Quick and Easy Low Calorie Lunches with Mr Lees Noodles

I have mentioned a few times on my blog I am trying to change my eating habits and lead a more healthy lifestyle. One thing I do find difficult is lunches. I find keeping lunches balanced and fairly healthy a real challenge without finding them boring - I have flat bread with salad or soup most days for lunch, and although I do enjoy these, they do become a little bit boring and repetitive for me. I want something with a lot of flavour that I can make quickly at dinner time and that will curb my hunger for a few hours.

I was recently contacted by the lovely people at Mr Lees Noodles; a brand I wasn't familiar with previously, to try out some of their pot noodles. I did a little research and found that Mr Lees Noodles make instant pot noodles soups which are low in salt, sugar, saturated fat and calories, and are also gluten free. Compared to the likes of Pot Noodle and Golden Wonder Noodles, there is quite a difference in the amount of calories and saturated fat that they contain when compared to Mr Lees Noodles. For example, Pot Noodles calories per pot are around 433 calories, whereas Mr Lee Noodles calories per pot are 215-237 calories. I thought that was quite an interesting difference and wanted to see if they were just as tasty as the bigger brands.

I was kindly sent one of every flavour to try. My favourites were the Penang Chicken Curry Laksa which is full of flavour, and I also really enjoyed the Tai Chi Chicken too; it was super tasty and actually quite filling. Chicken is probably my favourite when it comes to noodles so it was no surprise that these were my faves!
Mr Lees Noodles are available in a variety of flavours, which include:

• Dragon Fire Mushroom
• Hong Kong Street Beef
• Penang Chicken Curry Laksa
• Shaolin Monk Vegetables
• Tai Chi Chicken
• Warrior Fighting Shrimp

These are super quick to prepare as you just need to add boiling water and give it a stir. I think they are ideal for lunches at work or a quick lunch at home. I find these sorts of food items are great to keep in stock in your food cupboards as they usually have a really long use by date and are a great alternative if you have no fresh produce in at home. I really like the convenience of quick lunches like these and it is good to know that they are low in fats, sugar and salt.
Mr Lees Noodles are currently available to buy online here if you wanted to give them a try yourself.

*PR sample*

Blanx - Review and Giveaway

BlanX Extra White Intensive Whitening Treatment, RRP £10.20 | BlanX Advanced Whitening Toothpaste, RRP £7.49 | BlanX Classic White Toothpaste, RRP £4.99 | BlanX Intensive Stain Removal Toothpaste, RRP £4.20

In the past few Years, I have become quite self-conscious of the way my teeth look. The overall appearance of my teeth isn't too bad; I had braces as a teenager and am fairly content with the shape of my teeth. I don't like the colour of my teeth. I brush my teeth twice a day but am still unhappy with them. I have been thinking about booking to have my teeth whitened; but with so many products on the market offering whiter teeth for a fraction of the price of a tooth-whitening treatment, I wanted to have look into what is out there on the high-street first.

BlanX are the only toothpaste based on ingredients derived from Arctic Lichen (a natural extract) which helps to whiten teeth without harming them. They are well-known for being one of the best brands for whitening toothpastes. I was sent some of their best products to review and put to the test.

I received three toothpastes to trial; the BlanX Advanced Whitening Toothpaste, the BlanX Classic White Toothpaste and the BlanX Intensive Stain Removal Toothpaste. I found the Advanced Whitening and Classic White toothpastes really helped to improve the whiteness of my teeth, as well as being fresh, minty, and leaving my teeth feeling very clean. The best toothpaste out of the three for me, was the Intensive Stain Removal, as I felt it really did help in removing stains. I do not smoke but I do drink a lot of coffee which has resulted in some staining, so using this toothpaste really did appear to reduce some of the staining, leaving the overall appearance of my teeth a lot more white. The most impressive product is the BlanX Extra White Intensive Whitening Treatment. This product aims to restore teeth back to their natural whiteness. I have to be honest, I was skeptical about this claim, but in the last few Weeks I have seen visible changes in the colour of my teeth and out of all of the products I would recommend this highly.

