Although the days still seem to be grey and void of colour, the first signs of spring are already all around. Just the other day I spotted a yellow primrose in the garden, and a few crocuses and snowdrops made their first appearance of the year.
The sight of the first spring flowers always gladdens my heart, and I feel revitalized. Whenever possible, I am walking a longer route into the town centre and back home, through the fields.
Breakfast, On the Go & Kick Start the New Year is the theme of the latest Degustabox. Grab a few snacks and drinks if you're planning a long walk in the countryside.
Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which 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 otherwise wouldn't have tried.
Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are 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 £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order.
What did we get in Breakfast, On the Go & Kick Start the New Year box?
Calbee Harvest Snaps Sour Cream & Chive Lentil Rings (£1.75) are plant-based snacks. Baked not fried, they contain more than 50% of lentil ingredients, and provide a healthier alternative to crisps and cheese puffs.
They are gluten free, vegan and only 88kcal and 0.25g of salt per 20g serving.
A word of warning: they are very addictive.
Good source of fibre and plant-based protein due to the combination of peas, chickpeas and lentils. They are crispy, crunchy and melt in your mouth. The seasoning balance is just right. One of my top favourite products from the current box.
Since trying the lentil rings over three weeks ago, I've already bought them several times, as we enjoyed them so much. We also tried a different flavour of Harvest Snaps, Thai Sweet Chilli crispy lentil puffs, and though they are good, we prefer Sour Cream & Chive lentil rings.
Available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose, and on Ocado.
Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend (£2) is a plant-based alternative to milk. As it is a barista blend, it steams remarkably well to make a tasty latte or cappuccino at home. You can also pour it straight in the cup of coffee, if you prefer an Americano.
It has no added sugar, and is made with whole rolled oats.
Nutritional values: 55kcal and 2g of sugar per 100ml.
Available in the major supermarket chains.
Lee Kum Kee Cooking Sauce Collection (£4.99) offers a selection of authentic Chinese flavours. It comes with a booklet - a cooking guide which tells the history of the sauces, and shows several recipes.
I am a big fan of Lee Kum Kee. My family loves Teriyaki tofu with rice, and I have tried most of the brands available in the supermarkets. Lee Kum Kee Teriyaki is the best in flavour. We're also fond of Lee Kum Kee sweet soy sauce, which is great with noodles and dumplings.
I was very excited to see a selection of sauce pouches to try.
Hoisin Sauce is a sweet and savoury sauce for dressing, dipping, BBQ marinating and cooking. It is brilliant with the aromatic duck pancakes or Peking duck. It is made with selected spices and ground soy beans. Originates from the southern part of China, Canton.
Yellow Bean Sauce, also known as Soy Bean sauce, is a savoury stir-fry and cooking sauce that tastes like miso but more umami. It is used primarily in Shandong (Li) cuisine of northern China. Great with meats and seafood, it is also lovely with mushrooms for a vegetarian meal, or as a noodle sauce.
Chilli Garlic sauce is a mild spicy and garlicky paste for stir-frying, marinating, sauce mixing and all kinds of cooking. Perfect for all kinds of cuisines from Chinese to Western, from Korean to Mexican. Add it to sandwiches or wraps as a dressing, use as a mashed potato topping, or in a stir fry. Meat-eaters are recommended to use it a BBQ sauce to brush on meat.
Lee Kum Kee Hoisin sauce, Yellow Bean sauce and Chilli Garlic sauce contain no added preservatives and are suitable for vegans.
Lee Ku Kee Premium Oyster sauce is a rich and savoury all-purpose seasoning sauce, made with the finest oyster extract to bring out the "xian wei" (Umami in Chinese) and uplift the taste of all ingredients. Widely used by many Chinese families and Michelin-starred chefs. One of the recipe suggestions is Classic broccoli beef in oyster sauce.
There are two sachets of Sweet soy sauce, which is specially brewed from premium soybeans and wheat flour, with treacly texture, palatable flavour and rich colour. It's suitable for stir-frying with rice and noodle dishes, as a dressing for classic clay pot rice, dipping sauce for finger food, rice rolls, Dim Sum and dumplings.
