour of carrot which cannot be beaten. But unfortunately, I have struggled to find any vegan friendly carrot cake near me so I have been left without. That was, until now! 

The incredibly talented people who work for Nak'd have once again outdone themselves with their healthy, vegan interpretation of a British classic. But does the flavour live up to my expectations? 

I can assure you my friends, it most certainly does. The flavour is fabulous, it is rich and nutty, with a delicious sweetness from the dates. The texture is stodgy and chewy and squidgy, just as you would expect from a Nak'd Bar! The carrot flavour is lovely and subtle with it bringing a slight earthy sweetness to it whilst not being too overpowering (something which is often a major downfall for carrot cake!) 

Overall I rather loved this bar, the light spices in it reminded me of the Christmas Pud bar which lets be honest, certainly isn't a bad thing! So enjoy this healthy alternative to an otherwise less than healthy cake! 

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 148

Buy Again - Already have a small stash!

Sarelle Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Wafer Bar - The Vegan Kind

I eat chocolate every night, and I think that is a healthy part of my diet. We shouldn't demonise food of any kind because it is all beneficial and doing you good as it provides calories. It is simply key to eat everything in moderation, an excess of anything can be dangerous. Rant over now sorry and on to the actual review!

I recently saw these in the shops and was instantly intrigued because I have never seen a bar like this that is actually vegan! It is a wafer like bar coated in dark chocolate, filled with a dark chocolate crunchy nutty mousse ganache thing. Okay, I know that my description isn't great but I promise you that it is utterly magical in every way shape and form. I am still in utter disbelief that it is vegan because it just tastes like a dark chocolate Ferrero Roche! It is a deliciously tasty treat to finish the day off with and I certainly recommend it to everyone who likes chocolate regardless of being vegan or not!

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 179

Buy Again - Already have many times!

Marks & Spencer's Free From Chocolate

It's brilliant how supermarkets are expanding their own brand free from ranges, especially in regards to their chocolate selection! But I've always thought that Marks and Spencer's have been a little lacking in this department with only a few gluten free baked goods, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw one of the lovely people I follow on Twitter post these two interesting looking bars! Both are free from dairy as they are dark chocolate and contain little pieces of sugar crunchies (okay I'm not entirely sure what sugar crunchies are but let's go with it).

Mint

The chocolate itself is absolutely delicious, a rich dark chocolate with a smooth and creamy melt. But the issue I had was with the little mint pieces in it. I personally found them to be far too minty to me and it was like eating an intense mint, it wasn't sweet it was just very strong and it detracted from how lovely the bar itself was. It was strange that I didn't enjoy this more when I am such a massive fan of mint usually! It was still nice but I wouldn't say it is my favourite bar.

Orange

I put off eating this for ages because I was so unimpressed by the mint version,but eventually I managed to bring myself round to trying this and goodness me am I glad that I did because it was utterly divine! The chocolate itself was once again divine, but this time the crunchy pieces of orange were crisp and sweet. The bar was an absolute delight to eat and I can't wait until I have it again!

Rating - 7.5/10
Vegan - Yes

Nak'd Peanut Delight Bar

I really couldn't contain my excitement when I heard about Nak'd releasing several new flavours to their bar range, and this is the one I was undoubtedly looking forward to the most! I am a sucker for anything peanut flavoured, mainly because it manages to be the most perfect food to have both sweet and salty! This bar had a lovely nutty flavour with massive pieces of peanut in it which added a perfect crunch and texture to the bar. 

The flavour worked very well in bar form and managed to taste completely different to its Trek equivalent, which I thought to be a rather impressive feat! There was the tiniest hint of salt which worked nicely to further offset the sweetness of the overall bar.

This is a simply fantastic bar from Nak'd and I cannot wait to try the rest of the new flavours!

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 149

Buy Again - Definitely!

Heinz Beans

Beans are an essential part of any vegan diet, they are filled with loads of good stuff like fibre, half a can is one of your five a day, and the are virtually fat free so they are perfect to have on your plate or in your bowl! They are filling, healthy, and super cheap, what more can you want out of something?