Overall I am really happy with the colour of my teeth thanks to these products. I have to be honest and admit I was a little apprehensive to see if they would actually work and if there would be a noticeable difference in my teeth before and after, so I was really impressed to see visible results after just a few Weeks.

BlanX are on a lot of social media platforms, so if you are interested in any of their products or if you are looking for any tips for whiter teeth, check out their social media links below. I definitely recommend having a watch of their Strawberry Gazpacho recipe video (link here) for whiter teeth. 

BlanX Online:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Youtube

Blanx Stockists: Blanx | Boots | Superdrug | ASDA | Morrisons | Sainsbury's | Tesco

BlanX have kindly given me the same four products to give away to one lucky reader. Please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*PR Sample*

Nothing But... Healthy Snacks

I am a big fan of snacks - I am quite a picky eater so I find it handy to have snacks with me for on the go. I find it difficult to pick more healthier options other than fruit, so when Nothing But got in touch asking if I would like to try out some of their fruit snacks, I was really looking forward to trying them out.

Nothing But are the UK’s first freeze dried fruit and vegetable snacks brand, which are gluten free with no added anything. Nothing But is a healthy range of freeze-dried fruit and vegetable snacks with just the water taken away. Each bag provides one of your five a day which makes them the perfect alternative to chocolate, crisps or other high sugar treats. 

I was really impressed with the snacks, they taste good and it is great to know I am snacking on something which doesn't contain any added sugars or preservatives. I especially enjoyed the sweet fruit flavours, I would recommend them to anyone looking for a healthy snack. The vegetable snacks were enjoyable too, and it was good to try something a little bit different.

My favourite flavours were strawberry and banana flavour, and sliced beetroot and parsnip flavour. I absolutely love vegetable crisps so these were perfect for me. The strawberry and banana flavour snack did give me that guilt - free sweet treat too.

Have you heard of Nothing But?

Nothing But are available to buy online at Holland and Barrett for £1.25 per packet.

*PR sample*

Breast Cancer Awareness

October welcomes Breast Cancer Awareness Month - something that is extremely close to my heart. Raising money for charities that help cure cancer is so, so important (not just this Month, but every Month). 

Every year nearly 55,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, that’s the equivalent of one person every 10 minutes. 1 in 8 women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in women in the UK. Nearly 12,000 people die from breast cancer in the UK every year. Breast cancer also affects men, but it’s rare – around 400 men are diagnosed each year. Statistics taken from Breast Cancer Care.

The statistics are shocking; 

We need to cure cancer sooner.

There are many ways you can get involved. You can make a donation, take part in fund raising, volunteer, take part at a fund raising event, or you can purchase items from the charities corporate partners where some of the proceeds go to the charity; such as Breast Cancer Care and Asda .

I have included a list of useful links below.

Breast Cancer Care Charity | National Breast Cancer Foundation | Cancer Research UK | Breast Cancer Now | Breast Cancer Care | Macmillan | Coppa Feel | Maggies Centres | The Haven | Big Pink Day  | Tickled Pink | Race For Life  | Look Good Feel Better 

What Are Food Supplements?

Always seek guidance from your GP/Doctor before using supplements*

What are Food Supplements?

Food supplements contain nutritients, and often food supplements have more nutrients than a lot of food. Supplements include vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids. 

These Super Raspberry Ketone Food Supplements (which are available here online) are made from a blend of Natural Raspberry Ketones, Acai Berry Extract, African Mango and pure Caffeine. They claim to reduce appetite by assisting in lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. I trialed them out for a few Weeks while maintaining a healthy diet. I did lose a few pounds during my time using these, while eating healthily and exercising too. In all honesty, I did notice a slight difference after using the supplements. My appetite did decrease very slightly while using these. I definitely would advise keeping to a healthy and balanced diet and exercise over using food supplements. It is good to know supplements are available if you want to ensure you are getting all of the nutrients you need in your diet, although I wouldn't recommend using supplements unless you have discussed this with your doctor.

