Tag: Plant based

BOSH! Plant Based Foods

Autumn, Food & Drink, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

While my family isn’t vegetarian, we do try to have a meat free day each week. I’m a keen cook and love nothing more than making meals from scratch and experimenting with flavours but during the week, I’m afraid it’s a different story. By the time I get home from work, I’m shattered and the last thing I want to do is start cooking so all I want is something quick and easy that I can pop in the oven or microwave. So I was so delighted when BOSH! got in touch to see if we wanted to try a selection of their new plant based meals.

If you haven’t heard of them before the brand was founded back in 2016 by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby and are now one of the UK’s most influential plant-based food brands. With over a million cookbooks sold, 3.5 million social followers, and 4 billion video views they’ve inspired countless people to eat more plants, and even Gordon Ramsay has credited them with “putting vegan food on the map.”

Now, they’ve brought that same passion and creativity to supermarket shelves with a new range of eight ready meals and pizzas, launched in Tesco stores nationwide at the beginning of October. It’s one of the biggest plant-based food launches the UK has seen in years, with each dish inspired by BOSH!’s most popular recipes. The meals are packed with flavour, nutrition, and plenty of plant-based protein and start at just £3.95, which makes them great value for busy families who still want a proper meal at the end of the day.

The line-up includes:

  • N’duja Sourdough Pizza
  • Margherita Sourdough Pizza
  • Creamy No-Duja Pasta
  • Goan Chickpea Curry
  • Creamy Mac & Greens
  • Teriyaki Mushroom Noodles
  • Hearty Vegetable Lasagne
  • Ultimate Bean Chilli

So on to the important part – how do they taste?

The Hearty Vegetable Lasagne  was delicious, packed full of vegetables, and layered with a beautifully smooth béchamel sauce – proper comfort food and perfect for chilly autumn nights. My personal favourite was the Goan Chickpea Curry, rich and warmly spiced, every bit as good my homemade version. The addition of onion bhajis on the side took it up a level and was the sort of thing you’d expect from a takeaway, not a ready meal.

The Creamy No-Duja Pasta was another favourite. The sauce was rich and had plenty of flavour and the broccoli still had a bit of bite – no soggy vegetables here! My husband, a devoted meat-eater, tried the Ultimate Bean Chilli and was pleasantly surprised. He said the texture was lovely, and the seasoning spot on and he didn’t miss the meat at all.

I’m quite fussy when it comes to ready-made pizzas, all too often, the bases are tough and there’s very little toppings on them so these were a nice surprise. The Spicy No-Duja Pizza came with a sachet of hot maple drizzle that gave it a wonderful balance of sweetness and heat, while the Margherita Sourdough Pizza was lifted beautifully by a drizzle of vibrant green basil pesto. The crusts were crisp and fluffy and tasted more like a restaurant pizza than a ready made one. I really do hope they consider making these in a larger size!

We’re really impressed with the BOSH! meals we tried, they’re convenient, but more importantly taste absolutely delicious. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just want to  cut down on meat, these meals are proof that quick food doesn’t have to mean compromising on flavour or quality.

Jade & Joy Collagen Protein Bars

Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, health, snacks, Women

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

We always seem to be hungry at The Review Studio, so when Jade & Joy sent us these chocolate bars, we decided to tuck in and enjoy the vast selection of bars they sent us. 

Collagen is needed for skin, hair and nail growth and is often credited for keeping skin in good condition.  As we get older, we lose collagen in the skin and don’t make as much of it so taking a supplement has its benefits. Jade & Joy have a range of different chocolate bars which contain collagen as well as other added vitamins and minerals. I was amazed at the range of flavours the bars were, from Salted Caramel to Cookie Crumb, Caramel Blondie and Marshmallow biscuit. They don’t taste like ‘health’ bars at all because they’re mostly chocolate and still have the sweet taste to them, with no bitterness like some alternative products have.

Jade & Joy were also kind enough to send us a selection of the plant based Yubi Bars in a Variety Pack which also includes some Christmas seasonal flavours.  Great for stockings, Secret Santa as well as a daily snack, there are flavours such as Yule Log, Gingerbread and Choc Orange.  All of them contain 10 grams of protein, 99 calories and 0.3 grams of sugar. These bars are pocket sized for snacks after school but as they’re high in protein, they’re also great for after the gym. The festive flavours are fabulous though, with gooey centres. The Mint Choc bar was probably my favourite but all of them were yummy with a few quiet minutes in the afternoon.

