This website isn’t just for people with food intolerances, allergies, IBS and other health related problems but also for people who are simply looking to lead a healthier lifestyle. If you aren’t feeling great after eating food you buy, you should really considering making different and smarter choices when you shop and there is a massive range of food alternatives available.

Everyone has their own personal reason for wanting to change their diet and lifestyle; mine was the desire to want to learn more about food and the different, positive and negative, effects it was having on my body.  By doing this I have been able to change my diet to fit around my sensitive stomach and food intolerances. The more aware I have become, the more control I have gained throughout my entire life and have found I can enjoy everything I like without suffering afterwards and in a healthier way.

A big part of changing your diet is changing the food products you get in to the habit of buying; this is where this part of the website aims to help. For whatever reason you are thinking of changing what you normally buy, it can be hard when faced with so many choices in the supermarket. In this section I will post clear, quick and honest reviews on products which I both recommend you to try and would suggest you avoid!

Hopefully it can be of help and I would love to hear your thoughts on any products you have tried and tested, both positive and negative.

Each review covers the following points:

• Taste
• Cost/value for money
• Use
• Nutrition
• Marks out of ten

I do try and include everything I think you’d want to know but if you have any questions on anything I review then leave them below and I’ll be sure to get back to you!

I spotted these Hale & Hearty rice snacks for 99p, I was pleased to see a wheat free snack and decided to give them a try. Has anyone else noticed any change in the choices of free from food available in your local stores?

Taste – These mini rice and corn snacks are so tasty and light I would personally choose them over crisps every time. They are bursting with flavour and texture without being overpowering like many salt and vinegar flavoured snacks. I prefer the texture of these over crisps as they are not at all oily and have a lovely crunchy bite.

Cost – I bought these for 99p. Good value for money, one bag with lunch is plenty without being too heavy. Many single packed crisps often cost more than this anyway. Taking in to consideration there health properties and good taste, I would consider these good value.

Use – Perfect for lunch with a sandwich or salad for something light on the side to finish of your lunch. They are also great for an on the go healthy snack mid-morning or afternoon. I think they are a good healthy alternative to give children in their lunch box instead of crisps and also get some variation to their normal lunch.

Nutrition – They contain simple and natural ingredients which I love to see in a food product. Rice and corn snacks like this are healthier than potato based crisp snacks and also naturally lower in fat. They are 92kcal per bag which I think is fantastic for how tasty they are and a perfect addition to a lunch without overloading on high calorie sides. With them being Hale and Hearty they are Wheat, Gluten and MSG free and suitable for vegans, this is perfect for people with intolerances and even those without can benefit from varying from their normal food choices.

Simple Healthy Ingredients!

10/10

• On the go snack and perfect with lunch
• Healthy alternative to crisps
• Full of great flavour and also available in Sour Cream and Chive and Sweet and Spicy

Millionaires shortbread always reminds me of when I used to get squares of it for desert when I was in primary school, there was hardly any shortbread at all, mostly just a thick layer of oozing caramel and an even thicker layer of chocolate, they were delicious but I certainly can’t get away with eating them every day after lunch anymore! These however are a slightly less guilty version still with lots of taste!

Taste – The shortbread bases on these slices are moist, light and don’t have that overly buttery taste of shortbread. The caramel reminds me more of a layer of crumbly fudge rather than runny caramel, it’s the perfect amount and I personally loved the taste. They are topped off with a thin layer of chocolate, I like that the biscuit is only one third topping as it’s enough to give that taste without it being overly sweet or sickly.

Cost/ Value for Money – I bought these for £3.15 at my local health food store for 5 slices. With the quality of ingredients in these and the well established brand I would say that this is a reasonable price and after trying the product, would buy them again at this price. However if I was buying for my family on a budget this wouldn’t be my first choice as you only get five.

Use – I think these are perfect for sharing with guests; it’s nice to all be able to enjoy the same treat over a drink or even as a desert and not be the outsider with your intolerances. I wouldn’t suggest these for lunches or on the go, they are not individually wrapped and the can be quiet crumbly so even if you wrapped them yourself I’d imagine they would crumble or break.

Nutrition – These bars are approximately 150kcal each which I would say is worth it for how good they taste! They are free from gluten, wheat, dairy, egg and hydrogenated fats. This makes these slices great for people with intolerances and allergies but also the alternative ingredients used are healthier so even if you are on a diet and looking for a healthy alternative this certainly is an option.

7/10

• Ideal for sharing
• Fresh and moist homemade taste
• Not too high in calories and fat

• Not ideal for ‘on the go’ or lunch boxes
• Not ideal for budgets or feeding families

Taste – I always make my own flapjack now so I haven’t tried a shop bought one in a very long time. I was pleasantly surprised at how moist these were as flapjacks can often go dry easily. They were just sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without being sickly and the sunflowers seeds gave them a nice change in texture from just plain oat.

Cost/Value for Money – These cost me £2.95 for five small slices. I think this is a good price as they could last you for a snack or desert to your lunch all through the week. Considering how cheap it is to make flapjacks in large batches homemade though this does make buying 5 at this price in my opinion only worth it if you don’t have time to make your own.

Use – My favourite thing about these bars is they are individually wrapped making them ideal for lunch boxes and on the go but they aren’t the type of thing I would share round with guests.

Nutrition – These are made with healthy ingredients as alternatives to butter and 60% of flapjack is made up of oats, sunflower seeds and raisins, all packed with energy and health benefits. They are 165kcal per slice which makes them a good snack or side to control high calorie and fat levels, plus this the ingredients in this provide your body with good fats, protein and carbs which your body uses and burns in a different way to 165 calories of chocolate. Also this makes a nutritious snack for lunch times and on the go as they made up with oats which are known to have slow burning qualities which give you energy.

 

 Individually wrapped – ideal for lunches, road trips, on the go snacking

Contain oats, raisins and sunflower seed, all with known health benefits

Taste really moist and sweet

•  You get 5 smaller bars for this price – would be cost effective to make your own if feeding larger numbers (check out my recipe here!)
• Each slice contains 9.1g of fat – although this is mostly good fats from the oats, not an ideal snack for a low fat diet

 

Have you ever tried these? Or can you recommend any other healthy shop bought flapjacks? Please leave your comments below!