*Post includes PR Sample*

Healthy Breakfast Time

Since starting my blog back in 2011, it has had many changes - I now write a lot of lifestyle posts, with lots of food posts too. I love food! I am trying to cut down on sugar and salt and eat a lot more healthily, so when contacted and asked if I would like to trial a healthy cereal called Keep Me Going, I was really interested and am happy to share my thoughts with you on my blog that I loved it!

To begin, I have to say I haven't always been the best person in the world to eat breakfast. I am not a Morning person, and for Years I am ashamed to admit that I skipped the first meal of the day. In the past few years I have got myself back into the routine of eating breakfast in a Morning, and no surprise is that I have enjoyed it and it has kept me going a lot longer during the day.

I am a big cereal fan, but often struggle to find a tasty alternative to the sugary cereals I am used to eating. Keep Me Going are Whole Grain Barley and Oat Pillows that have reduced sugar and low salt content. Barley and Oats are naturally low in fat, and no further fat is added to the cereal. It is also high in fibre which has been proven to help lower cholesterol levels.


So onto the cereal itself.
It tastes really good! The pillows taste a little like wheat cereals I have tried before, but they stay crunchy even with milk added. It is filling and I have enjoyed having it on a Morning. I really do think it has kept me running on a lot of energy until dinner time, I'm impressed. It is good to find a healthy cereal which I enjoy.
I have tried this both with skimmed milk and also with natural yoghurt and fruit, I think it tastes great with both - but I would definitely recommend trying with yoghurt! I think I may try adding honey to the mix for those days when I am after a sweet fix.
I really like the cereal - in fact I would be interested to see if the brand bring out flavoured oat and barley pillows in the future.

Included in every cereal box are Country trading cards - I love this! Its very nostalgic and I think this is great for children.

If you are interested in trying Keep Me Going out for yourself, they are available to buy online at Ocado here.

*Includes PR sample, all thoughts my own*

Protecting Your Skin in the Sun with SmartSun

We all understand the importance of protecting our skin in the sun - it is extremely important that we use sun cream and protect our skin as much as we can. 

The SmartSun wristband is a really clever product which is able to measure the amount of UV radiation that you have been exposed to, and it changes colour according to when you need to reapply lotion or stay out of the sun. To use, you simply put on the wristband before going out into the sun and apply sun lotion to yourself and the wristband. It will change colour to beige when you need to reapply suncream, and will change colour to pink if you need to stay out of the sun,


I think the wristbands are great as they are suitable for everyone to wear, are discreet, waterproof, and a really handy and clever way to keep an eye on how long you have been in the sun and how long the sun cream we use protects us from the sun. These are perfect for both taking on holiday as well as using them at home when you are outside in the warmer Months. Being able to protect our skin in the sun is very important as the sun can cause serious damage to skin, so any product which helps us become more aware of the protection we need to use is always useful. 

The wristbands are available from Smart Sun UK for £4.99 for a pack of five. Each wristband is one time wear only.

You can keep up to date with Smart Sun UK by visiting their website and following their pages on Facebook and Twitter.

*Post includes PR sample*

Strawberries and Cream Valentines Sandwich Recipe

Strawberries and Cream Valentines Sandwich Recipe!

Hi everyone. With Valentines being just a few days away, I thought I would share a really cute and unique little recipe from Roberts Bakery with you all. Roberts Bakery has teamed up with nutritionist Dr Carina Norris to create this special romantic themed sandwich recipe. Personally, I would choose a few light snacks on Valentines Day over a heavy meal any day, so the strawberries and cream sandwich is something I thought would be a great idea if you are planning on doing something a little bit different on Valentines Day - and it is really inexpensive to make, too!

I have included the recipe below - it is super simple.

Ingredients:

4 slices of Roberts Bakery Soft & Fluffy White Loaf

Approx. 8-10 strawberries, sliced

1-2 tubs of cottage cheese

Rocket leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Lay some of the rocket leaves on the bottom slice. Drain the cottage cheese to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Add a generous layer of cottage cheese, and top with strawberry slices. Season with a grind a black pepper, then top with another slice of Roberts Soft & Fluffy White bread.

Add a Twist:

Use low - fat cheese for a healthier Valentines. Use a heart shaped cutter to add a little bit of love this Valentines.

