Perfect World Caramel Pecan Ice Cream

Today's review (and upcoming reviews) are specially thanks to the makers of Perfect World ice creams, a company specializing in vegan, sugar and gluten free ice creams that are suitable for pretty much any dietary needs. I first reviewed the brand a few years ago with the Taste Of Carrot Cake Ice Cream, and since then they have totally revamped their range, removing egg from the ingredients and adding new flavours such as Raspberry Ripple, Mint Choc Chip, Sweet Espresso, Pistachio, Double Chocolate Chip and this...the delightful Caramel Pecan!

With only 4.7g of natural sugars and 423 calories in a tub, this ice cream is completely vegan and dairy free and made with a mixture of coconut milk, cashew nuts, vegetable fibre and the sweeteners xylitol, erythritol and stevia. It's also high in 12 vitamins and minerals, making it a truly healthy ice cream indeed! As impressive as all that is though it would mean nothing if it didn't taste good...so does it?

I would shout this out loud if I could...but that's a resounding YES! This ice cream is bloody amazing! I started with the Caramel Pecan because it was hands down my favourite of the range (which isn't to say the others aren't great too) and I would urge anyone who is vegan or avoiding dairy/sugar to seek out a tub immediately - you won't regret it!

The melt of the ice cream is great, it's lighter than luxury ice creams which is to be expected, and is somewhere between a sorbet and whipped ice cream. It's super creamy and has a delicious authentic caramel flavour. I honestly couldn't tell it didn't have real sugar in, because it allowed the toasty flavour of the pecans to shine, without overpowering them. It was so, so moreish! I must admit that I got a bit greedy and nearly ate the whole tub...probably because I have missed out on ice cream like this for ages!

If you're vegan, avoiding dairy or just avoiding sugar, then this is the icecream for you! Seriously, you can't find anything better currently in UK supermarkets in my opinion.

9 out of 10. 

Available from Ocado.com and Tesco.

More info: http://www.perfectworldicecream.co.uk/

Ingredients: Water, Sweeteners (Erythritol, Xylitol, Steviol Glycosides), Coconut Milk, Soluble Gluco Fibre, Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Tapioca Starch, Vegetable Glycerine, Stabilisers (Guar Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum), Mono and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Natural Flavours, Natural Colours, Salt, Vitamins (D, E, B1 Thiamine, B2 Riboflavin, B3 Niacin, B5 Pantothenic Acid, B7 Biotin, B12), Minerals (Chromium, Manganese, Copper, Zinc).

Suitable for Vegans; No Added Sugar.

Nutrition (per 100ml): 85 Calories, 5.23g Fat, 11.1g Carbohydrates, 0.83g Sugars, 4.03g Fibre, 2.1g Protein.

Plamil So Free Espresso Dark Chocolate

Just a quick review today, and it's one for those who may be reducing or cutting out the sugar what with the news of the UK Sugar Tax coming into force. Most chocolate bars using sweeteners can often taste chemically or just "wrong", so how does Plamil's So Free Espresso bar fare?

Made with xylitol, a natural sweetener derived from birch, I found this bar in Holland and Barrett. It contains 72% cocoa solids, is gluten free, dairy free and suitable for vegans.

The bar has small segments you can break off. I went for the espresso variety simply because I was in need of an energy boost, and although the coffee only comes from flavouring I reasoned the placebo effect might still give me a boost!

And it was just what I needed for a sweet coffee hit. The chocolate gives a rich flavour, with the coffee lingering in the aftertaste whilst the xylitol makes it sweet enough to be palatable. It's not the same as sugar of course, and it does take a little getting used to, but it's pleasant and far more tolerable than a completely sugar free chocolate bar.

Overall, if you're reducing or cutting out the sugar, or even just avoiding dairy, I would recommend this bar for a sweet hit that is hopefully kinder to your health...and teeth! (xylitol apparently prevents tooth decay).

8 out of 10. 