Various boxes available online from £21 at: https://jadeandjoy.co.uk/vegan-collagen/vegan-collagen-selection-box/

You can shop the whole range (including the pick n mix) here: https://www.yubibar.com/collections/vegan-protein-bars

Yubi Bar christmas bars will be available here in the festive period: https://www.yubibar.com/products/christmas-protein-bar-selection-box

Soopa Plant-Based Dog Treats

Christmas, Pets, 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 are plant based, then you’ll probably want your dog to be too! Soopa have brought out a range of plant-based dog treats based around fruit and vegetables which add extra nutrients to your pet’s diet and some delicious flavours too. We were sent a box of new flavours, especially for Christmas, to try out on the office pooches.

In the range this year are Dental Sticks and Healthy Bites (lovely flower shaped treats) in Gingerbread Biscuit and Pumpkin Spiced Latte flavours, and a Christmas Selection Box with Cranberry & Sweet Potato flavoured Superfood Sticks and Healthy Bites.  These all sound very nutritious to me and the fact that they are plant based is intriguing! The company Soopa was started by Barbara for her dog Lily after Barbara saw the health problems of the dogs coming into her grooming business. Most of the problems she saw included obesity, diabetes and allergies which were caused or made worse by commercial foods. Barbara wanted to create a food for her dog Lily to enjoy and be healthier than other foods on the market.

All of the Soopa foods include 100% human food grade products. They’re low in calorie too with the Soopa Healthy Bites each containing just 3 calories per treat. The ingredients are not just seasonal either with some of the treats and sticks containing food which benefits too. For example, the Gingerbread Biscuit Dental Sticks contain cranberry and ginger to aid digestion, reduce inflammation and boost urinary tract health. The Pumpkin Spiced Latte Dental Sticks also aid digestion and promote a shiny, healthy coat too. Each of the treats with the same ingredients support your dog in the same way too.

I really like the idea of the Soopa Christmas Selection Box as a treat for your dog or a gift for Christmas Day and the rest of the family to open. The Cranberry & Sweet Potato (with natural flaxseed) sticks and bites are also grain free and actually smell lovely, not like meat at all, and are very Christmassy!

It’s no secret that dogs love vegetables as well as meat so you would be helping their overall diet by adding something other than chicken or beef to their daily meals.  The added health benefits of natural, food grade veggie ingredients can only further support their health and give them some variety too, plus dogs will love the low calorie treats without you feeling guilt about giving them! 

Soopa Dental Sticks £4.20: https://soopapets.com/collections/new-products/products/strawberry-dog-quiri-dental-sticks-copy

Christmas Selection Box £6.99: https://soopapets.com/products/cranberry-sweet-potato-christmas-selection-box?_pos=1&_sid=0d39009ed&_ss=r

Method Body Wash

beauty, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, health, Home, Stocking Fillers, Summer, Women

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

Method, which is usually known as a cleaning brand, have entered the body care arena this summer with some very cool body wash in flavours, Pure Peace, Energy Boost and Simply Nourish.  Not only are these new to the market and available in Sainsbury’s, but they’re loved by the Kardashians too!

We were sent these three different scents, all at a generous size of 18 fl oz (532ml) to try out during the summer.  Never ones to shy away from a good beauty product, we got to work trying them and weren’t disappointed.  

Starting with Pure Peace, this body wash contains peony, rose water and pink sea salt all of which give it this blush colour; cheerful in itself.  The Method bottles are particularly useful as the ingredients are part of the wording on the packaging. All of the Method body products are plant based too, so there’s more natural ingredients than most other beauty washes. The fragrance is delicate, rose-like and very fresh so you can use it as a body wash or even in the bath to make bubbles!

The second scent is called Energy Boost which contains citrus, ginger and sea buckthorn.  This fragrance is great when you’ve had a big night out and need to get awake in the morning, like a shot of pure energy to wake you up. The citrus really comes through in this wash, and livens up a shower to get you ready to go.  The final variety is Simply Nourish. Containing coconut, rice milk and shea butter you can guess that this body wash is for feeding your skin and making you feel silky soft. Again, it can be used in the bath or to lathe up in the shower with the coconut aroma giving relaxing vibes as well as nurturing. This fragrance reminds me of tropical holidays with the rich rice milk scent and coconut and the shea butter leaves your skin soft like a hotel spa.