I was pleasantly surprised as I found the some-what bizzare pairing of the strawberries and cheese quite a good mix. I think the flavours work really well together and I really enjoyed this sandwich. I would definitely recommend trying it out! It is so, so easy to create and takes just five-ten minutes to prepare.

As well as the sandwiches tasting great, I just love how they cut cut into cute heart shapes. I have decided all of my food will be heart-shaped from now on!

I think this recipe would be perfect for a special valentines indoor picnic or even to pop in your loved-ones lunchbox for a nice surprise at lunch time - I bet the heart shaped sandwiches will make their Day!
Be sure to check out the Roberts Bakery website to have a browse of their other products!
 http://robertsbakery.co.uk/

*Post includes gifted items*

October Degustabox

Another Month has gone by, which means only one thing... another amazing Degustabox to share with you. Once again, I am thoroughly impressed with the variety of products in this Months box. 

If you are unfamiliar with Degustabox, it is a surprise subscription service where you are sent a mixture of different food and drink products once a Month, that you would perhaps not normally buy, and are often new products. 

Degustabox Fridge is back this Month with a coupon for a free pack of 4 Benecol Greek Style Yoghurts. I love yoghurt so I will definitely be heading to the supermarket this week to pick those up.

I have another code for you this Month which entitles you to £3 your next order! Simply enter the code TWAPL at the checkout to receive £3 off.

Now I will get to the exciting part now where I share what is included in this Months box.

Kent's Kitchen Bengal Meal Kit
Costing just £2.50 per kit, Kent's Kitchen Meal Kits are ideal for when you have all of the fresh ingredients for an authentic meal - but nothing else. Included in the Bengal kit is curry spices, garlic oil and the bengal curry paste. I think these are a great concept to keep in your cupboard for when you need some cooking inspiration. I already have my eye on a few of the other kits, particularly the Chilli Con Carne Kit.

Special K Cracker Crisps
Special K's Barbecue Cracker Crisps are really tasty, and are relatively low in fat as they have 60% less fat than any ordinary crisps. They can get quite addictive and are perfect for a get together or a night in. These cost just £1.89 and are available from most supermarkets.

Blue Dragon Sweet Chilli Sauce
This Months box includes two bottles of Sweet Chilli Sauce by Blue Dragon. Sweet Chilli Sauce is great to add to every day meals. I haven't tried this yet but I am really excited to try it, as I love adding a kick to my food! Blue Dragon Sweet Chilli Sauce is available from Asda, Sainsburys, Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons for £1.39 for two bottles.

Get Buzzing Original Nutty Flapjack
Flapjacks are super healthy, and Get Buzzing Flapjacks are 100% natural. The original nutty flavour was the flapjack that was in our box, and it tasted really nice. I loved the addition of the nuts, it made the flapjack taste completely different. They are available to purchase from their website here. Get Buzzing are currently offering 10% off any order with the discount code 'newbuzz10'.

Enhance For Water in Orange & Passion Fruit

I had never heard of this brand before but my Sister has been desperate to try these out for quite a while, so she was impressed when we found this in the box. Enhance is basically used to add small drops into your water (at home or on the go) to make it taste delicious and fruity. There is no added sugar in Enhance drinks, and they only have one calorie per drink. I haven't yet tried this but my Sister tells me its a very fruity and interesting taste, and that you can really taste the passion-fruit. These cost £2.49 and are available from Ocado and Asda.

Solo Marshmallow Creme
This is probably the most random yet intriguing product I found in the box this Month. It is a Toasted Marshmallow Creme by Solo, which is a spreadable treat. It tastes a little like nougat and I can imagine it would be great when making smores or baking treats ready for Bonfire Night! Solo Marshmallow Creme is available from American Soda online here for £1.99.

Dr. Oetker Premium 90% Extra Dark Chocolate
Who doesn't love dark chocolate? I have used this before and it tastes amazing! I cant wait to use this again. Dr. Oetker is a brand I am fairly familiar with and one I do purchase again and again. I cant wait to get baking using this! This costs £2.49 and is available from most large supermarkets, and their website here.

