Nouri Healthy Balls

At The Amazing Blog we have to admit to some of us having a penchant for sweet treats. However, with summer coming unhealthy sugars have to go, particularly as we look at our waistlines and start thinking about getting bikini-ready. With this in mind, we’ve been testing out many sweet treat alternatives but still find that many contained high amounts of calories with added sugar. That’s when we came across newly launched food brand Nouri Health, one of our #amazingfinds towards our healthier nibbling. We’re very happy to report that our sweet tooth habit couldn’t be easier now with their range of indulgent, yet healthy, truffle balls.

Nouri Health was launched last year after the founder discovered a lack of confectionary alternatives which were completely vegan, sugar and gluten-free. Their use of simple and natural ingredients in their truffle selection gives delicious and indulgent flavours while simultaneouslyly nourishing the body. Since Nouri doesn’t use artificial ingredients and aromas, they aim to use only the freshest fruits and nuts to ensure each truffle is up to par with their taste standards.  The founder Kalina Halatcheva said: “We found that many healthy treats taste very similar (concentrated with dates and other dry fruits) and leave you searching for something more satisfying with a proper sense of indulgence. That's why we decided that our number one focus on Nouri was taste!” After winning the prestigious SIAL INNOVATION Selection 2018 award in Paris , Nouri commemorated their win by releasing a luxurious 16 count box of four flavours of healthy balls all, equally full of goodness, rich and chewy.

The Nouri Vegan Healthy Balls box contains four indulgent flavours, Chocolate & Hazel, Coconut & Chia, Matcha Green Tea and the special edition Sesame & Cardamom. While all the flavours are delicious, our favourite amongst the four is the Chocolate & Hazel truffles. Made with dates, hazelnuts, almonds and vanilla, this truffle is the perfect balance between chocolatey and nutty. For a more crunchy texture, the Coconut & Chia truffles are a sweet mix of coconut, dried apricots, sultanas and chia seeds offering a refreshing, tropical twist. The third flavour, Matcha Green Tea is a creamy, matcha flavour made with other superfoods such as pumpkin seeds, sultanas, dates, cashew paste, almonds and millet flakes. Wrapped in a gold foil, the special edition Sesame & Cardamom truffle, infused with turmeric, left us feeling satisfied without the guilt with its decadent and earthy taste. While fruits, nuts and dates are combined into the recipes; unlike other natural sugar-free confectionary alternatives, these truffles don’t have that typical identifiable fruity or date-y taste. They are just so moreish! Like us, you can now satisfy your inner-sweet tooth, as well as 'nourish your body, indulge your soul' and enjoy a 16-count-box of delicious truffles from the Nouri Health website here for only £14.95.

Vbites Vegan Food and Cookbook

Vegan food has had a bit of a bad reputation in the past. When people think of vegan food, they only think of salads and tasteless fake meats, but bland vegan food is a thing of the past. Due to the bountiful health and environmental benefits of veganism, we here at The Amazing Blog have put a lot of thought into the idea of starting a vegan diet. When we learned the story behind Vbites founder, Heather Mills, we were inspired to try out veganism for ourselves. After enduring a devastating motorcycle accident, Heather discovered that the best way to heal her body was from the inside out. Which meant using a holistic approach rooted in a vegan diet. This story helps to explain why she was determined to create delicious foods that satisfy every craving, while nourishing the body. After learning her story, we were even more thrilled to receive a sampling of the Meat-Free products from this pioneering and award-winning plant-based brand at Vbites.  

Eating less meat or cutting it out completely can be daunting for many individuals, which is why Vbites products are perfect for anyone who needs a little help getting their foot in the door when it comes to becoming a vegan. Vbites offers a wide array of vegan products including meat-free, dairy-free, and fish-free products. To help with meal preparations, we would suggest using The LoveBites recipe book. This cookbook from Vbites comes with each of their Plant-Based Kits, which offers 60 new easy-to-follow recipes to try out and fall in love with. You can whip up delicious alternatives to some of your favourite meals like shepherd’s pie or asparagus quiche that are all completely vegan. From starters to soups, salads and main dishes, these recipes have definitely inspired us to cook more hearty meals that make us feel good from the inside out.

Our personal favourite of the Vbites selection that we tried was the Meat-Free Duck Hoisin (£2.99 for 150g). We added it to a veggie stir-fry and were licking our plates clean. We had some friends over to it try out and they were amazed to learn what they thought was a duck hoisin stir fry was in fact 100% vegan! Coming in a close second was the Meat-Free Lincolnshire Style Sausages (£2.69 for 295g) which we plated up as Bangers 'n Mash for a quick Sunday night supper (with a dollop of baked beans). They truly did taste like savoury sausages and certainly satisfied one very hungry male guest! 

So whether you are already practising a vegan lifestyle or you are considering starting, these Vbites will help you to incorporate some seriously tasty and healthy meals into your diet. You can check out the wide array of Vbites vegan products on their website here. 

Organic and Fair Trade Wholefood Snack Bars by Geobar.

The Amazing Blog are big believers in supporting fair trade farmers and we all jump at any opportunity to try a new fair trade snack whenever we can. So discovering Geobars fair trade wholefood snack bars has made our week. Their bars are filled with organic ingredients farmed from all over the world including Cocoa from Ghana, Raisins from South Africa, Cashews from India and Walnuts from Pakistan. The Amazing Blog tried the Carrot and Ginger, Apple and Kale and Cocoa and Beetroot bars.

These delicious fruit, oat and nut bars use ingredients from trusted suppliers to ensure they stay fair trade, they're also high in fibre and contain no added sugar. The Carrot and Ginger bar is made mainly from oats, raisins and dates, with the flavours of carrot and ginger to add a hint of spice. The Apple and Kale bar contains dried apple, dates and cashew nuts, with the kale balancing out the zesty apple flavour. The Cocoa and Beetroot bar is made with a similar combination of oats, raisins and dates, but includes both cocoa powder and nibs. We think these bars make for a delicious snack choice while maintaining a healthy diet and supporting fair trade. All the bars are suitable for vegan diets.

They are available to purchase from Ethicalsuperstore.com and Traidcraft for £1.40 per bar (40g) or £26 for a pack of 20.

Black Garlic Ketchup from Hawkshead Relish

If you are anything like us at The Amazing Blog, then you have been heading to one barbeque and garden party after another. As fun, sunny and boozy as they can be, they can also be quite repetitive. The same drinks, the same food, the same flavours. It can all get a little bit dull, and this is precisely when Hawkshead Relish steps in with their reinvigorating Black Garlic Ketchup. 

To give this condiment it’s brazen flavour, black garlic bulbs are crushed and combined with tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spices and Anglesey Sea Salt.  This sauce is a great addition to red meats, chicken and scallops; to be honest, it goes with everything.  The flavour is rich and smooth as the balsamic sweetness cuts through the garlic, preventing it from overpowering the flavours. Hawkshead Realish hand makes the product in the Lake District using only the best ingredients. The sauce has no added colours, is Gluten Free, suitable for vegans and is GMO-free, meaning that everyone can enjoy it – that’s assuming you’ll want to share it with anybody. 

So go forth and revolutionise your next barbeque, click here to purchase a bottle of Hawkshead’s Black Garlic Ketchup for £4.99