Dr Karg Emmental Cheese and Pumpkin Seed Crackers

I am currently staying in Cambridge for a few days with a great aunt of mine. She is a fine cook and incredible baker and definitely likes the finer foods. Because of the reversal to our heatwave we have ended up with 'normal' September weather; rain. So we stayed in town for some shopping to keep dry and popped into Waitrose. These Dr Karg snacks are what we decided on to be our treat for the few days we are here, along with some stilton cheese and home grown cherry tomatoes. I haven't managed to take my own photo as they were quickly finished amongst us and friends when they got home, however I still managed to review them.

When I browse the cracker section of the supermarket aisles these often catch my eye because they are so loaded (i.e. lots of seeds/toppings). But there are probably 8-10 in a pack which means they won't lost me very long. Anyway, I finally got to try them and they are delicious. It's nice to see a product that is primarily made of natural and organice ingredients. Here they are: organic wholegrain wheat flour, organic Emmental cheese, organic pumpkin seeds, extra virgin olive oil, organic oats, organic sunflower seeds, organic linseeds, organic sesame seeds, sea salt, yeast, and organic barley malt extract. Healthy or what!

In one, (large!), cracker here are 114kcal, 5.2g fat (only 1.2 saturates), 10.3g carbohydrates (only 0.5 sugars), and a whopping 4.9g of protein and 3.1g fibre. Definitely packs a punch in the healthy nutrition department.

Other flavours to try include classic 3 seed, seeded spelt, and tomato and mozzarella. They appear to even sell snack packs which I have failed to locate in many stores.

It's definitely a grown ups cracker and could be topped with anything. Would be great for breakfast because of its nutritional breakdown, works perfect as snack, but also with tea instead of dunking a biscuit and losing it just have some crackers and a small piece of strong cheese (stilton!).

What I thought

Taste: nutty, cheesy

Texture: super crunchy almost crack your teeth

Nutrition: 114kcal per cracker

Affordable: £2.29 for 8-10 crackers

Find it at: Waitrose

Have it with: stilton and cherry tomatoes, fromage frais, soup

Rating: 4/5 - lost a point because kinda hard to bite

Wholefoods love affair

I just wish I could buy afford everything in Wholefoods. For those of you who don't know this supermarket then SHAME ON YOU. 

It was founded in the US, and when I was living in San Francisco it was my local supermarket, and a privilege it was indeed. But now I am back in London I've converted to Sainsbury's, which isn't half bad. I like the fact that in Wholefoods each grocery shop is a different experience (dare I say; adventue?), and I can spend an hour or so in their on a good day. The store is primarily organic, sustainable and support the community and the layout of the store is very rustic and is known as 'Americas healthiest grocery store'. You mustn't forget the outstanding and happy service that the staff provide too. But don't go in expecting a bargain, but do expect your tastebuds to be tantalised and ready for samples. 

In Kensington there is a cheese corner (so strong they use glass doors for it), a butchers, a fishmongers, a wine cellar, a bar, a greengrocers and coffee bar to grind your own beans. Oh and my favourite corner the nuts and seeds where you find over rabbits and squirrels like me filling up their tubs. And you can even grind them to make your own nut butters, no additives like Skippy etc. 

So this week I gave into the urge and ran inside the store and grabbed some new products and have decided to review them altogether. 

First up, banana chips and dried whole bananas. So they aren't unique to Wholefoods but it was the first time I had tried a whole dried banana. And I know nearly everything you can do with a banana, I even freeze mine to munch as a snack, they have the most amazing creamy texture. These dried ones have the texture of liquorice and dates, whilst being sweet and healthy. And the banana chips are as expected, crunchy and addictive. I snacked on the bananas on the train and used the chips to top my yogurt. The small bananas you see in the photo are brought from Spain as a 'souvenir' from my mother, and it looks super cute as a family of bananas on a plate. And I know I said don't expect a bargain but all of the dried fruit you see in the photo cost 33p (in weight), cheaper than a packet of crisps!

