Reviews » Diet
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We Are Tea Product Review
We Are Tea is an award-winning, ethical, independent tea company selling bagged and loose leaf tea from West London. Darren Spence started We Are Tea when on holiday in Budapest with his partner Suzy. Suzy was feeling unwell and the couple decided to visit a tea shop. Miraculously, Suzy felt better after sampling the various teas on offer. We Are Tea has won 49 Great Taste Awards since opening in 2007 and their products are available online and in supermarkets across the UK.
We Are Tea now have 16 different flavours and we were lucky enough to be able to try their English Breakfast Black Tea, Cleanse Tea, and Moroccan Mint.
The Teas
The English Breakfast Black Tea contains Assam and Darjeeling. Assam has many health benefits such as decreasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, enhancement of the immune system, and for relieving tension and nerves. Whilst the Darjeeling in the tea helps with dental health, cancer, and obesity prevention.
The Cleanse Tea has ingredients such as nettle, dandelion, liquorice, milk thistle, and lemon peel. The nettle in the tea strengthens your immune system and also promotes healthy hair and skin. Dandelion is rich in vitamins A, C, and K as well as being rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, and antioxidants. This means that dandelion has benefits such as liver cleansing, protection against skin infections, and reduction in blood pressure. The liquorice in the tea has anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties. Milk thistle also has anti-inflammatory properties and is full of antioxidants. The last ingredient, lemon peel, contains high levels of calcium and vitamin C, which means it's great for maintaining and improving the strength of your bones
The final flavour we tried, Moroccan Mint tea, has peppermint as one of the main active ingredients. Peppermint helps prevent nausea, reduces fever, boosts the immune system and finally, relieves stress and bloating.
Verdict
All these flavours were delicious and have had nothing but 5-star reviews. This brand has a great ethos and their tea has so many health benefits and a great taste.
Buy online on the We Are Tea website
Review written by Matt Sladden
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Boost Ball Protein Ball Review
Boostball is a homegrown UK brand whose ethos is to provide the nation with 'less ingredients, more protein'. Their high protein balls contain all natural ingredients which have various health benefits. The high protein content is conducive to muscle growth and they only contain natural sugars found in fruits and plants. I was excited to try their products as they sound as delicious as they look!
Maple & Cinnamon Roll
The balls are raw and cold-pressed which means they don't lose any vitamins or other nutrients during the production process. The Maple & Cinnamon Roll flavour balls have a looser texture than the others which makes them easier to chew. They're nice and light with just the right amount of cinnamon flavouring without it being over-powering. There are three balls in each pack and together they provide 11g of protein which is impressive for such a light snack!
Chocolate Orange Mud Cake
The chocolate orange mud cake was definitely my favourite flavour! So chocolatey and moreish, I could've eaten them all day! They are lovely and sweet without the help of artificial additives and the orange flavour shines through really well. This flavour feels so decadent and indulgent, you could eat them to cure a sweet tooth or chocolate craving without having to feel guilty, winner!
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
The peanut butter cookie dough flavour was a personal highlight too. After spotting peanut butter listed on the ingredients, I confirmed with Boost Ball's 'Chief Roller' Dan Chambers that no palm oil is ever used in any of their products, which is a really important point. Palm oil is not only bad for our health but it's bad for the environment too, yet it is a really common ingredient in many processed foods, including peanut butter. So the fact that Boost Ball steer clear of it is a big tick from me.
Coconut Fudge Cake
The coconut fudge cake balls are covered in flaky desiccated coconut which I love, although it did make a bit of a mess on my desk! The texture is quite hard, I decided that eating each ball whole was the best option rather than trying to bite into it. But this is definitely not a negative quality; they are not so hard that they are difficult to chew. They are perfectly sweet without any added sugar or artificial sweetener which is great.
Verdict
Boost Balls are the perfect snack whether it's to satisfy a craving for something sweet or just something to get you through the mid-afternoon slump at work. It's so great knowing you can have something healthy to snack on that won't taste awful and has lots of protein in it as an added benefit. I love the branding and packaging on these and they're perfectly pocket-sized so you could even take them on a run or a bike ride. It's got to be a 10 from me!
Boost Ball on Social
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Creative Nature Superfoods Product Review
Creative Nature is a young, ethical organisation that was established to promote health, creativity, and respect for the environment, just like Sundried. They source their ingredients from exotic countries like Hawaii and New Zealand to offer the very best in worldly superfoods. I was thrilled when they sent me a selection of their high protein bars to sample.
Apple Pie Protein
The Creative Nature protein bars boast such qualities as being gluten free, dairy free, wheat free, and nut free, meaning that even people with food allergies can freely enjoy them with no qualms. They are also certified by the Vegan Society which means they are ethical and clean. With 8g of protein in each bar, there is a good balance of macronutrients. The Apple Pie protein bar tastes fantastic! It really tastes like apple pie! The texture of the bar is great, nice and soft without being too chewy like some protein bars.
Salted Caramel
I was a little disappointed with this flavour as salted caramel is my absolute jam, I cannot get enough of it, and this didn't really give me much of that flavour. It still tastes fantastic, but I didn't get the salted caramel vibe unfortunately.