The beans are of a high quality and taste delicious when paired with the sweet tomato sauce that has a distinctly Heinz taste to it if you get me? Some people may find them a bit sweet but personally I love them, they are currently my go to lunch. 

I would recommend them on crumpets instead of toast because that is a combination which cannot be beaten, and if you want to go wild add a bit of grated cheese on top to let it melt (you can use vegan cheese aswell so you can make this into a whole vegan meal!) I have a friend who does this an I can't help but be a little envious despite having a deep hatred of cheese.

Rating - 9.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 328 per tin

Buy Again - Always at least two tins in my cupboard!

Nestle Coco Shreddies (Vegan)

I am a massive fan of cereal, I have it basically every day with my vegan yogurt and bagel (I'm a greedy girl, what can I say?). But I was recently shocked to discover that many cereals which I had simply assumed were vegan are in fact not because they have the addition of lanolin in order to fortify them with vitamin d. 

So I did start scouring the Internet in search of easy to get hold of vegan friendly cereal and shockingly Cocoa Shreddies popped up on the list and were actually verified by Nestle as being vegan so who am I to argue?

I like to convince myself that I am being healthy when I eat Shreddies because of their whole grain goodness etc but in reality they are deliciously sweet with a good crunch and a nice hit of cocoa. I really do find these filling aswell, especially with only a 40g serving (normally I find cereal suggested serving sizes to be absolutely dire because surely not even a child would be suitably sustained on what is often no more than a handful of cereal?) anyway, I would probably say that that Cocoa Shreddies are probably my favourite thing to have with breakfast at the moment!

Rating - 8/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 149 per 40g

Buy Again - Yes!

Warburtons Crumpets

Crumpets are one of my favourite breakfast to have of a morning, and it has to be Warburtons. I've tried other brands but it is never quite as good, no others can compare to the delicious fluffy yumminess that is found in a fresh, hot, Warburtons crumpet.

The flavour is lovely and reminds me of being younger when I would have these for my breakfast slathered in peanut butter so much that the bottom would fall through! Unfortunately I don't think that was quite the healthiest breakfast I've ever had but it was by far the nicest! 

Anyway, now a days I tend to have them with a bit of Marmite or Vegemite or I may be a bit of a boring thing and just have them plain (I like things like that). Apparently the best way to have them though is slathered in butter -or a vegan friendly alternative. 

Basically I love to have crumpets in the morning and they are a staple breakfast item in my household!

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 98 per crumpet

Buy Again - Part of the usual shop

Vego Chocolate Bar (The Vegan Kind)

As I have mentioned before, my mum recently bought me a nice little stash of vegan goodies for me to try, and this is probably the one that I am most looking forward to because I have heard such great things about it!

The bar is pretty massive weighing in at 65g, and it certainly isn't for the faint of heart, but I'm far from this so it was devoured by me happily in one sitting. 

You honestly would never guess that this bar is vegan from the taste or appearance alone because it tastes exactly what Nutella would taste like in the form of a bar. So basically it is the most incredible thing ever to be created. The bar itself is split into sections which you can break off with relative ease but they would probably be a little uneven if your intention was to equally share this with someone (why anyone would want to share such a delicious bar with anyone is beyond me). The chocolate is such a high quality, it's so rich with the hazelnut flavour which works perfectly with the creamy melt of the bar which just makes this feel all the more luxurious. The creamy smooth texture is broken up with whole hazelnuts which add a great crunch to the bar and ensure that every mouthful is a delight.

As you will have worked out by now I rather enjoyed this bar and loved every bite. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys hazelnuts, and I would especially recommend this to any lover of Nutella!

Rating - 9.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 384 per bar

Buy Again? - Yes!

Tesco Free From Chocolate Dessert

Goodness me I have been eating and reviewing a ridiculous amount of yogurts haven't I? I'm trying to space them out a little bit and keep the variety going so tell me if there is anything you would like me to review or would recommend please!

Onto the review, okay, maybe this isn't quite a yogurt, it's more of a yogurt dessert type of thing, but whatever you want to call it, it remains delicious! The chocolate soya pot was fantastically thick which worked perfectly with the silky smooth texture. The richness of the dessert was perfectly balanced with a creamy sweetness from the soya, this ensured that the pot didn't become sickly, instead it remained light and tasty! You really wouldn't believe that they are vegan or under 110 calories! I've had luxury chocolate cream puddings at over 300 calories which haven't been nearly as lovely as these were so overall I am very impressed indeed!