Kind Snacks Pomegranate, Blueberry & Pistachio Bar

Today it's Part 2 of my Kind bar reviews, and this time it's their new Pomegranate, Blueberry & Pistachio Bar (click here for the Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint Review).

Consisting of 55% nuts, this bar is gluten and dairy free, although not vegan since it contains honey. It's described as a "40g Pistachio, Blueberry & Pomegranates Bar" and contains cashews as well as almonds, dried fruit and rice crisps.

I have to say the combination of blueberries, cranberries and pomegranates works really well! This is a very fruity bar indeed, perfectly suited to the Summer weather. The pistachios go well with the berries, mingling to create an exotic taste. As much as I enjoyed the Dark Almond Mint variety I would say this one was even nicer - the fruits really steal the show! A delicious bar that also happens to be healthy, who'd have thought it?

Overall, this is another win from Kind Snacks, who really are shaping up to be masters in the healthy snacks market. Although not quite as prominent as Nakd Bars they are just as good, if not better in my opinon with their focus on a high percentage of nuts and less dried fruit. Check out their UK website here:

https://www.kindsnacks.co.uk/

Ingredients: Almonds, cashews, chicory root fiber, honey, glucose syrup, rice flour, pistachios, raisins, sugar, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, soy lecithin, sea salt, natural flavor, citric acid, vitamin A (vit. A acetate), vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

Other Kind reviews: Caramel, Almond & Sea Salt. Almond & Coconut/Dark Chocolate Mocha.

8.5 out of 10.

Kind Snacks Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint Bar

A huge thanks to Kind Snacks UK for sending me some of their new bars to review recently, which includes a Pomegrante, Blueberry & Pistachio bar plus today's review: Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint, a bit of a different flavour for a healthy snack bar!

Kind bars are all gluten free, dairy free and made with ingredients you can see and pronounce. This particular bar contains a whopping 60% nuts, a lot more than the dried fruits that most healthy snack bars are based on.

Described as a "40g Almond & Mint bar with dark chocolate mint flavoured coating", this contains cashews, almonds and honey as well as rice crisp pieces.

The bar is chunky, with the nuts looking very plentiful. The honey and glucose syrup binding it make it slightly sticky, and it's easy to split in half.

I really enjoyed the refreshing taste of the mint chocolate on this bar, it's very different but very lovely and works well with the savoury nuts. This felt like quite a treat indeed, yes there's only a drizzle of the chocolate but its enough to make it decadent whilst also being a healthy bar.

Overall, I have to say this bar is a definite win! It lives up to its healthy credentials and is slightly naughty at the same time, you can't ask for more really. I haven't compared it to other healthy snacks bars but I'm guessing the sugar content is a lot lower.

8.5 out of 10. 

Ingredients: Almonds, Cashews, Dark Chocolate Flavored Coating (Palm Kernel Oil, Chicory Root Fiber, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Salt, Peppermint Oil), Chicory Root Fiber, Honey, Glucose Syrup, Rice Flour, Unsweetened Chocolate, Madagascar Vanilla, Soy Lecithin, Peppermint Extract, Sugar, Sea Salt, Peppermint Leaves.

For more info on Kind snacks see their UK website: https://www.kindsnacks.co.uk/products/

Califia Farms Go Coconuts Coconut Milk

I've been trying a lot of sugar free, dairy free vegan nut milks recently, in an effort to be healthy and find the best tasting ones. The results have been mixed, with the new Innocent Almond Milk being the best I've tried so far. Another new brand on the U.K market is Califia Farms, who make a range of nut milks and cold brew coffee drinks. Unlike other brands their range is free from the thickener carageenan, which has been linked to various health problems, and contain 50% more calcium than milk. Pretty impressive right?!

This Coconut variety is available from Waitrose, and Sainsbury's also used to stock it although I haven't seen it there recently. It's made from a blend of coconut and coconut water to give it an authnetic light coconut flavour without the need for added sugars.