And finally, there are two small sachets of Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil. It's bright orange in colour, with chili flakes. It is pretty hot. Made with an authentic recipe from Chiu Chow, and offers multiple layers of flavours to any Asian or fusion dish.
Available at Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's, Co-Op, Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado, Chinese and Oriental supermarkets.
Eat Natural Low Sugar Granola Whole Grain Oats, Almonds & Seeds (£3) has all the delicious taste of granola with a low amount of sugar. This granola is vegan, has high fibre and no refined sugars.
Its secret ingredient is coconut nectar blossom, which brings a natural sweetness to the mix of wholegrain oats, whole toasted almonds, crunchy buckwheat and creamy sunflower seeds.
Nutritional values: 248kcal, 2.2g of sugar and 6.4g of fibre per 50g portion.
Available in the major supermarket chains.
Quinola Corn, Pulses and Quinoa Crackers (£1.75) are flavourful, healthier and lighter crackers. They are gluten free and a good source of protein. Ingredients include a mix of organic corn, organic pulses (peas, lentils, chickpeas), organic quinoa, organic sunflower oil and salt.
It makes a guilt-free snack, when you're feeling peckish.
Nutritional values: 67kcal and 0.1g of sugar per 3 crackers.
Available at Holland & Barrett and on Ocado.
Linwoods Health Foods Cold Milled Flaxseed (£4.99 for the 425g pack or £1.99 for the 80g pack) is prepared with great care, through their unique cold milling process which unlocks the benefits of the seed for easy digestion while ensuring the full nutrients stay intact.
It is a good source of protein, fibre and Omage-3. Simply add 20g to your breakfast, yogurt or salad.
The 425g pack is available at all leading supermarkets, Holland & Barrett, independent food stores and online retailers including Ocado, Amazon and www.linwoodshealthfoods.com
The sample size pack isn't currently available.
Get More Vits Vitamin B12 Drink (£1.50) is a refreshing and flavourful pink grapefruit water. It has a lovely taste, and contains 5 μg of vitamin B12 per bottle. That is 200% of your recommended daily amount. Vitamin B12 is vital to tackle tiredness and fatigue, while also supporting the immune and nervous systems.
This is a sugar-free, low calorie drink, made with a real pink grapefruit extract.
Available in Tesco, on Ocado, Amazon and getmorevits.com.
Available at Tesco, Waitrose, on Ocado, Amazon and www.dr-wills.com.
Available in health stores, Holland & Barrett, on Amazon and prodigysnacks.com.
Nine Bar Dark Choc and Orange (£0.99) combines the sweet and tangy flavour of oranges with the rich taste of dark chocolate. There's a mix of nutritious sunflower, pumpkin, flax and hemp seeds, with pieces of orange, coated with dark chocolate.
This bar is high in fibre, vegan, gluten and wheat free, contains natural ingredients, vitamin B1 & magnesium.
Typical values: 208kcal and 6.2g of protein per bar.
Available in the major supermarket chains.
And finally, there is a voucher for Richmond Toad in the Hole Meal Kit (£2.95).
Great for a mid-week, no fuss family dinner. It comes with a pack of 10 Richmond sausages and batter mix. Simply add water, pour the batter over sausages, bake and enjoy.
Available in the major supermarket chains (Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons, Iceland, Sainsbury's from January).
We love a breakfast on the go here so some of these products really appeal to me. I love the sound of the bars, especially the Nine Bar x
ReplyDeleteI had Chinese once, when I was eating meat (so a very long time ago) and I hated it, but I went with the veggie society at a vegan Chinese restaurant in London and I loved it. The dishes are authentic (one in our party was Chinese). I enjoyed it so much that I went there again with my husband. So I would like to try those sauce pouches (not the oyster one, of course).
ReplyDeleteOat barista is usually good, although I only drink black coffee, so I rarely buy it for me.
The selection is really nice this month.