Bear Paws Fruit Snack
Bears is a brand I absolutely love. These fruit snacks contain no added sugar or any concentrates. These are really cute, very addictive to eat, and a great alternative to sweets. Bears Paws Fruit Snacks are available for 55 pence per pack in most supermarkets, usually found in the baby aisle.

Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder
Perfect for baking, I cant wait to try this cocoa powder out. Dr. Oetker is a fantastic brand for baking so I know this will be good. I have plans to use this in a recipe soon so I may share that on my blog. The cocoa powder come in packs of three sachets with a free recipe card. They are available to buy for £1.89 from their website here.

Brioche Pasquier Sliced Brioche Loaf
The Brioche Pasquier Sliced Loaf tastes just like the rolls I tried out a few Months ago. I love that it is already sliced so ready to use straight away. It tastes really great toasted, which is how I have been eating it. Brioche Pasquier products are available from Tesco. A loaf costs just £1.69, which is quite reasonable.

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans in Sours
I am sure you have all heard of the most famous Jelly Bean brand - Jelly Belly, right? Lets be honest, if you like jelly beans you must love Jelly Belly. This £2.50 packet contains 100 grams of their tasty sour flavoured jelly beans! Totally addictive. I love sour sweets more than anything so I cant wait to eat these!

Brioche Pasquier Pain Au Lait With Chocolate Chips

This is probably the most exciting product in the box for me this Month, and I will be honest in saying these lasted about 2 days after we received the box! Pain au Lait is delicious but with the addition of the dark chocolate chips, it makes it a real treat, particularly for a perfect start to the day as breakfast. Costing just £1.60 a pack, they are great value for money.

Sample Present: Bear Alphabites Cereal Letters

This is a nice little addition to this Months box, which comes in the form of crunchy cereal letters. I am a big fan of Bear products, and was thrilled to be able to try these out. They are really tasty and made with five grains and coconut blossom nectar. I imagine that these would be ideal for a healthy breakfast for both children and adults alike, as they contain no refined sugar, salt, are naturally high in calcium, and are low GI. I think I will have to pick up a box of these soon because they taste great!

If you are interested in purchasing a Degustabox* subscription for yourself or someone else, simply head over to their website here for more information on how it works. I recommend if you like trying new and different foods you may not have picked up on your grocery shop! You can also check out their social media links below to keep upto date with all things Degustabox!

Degustabox Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook

*This post contains PR samples/items which were sent to me for consideration to review. All opinions are 100 %  honest and my own. You can view my full disclaimer policy on the contact tab above*

Healthy Breakfast and Dessert Recipe: Granola and Fruit Yoghurt

I took inspiration to making these having read the information card included in my September Degustabox, (you can read my full review here) which included this little recipe idea. I actually feel quite guilty for even calling it a recipe as there is no real effort involved in making this! This is super quick and easy to do, and I think it makes a great healthy alternative to a dessert, or would even make a tasty breakfast. I love simple and quick food like this, as it requires very little effort and time, but still tastes great.

You will need: Granola; any kind, I am using Jordan's Simply Granola which was included in September's Degustabox

Plain or Greek Style Yoghurt

Fruit of your choice; I have opted for strawberries

Honey (optional)

How to make: 1. Use a spoon to add the yoghurt into a bowl or a glass. Add however much you like, I have filled my glass a 1/3 full of yoghurt. 

2. Chop your fruit of choice and add it into the bowl or glass as the middle layer. 

3. Add honey or a sprinkle of whatever you fancy on top of the fruit.
4. Add another spoonful of yoghurt on top of the fruit, and add a few more pieces of fruit on top.

5. Sprinkle a generous helping of granola on top of the fruit. 

That is it! A super easy how-to to create a healthy breakfast or dessert!

*I was sent the granola as part of Degustabox to review. All opinions are 100 %  honest and my own. You can view my full disclaimer policy on the contact tab above*

Quitting Smoking? A review of the Bye Cig Starter Kit

* Are you 18 years or older? 