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 109

Buy Again - Yes!

Vegan Quorn Fillets

I would honestly be lost without Quorn products and that was really the only thing that I was eating which wasn't completely vegan, but since Quorn released these new vegan fillets, I am officially an unwavering and dedicated vegan without exception! 

The fillets themselves are bigger than the regular ones and flatter but I prefer them like this because it feels like you are just getting a good serving size and you only need one rather than two. They taste delicious, the texture is a little bit denser than the original ones but I quite liked it and thought it worked rather well, it probably would be better in a sauce and less dry but I'm not really the biggest fan of sauces. 

Overall I prefer the vegan fillets, the flavour is different but in a good way, perfect to have as a meat substitute in something like a roast dinner. 

Rating - 9/10

Calories - 65

Vegan - Yes

Buy Again - My new regular!

Swedish Glacé Dairy Free Strawberry Ice Cream Sticks

The variety of vegan products out there are the moment is pretty decent at the moment, and finally the ice cream market has followed suit! These little ice cream bars from Swedish Glacé are simply incredible and you really can't tell that they are free from dairy and vegan. 

They are quite small but I think that this size is perfect because they are rather sweet and rich. They are strawberry ice creams coated in a lovely layer of chocolate, the thickness of the chocolate was adequate and was perfectly proportioned with the ice cream. Obviously I followed the unspoken rules and nibbled the chocolate off first and then enjoyed the deliciously creamy and sweet strawberry ice cream that lay underneath. Honestly these were pretty magical and I'm now craving one as a result of writing this so I think that is a testament to how delicious these are!

My mum tried one and agreed that they were incredible and didn't actually realise they were vegan until I told her afterwards! So I really believe that this is a treat for the whole family, especially if you do have a child with an allergy to milk and don't want them to feel left out or different to everyone else!

Rating - 9.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 117

Buy Again - Definitely!

Tesco Vegan Strawberry Fromage Frais

I've had a fair few bad experiences with vegan yogurts, sometimes they are horribly watery, they leave this almost acrid after taste, and sometimes they are just plain rubbish! But recently I was informed that I had a serious issue with my bones and that I needed to consume more calcium to rectify sed problem, so yogurts it is!

I'm not going to lie here, it was the unbelievably cute packaging which drew me into buying these yogurts, that and the fact it was strawberry flavour. The yogurt is actually a fromage frais so this means it is a little thicker than regular yogurt. The serving size was quite adequate and left me feeling fully satisfied.

The flavour is lovely, it is perfectly natural and fruity with enough sweetness to balance the creaminess, you probably couldn't tell that these were dairy free if you were just given a little pot of it with no description.

I can't wait to try the rest of this range from Tesco because these were simply fabulous!

Rating - 8.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 73 per pot

Buy Again - Already Have!

OmBar Mylk Buttons

It's a strange yet very true, that chocolate tastes even better in button form. I don't know what it is, maybe it's the bit of whimsy it adds to the whole experience or maybe that it makes it all last a little bit longer? I don't know if I'm totally honest but I'm not going to contest it!

Here is a little bit of information about the lovely people at OmBar;

''Our chocolate is not only sourced from the best of the Ecuadorian cocoa farms, it is also raw. We like to keep it that way, our methods ensure that we preserve as much of natures original goodness as possible - hence why we have six times more flavanols than comparable chocolate brands. We treat our chocolate like a health food - because it is - and therefore we only use the healthiest ingredients such as unrefined coconut sugar, real fruit and live cultures.''

The buttons come in a lovely little bag and I can't help but admire the packaging, it is such good quality and really does set the tone for the whole brand. The serving size is brilliant and because of the incredibly high quality and richness of the chocolate you feel instantly satisfied.

The chocolate itself is amazing. It is so creamy with lovely flavours of coconut bursting through, yet simultaneously feeling subtle enough for you to fully enjoy the cocoa tones. I've never had a chocolate like this and honestly, after trying this bag I went out the next day and bought several more. It is worth the higher price tag.