In combination, all three look fabulous on the bath side and you can pick and choose which one you prefer depending on your mood, or how hard your day’s been.

Available from Sainsbury’s for £6.50 at: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/SearchResults/method%20body%20wash

Love Raw Easter Box

Children, chocolate, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

These days there is so much choice when it comes to Easter Eggs and no matter what your taste there is an egg for you. Some of my friends and family are vegan and there’s also a couple with dairy intolerances so it’s fantastic to see such a good selection of plant based chocolate this year, meaning they don’t need to miss out on this chocolately tradition.

Love Raw make the most delicious plant based chocolate and they have just launched a limited edition Easter box, although you’ll need to be quick as it’s only available from the 22nd to 24th March!

Inside the box are the following products

1 x Nutty Choc Ball Box containing 9 individually wrapped balls.

Nutty Choc Balls are a crunchy hazelnut coated in a delicious vegan cream and then covered in a crisp wafer shell and finished with Low Raw’s iconic m:lk choc and hazelnut pieces. They are absolutely scrummy and it’s probably a good job there’s only 9 in the box!!

3 x White Choc Cream Wafer Bar
Each bar contains a deliciously crispy wafer, oozing with Love Raw’s signature cre&m® filling and generously smothered with vegan white chocolate. Whether you’re vegan or not you need to try these!

3 x Milk & 3 x White Choc Peanut Buttercups
Each cup oozes smooth, creamy peanut butter and is covered in Love Raw’s iconic m:lk® and white choc. In my opinion peanuts and chocolate are a winning combination and Love Raw are definitely on to a winner with these.

RRP  £29.99 available here

LoveRaw’s Nutty Choc Balls

Birthday Gifts, chocolate, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Lunchbox Fillers, snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

LoveRaw started in 2013 with the crazy idea of founder Rini to create vegan chocolate that tasted like regular chocolate. In the 10+ years since then, the website has grown and the product line has exploded to include all sorts of varieties of chocolate, including the Nutty Choco Balls (milk chocolate) that we were sent this week to try!

LoveRaw chocolate is not only vegan but is completely plant based, has no palm oil and no added artificial ingredients either.  LoveRaw product chocolate bars which are similar to commercial treats on the market, and are less about blocks or bars of pure chocolate or they type of chocolate you can cook with. The LoveRaw chocolate bars are the type of treats you’d buy for yourself for lunch, or as snacks for children. The fact that you can buy them in bulk (typically packs of around 16 bars) means you can keep them for lunchboxes or even use for children’s parties where anyone, even though with dairy allergies or who are vegetarian or vegan can eat them.

The Nutty Choc Balls are based on a famous commercial chocolate that the Ambassador would enjoy… each one is individually wrapped and contains a hazelnut surrounded by hazelnut cream, wafer then milk chocolate and finally a coating of hazelnut pieces. Guessed what it is yet?  The pieces are easily eaten after dinner, during a meeting or as they were in our house, as a snack in the afternoon when you need just one or two for a quick sweet hit of sugar.  

You really can’t tell the difference between the commercial chocolates and the LoveRaw variety. The chocolate still has a smoothness to it and tastes like chocolate should.  The added hazelnut pieces and hazelnut cream are still silky and indulgent and the wafer adds the decadent touch we look for in these chocolates.  The team at LoveRaw also sent me some Cream Wafer Bars in milk and white chocolate which I have tasted before, and the LoveRaw Peanut Caramel Bar in Milk Choc which is new to me, but I will make room for!

LoveRaw Nutty Choc Balls available from £9.99 here: https://eatloveraw.com/products/m-lk-choc-nutty-choc-balls-box

Ginsters Creamy Garlic Mushroom Slice

Family Life, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

This one is especially for vegans!  Ginsters, famous for making the pasties we all love, have created a gorgeous Creamy Garlic Mushroom Slice with all vegan ingredients. Using their finely-honed knowledge of what makes a great pasty, Ginsters bring you this lunch, or snack that incorporates a garlic twist to give you that afternoon flavour.

