For many people January was the month of abstaining - perhaps you've also joined in the Dry January and Veganuary.
January Degustabox is a reflection of these two food trends - it is alcohol-free and has several vegan products.
This monthly food and drink subscription box is an excellent way to discover new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which might have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.
Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.
Each time the monthly box arrives, it's a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks. If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a whopping £7 off discount from your 1st box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use a code 8EVI8 when you place an order.
What did we receive in Breakfast & On the Go box?
Sun-Pat peanut butter (£1.79) is the nation's best tasting peanut butter. Packed with 96% peanuts, Sun-Pat is a great source of protein to fuel you through the day.
It is a palm oil-free product, and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Subscribers will receive 1 of 2 items, while reviewers get both varieties.
Enjoy it in a classic peanut butter and jam sandwich, on toast or crackers, or use as an ingredient in baking (how about a batch of peanut butter choc chip cookies?).
I used a jar of smooth peanut butter to bake peanut butter and chocolate brownies.
Eat Natural Simply vegan peanuts, coconut and chocolate (£1) is a gluten free bar, which combines chunky peanuts, coconut shreds and creamy seeds.
Unsulphured apricots add a note of sweetness and chewiness, while roasted chickpeas deliver an extra protein boost. An undercoating of dark chocolate turns this healthy snack into a more indulgent one.
Available at Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Boots and WHSmiths amongst others.
Bounce Energy Ball Peanut (£1.79) is "the alpha-male of the Bounce Ball range". Weighing 45g, this gluten-free ball contains an impressive 13g protein, with healthy fats and antioxidants.
Nutritional information: 184kcal and 13g of sugar per ball.
I'm not a big fan of protein balls, but my husband said it was good.
Available at Waitrose, Ocado, Holland and Barrett, Planet Organic, BP and Shell.
Yorkie More & KitKat Chunky More (£1.29) are the latest addition to the range.
Kit Kat Chunky includes a layer of raspberry & hazelnut, while a chunky Yorkie bar has a layer of Oats, apple and cinnamon.
Both have 30% less sugar than similar chocolate bars, contain real fruit and are a source of protein, with Yorkie also being a source of fibre.
While I am all in favour of less sugar in chocolate products and do love fruit, I cannot say we were very enthusiastic about the added fruit.
Whitworths Shots Berry & white Chocolate (£1.60) is a tasty mix of dried cranberries sweetened with fruit derived syrup, raisins and creamy white Belgian chocolate buttons.
Each pack contains 98kcal and 15.7g of sugar. It's a handy little snack to keep in a bag for when you're feeling peckish.
Kallo Organic Honey rice and corn cakes (£1.89) is a new addition to the Kallo range. Long gone are the days of the boring rice cakes.
Honey rice and corn cakes contain 37kcal per cake, no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, are low in fat, gluten free and vegetarian friendly. Taste-wise, they are mildly sweet and pleasant.
Lovely for breakfast or when you're feeling peckish.
Wholesums Fresh Veg Popped Chips (£1.75) are a first to the market innovative snack. Made from whole potatoes, whole peas and whole carrots, they leave none of the good stuff out.
Wholesums are only 86kcal per serving, as well as being Vegan and gluten free.
You will receive 1 of 4 flavours in your box,
22g bags are available from Sainsbury's local.
Chescots SuperGut Porridge Pots (£1.99) are on-the-go porridge pots. Chescots brand was founded by the doctor and nutritionist Dr Jamie Mills. SuperGut pots contain half of your daily fibre and prebiotic fibres to support your gut, with over 3x the average fibre content of the other porridge pots.
It comes in two delicious flavours - Raspberry or Blackcurrant & Coconut.
They are vegan, dairy free and gluten free.
You will receive 1 of 2 pots in your box.
Available on Ocado, chescots.co.uk and Amazon.
PrepCo Mediterranean Couscous/Indian Rice/Thai Green Curry/Mexican Rice (£2) are a solution to a quick an easy lunch break dilemma. Convenient to take with you as an office lunch, it just needs some boiling hot water and a few minutes to make a quick and easy meal.
Made with tasty natural ingredients, they contain enough veg to tick off one of your 5 a day.
You will receive 1 of 4 flavours in your box.
Available at Sainsbury's and on Ocado.
I used a pot of Mediterranean couscous as an ingredient for stuffed peppers, which I roasted in the oven.
Zest Vegan Basil Pesto (£2.20) is another vegan product to bring to your attention. It's made of the leaf of the basil and without cheese, or any other animal products.
Free from anything artificial, suitable for vegans and vegetarians, this product is available on Ocado, Amazon, Morrisons and independent stores.
Ingredients include basil, rapeseed oil, ground cashew nuts, white wine vinegar, garlic puree, concentrated apple juice, salt, black pepper, toasted sesame oil and chilli powder.
Crafted Blueberry & Blackberry fruit juice drink (£1.50) is a fragrant refreshing blend of fruit and water. Best served cold, or over ice.
All Crafted juice drinks are made from natural ingredients, with no added sugar, sweeteners or preservatives. They are certified by the Vegan Society and count as one of your five a day.
A pleasant drink, not overly sweet and very flavourful.
And finally, product of the month:
Nescafe Gold Almond Latte (£2.98) is a delicious dairy alternative almond latte, made with a blend of high quality coffee and almond. Each sachet is easy to use and prepare, just add some hot water and stir well.
It has a smooth creamy taste.
Available at Tesco and Ocado, and soon will be available in ASDA, Morrisons, JS and Co-Op.
Disclosure: we receive a monthly food box for the purposes of reviewing.
What an interesting selection of items. I had Sun-Pat peanut butter before and it is good, but now I buy in big 1kg tubs and made with just nuts. We eat quite an impressive amount of nut butter.
ReplyDeleteThe Nescafe sounds interesting too. I don't usually drink lattes, but I'd like to try that.
Thank you, Anca, we don't eat peanut butter that much to buy 1kg tubs, though I imagine they are more economic. And with Nescafe, I still prefer to make my own latte with fresh ingredients, but these sachets are handy. It's not the instant coffee per se that I have any problems with, it's just I prefer the Italian brand Illy instant coffee.
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