The latest Degustabox is aptly called the "Healthy New Year" box as it's full of healthier products - although, don't worry, Degustabox managed to sneak a few treats in there too! If you haven't seen my previous posts, Degustabox is a monthly foodie subscription service that is always filled with a mix of foodie surprises from new and established brands.
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Each Degustabox costs £12.99 a month, which includes delivery, with no fixed contract involved. Degustabox have kindly provided my readers with a massive £6.00 off your next Degustabox, bringing the cost to £6.99 delivered. Enter the Discount Code: BLDEG15
www.degustabox.com/en
Here's a quick round up of all the products I received in the January Degustabox:
Koko Dairy Free Original: I always use dairy free alternatives in my tea, coffee and on cereal, so I was happy to find a full size Koko Dairy Free in the Degustabox. It's made with freshly pressed coconut milk and contains fewer calories than skimmed milk. The flavour is lovely and creamy and I especially like it with cereal.
Barilla: I first discovered the Barilla brand in a previous Degustabox and it's now become a regular feature of my grocery shopping. I always try to go for the wholewheat option when buying pasta and the Barilla Integrale is just as delicious as their other varieties. The Mediterranean Vegetables sauce was a big hit with the whole family too, it has just the right amount of chunky veg in a lovely sweet and ripe tomato sauce. I'll be stocking up on both products from now on!
Crabbie's Light: Crabbie's Alcoholic Light Ginger Beer offers a lighter drink with all the flavour of their original Ginger Beer. It can be enjoyed straight from the fridge or paired with a spirit to create a home cocktail of your choice.
TreeVitalise Birch Water: TreeVitalise is a range of all-natural birch waters from the Carpathian Mountains. It contains only 10 calories per bottles and is said to be packed with micronutrients. I've certainly never tried birch sap water before so this was a new one to me! The flavour is unique and quite subtle. It's a little tangy (a bit like lemon water) but with an extra sweetness too.
The Fabulous Bakers Mango & Pineapple Bars: A box of four all natural bars made with real fruit (mango, pineapple, and papaya), oats and coconut.
These bars have a lovely soft and squidgy texture, especially compared to most cereal bars. The flavour is very sweet and the pineapple comes through nicely, but I couldn't really taste as much 'tropical' flavour as I was expecting from the fruity ingredients.
Hip Pops Snacks: There were two bags of Hip Pops in this months Degustabox; Sweet Chilli Flavour and Cheese & Onion Flavour. Hip Pops are a healthier snacks compared to similar fried or baked products with typically 50% less fat than standard potato crisps.
The texture is very similar to other popped snacks such as Popchips and has the same moreish quality. Both flavours had plenty of seasoning which made them a very tasty alternative to crisps.
Nothing But: There were also two packs of Nothing But, a healthy freeze dried fruit and vegetable range. I received the Pineapple & Grape and the Strawberry & Banana snacks.
I love freeze dried fruit like this, it always reminds me of those space-food packets you can buy. I wish these were easier to find in stores, especially since one of these tasty packets counts towards 1 of your 5 a day.
Red Square Toffee Vodka: A mini bottle of Red Square Toffee which is made with 100% pure vodka that is 7 times distilled. Not only that, it's also toffee flavoured! I'm not sure how this fits into the 'healthy' theme but I guess we all need a little treat now and again (and this one is mini-sized after all!).
Complete Energy: These low calorie bites are infused with caffeine (1 bite = 1 large premium coffee) to provide an instant boost of energy. They're especially recommended to take five minutes before physical exercise etc. I gave these to Mr. Grocery Gems for his next 10K run!
Betavito: Two sachets of Betavito, a crispy heart shaped oat cereal which is proven to lower your cholesterol and blood sugar. One daily serving of Betavito provides the required 3g of beta-glucan from oats needed to reduce blood cholesterol, as well as reducing the amount of blood glucosse your body produces. The ingredients are 60% oat bran, cornmeal and fructose, so the actually flavour here is very plain. I can imagine these are useful for sprinkling on your usual cereal or oats for an extra boost of beta-glucan.
Drink Me Chai: A little extra gift from Degustabox - a sample sachet of the Drink Me Chai Latte Skinny Latte which is the latest addition to their range. It's spiced with a hint of clove and contains 42 calories per cup. They're available in Waitrose, Sainsbury's & Ocado.
Overall,
I was impressed with the healthier selection in this months Degustabox.
There was an interesting variety of new brands that I haven't tried before. My favourites this month were the Barilla pasate and sauce, Hip Pops, and Nothing But fruit snacks.
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