Confessions of a milk monitor

When I was in primary school we still had free milk - before it was 'snatched' from us. I didn't really have a taste for it so I volunteered to be milk monitor. That way I was responsible for giving it out to the other children and no one would notice that I wasn't drinking it myself. I can only explain my early dislike of milk because I'd seen how it was left out so by the time it came to the classroom it was warm and I really didn't want to drink it. As an adult I continue to have this uneasy relationship with milk and really only have it in tea or porridge. Then I found out a few weeks ago that I am perilously low on Vitamin D that helps the body retain calcium and leads to poor bones, teeth and nails. I had wondered why my nails were peeling and my teeth were so porous and now I know why.

So, my mission was to find ways to increase my intake of vitamin D and to build up my calcium stores. The nice folks at Cravendale asked us to try some of their filtered milk and comment on what we thought of it. I've known about it for years as friend of mine have always bought it, but we'd never tried it before. Despite my own attitudes to milk I've always encouraged everyone else in my family to drink it and we get through a lot.

Breakfast milk

In the morning I put out a variety of cereals for the boys to choose from and they love to pour their own milk. This can get messy, but I try to park my neat freak tendencies so as not to discourage the boys. I try to vary my own breakfast so I will sometimes make porridge for myself using had skimmed milk and half water. When we bought Cravendale and put it out the boys were fascinated by the different bottle and wolfed down the cereal as usual. So far so good. The test for me was if they would notice any difference when it was in a glass as a drink.

After school milk 

Baby Boy still has a bottle when he wakes up and when he goes to bed. I'm trying to encourage him to use a cup now so I give both the boys both a special cup that they like with a biscuit or a cake as an after school treat. Big Boy has to have a bendy straw with his Minions cup and Baby Boy likes his sippy cup. They both loved the fresh taste of Cravendale and I was more than happy that it keeps for a long time and I don't have to keep checking if it is ok for them to drink.

I'm even trying to drink more milk on it's own to break the associations I have with the stuff I had in school. Cravendale is nothing like those small glass bottles. It's fresher, lasts longer and could make me want to join the boys for a glass of milk and a biscuit. Why not - there is plenty to go round.

Lots of milk

 This post is an entry for BritMums #MilkDrinkersMilk Linky Challenge, sponsored by Cravendale linking to the Cravendale Twitter account https://twitter.com/cravendale

Oh poor neglected kitchen gadgets, your time will come

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned how my home is in dire need of decluttering due to my pre-children incessant shopping habits and a desire to live the kind of life where I have time to juice, bake, make soup and other fancy stuff that would justify having many kitchen gadgets.

My lovely mother in law always asks what we want for Christmas and birthdays and as I have so much already I often think of something at that last minute which is how I came to own a juicer that was in it's box for about 5 years before I opened it. Then I used it once and forgot all about it.

In January I was making green smoothies every day and used a blender, but the poor old juicer remained neglected. Until this week that is. I returned from a visit to my parents laden down with boxes of peaches, strawberries that were slightly softer than usual and I already had some oranges that a neighbour had left us when she went on holiday. I decided to dig out the juicer.

The result was a lovely fruit drink that wasn't too sweet, but tasted lovely. I almost made a rash promise to do this as a regular thing, but let's face it I'm not going to say that as it's unlikely to happen again for a while.

Anyway, at least I know how fab it is to use and when she asks I can - truthfully - tell Mother in law how great the juicer is :)

Review: Nakd bits and Trek bars

In my attempts to get fitter and healthier I've been avoiding fattening, processed, sugary foods and alcohol. It's not a bundle of laughs to be honest. I allow myself one dessert a week and have had one glass of wine per month so far. I'm glad I enjoy fruit and vegetables otherwise my diet would be woeful, however, even the most satisfying plate of green leaves is no match for the occasional treat.

I long ago gave up on cereal bars as an alternative to chocolate, they either have the texture of sawdust and the taste of saccharine or they are covered in chocolate or yoghurt to add flavour which also adds on calories. Either way they are a mimicry of food and an abomination. I'm not a fan.

At the last yoga show I went to I found a stand selling Nakd wholefood bars. I had heard of Nakd, but hadn't tried them so I took them up on the kind offer of samples - having missed lunch. They were so good I bought one in every flavour and the lovely man behind the stall even gave me a few extra and some flavoured raisins to try too.