And it tastes pretty good! It has a creamy, frothy texture and tastes quite light and refreshing to drink. The added calcium is noticeable and does give it a slightly chalky taste which I wasn't too keen on though. Compared to Vita Coco Coconut Milk, I would say that one is nicer and closer to regular dairy milk than this is. But this is a decent enough alternative. What I don't like is the chunky bottle it comes in - yes it looks fancy, but it's very uneccesary and means more plastic to recycle. You don't get this problem with tetra packs.

Overall, this is a good coconut milk, although probably not one I would go out of my way for with the other alternatives on the market.

Ingredients: Coconut Milk (Water, Coconut Cream), Coconut Water, Calcium Carbonate, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum.

7 out of 10.

No & More Sugar Free Spring Waters Review

A big thank you to No & More for sending me some of their new drinks range to review recently. I've previously reviewed their NuVa Watermelon Water and enjoyed it, so was thankful indeed when they sent me this newly revamped range. They've changed their name from NuVa to No & More to better communicate what their range is all about, which is a good move in my opinion. Their waters are all sugar-free and only contain natural flavourings, making them suitable for any diet.

The Cucumber and Mint variety shown above was...interesting. I'm not really a fan of cucumber and mint so I can't say I liked it that much, although I'm sure some people might find it refreshing. I'm afraid this gets a low 5 out of 10 as it's just not my kinda flavour.

The Raspberry & Blueberry was more up my street - who doesn't like Berry flavoured drinks! There's only a hint of it but it's enough to make the water taste refreshing and interesting without giving you any added sugars or calories. If you're on a health kick be sure to give this a try. 8 out of 10.

Last but not least the Tangerine and Mango flavour, a more zesty variety, this is another I enjoyed and the hints of mango and tangerine gave it a refreshing edge. It's nice to see tangerine being more widely used in drinks; i prefer the flavour over Orange. Worth picking up if you're in a dash and need a low calorie drink. 8 out of 10.

Overall, despite my not liking the mint variety I do think these drinks are  a great idea. They'd be particularly good for the January season when everyone is on a weight loss kick I imagine. They give you a nice taste of interesting flavours to make water just a little bit less boring.

NuttVia Hazelnut Chocolate Spread Review

Today's review is the second time I've reviewed a sugar free chocolate spread made with sweeteners. The last time I suffered the all too familiar "unintended side effects", which scared me enough this time...why did I take this task on? The things I do for snacks research!

This spread contains 97% less sugar than standard chocolate spreads on the market, and is also palm oil free. In comparison, palm oil is the first ingredient in the leading brand Nutella. It's sweetened with a mixture of erythritol, maltitiol, stevia and maltodextrin. It also contains whey powder so unfortunately isn't suitable for vegans or those with dairy allergies.

The promise of a sugar free hazelnut spread made with sweeteners had me cautiously excited, because while I'm trying to reduce my sugar intake I don't enjoy being on the toilet all night! Eventually I faced my fears and tucked in with a spoon.

The spread is very lovely; rich, nutty and creamy and despite being sugar free it's still sweet enough. In fact I couldn't tell that it was sugar free at all...there was hardly any difference from this to regular chocolate spread, apart from the fact it tasted a bit less sickly.

Overall, this is a great product from NuttVia, definitely worth a try if you need to avoid sugar, and in fact it's just as good as Nutella in my opinion. The balance of sweet, nutty, creamy and rich is all spot on.

For more info check out the NuttVia website: http://nuttvia.com/products/
Available from ocado.com and Amazon.

9 out of 10. 

Ingredients: Sweeteners (maltitol, erythritol, steviol glycosides), vegetable oil (sunflower, coconut), maltodextrin, hazelnuts 10%, fat reduced cocoa powder 7.4%, cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithins), sweet whey powder (milk). 

Nutrition Information (per 1 tbsp): 70 Calories, 4.8g Fat, 8.2g Carbohydrates, 0.3g Sugars, 0.5g Fibre, 0.5g Protein.