Made with vegan puff pastry, the pasty contains chestnut mushrooms in a white wine sauce which is also vegan. The filling also contains coconut milk, garlic puree, potatoes, onions and a mix of herbs to give it that extra flavour.  I’m also told there’s a touch of lemon zest in there too, to compliment the mushroom flavour. At 170 grams, the Ginsters Creamy Garlic Mushroom Slices can be eaten as a snack, or even as a lunch, particularly if you’re adding a salad to it. Alternatively, there’s enough slice here to make a dinner if you add some vegetables to it too! It’s recommended that you eat it hot, probably oven baked, which I agree with because if eaten cold, it loses some of the extra flavours that the herbs and garlic bring to it.

Once heated, the aromas of the garlic and mushroom fill the room and you can see the generous white wine filling.  I enjoyed this as a lunch because it has such a hearty punch to it with the mushrooms and potato but the flavour of the garlic and herbs comes out too. The pastry is lovely and you wouldn’t know it was vegan because it’s so flakey and soft. There’s a real taste to the mushroom sauce from the white wine which comes through with the vegetables, and why it’s best that this Creamy Garlic Mushroom slice is eaten hot. Delicious!

Available from £1.95 at: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/310148187

Creamy Garlic Mushroom Slice

Blind Test of the LoveRaw Chocolate vs High Street Brands

Children, chocolate, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for children, Home, Lunchbox Fillers, Vegetarian

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

We’ve never really done a proper Blind Test before. That is, officially comparing one brand of a product against another, without knowing which brand is which and not being able to tell them apart. So when LoveRaw Chocolate asked us to test and review their product against other brands, it was quite the coup!  Naturally, we love anything that’s a challenge but when it involves chocolate too, we’re all ears…

LoveRaw are a chocolate brand with a difference. They produce chocolate products which are largely vegan (allergens are listed so you can check easily) and they have a whole host of products available which seem to be ever growing and includes white, dark and milk chocolate alternatives.

We were sent a Blind Tasting Pack which had three different LoveRaw products; Nutty Choc Balls, Cream Wafer Bar (milk chocolate) and Cream Wafer Bar (white chocolate. Each of the LoveRaw products was teamed up with the High Street equivalent and all the items were in clear packaging, just marked with their numbers for easy identification.  The LoveRaw products are all plant based, contain no palm oil and have no artificials. The High Street versions are not any of those (ie not plant based, contain palm oil and have artificial ingredients.) A sealed black envelope was also included so that after the tasting you can find out which were the real LoveRaw items. How exciting!

First up was the Nutty Choc Balls.  Looking at them, I couldn’t tell the difference. They look incredibly similar and when I bit into them, the chocolate didn’t give me any clues as to which one was plant based. I guessed that A1 was the High Street variety only because it tasted slightly more processed. A2 had a smoother texture which led me to think it was made with more love.  We shall find out the answers at the end of the testing (even I haven’t opened the envelope yet!)

Second was the Cream Wafer Bar in Milk Chocolate.  These bars looked different. B1 looks like it’s intricately made by a machine in a factory and the bar is slightly longer. B2 is smoother, and the chocolate looks darker so I suspect that this is the LoveRaw one to look at.  Tasting them, B2 has a lighter texture to it and has more layers but the chocolate between the two tastes the same.  B1 has more additives, you can tell that from opening the packet and the smell of the chocolate is artificial.  In this testing, I think B2 is the LoveRaw product.

Finally, it’s the Cream Wafer Bar with White Chocolate.  I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate so this is going to a different type of test. C1 looks like it’s made in a factory because it’s got intricate designs on it whereas C2 looks like it could be handmade and dusted with chocolate flavouring. As for the taste, I started with what I thought was the High Street version (C1). It’s light and wafer-like and I like the texture of it. C2 is densely packed and doesn’t melt as easily but both taste of white chocolate and have some fun sweet flavours going on. I think C2 is the LoveRaw version.

