Squirrel Sisters - Raspberry Ripple Bar

First Impressions

 I'm going to be honest, I didn't really know much about the Squirrel Sisters before writing this review, so I made it my mission to find out a bit more. I think I should start off by saying how absolutely stunning their entire brand aesthetic is. Their website is just beautiful, such an easy and fun website to use, with tonnes of character throughout! I shouldn't really be surprised because come on guys, have you seen this packaging?! It is just perfection! The pretty design just makes me feel better about the world-I really am that sad guys...

So basically, they are two sisters who want to make healthy food fun and accessible. I really like this idea, because when you say to someone that you are vegan, they just assume all you eat is lettuce and celery! If you have read my blog, you will know that this is certainly not the case! 

They have a range of four flavours, Raspberry Ripple (the focus of today's review), Cocoa Orange, Cocoa Brownie, and Coconut Cashew. All of the bars are vegan, gluten free, a source of fibre, raw, and created with no added sugar.

Without further ado, I shall move on to the review!

On To the Review

Upon opening the pack, I was greeted by these two mini bars of raspberry ripple. They were quite small, but made for a lovely snack with a cup of tea or coffee, leaving me satisfied after munching. There was a nice subtle smell of raspberry which I enjoyed, this definitely enticed me in and I couldn't resist it any more! 

The texture was nice, soft and squidgy, and it reminded me quite a bit of a Nak'd bar, which obviously, is a very good thing! The flavour was delicious. Raspberry shone through delightfully, with the sweet natural taste being utterly delightful. This was complimented by the more earthy, nutty flavour that made up the base of the bar. This overall made for a lovely treat!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed this bar and would love to try the other flavours available! They all look and sound great, and if this one is anything to go by, then they definitely are! I absolutely love the feel of the brand though, they are a family business, they have a great message and ethos behind them, and their overall aesthetic is perfection! So I would definitely recommend picking up one to try!

Rating - 9/10

Calories - 87 per bar (there are two bars)

Buy Again? - Definitely!

Nak'd Cocoa Coconut Bars

For frequent readers of this blog, you will all be aware that I am an absolutely, MASSIVE fan of Nak'd as a brand. They never fail to impress me with their innovation, their flavours, and their overall ethos as a company. They bring out new products and constantly expand their ranges on a regular basis, never letting anything become stale, but without releasing the same thing just for the sake of it.

 
This time they have brought out a Cocoa Coconut bar. A classic combination which we all know and love, found in various guises and forms. A simple partnership, but effective when done well. Nak'd have ventured into this flavour area before, with their immensely popular Nibbles range. I thorouhly enjoyed that interpretation, so I couldn't imaine not loving the bar version.

And indeed, I blooming well did enjoy it! It tasted utterly delicious. The bar looked like a typical Nak'd bar. Brown, quite squidgy, but somewhat firmer than some of their other flavours. I suspect that this is due to the coconut for some reason or other, obviously this wasn't a bad thing and it had absolutey no impact upon the lovely flavour.

The bar had a good amount of flavour in every bite, hitting you with the fresh coconut sweetness, mixed with the slightly bitter cocoa taste. This was perfectly balanced in the way that it prevented the bar from being too sweet. They are surprisingly filling, and kept me going on a traumatic eight hour train 'adventure'. My boyfriend, in a state of absolute starvation, accepted my offer of sharing my Nak'd bar. He was a bit confused, having never tried them before. He seemed surprised by the flavour, and how natural it was with the coconut tasting so fresh and delicious. He liked the texture and reluctantly stated that he wouldn't mind trying another flavour, maybe a sweeter one.

So basically, like almost every other Nak'd product, I absolutely loved this and can't wait to munch my way through another few boxes...

Rating - 9/10
Vegan - Yes
Calories - 133
Buy Again? - Another box is already in my stash!

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!

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!

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

Inspiral Raspberry Coconut Pecks

Okay, I have been absolutely rubbish recently as my life has been crazy to say the very least so I have decided to write about twenty review that I can keep on back up and anything new that come out I will make it a priority to write about. So I am sorry for being useless, but this time I am back and committing! 

