Lunch is my least favourite meal of the day, mainly because I never know what to have! I was recently sent these new High Protein wraps from gluten free geniuses BFree alongside some of their Avocado wraps which gave me a good chance to try out some new ideas and move away from my current staple of a tuna sandwich (which seems to be my current constant craving, and yes I am watching how much tuna I eat and making sure it’s not over the recommended amount).
The Protein Wraps boast 12g of protein (which is 71% more than the next best free-from protein wrap on the market). They are made with a blend of chickpea flour, rice and pea proteins and also contain only 4g of carbs. I’ll admit I didn’t like these at first! They have a bit of a strange taste to them if you eat them alone- but of course, who really eats a wrap on it’s own? These made a great lunch option, my favourite fillings were veggie sausages and salad, cold chicken and hummus, and of course tuna. They were also a great snack option grilled with peanut butter and banana… the wraps themselves are kind of sweet so this worked really well. I would get these again, although at £3.50 for four they would have to be on offer first, especially as I don’t need to specifically buy gluten free products, but they are worth giving a go especially if you are looking to boost your protein intake and need a gluten free and vegan option.
The Avocado wraps were my favourite of the two despite not being the world’s biggest avocado fan. These two are made with chickpea flour, rice and pea protein but also contain 10% avocado. I really liked these as a base for falafel and hummus or hard boiled egg salads. They made a great base for a burrito bowl too- just chuck in some rice, salad, salsa and toppings of your choice! These are £3 for four, so again they’d need to be on offer before I could justify the cost but another great product and they’d be worth the investment just to keep my lunch variety going.
Any healthy, quick and easy lunch ideas you want to share? Leave them below.
Box gifted by Degustabox This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.
When it came to the June degustabox, I struggled a little. Compared to the last few boxes there wasn’t as much in there that suited my tastes, and pregnancy food aversions have stepped up a bit again so this post is more of a summary and review. Despite this, I still very much love getting the box each month, and it certainly wouldn’t be enough to put me off of my subscription- it’s the luck of the drawer and 9 times out of 10 I hit the jackpot!
The Carr’s black olive melts were one definite hit from the box. I’m all about the savoury snacks right now and these made a great change from crisps! £1.49 a box from most major retailers. I couldn’t try the biscuits, I tried to try them but pregnancy said no! I love the McVitie’s creativity though- strawberry cheesecake digestives? (Also available in lemon drizzle). If you have tried these let me know as I am dying to know what they are like. £1.59 from most major supermarket chains.
The second great hit from the June box were these Well&Truly Crunchies. They reminded me a lot of niknaks, but are better for you! Full of flavour, the cheesy ones were exceptional! They have 40% less fat that standard crisps, are gluten free and made from 100% natural ingredients. Costing £0.80 from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Waitrose, Amazon, Wholefoods, wellandtruly.co.uk and Booths. I’m stocking up and not sharing!
I love carbs and will never say a bad word about them. However, I appreciate many people don’t feel the same way and these Carb Lite wraps from Deli Kitchen are for you…vegan friendly and containing just 14.6g of carbohydrates these are a good alternative to the standard tortilla. £1.40 from Tesco.
Here we have XITE Nootropic Energy drink in Raspberry and Watermelon. Apparently Nootropics are proven to increase cognitive function so this would make for the perfect boost. Full of natural caffeine (hence why I haven’t tried it), vegan friendly and zero sugar these are available from Holland & Barrett, WH Smiths and Boots for £1.50. I did try the Caleño light and zesty non-alcoholic spirit, which really was light and zesty, although a little cardamom heavy for me. It was nice though and a change to alcohol free cider (also known as apple juice). £2 from caleñodrinks.com.
Chocolate is still off the menu for me (the real downside of pregnancy so far!) so I am saving these little choc pots from The Coconut Collaborative for when I can stomach it again. They look delicious though and I have seen rave reviews online on blogs and vlogs so I am so excited for these. £2.50 from major supermarket chains.
Bob tried this PLAYin Choc bar, but it was kind of wasted on him as he is a pure Galaxy man. I wish I had saved this as it sounds kinda special. It has 1/3 less sugar than most chocolate, is suitable for vegans and has just three ingredients. I’ll be picking some of this up post-baby- £1.69 from www.playinchoc.com.
I’m a big fan of NINE bars so whilst I haven’t had a chance to try these yet I know they are gonna be good! Dark chocolate, pistachio and brazil nut is calling my name big time and with 50% seeds in every bar I’m sure my body will thank me for it when I can face the chocolate. £1.29 from many major retailers.
