Tag: Healthy drinks

Lo Bros Kombucha Drinks 

Drinks and Mixers, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, health, Lunchbox Fillers, Plastic free

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

There’s two new flavours of Lo Bros’ Kombucha in town, and just in time for the Christmas festivities too! Lo Bros sent us some samples to try, along with some of their famous cans. Just as the summer is ending (can you tell I’m working from my outdoor office this weekend?) we think about going into Christmas and how it probably isn’t great for our overall health.  Kombucha is your friend this time of year; let me explain why.

What is kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented drink, which by the nature of how it’s made is filled with live, good bacteria. This good bacteria is great for your tummy and balances out the bad bacteria that can make us feel sluggish, but also causes lots of health problems.  The good bacteria is an antidote to our lifestyles as well, where we probably don’t eat as wholefully and healthily as we should.  The fermentation happens with very low sugar in the juices which are used so there’s not a lot of glucose in the drinks, and kombucha is naturally fizzy. The end products is an effervescent fruit flavoured drink which also contains live culture.

Lo Bros have several flavours, some of which we’ve reviewed before: https://thereviewstudio.co.uk/2023/07/26/lo-bros-kombucha-cola/ but this week we were sent two new flavours: Raspberry & Blackcurrant and the limited edition Fruit Crush.  Fruit Crush is made with black tea, mango, orange, passion fruit, apple and raspberry, all fermented together to make the fizzy kombucha. The Raspberry & Blackcurrant flavour is made the same way, with a slightly sweeter flavour to it and the hints of raspberry and blackcurrant coming through. The Ginger & Lemon and Raspberry & Lemon flavours are just as delicious, with the subtleties of each fruit coming through and the sparkling texture plays on your tongue. You can almost imagine it is like an alcoholic drink – but healthier!

The bottles are eco-friendly as they’re not made of plastic, they’re all glass and the cans are recyclable too. In fact, Lo Bros are a Net Plastic Brand, meaning they don’t put any plastic into the environment.

Lo Bros was born in Byron Bay, Australia 20 years ago and has since transported to the UK. 

Fruit Crush and Raspberry & Blackcurrant will be available in Sainsburys soon for £2. Here’s the link to Lo Bros’ Cola: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/lo-bros-organic-kombucha-cola-330ml

Lo Bros Kombucha Cola

Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Fitness, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for a healthier drink this summer, or something that’s just that bit different compared to what you normally summer on, then have a look at the Lo Bros Kombucha Cola and drinks.  Kombucha is fermented tea (green tea and black tea fermented with sugar) to produce a drink with live cultures.  Lo Bros have taken this a step further and produced a canned drink with a cola taste and just as much fizz and bubble as you would assume. Oh, and they’ve produced two other versions that they’ve sent us to try too! Meet Ginger & Lemon and Passion Fruit too!

Each of the drinks are made with natural ingredients and are naturally low in sugar.  The 250ml cans replace plastic bottles too, so you’re doing your bit for the environment as well as using the most efficient way of keeping the fizz in with the carbonated drinks.  It’s low in calories too – just 6 calories per can.

What do they taste like though?  I was surprised that the Lo Bros Kombucha Cola tasted like cola. It has that slightly sweet taste but isn’t too effervescent nor overly sticky in taste.  The can was just the right amount for a glass to have with lunch and certainly doesn’t feel like a ‘health drink’ because it’s not heavy nor is it really synthetic.

The Ginger & Lemon was very refreshing! It’s like a fizzy cordial without the sugary taste, just the energising citrus and spicy ginger taste. It works well with ice and is probably best when straight out of the fridge.  I also liked the Passion Fruit flavour, which like the other flavours is low in sugar, natural and has live cultures.  It’s more of a fruity taste, with a slight sweetness to it.  I think it would appeal to children more than the other drinks and can be drunk either cold from the fridge or slightly warmer and in a lunchbox.