Today, the first of many review are these Inspiral Raspberry Coconut Pecks, initially I didn't really know what to expect at all if I'm honest, was it just going to be bits of coconut flakes with a few bits of freeze dried raspberries in it, I wasn't particularly excited by that prospect and as a result put off trying them for a while, but when I finally got round to them, oh how I regretted not trying them sooner!

They were such a unique flavour and concept, I have never had anything quite like this, it is like little coconut clusters combined with raspberry pieces and it is quite magical. They were crunchy and just really a delight to eat, now, the most important thing, the flavour is divine, it is sweet with a slight tartness from the raspberries, there was a lovely natural vanilla flavour coming through which I really liked. I let my friend have a try of them and he agreed with me, initially he thought it was a bit weird but after having a second he said they were really nice (or maybe he just wanted a sneaky extra piece haha!)

These are quite expensive for what they are but they are a delicious treat and are fabulously healthy so I can't complain!

Rating - 8.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 149

Buy Again - Yes

Good 4 U Super Bites

I am such a massive fan of Nak'd, they provide healthy, sweet, tasty, and nutritional products perfect for vegans and non vegans alike, but I am always open to trying new products who boast to have similar qualities. 

I had seen quite a few reviews on these from my favourite people, and I had seen how negative they had all been, and me being a fool thought, 'sure they can't be that bad'. Oh goodness me how I was wrong. They have to be some of the worst things I have ever eaten, they taste like dirt, there is no real sweetness, just this strange and unpleasant dirt like flavour to it. I understand that it is all natural and healthy but that doesn't mean that it has to taste horrible! 

It is things like this that give vegan food a bad reputation and it is infuriating because these are such a great and simple concept, they do different flavours from Nak'd so there is a gap in the market for these little 'treats' (a term I use loosely because these are anything but a treat to eat...)

Personally I wouldn't even bother buying these, they are only a few pennies less than Nak'd and with Nak'd you know that what you are getting is absolutely delicious and full of yummy goodness! Overall, I didn't enjoy these at all, I was tempted to give them to my vegan friend but I felt that would be cruel because of how awful they were. I am now somewhat regretting buying several packs of these now.

Rating - 2/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 160

Buy Again - NEVER

Tesco Banana Bliss Bars

I am a massive fan of Nakd bars but I do think that they can be quite expensive averaging in at about 75p a bar, and whilst I don't mind paying this much for such a delicious and high quality nutritional snack, it just isn't feasible to do all the time, especially because I eat several a day... 

Anyway, when I became aware of these tasty bars (courtesy of the incredible Amy) I couldn't wait to try them! I went straight to Tesco and bought a pack so that I could have one with my evening snack. I liked the packaging on the box how it clearly labelled that the bars were dairy free, because it is an absolute nuisance sometimes checking the ingredients to absolutely everything you buy, and even then you can still easily miss something! I am rambling so I shall get onto the important stuff, what it tastes like.

The flavour of the bar is absolutely lovely, it tastes very natural like a perfectly ripened banana with a nice nuttiness that rounds the bar off well. This is complimented by the texture of the bar, it was soft and squidgy with little crunchy bits scattered throughout which was particularly nice. Overall I can't actually fault this bar, it was delicious, filling, healthy, and an all round great snack! I would strongly recommend it to vegans and non vegans!

Rating - 9.25/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 87

Buy Again - Already Have!

Good Full Stop Vegan Bars

The very kind people of Good Full Stop sent me a lovely package of all their bars to sample and review. I love when this happens because it gives me the opportunity to try new things and share them with all you lovely people! All of the bars are vegan and are in the form of a raw food bar, they are moist, soft and squidgy. I loved them!

Choc Orange

This one had a very lovely cocoa flavour that worked well with the fresh and fruity citrusy orange. It reminded me of a Jaffa Cake a bit but a little milder and more cocoa flavoured.

I would definitely recommend this bar!

Rating - 8.75/10

Choc Mint

I am a massive fan of mint chocolate because I find it to be a refreshing combination whilst also being indulgent. The flavour of the mint was much stronger than that of the orange but that certainly isn't a complaint. I loved how minty it was without it tasting like toothpaste, the cocoa shone through nicely and pulled the who,e bar together. Very tasty!

Rating - 9/10

Double Choc

This was a simple and plain cocoa flavour which worked very well with the fruity goodness that makes up these bars. I really enjoyed it because it had the natural sweetness like the other bars with a slightly bitter flavour from the cocoa, but this was a really nice depth that it added!