This post may be a little controversial, but I am sure a lot of us have been around smoking at some point in our lives; whether it be yourself, your family, friends or colleagues smoke or have smoked. My partner smokes and really wants to quit. Of-course, thinking just of the health benefits alone, it would be great for him if he did quit as he has been smoking for years and it is now taking its toll on his health. 

When liasing with an SEO analyst for Bye Cig, we were offered to try out the Bye Cig Starter Kit*.

Bye Cig is a new UK electronic cigarette company which specialize in electronic cigarettes and accessories. They often have great offers and savings so be sure to check out their Twitter page to keep up to date.

Seeing as my partner is the one who trialed out the kit, I will hand you over to him now so he can share his thoughts and experience of using the Bye Cig Starter Kit.

The Starter Kit I received to try is the Tobacco Kit.
Bye Cig's are really easy to use, the kit includes a small instruction guide which helps a lot. The Bye Cig lasts for a long time without having to recharge, which is great. It is super easy to charge Bye Cigs, as this kit comes complete with a USB so you can easily charge it up on a laptop or computer.

I really like the design of the Bye Cigs, I like how they look like an actual cigarette. They light up green when in use. I think the 'box' which houses the Bye Cig's and the USB is very sleek and clever as it looks just like a cigarette box. It is great that the kit comes with a box to keep them safe and protected. The kit comes complete with two boxes of cartridge refills, as well as there being two refills inside of the box, which makes the Starter Kit really good value for money. The refill pack contains three cartridge refills, which tend to last me almost two weeks.

I do think the Bye Cig's have encouraged me to quit smoking. I would definitely purchase from Bye Cig in the future as I really like the design of the electronic cigarettes, and I think they are good value for money, too. I would definitely like to try some of the other flavours in the future; particularly cherry and vanilla. I would recommend trying Bye Cig if you are trying to quit and you are looking for a reasonably priced product. Comparing the Starter Kit to buying cigarettes and roll-ups, for me, shows that the Starter Kit is much cheaper and better value, which has been another great incentive to continue using Bye Cig.

*This post contains PR samples/items which were sent to me for consideration to review. All opinions are 100 %  honest and my own/my partners. You can view my full disclaimer policy on the contact tab above*

The Exante Diet

The Exante Diet*

Exante Diet Plans are something I have heard a little about through the grapevine. I have heard that using these diet plans can bring fantastic results. I am hoping that this year will be the year I lose a little weight and become more healthy and confident in my body, so when I was offered to take part in trialing the diet, I jumped at the chance.

Please Note: I am no expert at diets or healthy living. I highly recommend that you do your research beforehand to starting a diet plan like this one to ensure you are eligible to partake in a low calorie diet. I would also suggest contacting your GP beforehand to see if this kind of diet is suitable for you. You can find lots of information on Exante's website to see how it works and who it is suitable for. The website also includes a forum, recipe page and blog which are great to have a read through to gain more information. This blog post is simply a review of my own personal experience of using the Exante products and following one of their diet plans for one week. 

How The Exante Diet Plans Work

To briefly introduce you to the diet, Exante VLCD Diet Plans are a very low calorie meal replacement diet where you replace three meals a day with their snacks, shakes or meals. The Exante VLCD Diet Plans are called VLCD (this means they are Very Low Calorie Diets), and by consuming three of their products a day, that they will give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals. Exante explain that the Diet Plans work well because your body will consume less calories than your body usually requires on a daily basis, which causes a calorie deficit. After a few days of following the diet, your body will enter a normal metabolic state called Ketosis where your body will use its fat stores to produce energy.

There are four different diet plans available with Exante. The Total Solution Plan allows you to eat only three Exante meals per day. If you partake in the Total Solution Diet Plan you must take a break after at least three weeks by adding atleast 201 calories to your diet per day. The Total Plus Solution Plan requires you to eat three Exante products per day, and also allows up to 100 calories of low carbohydrate foods from a restricted list (the list is mostly vegetables). This plan can be used up to 12 weeks before having to take a break from the plan for at least a week. The Working Solution Plan requires you to eat three Exante products a day, plus a 400 calorie meal or snack. The Simple Solution Plan also requires you to eat three Exante products per day, as well as a 600 calorie meal or snack.
All four diet plans require you to drink at-least 2 Litres of water per day; which is the recommended amount of water to drink daily anyway.

