Food Review - Healthy Treats from 9bar

9bar

When you need an energy boost, a 9bar really does the trick.  The wholefood bars are packed full of good stuff, like nuts, seeds and dried fruits, to deliver a great tasting and nutritious snack. I received a delicious hamper containing some of their Breakfast Bars as well as some handy things to help me out on a busy morning!

Among the goodies were some Cashew and Cocoa, Almond and Raspberry, Peanut and Raisin and Apricot and Srawberry breakfast bars, as well as a Fruity mixed seed bar and a Pumpkin bar to try out.

The bars are really nutritionally dense, containing vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, and have absolutely no nasties in them.  They are approved by the Vegetarian Society and the Coeliac Society.  Their complex carbohydrates make 9bars an excellent source of energy to get you through the day, which is so much much healthier for you than grabbing a sweet snack that is high is bad fat and refined sugars.

I thought the bars were all delicious.  I love seeds so to have pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, poppy and sesame seeds all packed into one bar was a real treat.  Hemp seeds are a real superfood, containing all the essential amino acids, including the nine that are the building blocks for good health (giving 9bar its name!)  The bars are naturally sweetened with cane sugar and honey, and are packed with fibre and complex carbohydrates from their all natural ingredients.

The Almond and Raspberry Breakfast Bar reminded me of Bakewell Tart giving me a cakey fix in a healthy format!  The Cashew and Cocoa has crunchy nuts and choc chips, for a choccy fix.  The fruity Apricot and Strawberry is packed full of fruit pieces and the Peanut and Raisin has a lovely nutty crunch. The Fruity bar had a carob topping which was quite indulgent and  I loved the simplicity of the Pumpkin bar with its seedy, flapjack-like texture.

9bars are really filling and if used as part of a balanced diet provide a great energy boosting treat, with lots of nutritional benefits.  They are chewy and very satisfying to chomp on.  If you are in a rush in the mornings, 9bar is a great way to grab a nutritious, energy-boosting snack on the go.

You can find them in Holland and Barrett, independent health food shops and in the Free From or Wholefood sections in major supermarkets.  You can also buy them online at the 9bar Shop.

If you want tips, news and even the chance of free samples, you can sign up for the fun 9bar newsletter at www.9bar.com/subscribe

Healthy Snacks for Toddlers

Plum are without doubt one off my favourite baby food brands.  When Freddy was a baby he loved the pouches and I loved the fact that Plum used Quinoa (my favourite superfood!) in their products!  So when I was offered  a couple of packs of Plum's new Oaty Chomps toddler snacks to try, I hoped they would prove to be very popular with Fred.

The Oaty Chomps come in the very delicious sounding Strawberry Cheesecake and Pumpkin Pie flavours.  They are suitable for toddlers aged 12 months + and encourage self-feeding.  They make ideal snacks to keep little ones going between meals.  Each box contains five individually wrapped bars, which at 20g are perfect for little hands to hold. 

The bars are packed with oats, quinoa and raisins, making a naturally sweet treat for tiny tots to enjoy. They are brownish in colour, quite dense and softish in texture and  quite flavoursome, very similar to the bars you can buy for yourself  in health food shops.  I thought they were really tasty, with the sweetness of dried fruits combined with the texture and taste of the cereals.  

Kizzy had a try and really liked the taste and texture of the Oaty Chomps.  She enjoyed the mild, fruity flavours.  Unfortunately Freddy wasn't too sure about them, but he is less of a fan of dried fruit which is the predominant taste.  Therefore Kizzy will be having them in her lunchbox.

When it comes to snacking, products like Plum Oaty Chomp Bars are invaluable for parents who want to avoid 'junk' in their little ones' diets, providing the necessary nutrition with no added sugar.

The Oaty Chomps cost £1.99 for a box of 5 bars.