I am always looking for snacks to fill up my sixteen year old son who cannot eat gluten or dairy, especially ones that are easy to take to school to keep his energy levels up during the day. It is also very hard to find things that he will actually eat…you all know how awkward teenagers can be, he won’t eat oats (GF ones of course) nuts, dried fruit or even any cake with fruit in it which all makes it even harder.
So I was asked to try out The Nutribox which is “A box full of delicious nutritious snacks, all made with gluten free ingredients and delivered free to your door monthly” Their mission is to provide healthier alternatives to the traditional snack and that the snacks are made in such a way as to make sure the ingredients maintain a high proportion of nutrients. There is also a vegan version that can be ordered. There are two boxes to choose from The Nutribox or the Nutribox Mini, prices start from £10.95 per month.
The box I was sent came with nine different snacks including dry fruits and nuts, chocolate and other treats made from raw fruit and nuts. Unfortunately for my son there was not enough treats in the box that he will actually eat however much I protested, luckily for me that means I have been chief taste tester. I am impressed, they are all very tasty healthy-ish snacks. I say healthy-ish because if you are watching your weight they are quite high in calories but then so is a bar of chocolate. The difference is these snacks also have some nutritional benefit from the ingredients they are made from. So they have their place as an occasional treat with some added extras. The snacks are delivered in a handy size cardboard box that fits through the letterbox which avoids those dreadful days when you have to wait in all day for a delivery.
I think The Nutribox is a good way of trying out new products and although the cost may seem a little high per month when you work out the cost per item sent it is actually a really good deal.
I have a code to give the first ten people to ask for it which gives you 35% off your first box. Please leave your email in the comment section below if you would like me to send it to you.
Perfect for those hot summer days I have heard we are not going to be getting this year, however it will be strawberry season very soon and this makes the perfect summer dessert especially after a BBQ. The sponge is fatless and can be adapted in many ways so a good recipe to keep . It is perfect for unexpected guests as can be whipped up in minutes and filled with jam alone.
Beat the eggs and caster sugar in a mixer or with an electric whisk for at least 10 minutes. The mixture will triple in volume and be thick and very pale in colour.
Divide the flour into three parts and fold in the sifted flour very gently a part at a time.
Fold in the warm water.
Pour the mixture into the swiss roll tin and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Place a piece of greaseproof paper on to your work surface and sprinkle with sugar, turn out the swiss roll onto the sugared paper and remove the greaseproof paper from the back of the cooked sponge.
Cover the swiss roll with a damp tea towel and allow the swiss roll to cool.
In the meantime heat the jam in the microwave for a few seconds at a time to get a softer consistency. If necessary add a few drops of water to the jam.
Whip the double cream, it can’t be too soft or it will flop out of the swiss roll but you don’t want it too thick either.
Uncover the cooled swiss roll and spread the jam over the surface.
Cover the jam with the whipped cream leaving a small gap around the edges.
Sprinkle the chopped strawberries onto the cream.
Using the greaseproof paper to help you get a tight roll start rolling from the short sides and keep pushing the roll over until the join ends up underneath.
Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
Notes
This is a fatless sponge which is very versatile, using only jam it becomes a dairy free recipe, it can be filled with lemon curd, chocolate spread etc etc..
If filling with jam or similar this can be done more or less straight away once the swiss roll is cool enough to handle. You then have a lovely warm jam filled swiss roll!
We don’t tend to have crisps or savoury snacks in the house very often, I am not an advocate of bags of crisps in packed lunches, but I do believe in ‘everything in moderation’. All too often I have seen children deprived of something then go completely over the top when faced with a biscuit or a chocolate snack so I am always on the look out for different snacks for treats and was very happy to try out Walker’s Hoops and Crosses; baked corn snacks in the shape of noughts and crosses.
Each pack contains 85 kcal, 3.8g of fat, of which 0.3g saturates. The salt content per bag is 0.27g, protein 1.3 g and fibre 1.1g. The snacks are a source of wholegrain and do not contain any artificial preservatives or colourings. They are suitable for vegetarians and come in three flavours; Roast Beef, Prawn Cocktail and Salt and Vinegar.
We were sent a bag of Roast Beef flavour Hoops and Crosses, not a flavour I would usually buy and I didn’t think I would like them, and I certainly didn’t think the children would. M had a few friends round for tea last week so I thought I would test them out on these little people ages ranging from 5- 10 years of age…plus me. Verdict: Overall they loved them, four out of the five children couldn’t get enough of them although I thought there was actually a generous amount to go around five children in just one packet and I too was very pleasantly surprised, I really liked them. One child didn’t like them but then he is really fussy about crisps in general anyway (my child I hasten to add)
These snacks are definitely something I would buy for picnics and occasional treats, and I will even be buying this flavour again as it was such a hit with the children. I am happy with the calorie and salt content and would recommend Walkers Baked Hoops and Crosses for the occasional treat.
Disclosure : I have been remunerated for this review but it has not changed or affected my opinions.
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