Second, la fermeiere lemon yogurt. A mousse, definitely a mousse. And I am disappointed with myself that I didn't notice CREAM in the ingredients. It caught my eye because it was in a beautiful clay pot and foil lid. And, obviously, chose citrus. I peeled back the foil lid to the lemon delight that awaited me. It was firm to the touch and when I dug my spoon in I realised it wasn't what I wanted. 

The lemon flavour was superb but it was a mousse, a god damn mousse. Cream and sugar are the first ingredients and I am horrified because I always chose healthier yogurts too. I won't be buying this product again, and it cost a whopping £1.99 for a portion and I am used to buying 4 for £1. But I will keep the pot for sure, thinking of up-cycling as a vase. I don't want to do bad reviews but I was disappointed but it was a sweet treat, so don't be scared to go an try this yourself. Let me know what the other flavours are like.....


Up next, are two non-dairy products. And I am not avoiding dairy but am always intrigued. The first review is for the Siesta Carob with Orange bar. Its a non dairy, so added sugar, and gluten free treat. I've always been interested in carob because it tastes so similar to dark chocolate/cacao. With carob having no fat and more carbohydrates compared to cocoa. I chose orange because I believe, with a passion, that it is the perfect matching with chocolate, so possible carob. Unlike many chocolate bars this has only 4 ingredients: carob powder, vegetable fat, soya powder, and orange oil. However it is super high in calories with a 50g bar having 280kcal although has an impressive 6.8g protein and 9g carbs and 22g fat. But the good thing is it fills your craving in about 2 chunks (10g). The texture is less smooth than chocolate but it melts veeerrryyy slowly in your mouth, but is kinda crumbly if you bite straight into it. If you do have a dairy allergy or other reasons to avoid dairy then I do think this is worth a try to find a sweet treat suited for your diet. I would definitely buy it again, and was £1. 

Saving the best til last, I will let you into the secret of coconut milk yogurts. COYO produce coconut milk yogurts that are dairy, gluten, soya, lactose and sugar free. I chose the one with the pineapple base; pina colada was running through my mind and then I thought of holidays. 

It has a whopping 86% coconut milk and uses xylitol (fruit sugar) to sweeten and tapioca starch to thicken. And they claim to use a a whole coconut per 100g, and is literally 'heaven in a mouthful'. After visiting their website I found out they won the following awards:

Two words: freakin' awesome. 

I opened it to the glorious tropical smell of coconut. As i plunged my spoon I could tell how thick it was, as though it was simply blended coconut flesh. But my oh my it was good. Not like a mousse but a luxury greek yogurt, and as I swirled in the pineapple it was like a taste of Hawaii on my tongue. Heavenly. I'm going to buy it again, and sorry but I can't remember the price but was under £2 I know, and cannot wait until I try another flavour. It's a good dairy alternative, and perhaps even better then regular yogurt. Roughly 180kcal per portion, with high fat content as with most coconut products, all healthy I assure you. And the carbohydrates of which sugar is fairly low at 7g but all of which is natural.

What over delicacies have you purchased that are unique to Wholefoods?

Shanie says: 'Waitrose rules.' 'Try dairy free, you'll be surprised' 

Douwe Egberts Cafe Essence

Douwe Egberts rules my coffee cupboard. We (Mum and I) have the staple Pure Gold, then the Pure Decaffeinated, and as soon as the launched their infused range we got the Hazelnut and Vanilla. So now when I was in B'n'M and I saw Cafe Essence I snapped it up. And at only £1.59 this was the cheapest D.E product I've ever bought. 

The difference between this instant coffee and the others is that it is a finer granule and is 90% instant coffee granules and 10% ground coffee beans. I quote: "The essence of freshly brewed coffee in an instant", and I agree. 

It IS a "harmonious" blend. 