Rating - 8.75/10

Cherry Maple

I was a tad sceptical of this flavour initially because most cherry flavoured things have a horrible medicinal quality to them and I hate it because I love fresh cherries! And I had never thought to pair it up with maple either but upon my first bite I realised that this was a perfect combination. The cherry was strong and natural, just how it should be which worked well with the sweetness brought to the bar by the maple. I think that this bar is great for anyone who wants a sweet snack whilst still being healthy!

Rating - 9.25/10

Mixed Nuts

I was a little sceptical about this flavour because I am not normally a fan of nutty bars because they can be quite bland and tasteless, but this bar was far from flavourless! It was sweet and nutty with a greatly moreish taste that left me wanting another bar! I was really impressed overall by the rich nutty bar.

Rating - 9/10

Raspberry

This flavour like all the others was absolutely lovely. The raspberry shone through very nicely and tasted natural and fresh. The bar itself was soft and chewy which simply added to the overall experience! Absolutely loved it!

Rating - 8.75/10

Nak'd Strawberry Protein Crunch Bar

Nak'd is quite easily one of my favourite brands out there. They offer such a wide range of products, each with a delicious and often innovative flavour to them. But whilst having such a healthy reputation, they still manage to taste so incredibly good. This is what I live about them, they dispel the myth that healthy food can only be bland, flavourless, and boring!

So that's enough preaching from me, now onto today's review- Nak'd Strawberry Crunch Bar and this is what Nak'd have to say about it.

Our Nākd Strawberry Crunch bar is every bit as yummy as you would expect from smooshing real strawberries together with fruits, nuts and protein crunchies, resulting in a seriously satisfying texture and long lasting tingly sweetness. What makes our new Crunch bars so special is the protein that we pack into each and every one of them, providing an irresistible crispy crunchiness that keeps you fuller for longer. With 100% natural ingredients, no added sugar or syrups and free from just about everything that could cause a fuss- including being free from wheat, dairy and gluten, this is a gorgeously yummy and nutritious snack that we’re sure you’ll love!

The bar is a little smaller than the other bars, it weighs only 30g rather than the usual 35g but if I'm honest, you can't really notice the difference because it looks just as big and it is still as filling so I really wasn't too bothered. 

The crunchy bits in it are really good because they add an interesting texture to them which helps to set it apart from the usual bars.

The strawberry flavour was lovely, sweet, and easily identifiable as naturally strawberry, something which is quite rare for most foods. 

Overall I loved this bar and enjoyed it with my breakfast, I felt full and satisfied until my lunch several hours later so I would strongly recommend this bar!

Rating - 8.5/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 107

Buy Again - Definitely!

Natural Balance Foods Protein Trek Bars

The most annoying question you get when you become a vegetarian and even more so when you are a vegan, is where do you get your protein from. This is the first thing people ask you and it is absolutely infuriating because there are so many plant based sources of protein and as humans we don't actually need as much protein as we are led to believe, but anyway, whenever someone mentions protein bars, my thoughts automatically turn to  Natural Balance Food's Trek Protein Bars . And once you have tried them, these will be your go to protein bars, they are not exclusively for vegans or athletes, so if you like what you have read and fancy a change, then go to the website and pick up a mixed case today and find out your favourite, so follow the link and check out the whole range of Natural Balance Protein Bars .Here is a bit of information about Trek bars.

With 10g of protein per bar, these beauties are at the top of the sports nutrition food chain! Made with a delicious combination of fruits, gluten free oats and nuts to keep you going, these healthy snacks are ideal for refuelling after the gym, and they also make great breakfasts on the go. Try one and see for yourself!

Banana Blast

I really enjoyed this flavour, it had a lovely subtle and natural banana flavour to it, something which is rather rare, there is also hints of cinnamon which worked really well with the banana. Overall I really loved this bar and can imagine it would be really nice when heated up in the microwave with lashings of (vegan) custard on top!

Berry Burst

The berry flavour came through very well, whilst still maintaining the nutty sweetness that one would associate with raw food bars. I can't get over just how natural these bars taste and I think that it is a testament to Natural Balance for making these so healthy and delicious!