The bars contain only raw fruit and nuts and are gluten free, wheat free and contain no added fat or sugar. There are fruit flavours including berry delight, strawberry crunch and banana crunch. Then there are the cake flavours including banana bread, pecan pie and ginger bread. to give you an idea of nutritional content the apple pie flavour is 7% fat and contains under 100 calories.

If you're after something more substantial they also do Trek protein bars which are larger and contain gluten free oats. They also contain wholefood ingredients and are very filling indeed. I keep one of these for days when I might be out of the house for a while and need a meal replacement as they contain around 250 calories and come in some lovely flavours including cocoa coconut - think healthy Bounty bar - and cocoa brownie as well as the fruit ones.

Now - in the words of the Vanessa Williams song - I've saved the best for last. The cocoa bars. I may have mentioned before that I love chocolate. I also gave it up in January and it didn't kill me. Partly thanks to the Nakd cocoa orange bar. There are no words to describe how incredible this bar is, it tastes like actual chocolate with a hint of orange and the mouth-feel is *whisper it* better than chocolate. These ones are still under 150 calories, but they are 20% fat so more of a treat than the fruit varieties. When Waitrose had these on offer recently I admit I went a little crazy and have stockpiled them. Suffice it to say that I'm not about to run out of cocoa orange bars any time soon.

As if having a range that includes caffe mocha, cocoa mint and cocoa orange wasn't enough they have now introduced Nakd bits. They're little nibs instead of bars and you can add them to drinks or pop them like little sweets - this packet is still closed as they are so moreish I daren't risk opening it !

If you are trying to eat healthier, but have a sweet tooth these bars are worth a try. They come in a variety of flavours and are a great alternative to chocolate bars as they have no added sugar or fat and are suitable for vegans. Best of all, the nakd cocoa varieties actually taste like chocolate !!!

Disclosure: I was sent some Trek bars and Nakd bars and bits to write an honest review, however, most of the bars shown here were bought by me.

Review: Nothing But & Fru Snax

As you probably know I'm trying to get back into fitness right now so I'm watching what I eat and exercising every day. In order to not spoil all the good work I also need to keep drinking lots of water and find that while eating balanced meals is all well and good it's nice to have a little something to nibble on when I get hunger pangs between meals.

The problem is snacks like crisps (too much salt) or dried fruit (too much sugar) can be laden with calories and don't really hit the spot that well. I've tried various options, but unless you prepare your own pots of fresh fruit and veg every day it's a bit of a faff to find low fat and healthy snacks that aren't processed.

I was sent some of the dried vegetable snacks from Nothing But to try and I'll admit at first glance these snacks do resemble pot pourri. I've tried vegetable chips before, but they're fried and salted so they aren't exactly a healthy option. The vegetables in Nothing But are dehydrated and packed so they are not only completely free of fat or added salt they're also very low in calories with each pack coming in at well under 50 calories so I can have them as a 'power snack' on my diet.

The varieties I was sent were beetroot and parsnip and pepper and mange tout - they also do a sweetcorn and pea one - and they do taste good. I prefer the beetroot and parsnip personally, but they are both quite nice. These are nothing like vegetable chips as they are a lot drier and the mouth feel is a proper crunch, but without the greasiness.

I was also sent some Fru Snax which are dried fruit and 'yoghurt melts.' These are available in peach and vanilla and fig and sour cherry flavours. These taste delicious and are slightly higher in fat and calories, but still far fewer than a chocolate or cereal bar. It's a small snack and I'd be happy to give this to my toddler as it's easy to handle and tasty too. With a lot less sugar than a packet of raisins it's also a better option for his teeth.  

It's not always easy to find healthy food on the move so having a snack in your bag is often the only option. I carry fruit and water most of the time to ensure I am not tempted to buy something unhealthy to eat when I'm out. These bags are around the same size as a packet of crisps so they'd also be ideal for packed lunches or picnics. When we go on days out I like to have a few things to offer my boy in case he gets bored or hungry while we're out and it's not time for a meal yet. These would do the trick for that as well.

I would suggest having a drink handy as they can be a bit dry, but otherwise the Nothing But and Fru Snax range are a nice addition to the already burgeoning 'healthy food' market and for a change they actually are what they say.

Disclosure: We were sent samples of Nothing But and Fru Snax in order to write an honest review.