The odd thing is that the language on the tin is Eastern European and I can't find the product online unless on a foreign website. So it's obviously hard to find in the UK. That reminds me; as a nation we are deprived of some delicious products that you can get abroad and have to sneak in your suitcase on your way home. I'm specifically talking about Peanut Butter M&M's, Peppermint Freddo, and snack packs of Seaweed (well, they are hard to source). 

So the coffee. It was ah-mazing as I expected. And definitely had that aroma that fills the house and gets everyone asking for a coffee. As with all Douwe Egberts coffee it achieves a nice gold crema and bubbly layer at the top when the hot water is poured over the granules. In my eyes this is a sign of good coffee. I like mine with just a splash of milk, and I let it cool to room temperature. But that's me. 

The only thing I miss is that traditional glass jar that D.E normally sell their coffee in. This is a strong-card tub with rubber-plastic lid. 

Well done Douwe Egberts, never a bad cup.

What I thought

Taste: freshly brewed, even if it is instant

Texture: smooth and errrrrr liquid-y

Nutrition: 2kcal per tsp, and add for milk and sugar etc

Affordable: £1.59 for 85g, however it is hard to source

Find it at: B'n'M

Have it with: splash of milk and favourite mug

Rating: 5/5

Shanie says: 'Coffee is a performance enhancer, but don't overdo it guys.'

My Graze arrival

Everyone probably sees the free vouchers falling out of the Metro (London Underground) newspaper or in magazines but it seems more people ignore it than claim it. I love free food so I grabbed the chance and haven't turned back.

Graze is a healthy snacking company that sends individual portions to your door. It was started by seven friends who loved food and thought they could provide tastier snacks than they could find in the supermarkets. They were right! The packaging is biodegradable and recyclable too. 

Back to the free voucher. It gives you a unique code so that your first box is free this includes the delivery price and the 4 tasty snacks you receive too. And although you have to enter your bank details (that's the scary bit I'm sure) you can honestly cancel immediately. No joke. So since I've started I have also got Mum and friends involved - some who just got the freebie and others who are hooked. 

I order the eatwell box, this means that all my snacks are low calorie, and helathy but I get the odd treat. There are also boost box and light box which gives you the most nutritionally dense foods, or the lowest calorie nibbles, respectively. Or you can chose to pick from anything and everything. 

I get mine delivered twice a month and a good thing is you can 'delay' the delivery if perhaps you are away for a week or two. Once it's arrived you can 'rate or slate' the products to determine whether you want to receive or avoid this product in future deliveries. 

My delivery today was this:

Clockwise; fiery seeds, chili and lime pistachios, herby bread basket, natural energy nuts

Other of my favourites include: nori seaweed rice cakes, lemon and poppy seed cake, florentine mix, tutti frutti, popcorn (in the cutest individual microwave bag)

The box fits perfectly in the letterbox and it still amazes me how the postman resists from opening it. And it's also nice because they put a little napkin, an olive stick if needed, and occasionally a little card model to build - surprisingly fun to make. 

In my opinion its really good value, there is tonnes of variety, the products have a good date so they last a week or so (I use em when I need to fix a craving)

FIVE STARS

Shanie says: 'Don't eat em all at once.'

First ever workout post.

The time has come; my first workout post. This was originally meant to be posted yesterday oops. And I did write it out on the train to work after doing it at home in the morning but in the evening I was preoccupied so left it until today to post. 

I have also just got back from BodyPump and BodyStep. So I'm feeling revitalised. 

With interval training you can mix it up, shake it up. A cocktail of exercises ;) with this being like a Long Island Iced Tea because it's got a bit of everything and although your feel f*****d, you feel good after. 

Right, your not here to listen to all this you just want the workout don't you. Well, ,if you've read my fitness page then you'll know I like love interval workouts. So this is circuit-tabata type of workout I do alot. It incorporates lots of my favourite exercises and is quick. High calorie burn and all over body toning. 