So to recap, before we go to the big finale, this is what I think the products are:

Nutty Choc Balls: A1 is the High Street Competitor; A2 is LoveRaw

Cream Wafer Bar (milk chocolate): B1 is the High Street Competitor; B2 is LoveRaw

Cream Wafer Bar (white chocolate): C1 is the High Street Competitor, C2 is LoveRaw

Let’s scroll down to see the results in the black envelope…

So I was right for the Milk Chocolate Cream Wafer Bar but wrong for the Nutty Choc Balls and White Chocolate Cream Wafer Bar! Goes to prove that you really can’t tell the difference between LoveRaw and the High Street Competitors!

All of the LoveRaw products are found online at their website shop: https://eatloveraw.com/collections/vegan-chocolate

HaPPi Oat Mil Chocolate Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, eco friendly, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Plastic free, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

A fun way to count down the days to Christmas is with an advent calendar and these days there so many different ones to choose from. When you have food allergies and intolerances though, the choice of chocolate calendars is very restricted, so I was really pleased to be able to try an oat milk chocolate advent calendar from HaPPi Choc.

The calendar has a fun Christmas bauble design on the front with 24 numbered doors to help you count down to the big day. Behind each door you will find a delicious Salted Caramel, Plain Milk or Orange oat milk chocolate wrapped chocolate. The chocolate is suitable for Vegans and is also gluten, soya & palm oil free, as well as dairy, egg & nut free so it is the perfect choice for anyone with a food intolerance or who eats a plant based diet.

Lower in sugar than other chocolate brands HaPPi chocolate is sustainably sourced with their cacao purchased directly from Luker, a Columbian family owned business and co-operative. HaPPi are 100% ethically driven and work closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices and their oat milk chocolate is made using single origin 47% Colombian cacao and oat milk.

In line with HaPPi’s sustainable ethos all the packaging is recyclable with the calendar containing no plastic at all. The inner tray that contains the chocolates is made from cardboard rather than plastic which is fantastic, I’ve been trying to reduce my plastic use this year so it’s great to have an eco-friendly advent calendar this year. HaPPi also give 1% of their annual net sales revenue to good causes and mental health organisations so buying a HaPPi advent calendar helps lots of other people too.

With smooth creamy chocolates no one needs to miss out on a chocolate advent calendar this year.

Sea Animal Collection from PLAYin CHOC

Children, coronation, cruelty-free, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Lunchbox Fillers, Plastic free, Toys, Vegan, Vegetarian

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

The brand new Sea Animals Collection from PLAYin CHOC is here in time for the Coronation weekend! The sustainable and ethically sourced chocolate is accompanied by a cut out toy of a sea animal along with an information card to educate children about the world around them.  If you remember Kinder Surprise as a child, then this is the modern, environmentally friendly version for the 21st century.

PLAYin CHOC was created by Mum Maya back in 2016 in her kitchen at home where she wanted to make simple chocolate for her family which was just cacoa, coconut and vanilla.  Crucially, it was also dairy free chocolate, hence there’s no milk or cream involved in the process, just coconut products.

With the help of her two children as ‘chief testers’, Maya perfected the Peruvian, fairly traded organic chocolate and created the PLAYin CHOC brand. Their mission is to create healthy chocolate treats without plastic, and to promote environmentally sensitive topics. Among other projects PLAYin CHOC have featured are Endangered Animals, Woodland Animals and even a whole dinosaur set!  At Christmas and Easter they produce Advent Calendars and gift boxes and this year PLAYin CHOC have produced the Sea Animals Collection.

We were sent these three boxes to indulge ourselves.  Opening the boxes, we found an orca, seahorse and swordfish. You can’t tell what’s in the box until you open it so it’s a great surprise for children. The box contains two pieces of chocolate (in recyclable plastic), a cut out of each animal which children can put together to create a toy and an information card about the animal, some facts and their personalities. There are 18 different animals to collect in all and the toys, which are made out of durable cardboard, can be used again and again, along with the cube boxes the chocolate and toys come in!

Although the chocolate is coconut based and vegan, it doesn’t taste very different to everyday chocolate so the kids won’t notice the change.  It is 100% plant based though so it will appeal to everybody – these make great gifts in children’s party bags or to keep them quiet on car journeys and whilst travelling.

With so many toys to choose from, healthier vegan chocolate and fair trade, what is there not to like about the PLAYin CHOC range, especially for the Coronation?

PLAYin CHOC Endangered Animals are £2.25 at: https://playinchoc.com/products/toychoc-box-br-sea_animals