Food Review ... New Kids on The Block!

Having been to a number of food and fitness exhibitions recently (Be:Fit London, The Organic and Natural Food Show, BBC Food Show, Allergen and Gluten Free Show), I have come across some new and exciting health food brands offering some fantastic products. Although my blog has, to date, focused on reviewing restaurants and fitness classes, something I am often asked from you guys is recommendations on what to eat on a day to day basis - whether it be healthy snack options, meal ideas, or post workout fixes to recover those tired muscles before your next class! So, after conducting some research trailing out products from (literally) hundreds of natural/organic/sports specialist/superfood food suppliers, here is my edit of the best new finds ...

TrimBake

Trimbake 

If you're like me, with a natural sweet tooth but desire to remain healthy, deserts and baking can be a bit of a dilemma. Whilst you can relatively easily substitute sugar for sweetener in most recipes, it is the high cholesterol butter, essential for moistness in the cakes, but non-essential for your arteries or figure (!), that can be harder to skip! That's where TrimBake comes in, a fat and sugar replacement developed especially for baking. With a blend of fruits, vegetables and pulses, you can healthily replace up to 75% of the fat in your favourite recipes, and with the natural sweetness coming from the fruit, you can also reduce the refined sugar addition. It's a win win!

http://www.trimbake.yolasite.com

Bioglan

Bioglan Superfoods 

More known for their vitamin and mineral ranges, Bioglan is a brand you're probably already familiar with, but it is only since discovering their new 'Superfoods' range have I become an avid fan! With a product range of Superfood powders including Acai Berries, Raw Cacao powder, Chia and Flax seeds and Energy Boosts, it was their new Raw Bites that caught my eye, particularly the Cacao, Coffee and Coconut flavours. Coffee and chocolate in a healthy snack?! It's now my on the go go-to!

https://bioglansuperfoods.co.uk/

The Skinny Greens Collection

After being so enthusiastic for their raw bites snacks, Bioglan also kindly sent me out their 'Skinny Greens' range to try. A brand new 3 step wellness range, it begins with the 7 day 'Superfood Cleanse' - a green powder with superfoods including Barley, Wheatgrass and green tea, in addition to milk thistle and dandelion to naturally detox and cleanse the system, preparing you for stage 2 of the program. This comprises of the Thermo Boost, designed with thermogenic ingredients to raise your body's core temperature and boost metabolism the natural way. Finally, the third step in the program is the 14 day Superfood Replenishment Shake, a high protein filling drink containing Chia, Brocolli and Pea Protein, in addition to superfoods such as hemp, sacha inchi, cranberry protein and biotic cultures.



My thoughts? Whilst the range is designed to help you lose weight, I can't say I noticed any difference, but having said that weight loss was most certainly not my goal, so I made sure I was supplementing with sufficient food intake (not a difficult one for me!). What it did do for me, however, was increase energy, improve my skin, and give me an overall boost - much need to support my active, often hectic, lifestyle!

Enjoying the Superfood Cleanse with my Planet Organic Zoats!

I'd love to hear some feedback from anyone else who's tried the range, and what it did for you?

Moral Fibre

Moral Fibre 

This is a brand I had seen stocked in Selfridges and, with its vast range of healthy, gluten free and dairy free snacks, I had been eyeing it up ever since! Made with no added sugar or preservatives, they offer sweet snacks in the form of handmade balls and bites, or savoury crackers made from a blend of vegetables, nuts and seeds. From Raspberry Cocolossal Balls to Superseedy Bites to Figberry truffles, there was lots to try out, but my favourite had to have been the Banana Berry Bites. Bananas, dates, cranberries and tasty coconut, this was definitely a guilt free indulgence!

http://moralfibrefood.com/

Paleo Treats

Paleo Treats 

How to catch someones attention at one of these events? Put out big plates of healthy brownies, almond flapjacks and chocolate cacao cups - that'll do it, especially when you discover they are all gluten, dairy, grain and refined sugar free! All come from Paleo Treats, a brand developed in California by brother and sister of co-founder Ali Hawks, who is bringing the innovative snack desserts to the UK- the first ever Paleo range to be launched into the chilled food sector. Whilst I am not Paleo myself, I am very much an advocate of some of the principles and a diet based around meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds and good fats. With these healthy treats ticking all the principles, I can't wait until their full UK launch. Sign up to the mailing list on their website for updates, and watch out for a special review of the full range coming to my blog soon!

Brownie Bomb - tastes too good to be healthy!!!

http://www.paleotreats.co.uk/


Sweetpea Pantry

Sweet Pea Pantry 

Now available at M&S and Ocado, you may recognise this brand, whose range of gluten, refined sugar and fuss free baking kits have hit the market with a bang! Starting in 2014, with a passion for healthy living but very limited resources, the brand have now won a number of awards for their healthy mixes, targeted towards families who care about good food and nutrition. At the event I was able to try out the Super Oat Flapjack mix, made with healthy quinoa and flapjack mix, and I have since been baking at home with the Playful Pizza Dough Mix (featuring Chia and Flax for a healthy take on a usually indulgent treat meal), and the Grainy Brainy Pancake Mix, with buckwheat and flax. With each of the ready made packs requiring only a couple of store cupboard ingredients such as eggs or oil, they take under 30 minutes to prepare - perfect for baking novices like myself who still want the fresh taste of healthy home-baked goods!

Easy enough even for baking novices like me!

I'd love to hear your guys thoughts on any new fantastic foodie finds you've discovered yourself, or if you've tried any of the above? Let me know! xx