1. Burpee; including pressup

2. High knees with extended arms (to the side or above head)

3. Mountain climbers; last 20sec explode!

4. Squat jumps; with tricep kickback or shoulder press (you chose either on each set)

5. Caterpillar crawl; I call mine angry caterpillar because I stamp my legs when in plank position 

6. Running stair climb; with weights (I used 2.5kg)

7. Alternating jumping lunge with pulses; arms in divers position

You perform each exercise for 60 seconds with maximum reps. With a 15 second rest/prep period between each. Once completing one set (all 7 exercises consecutively) you repeat for a total of three times. For beginners try and do this twice and advanced four times. 

If you perform it 3 times then you get 21 minutes of intense exercise with a workout time of 26 minutes including rest. So this is short and can be done anywhere, anytime, no excuses :)

The weights used in exercises 4 and 6 increase the intensity but if you don't have any or are new to this then leave these out. The arm positioning and stomps in exercises 2, 5 and 7 are to engage to core deeper. 

I drank 500ml of water during the workout and 500ml after. REMEMBER you lose water in sweat so you need to restore it, and research says when your hydrated you can perform for longer and harder. 

Image taken from e-health101.com

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do. 

Shanie says: 'Push through the pain and you're sure to gain!'

p.s. I'll try and post videos or photos of exercises if you don't know how to perform them

Tip: use an online timer to help with exercise times and rests. I use this one. 

Kallo Puffed Rice Cereal

I'm always on the look out for low sugar and high fibre breakfast cereals. 
DO NOT BE FOOLED BY 'LOW FAT' CEREALS, THERE IS OFTEN TONNES OF ADDED SUGAR.
Tip: Look for less than 5g, or 25% of total portion weight, of sugar per serving. And 5g of fiber. 
So on my usual browse in Holland and Barrett I found Kallo Puffed Rice Cereal. Which you can also find at Waitrose or health websites. 

It's quite simply a grown-up-health-conscious Rice Krispie, and still has the Snap Crackle Pop when the milk is poured over it. I prefer almond milk to add another depth of flavour but use what you wish. Because it isn't sugar coated it is nice to get one of your five-a-day in there such as berries, banana slices or dried raisins. But do be quick otherwise it gets soggy. 

I also put it to the test by making Rice Krispie Cakes. And made my 'Adult' version by using dark (80% cocoa - my fave) and coconut flakes. If you want to recipe just let me know. So as per usual you've always gotta lick to bowl so ...... I did. Scrummy. However in the morning these beauties lost their CRUNCH so they were more chewy than I expected. It could be a fault with my recipe or using Kallo and not Kellogs. I'm unsure. So this is the only problem I had with this cereal. But as a morning cereal it is great. 

Image taken from stevieness.co.uk

More guides to choosing a healthy breakfast cereal:

Breakfast cereals can be some of the most misleading food products when trying to determine the healthiest choice.  Whilst many cereals are marketed as healthy options, or boast claims such as ‘low fat’, ‘high in B vitamins’ or ‘high in iron’, these claims often mask the real nutritional value of the product.

Fibre is essential for the digestive system, and has a low GI so fills you up for longer. 

If sugar (of sucrose, glucose, fructose, syrup etc) are listed in the first three ingredients list then this cereal is likely to have way too much sugar!!!!!!!! We don't what your teeth falling out now do we?

In one 30g serving of this Rice cereal there is 113kcal, 0.2g sugar (I liiikkkeee), 0.2g saturated fat and zero salt. Now that's impressive. It's also gluten free :)

Kallo produce lots of awesome products including rice cakes, chocolate covered rice cakes, rice milk, peanut butter and more......

Other cereals I want to try include: Grape Nuts (not made with grapes), and Weetabix Crunchy Bran. 

What I thought

Taste: fairly plain, as expected

Texture: crunchy - soggy with milk, light, airy

Nutrition: 113kcal per 30g, adjust with milk, low fat and sugar (REALLY)

Affordable: £2.89 per 225g bag - tad pricey

Find it at: Holland and Barrett, Waitrose 

Have it with: almond milk, sliced fruit, dried fruit, in cakes

Rating: 4.5/5 - expensive

Shanie says: 'Don't judge a book by it's cover, or in this case a cereal box!'