Basically I loved this bag of buttons and cannot wait to try the rest of the brand!

Rating - 9.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 149

Buy Again - Already have.... Several times!

Go Ahead Chocolate Orange Cookie Bites

I always get really excited when I see a mainstream product which turns out to be accidentally vegan, especially when they are chocolate flavoured! I honestly can't remember who tipped me off to these fabulous little biscuits but whoever it was I am eternally grateful to because they are absolutely delicious!

They come in little individual bags which contain several mini chocolate orange flavoured cookies. They are crunchy and crumbly and more of a biscuit than a cookie in my opinion, I'm not too bothered by semantics in this situation because they still taste great either way. 

The serving size is rather generous, especially for under 100 calories, so I really can't complain about these if I'm honest, just that I am dreading when they go back up to full price!

Rating - 8.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 98

Buy Again - Yes!

Koko Dairy Free Coconut and Lemon Yogurt

Apparently I don't eat anywhere near enough calcium to be healthy, so I thought that I should start trying a wider variety of vegan yogurts instead of the basic ones, so when I saw these coconut milk ones I couldn't resist picking up a pack! Especially ones with such a unique flavour of coconut and lemon. 

The yogurt itself was so deliciously creamy with tiny pieces of desiccated coconut in it which worked perfectly to add texture, the coconut flavour shone through very nicely and complimented the subtle lemon. Personally I wouldn't have minded a bit of a stronger lemony taste but in all fairness I did still thoroughly enjoy this yogurt!

I can't get over just how creamy it was and surprisingly filling, this is not just a yogurt for vegans, it is for everyone who enjoys good flavours because it tasted like a luxury yogurt.

Rating - 8.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 141 per pot

Buy Again? - Yes!

New York Bagel Co Soft Knot Cinnamon Raisin Pretzels

I would like to start this review off with a bit of rather interesting information regarding cinnamon and its impressive health benefits. The lovely people at Nutri Inspector. (http://www.nutriinspector.com/) has written a fantastic and comprehensive article concerning the health benefits of cinnamon. It includes details such as the complete history, benefits, nutrition, side effects and different types of cinnamon. I strongly urge you to give this a read! 

http://www.nutriinspector.com/health-benefits-of-cinnamon/

I'm going to be honest, I haven't ever had a proper pretzel before this week, only the crunchy little bite size ones, never the proper American style one, mainly because they haven't really been available in the UK before. So when I spotted these in Asda I couldn't help but pick up a pack, especially in my favourite combination of cinnamon and raisin. 

They have an absolutely amazing texture, thick and chewy and doughy, they feel indulgent and are surprisingly filling. I felt satisfied for hours after having one as a snack. The flavour was perfectly balanced, there was just enough sweetness in the dough to work with the warming cinnamon spicy and soft gooey raisins. I absolutely loved these, they were perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee, or even as an afternoon snack to keep you going until your next meal!

They were best when toasted for about twenty seconds just so they are warmed through and the dough is soft and chewy.,

Rating - 9.25/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 147

Buy Again? - YES!!!

New York Bagel Co Soft Knot Cinnamon Raisin Pretzels

I would like to start this review off with a bit of rather interesting information regarding cinnamon and its impressive health benefits. The lovely people at Nutri Inspector. (http://www.nutriinspector.com/) has written a fantastic and comprehensive article concerning the health benefits of cinnamon. It includes details such as the complete history, benefits, nutrition, side effects and different types of cinnamon. I strongly urge you to give this a read! 

http://www.nutriinspector.com/health-benefits-of-cinnamon/ 

I'm going to be honest, I haven't ever had a proper pretzel before this week, only the crunchy little bite size ones, never the proper American style one, mainly because they haven't really been available in the UK before. So when I spotted these in Asda I couldn't help but pick up a pack, especially in my favourite combination of cinnamon and raisin. 

They have an absolutely amazing texture, thick and chewy and doughy, they feel indulgent and are surprisingly filling. I felt satisfied for hours after having one as a snack. The flavour was perfectly balanced, there was just enough sweetness in the dough to work with the warming cinnamon spicy and soft gooey raisins. I absolutely loved these, they were perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee, or even as an afternoon snack to keep you going until your next meal!