Over time, the effects of the kombucha are more beneficial than the sugary shop-bought cans we are used to seeing advertised everywhere so I hope that these Lo Bros Kombucha drinks become more popular and appeal to a wide variety of people who prefer these flavours and reach for the kombucha rather than the brands!

Available from 42 pence a can (£5 for 12) at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lo-Bros-Kombucha-Sugar-250ml/dp/B0BNND9CCY?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Jamu Wild Water

Children, Drinks and Mixers, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Plastic free

January is not only Dry January, but the beginning of the year is a time to try new things and for many of us, to become healthier! Jamu Wild Water have these 100% Natural and Zero Sugar waters to tempt you into the healthier side of living in 2023, and sent us some of them the try.

The waters come in 250ml sized cans in three flavours; Natural Sparkling Raspberry, Natural Sparkling Blood Orange and Natural Sparkling Lemon. As the name suggests, they don’t contain any sugar or artificial sweeteners and each have added Vitamin C and zinc.  Not only are they made with natural fruit flavours but with nourishing botanicals and are gently fizzed so you can attempt almost anyone with their texture or taste!

The Natural Sparkling Raspberry flavour is slightly sweet from the raspberry and elderberry fruits, with the root flavouring of the Marshmallow Root Extract coming through. It’s probiotic too, giving your gut a better nutrient from the probiotic root it contains.

The Natural Sparkling Blood Orange flavour contains chicory root for probiotic health, and the flavour comes from the sweet blood orange and Echinacea, which has immune boosting properties.

Lastly, my favourite is the refreshing Natural Sparkling Lemon with the invigorating citrus flavour from lemons, and added nettle and dandelion extracts, the combination of which is used traditionally to relieve inflammation, boost immunity and aid digestive health.

Suitable for the whole family, they will be particularly useful in flu season and when the kids don’t want to drink just water. The 100% recyclable cans means that Jamu Wild Water can be taken out on car journeys, picnics or even to school. Can’t wait until after Dry January to find out what else it can be mixed with too!

Available from www.jamuwildwater.co.uk, £20 for 12 cans.

iSqueeze Juice

Drinks and Mixers, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gluten Free, Lunchbox Fillers, Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own

After the excess of food and drink consumed over the Christmas period, Dry January provides the perfect opportunity to reset your body and mind. Dry January is the month when many people abstain from alcohol and as well as saving money it also has plenty of health benefits too, including improved sleep, weight loss and cutting out alcohol can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol too.

Lots of people associate orange juice as a breakfast staple but it can now be enjoyed “on-the-go” thanks to a growing number of iSqueeze machines in retail establishments, enabling you to grab a fresh juice whilst out and about. You will find machines in supermarkets, convenience stores, cafes, restaurants, gyms, and even hospitals.

The easy to operate self-service machines squeeze the fruit in seconds before bottling it, letting you enjoy fresh orange juice with no nasties, preservatives or sweeteners. The juice is packed full of flavour with plenty of zesty pulp and is very refreshing to drink.

The juice is available in a variety of sizes and each iSqueeze 250ml bottle (priced between £1.50 – £2.50) contains 3 oranges, 330ml (priced between £2 – £2.80) bottle – 5 oranges, 500ml (priced between £3 – £4.00) bottle – 8 oranges and the 1 litre bottle (priced between £4.25 – £6.00) contains an impressive 15 oranges.

As well as orange juice iSqueeze also have machines that will squeeze pomegranates and grapefruits too, with the technology to extend to further fruits including apples, so keep your eyes peeled!

All fruit is sustainably sourced, meaning zero waste, and the bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic which can easily be recycled. The juice is squeezed whilst you wait and is packed full of immune boosting ingredients and is high in vitamin C, folate, as well as potassium.

You will find iSqueeze machines in a growing number of places around the UK, we have one in our local Booths and you can also find them in Sainsburys, Coop, Nisa, Costcutter, Spar, Centre Parcs and plenty of other locations too.