Healthy Eating with Koko dairy free yogurts and DRINKmaple Water

Koko Dairy Free Yogurts

My whole family are dedicated vegetarians, but my eldest daughter also follows a strict dairy free diet for health reasons. Over the years, I have developed a big interest in finding all the latest vegan products to hit the supermarket shelves and we enjoy lots of alternatives to dairy products, such as nut milks, soya cream and coconut spreads.

Koko Dairy Free has launched a brand new range of dairy, soya, gluten and nut free yogurts made with coconut milk and yogurt cultures in Strawberry, Peach & Passionfruit, Raspberry, Coconut & Lemon and Original Plain flavours. 

The fruity varieties are so creamy and delicious with real fruit pieces. They come in handy 125g twin packs that are perfect for lunchboxes. They are ideal for kids who are lactose intolerant and for vegans. RRP is £1.25 with stockists including Morison's and Ocado. Koko products are stocked in supermarkets and health food stores nationwide. See the range at www.kokodairyfree.com.

DRINKmaple Water

Staying hydrated is an important part of a healthy lifestyle with water being the best, simplest and easiest way of keeping our bodies naturally hydrated. I was very interested to learn of an exciting product on the market DRINKmaple, which is pure water taken straight from Vermont Maple trees. Nothing is added, it is just naturally fortified by Mother Nature inside the tree. I was given some to try out.

The Maple Water is naturally sweet and refreshing with a hint of maple. It contains 50% less natural sugar than coconut water, has natural electrolytes, antioxidants, prebiotics and minerals. It contains more manganese than a cup of  kale, is a good source of calcium and is naturally vegan and gluten free. The water is clear and refreshing, with the benefit of 46 naturally occurring nutrients. So it's like water - but naturally better!

Every morning I have a smoothie for breakfast with berries, spinach, banana and apple. I usually add water as a liquid, but I've switched to DRINKmaple Water. It adds a subtle hint of maple sweetness, and lots of replenishing nutrients, which is another great bonus.

Drinking it on its own, you can really taste the maple flavour. It is earthy and sweet, with just 8 calories per 100ml. Everytime you buy DRINKmaple, they will supply 200 gallons of clean water to countries in developing nations that have suffered drought or disaster, which is a lovely way of giving back.

Find out more at www.drinkmaple.eu and find DRINKmaple at Ocado, Wholefoods, Planet Organic and over 200 other stores, including Selfridges, Revital and Harvey Nichols. Three sizes are available: 250ml Tetra £1.99 / 355ml BPA free bottle £2.59 / 946ml Tetra £3.99.

Enjoy Drinking Water with Stur - the Liquid Water Enhancer

Love Water Naturally

Especially in the hot weather, it is so important for us all to keep ourselves hydrated. Although water is one of the best drinks for us, sometimes we want something with a bit more flavour and appeal. Many squashes and soft drinks are filled with nasty chemicals such as artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners. Others are packed with sugar, which is increasingly known to be something we should avoid. In an age where we are getting more conscious of what we should consume, our drink choices have been limited when looking for something natural and beneficial to our health.

Thankfully, there is a new product on the market to make drinking water far more pleasurable and even better for us. STUR Liquid Water Enhancer is all natural, GMO free, contains virtually zero calories, is naturally sweetened and also contains over 100% of our RDA of Vitamin C. It comes in a range of sophisticated flavours - coconut, fruit, tea and exotics.

Each handy 38ml size bottle contains enough for up to 30 servings. It is small enough to pop in a pocket, gym bag or handbag for adding to a glass or bottle of still or sparkling water when out and about to make a refreshing drink.

I was sent some to try out from the coconut range: Coconut Water Original, Coconut + Pineapple and Coconut + Lime. Each is a concentrated squirt-in liquid made using creamy coconut and purified water with natural fruit flavours and stevia extract.

The Coconut + Lime flavour is my favourite. The mild taste is wonderfully tropical with the taste of coconut and a hint of lime. The drink is naturally rich in electrolytes so is good for when exercising. It is natural tasting with the light flavour of coconut water, which I actually prefer to the real thing. I added it to both plain water and fizzy Sodastream water to make a lovely summery drink. It can also be added to cocktails.

At £2.99 a bottle it is a fraction of the cost of traditional coconut water drinks and is so much nicer and better for you than squash or pop. I'm glad I've discovered this brand, which ticks all my boxes for what I want out of a soft drink - natural, sugar free, artificial additive free and with a lovely, grown-up flavour.

Find out more about the Stur range and buy online at www.sturdrinks.eu.