Cocoa Chaos

Now I really liked this bar, but be warned, if you are expecting something that tastes like a bar of Dairy Milk then you will be disappointed because this is cocoa flavoured not chocolate. The flavour is more earthy than the others but that is something which I really enjoyed, I like the taste of raw cocoa. Overall this is a good bar but don't go in expecting it to taste like a brownie.

Peanut Power

This was my absolute favourite, it tastes just like peanut butter and I love it. It isn't overly sweet which I think works very well here because this prevents it from becoming cloying and unpleasant. It is an excellent source of energy and I can imagine that this would be fantastic for anyone in need of a boost in energy.

Natural Balance Protein Bars

Trek Berry Burst Bar

With 10g of protein per bar, these beauties are at the top of the sports nutrition food chain! Made with a delicious combination of fruits, gluten free oats and nuts to keep you going, these healthy snacks are ideal for refueling after the gym, and they also make great breakfasts on the go. I personally enjoy them as part of an evening snack with a love cup of strong green tea. The bars themselves are absolutely delicious, which is a lovely bonus and ales eating them an absolute pleasure! 

Today I am reviewing the Berry Burst flavour which was kindly sent to me by Trek. It is very filling, most likely due to the high protein content of the bar. It has a squidgy yet firm texture and reminded me a lot of a Nak’d Bar (probably because it is made by the same company) and I found that to work very well. It has a nutty flavour and that raw food taste that is typical of these types of bars. The berry flavour was delicious, it was strong enough to shine through whilst not being overwhelming or false. I really love these bars and I am glad that they changed the whole product design because they are far superior now! Plus, I think that the packaging is rather snazzy.

Rating – 8.75/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 177 

Buy Again – Already Have!

Nak'd Nibbles Part 2

Salted Caramel

Salted caramel has to be one of the biggest food trends at the moment, so it was only a matter of time before it entered the health food market and I am thrilled at this arrival! These are just incredible, Nak'd manage to really capture the rich caramel flavour whilst still tasting natural. The salt was very subtle, almost undetectable, but still, it was a lovely little treat!

Rating – 9.5/10

Toffee Treat

These were just divine, they tastes just like a sticky toffee pudding (probably due to the dates in it). I was really impressed with how much this tasted like toffee, the level of sweetness was perfect and worked well with the nuttiness. I can imagine that this would make a delicious dessert heated up on top of custard (I recommend Alpro for vegan custard).

Rating - 9/10

Strawberries & Cream

Again, this was w great snack to have with my breakfast, the strawberry flavour came through nicely and there was a very subtle hint of cream albeit very subtle (this didn't particularly add to the overall flavour but certainly it didn't detract!). Basically, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to eat my next bag tomorrow morning with my breakfast!

Rating - 9/10

Nak'd Nibbles Part 1

Tooty Fruity

Initially I was worried that these would be sickeningly sweet and artificial, thus lacking in the typical flavour that I associate with Nak'd products. Thankfully my fears were unwarranted as they tastes delicious! The prevalent flavour was strawberry I think, and it was lovely! I really enjoyed this as party of my breakfast!

Rating - 8/10

Fruit Salad

I enjoyed this flavour a lot more than I expected, it actually tasted just like a Fruit Salad sweet but without all of the teeth breaking, plus, you know that you are eating nothing but good stuff. It is filled with fruit and nuts, it is really impressive that they can make these taste so much like a Fruit Salad! But without all of the nasty additives! Overall, a delicious treat to enjoy!

Rating - 8/10

Coconut Bliss

This flavour was rather mild in taste when compared with the others. I felt that the coconut was too mild but regardless of this, I still enjoyed them as part of my breakfast and I would still buy them again! Maybe it needed a cocoa element to it? 

Rating - 7.75/10

Trek Banana Blast

As you have probably worked out from my reviews, I am a bit of a sucker for raw food bars. This is probably because as a vegan, or a sufferer of a lactose intolerance,  many biscuits and cakes become off limits to you so you have to get your sweet fix from somewhere else. Trek a branch off from the well known Nak’d brand,  are probably one of the most prevalent companies to offer these types of products. Today I am going to review the Banana Blast flavour that was so kindly sent to me by the people of Trek.