Finally a few odds and ends. Garlic and Herb squeeze sauce from Hellmann’s- an absolute classic and in my opinion best served as a pizza dip! £1.70 from major supermarket chains. We also have salted caramel crunchy peanut butter from Sun-Pat EXTRA which is insane on wholemeal toast (with banana too!) This is £3 from Tesco and worth every penny. I’m super excited to make this 5 seconds kimchi mix as anything pickled or fermented is on my radar right now. £1.20 when it becomes available.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.
Anxiety and overthinking have long been a part of my life, they existed long before any eating disorders took hold and for 15 or so years were controlled largely by a carefully balanced cocktail of medications (with a dash of therapy here and there). Since the end of the last year I made the decision to come off the majority of medications, knowing we were going to be starting the IVF and being in a much better place generally, I didn’t just want to find pregnancy safe medications, I wanted to use the coping mechanisms I’ve learnt over the years and try to come off as much as possible. It’s worked, mostly. There was the two weeks where I slept little more than an hour a night (good practice for what is ahead right?), andI am still on an anti-depressant, but everything else is gone and I am surviving.
It’s not always plain sailing though, and recently there have been a few things triggering cycles of overthinking. Thankfully an email arrived from a wonderful company called Adbra at exactly the right time and I’m getting myself right back on track again.
Adbra are a small company that was founded by Adel and Libby after they faced their own mental health challenges. They decided to use their experiences and research to create toolkits that could help others take control of their mental wellbeing.
As soon as I read this I kind of fell in love with Adel and Libby, they are my kind of people! They got in touch to introduce their “happiness habits jars” and very kindly sent one out to me, which literally could not have arrived at a better time. There are 7 jars in the range and the one that I was sent was the “mindfulness” themed jar which I have been using religiously ever since.
This little jar has got me back on track so many times, and for £12.50 it’s an absolute bargain. I always used to be so sceptical of this kind of thing, but eventually a couple of years ago decided to stop being stubborn and give it a go and I’ve not looked back!
These jars make a wonderful gift for a friend or family member, or as a self-care investment for yourself. I’m definitely going to look at getting the “self kindness” jar for once baby is here as I think it’s going to be very easy to forget that I need to be a priority too.
What tools do you find help the most when it comes to mental health? I’m a very visually orientated person so this kind of thing is almost certainly guaranteed to be a success over say, a podcast.
Box gifted by Degustabox This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.
By the time the May Degustabox arrived the worst of my morning sickness/nausea had eased so I was even more excited than usual to get stuck in to trying the contents. This box had an outdoor and BBQ theme to it and contained some products which have now become firm favourites and staples in this house- read on to find out which ones made the cut…
I’m a massive Hippeas fan and have raved about them multiple times on the blog so I was super hyped to see their new tortilla snacks included in this month’s box. Whilst I definitely prefer the original puffs, these are definitely fabulous. Made from chickpeas and packed full of plant-based protein, these are super crunchy and the chilli kick certainly packs a flavour punch! I look forward to seeking out the other flavours- especially the cheesy nacho ones! £1 RRP from hippeas.com, Amazon, Booths, Boots, H&B, Ocado, Planet Organic, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
Sweets are a bit hit and miss with me at the moment but the new Dessert Pastilles from Rowntree’s instantly appealed. I loved the texture of these, and the flavours are really unique. My personal favourite was Mango Sorbet but there wasn’t any that I didn’t like. £1.29 from major supermarket chains.
We didn’t get very far with the drinks in this month’s box I’m afraid. Obviously I passed on the Echo Falls Strawberry and Pink Pepper Rosé seltzer although it sounds like a fabulous summer drink for a gathering. These sell for £1.80 per can from Asda and independent stores. Having lived on lemon drinks for the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, the very sight of them now makes me heave so sadly this gorgeous looking can from Pip Organic had to be banished for now. This is an organic sparkling lemon drink which comes in at under 75cal and counts as one of your 5 a day. A great treat for the designated drivers/kids at a gathering. £1.50 per can from Abel & Cole, Amazon or Ocado.
For me these little biscuits from Telstar/Not too Naughty stole the show this month. To the point where I sent Bob straight to Amazon to bulk order me a mixed pack of the Telstar mini cookie stars. These are lovely little bites, the caramelised mini stars especially remind me a bit of baby rusks in their texture and I am obsessed. They come in at 50p for a single pack, £10 for 25 (I picked up two of these!) from Amazon and I highly recommend everyone looking for a cheeky little biscuit break does the same. I cannot say enough good things about these.