They were best when toasted for about twenty seconds just so they are warmed through and the dough is soft and chewy.,

Rating - 9.25/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 147

Buy Again? - YES!!!

Alpro Go On Dairy Free Yogurts

If you have been reading my reviews for a while then you will know how much I absolutely adored Greek yogurt, but obviously when I gave up dairy it became but a distant memory because unfortunately there aren't actually any dairy free products which accurately mimic the texture. 

That was, until today when I discovered these new Alpro yogurts! They are described as a plant based alternative to quark which is a thick and creamy dairy product, so it is great that Alpro have decided to create their own vegan version. 

They have a creamy yogurty top which tastes sweet but not too sweet, just like the Plain flavour of their yogurt range, but it is significantly thicker. Then at the bottom there is a generous layer of fruity compote, they come in three flavours; blackcurrant, mango, and passion fruit.

Blackcurrant

This is definitely my favourite of the three flavours as it had the perfect balance of sour tartness with bits of actual Blackcurrant in which I really enjoyed as it added a bit of texture to it all.  

9.5/10

Mango

I wasn't looking forward to trying this flavour because I think that mango is a flavour which is rarely well done, but Alpro proved me wrong because this is simply delicious and amazing! I loved it!

9/10

Passion Fruit  

This flavour was nice but I felt that it could have been a lot better if they would have let this be more sour rather than just sweet. It was certainly still enjoyable, but the contrast of sweet and sour would have been simply amazing.

8/10

Beloved Date Fruit Hearts with Zesty Orange

I'm always excited to try new things, so when I spotted these new little vegan treats in Asda I couldn't help but pick up a pack in each flavour! 

They are made almost entirely from dates with just a little bit of natural flavourings, in this pack there are five good sized hearts for you to munch on (I feel a bit like Hannibal Lector writing that but I assure you I'm not). 

They are a lovely idea and further carries on the theme of beloved, which I really like. I think I is really clever when companies actually commit to their branding, plus it adds a nice little bit of whimsy to the whole eating experience-or at least it does for me! 

The flavour is rather nice, it was sweet enough for you to feel satisfied, yet far from tasting unnatural which was good. The date flavour was a bit over powered by the orange I think, which was a little disappointing but in all fairness it wasn't bad, I just would have personally preferred for the dates to shine through a bit more as I absolutely love them!

The texture was squidgy and stodgy, and quite reminiscent of most other raw food bars, so a very pleasant experience over all! 

The packaging and presentation is absolutely incredible, seriously, I cannot fault any of it and I am really impressed with it. Fantastic product development from Beloved!

Rating - 7/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 105

Buy Again? - Yes

Douwe Egberts Vanilla Coffee

Yet another coffee review from me! I really enjoyed the caramel coffee so I thought why not give the vanilla flavour a chance? 

I absolutely love the smell of coffee anyway so when combined with something as sweet and delicious as vanilla how could I resist? The vanilla flavour was far more subtle than that of the caramel, it sort of added a smoothness to the whole experience and worked well with a bit of sugar to bring out the flavour properly. The granules dissolved quickly and mixed very well with my almond milk so I can't complain there. 

The smell was simply incredible, so good that even my mum who hates coffee was temped to have a cup, my brother who had it in the typical style with regular milk also thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating - 8/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 2 per cup when served black

Buy Again - Yes!

Sunbites Sweet and Salty Wholegrain Popcorn

Popcorn is probably one of my favourite snacks out there. It is healthy, moreish, filling, versatile, and generally low in calories, so obviously when I saw this new offering in my local Tesco I couldn't help but pick up a bag. 

The packaging is really nice, I quite liked the bag, but if I'm honest, that is where my compliments end. The flavour itself was pretty awful, it was far too salty and the balance of sweetness was totally off, I had several friends and family members to try it and give me their opinion in case it was just me being horribly biased with my sweet tooth, but no, they all replied with the same thing. Too much salt! I even bought another bag in case I had a dodgy bag, but unfortunately I was faced with the exact same issue! I couldn't even finish a bag, which is a very rare thing for me as I normally persevere and suffer through it. I honestly would not recommend this to anyone and would urge you to instead buy a better brand such as Propercorn or Portlebay!