It has a subtle banana flavour to it that worked well with the nuttier base flavour of the bar. It was very filling and a very substantial treat, perfect as a snack for anyone on the go or in need of a power boost in the afternoon to keep themselves going! I did really enjoy this bar but maybe the banana flavour could have been a tad stronger, but then again, that may be difficult to achieve without artificial flavourings. I think I would rather have a natural bar that has no additives and has a subtler flavour rather than an obnoxiously strong banana taste and be full of strange chemicals!

Rating – 8/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 170

Buy Again - Yes

Cocofina Bars

The CocoFina as you will have guessed from the name specialises in coconut based products, ranging from the increasingly popular coconut water to the staple raw food bars. From what I have tried from the range I can quite happily say that it is all absolutely delicious!

The bars consisted of coconut (obviously), dates, and cocoa and goodness me this is a match made in heaven! The bars are moist and sweet with enough texture and subsistence to leave you satisfied. I ate the bars as a snack inbetween meals and initially I was a tad worried that I would still be hungry but boy was I wrong! The fibre filled, healthy ingredients worked brilliantly not only as a taste sensation but as a good source of energy too!

Overall I really enjoyed these bars because they were absolutely delicious yet incredibly healthy using only natural, vegan ingredients.

Rating - 8.75/10

Buy Again - Yes!

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 143 

Nakd Christmas Pud Bar

Tis the season of Christmas treats and I must say I am very excited and the first limited edition Christmas item that I have tried this year is the Nakd Christmas Pud bar. The wrapping of the bar was lovely, festive and left me desperately wanting to tear into it and try it. Most Christmas puddings are typically vegan so I was expecting a similar flavour and I certainly was not disappointed! The flavour was classically comforting and had a little crunch in it from the nuts which worked wonderfully with the rich and fruity flavour.

Basically I loved this bar, it was delicious and left me feeling satisfied, plus I knew it was a healthy snack so what else could I want?!

Rating - 9/10 

Buy Again - Yes! 

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 130ish

Wild Trail Oat Bars

These Wild Trail bars are new on the market and absolutely delicious, they taste fresh and fruity with a nice soft texture. They are the same style as the more widely known Nakd Bars. The flavours are rather unique in my opinion and my favourite was easily the Cherry Crumble -even my mum who isn't a big fan of raw food bars loved it and said it was a filling and tasty snack that kept her full until lunch. 

Due to all of the fibre from the nuts and fruit it is a healthy snack that keeps you satisfied. The bars are naturally sweet and have no additional sugar added to them which keeps them healthy and relatively low in calories.

All of the bars were really tasty and I would recommend them to everyone and I can't wait until these become more widely available!

Rating - 8/10

Vegan - Yes

Calories - Around 140 per bar

Buy Again - Yes

(I was sent these to give an honest review, and that is exactly what I did!)

Clif Bars

Clif Bars are made by an American company and I think that it is only recently that they have become more widely available here in the UK and I am so glad because they are incredibly tasty! Not only are they delicious but they are packed with vegan friendly protein in the form of dried fruits, nuts and oats. All of the flavours are lovely and well balanced, my favourite was the Chocolate Chip, as it was indulgent yet not sickly. It was even better when heated up in the microwave for 20 seconds so that it would go all melty and fudge like (this actually worked well with all the flavours and resulted in a magical treat). They are quite calorie dense but this is because they are intended for long treks where you require a large amount of energy to sustain you, they also worked brilliantly as a revision snack to keep my brain functioning at maximum capacity, plus all of the calories are coming from good stuff so you have no need to feel guilty for it!

Buy Again - Yes! Yes! Yes!

Vegan - Yes

Calories - 250-270 per Bar

Rating - 9.5/10

Braw Raw Food Bars

So I received this lovely package from the kind people at Braw. Braw are a company that make vegan raw food bars, a bit like Nak'd bars if I were to compare them to anything.

And I can honestly say that they were absolutely delicious! So fruity and natural tasting, obviously due to all of the ingredients being totally natural. There was a lovely oaty flavour that was present in all of the bars. My favourite had to be the apple and pear, it was so morit would have been a lovely pudding with the addition of custard! 

The black current flavour reminded me of Ribena with its sweet yet slightly tartness (which worked perfectly in my opinion). 

The cocoa orange flavour was also lovely, and so was the strawberry. 

Calories - 111 per Bar

Buy Again - Yes!!!

Vegan - Yes

Rating - 9.5/10