Bob inhaled this Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Bar before I could even tell him I needed his thoughts on it. I did manage to get a “was good” out of his though! And I agree. Whilst I dislike Hershey’s chocolate there is something about this bar and I often pick one up when I see it (when I can stomach chocolate type products that is). These are around 89p from most supermarket chains as well as discount stores.
Here we have a great little assortment of products that have all become pantry staples for us (yes, we have an actual pantry!). Bob and I love the Rosemary and Onion seasoning from Knorr (£1.80 from Tesco, available in four flavours). I’ve been chucking it on roasted new potatoes and roasted veg, but you can literally pop it in anything and it gives a great, rich flavour boost. I have a long-standing phobia of Olive oil (or any oil) so I rarely cook with it, but I do manage to cope with the spray versions so we’ve made great use of this Bertolli spray- our current obsession is using it on Asaparagus alongside balasamic glaze and griddling it. YUM! £3 from Ocado and Amazon. I’m more of a ketchup on salads kind of girl but I do make exception for this Hellman’s fat free vinaigrette dressing which I have tried and bought before. It’s perfect for adding some pizazz to a salad, I also like to dip cucumber or celery sticks in it. £1.65 from Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Co-op and Morrisons.
Bob and I already use a lot of microwave rice pouches and really rate them but sometimes it’s nice to change it up a bit. I especially loved these Mexican Spicy Grains from Whitworths- a vegan, protein packed pouch of goodness that only takes two minutes to prepare. Great as a base for a salad bowl or as a side for our favourite vegan chill as a change. Will be stocking up on these! £2 from Tesco, Morrisons and Ocado.
I’ve tried both of these Graze products before and often grab them for a snack on the go. The smoky barbecue crunch is a long time favourite for the mix of textures and the great salty, smoky flavour- £1 for a punnet or £2.99 for a share bag. The cocoa vanilla protein oat bites are a really good on the go snack for handbags- a sweet little treat with a boost of protein to keep you full, but with 45% less sugar than similar products. £1 per bite or £2.49 for a 4 pack. Both available from major supermarket chains, with other flavours also available.
Finally a couple of products that have been saviours for random bouts of nausea. I already knew I loved Nairn’s sweet oatcakes, so I had high hopes for their savoury offering of Cheese & Smoky Chipotle. They definitely did not let me know, and oddly I found them amazing for settling my stomach! £1.50 from Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and health food stores. Another odd solution to nausea was brioche, as I found out when we were trying out these Brioche Pasquier Brioche Rolls- also great for hot dogs or with nutella/peanut butter! £1.50 from Tesco, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Budgens.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.
I’m one of those people who, when presented with an obstacle in life always jumps to the potential negative outcome rather than the positive. Having kicked most of the bad habits in my life, this is one that still stubbornly remains and one I would really, REALLY like to kick before our baby arrives.
Enter the positive day planner (gifted). This little note book is a 21 day (the time it takes to form a new habit) journal that encourages you to practice daily gratitude, spill out the contents of your brain and generally help you turn that mental frown upside down.
I’m always a little bit sceptical of this kind of thing; can putting pen to paper really help all that much? My experience so far says yes, and I’ve only regularly been using this for a few days so far.
I love the layout of the planner, often I find it hard to structure my thoughts so having it ready laid out is ideal and the bold design actually helps keep me focused by drawing my eye back to the page.
The Positive Day Planner was established by Leanne Pero, breast cancer survivor and founder of The Leanne Pero Foundation and Black Women Rising, who used positivitiy and journalling to help her after going through cancer. “I put the Positive Day Planner together after cancer. Writing down what I was grateful for, my hopes and wishes for the future, planning the day ahead really helped settle some of the anxieties. It’s a place where you can create your own happiness, because we are in control of that.“
The Positive Day Planner is available in 5 different styles, including a limited edition Breast Cancer Awareness Month Planner, where 40% of profits go to Breast Cancer Charities.
Each planner costs £10 and makes for the perfect self-care themed gift either for yourself or for a friend/loved one. You can also pick up a mini gratitude journal for £6 (next on my list) plus wish bracelets or healing rose quartz for £3- the entire website is basically a ready made gift package!
I’m so grateful to the positive day planner for stepping in at a time when I actually really needed some guidance, this is a habit I’m definitely hoping to keep!