The Exante Diet Products

All of the four different diet plans require you to consume three of their products per day. I was kindly sent 21 products which ensured I could take part in the diet for a whole 7 days. 

The Exante Diet products range from shakes, soups, ready meals and bars. I received a few different flavours of their shakes, soups and ready meals, which I will go into a little more depth below.

 Shakes

There is a wide variety of shakes to choose from. I was provided with a few of their flavours.

I wasn't keen on the Banana shake, it just wasn't to my taste. The Chocolate shake was probably my favourite as it tastes really thick and filling, I was glad I had two of these! The Chocolate Mint shake was also delicious and really reminded me of a cold mint hot chocolate! This one is very thick and filling. 

Vanilla is quite refreshing. It tastes quite plain with not a lot of flavour, which I like about vanilla products anyway. The Toffee Caramel shake is sweet and tastes very nice, and the 

Strawberry is very thick and creamy and tastes just like a milkshake.

Soups

There are five different soups to choose from, I was provided with three of them. 

The Thai Chicken Soup was tasty and filling. and The Mushroom Soup was edible and filling. 

I was also provided with two of the Tomato and Basil Soups. The taste reminded me a little of the pasta sauce sachets you can buy from super markets. It wasn't as thick as soups I usually eat, but it was again, very filling.  

Ready Meals

Exante have a large variety of different flavoured ready meals. I will give a small description of each meal that I tried, and what I thought of each one.
The Spaghetti Bolognaise tasted a little like spicy noodles. There was quite a lot of flavour in the meal, so it was edible. The Porridge Oats were delicious and I would definitely recommend them. It tasted exactly like the normal porridge oats I eat. Curry was the one meal I least wanted to try. I personally didn't like the taste of it - I am not a huge fan of vegetable curry anyway, but it did the job and filled me up. 

The Apple and Cinnamon Porridge meal was full of flavour and tasted absolutely delicious. I definitely recommend this and would give it 5 stars if I had to rate it by taste. The cinnamon is so strong and smells lovely too.  I received two packets of Shephards Pie Meals, it tasted just like beef and I could taste vegetables, it was very thick and quite filling. Red Bean Chilli was the one meal I was most excited to try. I found that it was really enjoyable to eat. It had the aroma of chilli con carne as soon as I took it out of packaging. It tasted pleasant and was full of flavour. I would recommend this to anyone that likes their food simple but with a little spice. The Mushroom Risotto was probably my least favourite meal. The texture and the sight of the meal put me off instantly, and, being a person that detests mushroom flavoured food I knew I wasn't going to enjoy the meal. Pasta Carbonara was edible. I am not the biggest fan of cheese (I am quite fussy with food!) but the pasta was nice and it filled me up for a good few hours. 

What I thought of the Diet Plan

I have to admit I did struggle. Even after the first day of the plan, I felt completely exhausted and fell asleep at 8 PM! I wasn't really sure which plan to follow. The first two days of my diet I stuck to the Total Solution Plan; which is where you only consume three Exante products and nothing else. On the third and fourth day I did eat home cooked meals (400 calories) as I wasn't at home, but the rest of my diet I followed the Total Solution Plan again. I would suggest the Working Solution Plan or the Simple Solution Plan if you work a lot or are on the go all of the time, as it is challenging to stick to the Total Solution Plan when you are out.
I think I stayed committed to the diet and I am pleased I didn't break the diet to eat junk food or fizzy drinks.

The meals were edible and most of them were quite tasty with a lot of flavour to them, my personal favourite was the porridge oats. I found all of the products very filling - which left me feeling satisfied, not bloated. They are very easy to prepare as you only have to add water and use a microwave, so they are suitable if you don't have the time to make a low calorie meal from scratch.