Rating - 2/10

Calories - 127

Vegan - Yes

But Again - Never!

Boots Moroccan Style Roasted Vegetable Salad

Does anyone find that their lunch can quite easily become monotonous? The same thing day in and day out. Same sandwiches, same couscous, same crisps, and same fruit. Well I am fed up of eating exactly the same thing everyday, so today I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and get a salad from Boots. Okay, that doesn't sound too exciting when I put it like that, but this salad is something special.

It is a Moroccan style roasted vegetable salad with couscous and a delicious dressing to go with it. It is vegan as it surprisingly contains no animal products! I thought that there may have been honey in the dressing but no, thankfully not!

The vegetables in this are perfectly roasted, they are soft and smoky in flavour, I particularly enjoyed the butternut squash that was in it because it added a lovely sweetness to it. 

There was a good variety of texture from the different salad vegetables, like the fresh, crispy lettuce and the crunchy steamed green beans. 

The couscous itself was quite mild in flavour with a slight spice to it, this was enhanced by the lovely dressing which came with it. 

Overall I absolutely loved this salad and it is only 145 calories! It is very filling and leaves you feeling very satisfied, plus it is in the meal deal so you can get a yummy snack and refreshing drink to go with it! 

Rating - 9.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 145

Buy Again? - Definitely!

Douwe Egberts Caramel Coffee

I absolutely adore coffee, I used to have a really bad addiction and was drinking about three or four large mugs(equivalent of two regular mugs) of the stuff every day, but then I decided that I should really give it up because I was drinking it with about two sugars each time and I no longer slept. So I went about five or six years without a cup of the stuff, until I saw this little jar of Douwe Egberts Caramel Coffee. I was intrigued, it was the same calories as regular black coffee but with a caramel twist, could it really combine two wonderful flavours together to create a taste sensation or was it merely advertising to make you buy the same coffee that you always do for a higher price in a smaller jar?

I was wary of this but decided to treat myself regardless, when I got home I thought that the best way to sample it would be black, but if I'm honest it just tasted like regular black coffee, with perhaps the smallest hint of caramel, but I wouldn't say that it would be worth it to get, so I decided that to be fair I would try it with milk and sugar as I would normally take it. 

So I decided to make it with 200ml of almond milk, and a teaspoon of sweetener. It was actually quite delicious, the smell was so enticing and wonderful, even my mum who hates coffee said that the smell was amazing. It was rich and sweet with the warmth of coffee. The caramel shone through very well when combined with milk, and you could actually appreciate the taste much more. I now have a small cup of this every morning with my breakfast in order to perk me up enough to face the day!

I have a cup of this to someone who generally only drinks plain black coffee and he genuinely couldn't tell the difference, except that it had a slightly richer after taste, he said it didn't particularly make him think that there was anything different, just maybe a different brand to what he usually had.

Rating - 8/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 2 when served black

Buy Again - Now a weekly staple!

Vegan Quorn Pieces

If you are vegetarian, quorn will most likely play a massive part of your life, but unfortunately as a vegan your options quickly dwindle down to absolutely nothing. But thankfully quorn has heard our pleas and answered our prayers! 

They have brought out two items that are vegan friendly, there are these simple and versatile, easily to use in a variety of different meals. The other product is a hot and spicy chicken style burger, perfect for those craving a big of spice and excitement in their meal.

Today I am reviewing the Quorn pieces, these are chicken in style and when incorporated into a sauce or curry type of thing it is quite difficult to tell the different taste wise, the texture is different to chicken but that's not a bad thing, it is firmer and a bit denser but by no means dry because of how it absorbs flavour so well. Personally I couldn't tell a difference between these and the regular non vegan Quorn pieces and these so I see no reason for anyone to have qualms with this progression. 

They are easy to cook and take about ten minutes in the frying pan with a bit of oil, or just cool throw it in with the sauce and put it in the oven if it is like an oven cooked thing.

Rating - 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 104 per 100g

Buy Again - Indeed!