Steaming: my favourite way to cook vegetables

So I'm probably going overboard on the amount of posts I'm doing but I am new, and we are all enthusastic at first, right? 

I wanted a lightish dinner as I had a bigger lunch and I will go on a run in an hour or so. I found chantenay carrots (short fat ones, my fave), broccoli, and a humungus sweet potato. I've chopped them into enough for three portions and will be easy to steam tomorrow with my dinner. As I write this the pan is boiling away with the carrots in the steam basket. In three minutes I will throw in the broccoli as its less dense and I like it al dente. 

Image from 101cookbooks.com

Steaming not only requires no oils or fats but it maintains the bright colour of the vegetables. The gentle heat process via steam helps lock in more nutrients too. 

I'll top with coriander and garlic and chili salt and munch away. 

Shanie says: 'Do like bugs bunny and popeye and eat more vegetables. Those guys are full of energy.'
Mum says: 'Carrots help you see in the dark.'

NuMe Beetroot Crisps

Who'd have thought that the purple juicy root vegetable could be transformed into healthy air dried crisps. 

Morrison's is the supermarket next door to my gym so I often pop in there after and am usually impressed with their deals. It's nice because it is a fairly small one too so you can walk in and out in minutes. These beetroot crisps were hidden within the nuts and dried fruit section and I was pleased to come across them a few months ago. When I looked at the ingredients to see only: BEETROOT I was a bit too excited. I've not seen these in any other store except when they trick you into thinking the vegetable crisps next to Walkers are healthy however they are fried and salted!!!!!!!!!!!! NuMe is the healthier supermarket own brand and they produce apple and carrot crisps too which are just as tasty. For only 70p or 2 for £1 you can mix and match between vegetable crisps, nuts, and dried fruits all in snack bags so no over-eating possible (unless of course you eat more bags but that's not the idea)

They are so vibrant in colour and smell. Unique indeed. It's also amusing to witness the looks of envy and 'What IS that?' from the strangers who see you eat them on the train. 

I struggle to not eat a whole pack when leaving the till and walking to my bike - that's how good they are.

So that purple vegetable you avoid in the supermarket is now perfectly crisp and 100% a better alternative than potato crisps (or chips). But please Morrison's sell them in multipacks so I don't look like the crazy lady when at the till!

What I thought

Taste: naturally sweet, beetroot-y, err scrummy

Texture: crispy and light

Nutrition: 62kcal per 20g

Affordable: 70p per bag, or 2 for £1

Find it at: Morrisons NuMe range 

Have it with: hummus or the Metro newspaper

Rating: 4.5/5 - I want multipacks so deducted half a star

Shanie says: 'Beet cravings with veggie crisps.'

Matcha

Green tea matcha is finely milled green tea leaves which then forms a powder that can be dissolved into liquids unlike the ordinary green tea which is steeped in water from tea leaves.

When the tea is dried to form Matcha it means that all of the benefits of green tea are consumed by the body other than the water just being flavoured by the tea leaves. So the nutritional and health benefits are much greater. There are over 100x the amount of antioxidants in Matcha compared to green tea. And it boasts to improve focus, awareness, metabolism, burn fat, anti-aging and good for a detox. As with ordinary green tea it has only a few calories when mixed with water only.

In America Starbucks sell a Iced Green Tea Latte and is Hulk green in colour and more like a milkshake with the famous squirty cream on top. When buying it like this you mix 1tsp of the powder with about 200-250ml of steamed milk or hot water.

So my verdict: as much as I love green tea, especially when fruit infused, I found that this was very overpowering in taste and I didn't enjoy it as much as I would like. But I have had a few using steamed milk because I know it's healthy. 