Results 

Previous to me starting the Exante Diet, my Diet consisted of  lots of junk food, missing out on meals and boredom eating late at night. I was also drinking a lot of coffee and fizzy drinks.
I think that because I had such an unhealthy diet before starting Exante, that it has really helped me to get back on track with eating better. I no longer want to eat junk food, I really fancy eating a lot more fresh vegetables in my meals. I really hope I keep up my progress with my weight loss. I am going to purchase my favourite meals from Exante online to help me stay on track.
I weighed myself the Monday I started Exante (9th March) and weighed myself the following Monday (16th  March).
In one week I lost 4lbs. 
Regrettably I didn't measure myself before starting the diet plan, but I can tell I have lost an inch or so on my waist and hips as I can fit back into some of my old clothes that haven't fitted in a few Months.

Would I recommend?

Simply - yes! It works well and the majority of the food is tasty. It requires good will power, but once you get into the routine of the plan it is quite straight - forward and very easy to follow. I would personally recommend The Working Solution Plan or The Simple Solution Plan as I found it quite difficult to live off just the three Exante products a day with nothing else, and also found it hard to fit in eating these meals around my schedule.

To find out more check out the Exante Website. Prices start from £3.87 per day.

Trying to be more healthy, suggestions?!

New Changes in My Diet and Well-being!

Hey lovelies, hope you are all well.
 I have been contemplating doing this for a while now but keep putting it off and off. I think it is about time I cut out all of the junk food out of my diet, do more exercize and lose this weight. I have been struggling with my weight for the last 3 or 4 years. I was an average size 10 until I was about 18. From the age of 14, I walked everywhere, I did 2 gym classes a week and I also did a dance class once a week up until I was 18. Once I was 18, then the weight started to pile on. I started weight watchers the following Summer as I had gone upto a size 14/16, and wanted to get back into a size 10. After 6 months I lost the weight and was finally back into a 10. Fast forward 2 years I have once again piled on the weight plus more, I am really proud to be a curvy girl but my weight just doesn't suit me at all I don't think. I would never lose weight or change my appearance on behalf of others, or care what others thought. I just don't feel comfortable in my own  skin at the minute. I need to lose my weight and stay at a steady weight.

Food and Diet
Currently, my diet on a typical day is as follows:

Breakfast: 2 large cups of strong coffee with sugar and sweetners
Lunch: Packet of crisps, coffee and an energy drink
Dinner/Evening Meal: Typically a cooked meal with 2 vegetables, potato and meat.
Drinks throughout the day: A lot of coffee, a cup of tea, hot chocolate before bed, small bottle of water.
On a night time (after my dinner) I tend to eat a lot of rubbish then. I have pretty much always skipped breakfast, and don' t often eat a proper meal for my lunch, so tend to get really hungry come nighttime. I eat 2 packets of crisps, 2 bars of chocolate, occasionaly a piece of fruit, biscuits, you name it. All rubbish!

I also want to decrease the amount of caffiene I drink in the day. I sort of rely on it to wake me up, as I drink A LOT of coffee, tea, energy drinks and caffeined drinks like Dr Pepper and Coke. It gives me very bad headaches if I don't drink the amout I normally drink, and surely this isn't healthy. I have also noticed that my teeth are begining to slightly stain from all of the caffiene I consume, so definitely want to begin to cut it out a little.

Exercize
I don't do any form of exercize other than walking. I walk to and  from work, which in total is about 4 and half miles altogether.
 It sounds a lot but it takes me about 50 minutes each way, in total making that just under 2 hours. I think I need to walk a lot faster for this form of exercize to make more of an effect.
I also need to begin to do other forms of exercize, and hoping to join a gym class once a week, as I previously did this and enjoyed it. I need to stop relying on being driven to certain places also.

Health
I need to take better care of myself. I am always cold, always seem to have a cough and a cold, and constantly suffer from a sore throat. I also suffer from a few other medical problems which are not at all related to my weight, but I believe that by losing my weight and being more healthy this area of my health will also improve.

I will be keeping a fortnightly update here on my blog on my journey, if any of you are interested :)


I definitely need some courage and support as I struggle to it alone and find the motivation. Are any of you struggling with losing weight and being more healthy?
Please contact me if you do!
What are your thoughts or suggestions on how to stay at a healthy weight?
xx