Cacao Orange
The cacao orange flavour was my favourite of the three which was a surprise! The orange flavour is so authentic despite there not actually being any orange listed in the ingredients. The cacao gives a lovely balance of deep flavours to offset the sweetness of the dates and orange flavour. The added crunch from superfoods such as pumpkin seeds and chia seeds give this bar a fantastic texture and make it very moreish!
Verdict
The bars themselves are delicious with an excellent texture. The only drawback I'd say is that they're so moreish I could eat them all day! But with that fibre content I don't think my stomach would thank me for it! The flavours are rich and complex and I think they would perhaps suit names that do those qualities more justice. It's an 8 from me!
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BodyMe Organic Vegan Protein Review
BodyMe was founded in 2011 by Leigh Prideaux and is an ethically-conscious UK brand just liked Sundried. Naturally, it seemed like a great collaboration and I was really excited when they sent me some of their wonderful products to try.
Chia Vanilla Protein Bar
With 16g of protein in each bar, I'm off to a great start before I’ve even taken it out of the attractive and well-designed packet. The bars are dairy-free, GMO-free, gluten-free, and raw vegan. Phew! You’d think all that would mean it tastes like cardboard, but it absolutely doesn’t! The texture is not too dense or chewy and they're easily digestible. The Chia Vanilla bar is packed with chia seeds which are a popular superfood; they are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and are rich in antioxidants, calcium, fibre, and iron. The chia seeds add a subtle crunch and the texture is not too thick or chewy - my mouth didn’t ache after eating it like with some protein bars! All the ingredients are organic with no nasty surprises and nothing made in a lab. It is cold-pressed which means none of the flavour or nutrients are lost in the production process.
Cacao Orange Protein Bar
The cacao orange bar has an ideal taste of chocolate orange and the little chunks crackled and popped which adds a fantastic texture. Like the chia seed bar, it is not too thick or chewy and has a delicious taste. It didn't leave an aftertaste in my mouth like some protein products so that was a bonus too. It's fairly moreish, I could've eaten more!
Cacao Mint Protein bar
The cacao mint bar was my favourite, it's delicious! I was dubious at first as I was worried the cacao would be too much, but it was perfect. The mint flavour filled my mouth as soon as I took the first bite, without being overpowering. The texture is perfect, not too chewy and with lovely crunchy bits to keep it interesting. I could easily eat this bar every day!
Plant Protein in a choice of cinnamon, cacao, or naked flavours
The plant-based protein is made from a blend of pea, brown rice, and hemp seeds which makes it an interesting mix! I'm often wary of vegan protein powders as they can be very thick and grainy, but these are fantastic! I think they are possibly better blended with certain liquids - soy milk rather than just water - but I had the cacao flavour powder in my daily spinach protein smoothie and it was great!
Verdict
BodyMe has ethics that Sundried really supports and they are a small British brand just like us. Their products are clean and vegan without compromising taste so it's a win-win! It's a 10 from me.
BodyMe on Social
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Rude Health Product Review
Rude Health is a small London-based food and drinks company co-founded by Nick and Camilla Barnard. They celebrated 10 years of business in 2016 and they aren’t afraid of speaking up about real, honest food. Their ethos is about providing high-quality ingredients and products to the public and they have spent years perfecting all of their recipes. Their bright, loud, and exciting brand really sparks an interest in their healthy snacks and nutrition, but they stay humble by only using the kind of ingredients that you’d use in your home, with nothing artificial or refined. I was lucky enough to be able to try a generous offering of their products and I was not disappointed!
Almond Drink
Made from spring water, rice, Italian almonds, organic cold-pressed sunflower oil, and sea salt. That’s it! Just five organic ingredients which make it vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It has complex flavours, with the depth of the rice hitting you after the freshness of the spring water. The almonds provide a nice sweetness without the aid of nasty artificial sweeteners or other additives. It would be perfect pre- or post-workout, especially after a heavy triathlon training session. It tastes delicious on its own or partnered with their ultimate muesli. I’m definitely a big fan of this drink and I would happily have it every day!
Spiced Apple/Honey & Nuts Granola
Like the drink, the granola manages to be perfectly sweet without the help of chemicals or processed additives. The fruit adds a lovely touch, with the spiced apple providing a little tang in the background. The texture is perfect, not too crunchy, and feels fresh. You can tell this has been made with real ingredients without compromising any of the flavour.
Hazelnut Butter Porridge
The porridge comes in a super cute individual pot, with a handy guide written up the side of the packaging so that you know how much water to add. It’s very easy to make, just add boiling water! You could easily take this to work with you and either have it as breakfast at your desk or as an afternoon snack to keep you going through a long day. The hazelnuts add a lovely crunchy texture and the cacao is rich and indulgent without being unhealthy! Winner!
Verdict
I love the Rude Health brand and all that it stands for. Their humble roots have blossomed into a really exciting brand with strong ethics just like Sundried. Their products taste fantastic and it’s good to know that there’s nothing artificial in what you’re eating. It’s a 10 from me!
Rude Health on Social