Online you can find Matcha for really cheap however the 'Grade' affects its quality and so I chose Vitalife which is an online store for all sorts of teas including: detoxifying, energising, slimming, cleansing, everyday and green. It also sells vitamins, cocoa powder, organic food/snacks and accessories with free delivery over £50 and most teas on a 3 for 2 offer.

If you are looking for the Vitalife Matcha it is currently on buy one get one for half price at Holland and Barrett for a limited time only. 

Here is my testing Matcha Latte:

What I thought

Taste: strong tea, 'dirty water', yet can be sweetened with sugar and milk

Texture: creamy (when served as a latte)

Nutrition: 2kcal per tsp (additional when add sugar and milk)

Affordable: 37p per cup, or £36.60 per 100g (not affordable if have everyday but as a treat, yes)

Find it at: health stores or vitalifeteas.com

Have it with: milk and honey

Rating: 2.5/5 (based on personal taste not quality)

Let me know what you think of Matcha. Do you use it in baking too?

Shanie says 'Keep hydrated.'

Special K Cracker Crisps (or Chips)

Recently Kellogs have launched there Special K Cracker Crisps which is a more savoury snack compared to their Special K cereals and bars. They come in three amazing flavours including Sour Cream and Onion, Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar and Sweet Chilli. And one portion (a large one at that) is only 95 calories. 

On my first visit to B'n'M which is a discounted food and home store I saw these on offer for £0.79. In comparison to all the supermarkets who have them on offer for £1.99. When a serving is 25g it means this box holds 4 portions at 20p each. A cheap and healthier alternative snack. Perfect for the movies too. However dipping into the box makes it hard to control portions, just like popcorn.

I chose the Sour Cream and Onion flavour and am highly impressed with its flavour. It also has a good crunch and I have personally nicknamed them the 'posh Disco'. You remember: those old school crisps which were disc shaped too. Other reviewers think that the Sweet Chilli is disappointing and although the Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar is tasty it's hard to identify the balsamic hints. I'll be back when I try them to give you my opinion. 

This is the ingredient and nutrition. So unlike normal crisps which use slices of potato this only uses dried potato starch similarly found in lower fat crisps and it means they aren't fried. Oddly it contains milk powder which I assume aids the texture and sour cream flavour. 

It's great to see that the carbohydrates of which sugars is around 10% of total carbohydrates because too many of modern day snacks are high in sugar. And as with all Special K snacks it is roughly 10% fat with only saturates at 0.5g per serving. WOW! Be careful of salt content as that can creep up when we eat other food throughout the day. 

And although I don't promote eating the entire box on your own but if you were to share it the whole box contains just over 400kcal which is less than half of regular share bags of crisps. Or count out the crisps and take to work for your snack :)

What I thought

Taste: great flavour and super addictive

Texture: perfect crunch and majority of them were whole discs

Nutrition: 95kcal per 23g serving; low sugar and fat

Affordable: 79p per 100g at B'n'M at most supermarkets £2.00 per 100g

Find it at: all major supermarkets

Have it with: dips, cheese, pickled onions, a movie

Rating: 5/5

Shanie says: 'Happy snacking. Thanks Kellogs!'

My September Resolution

Today I've decided to start a blog.

So this is the first summer in my entire life (21 years of it) that I haven't had to think about buying my new school bag, getting new pens or remembering my new timetable because I have now graduated from University and it means I have hit the world of work. 'Reality' they call it. 

Although I have a part time job I have noticed that the lack of mental stimulation is really getting to me: I'm forgetting people names, forgetting dates and feel at the most dumbest point in my life even though I have a first class honours under my belt. I am hoping that doing this blog will keep me busy and creative.

I have been inspired from other fitness, health, review and recipe blogs and decided to do a combination of all these types. It's my first so be nice. There's going to be alot of tweaking along the way I'm sure!

My September resolution is to therefore start a blog. And here it goes.........

If you have any advice for me, it would be much appreciated, and I hope you stay tuned in.