Nutribuddy Breakfast First Impressions*

Since January has begun I have been trying to get healthier and make sure all of my meals are planned. I have been having a good variety of foods for my evening meal and changing my lunches up every week too however the one thing that has stayed the same was my breakfast. I was craving something new, something different and then Nutribuddy reached out to me with a product that could not only help with my weight loss but also ‘shake up’ my breakfast routine.

I received this product called ‘Nutribuddy Breakfast’ which in simple terms is a blend of ground oats, seeds and coconut. It’s quick and convenient, I literally need to add milk and shake and it’s done! It comes in 3 flavours, Chocolate Brownie, Vanilla and Naked (unflavoured/unsweetened). I chose the Chocolate Brownie flavour and received a 14 day supply so thought I would give it a go. A 14 day supply costs £14.99 and comes in a glass clip top jar however you can save £1.99 by getting a refill pack. I also received a shaker which you have the option of adding to your order for just £7.99. It’s really handy to have in my opinion.

I have only tried this for a few days now. In the mornings, I took 3 scoops of the product and put it into the shaker. I then added around 300ml of milk and its just a case of shaking until smooth. You can also use almond milk, soya or even coconut. The more you shaker, the smoother the drink becomes. You can also add fruit and pop in a blender if you prefer, or if you have a bit more time you can add to a bowl with fruit, nuts and seeds.  I may try different versions throughout this trial period to see how I get on.

Stay tuned for a full update in a few weeks when I have finished the jar if you’d like to see my results.

*I received this item free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

National Breakfast Week - Coast to Coast Norwich*

I love breakfast, it is the most important meal of the day and I always make sure I get a nutritious filling breakfast in the morning every day. This week from 25th January is National Breakfast Week and I was very kindly invited to have a delicious brunch at Coast to Coast in Norwich with my boyfriend James. Coast to Coast is an American restaurant that serves breakfast until midday so you don’t have to get up really early to indulge. The breakfast menu is vast and plentiful ranging from a healthier option of eggs on toast to a full English or even sweet and savoury pancakes and waffles. I couldn’t wait to see what they had to offer.

We arrived at 10:30 and were promptly seated by a polite and friendly member of staff. We were each given a menu and left to decide what we wanted. There was so much choice on the menu. The waitress came back and took our drink orders. I ordered breakfast tea which came out in teapot with enough for 2 cups of tea. If you order a hot drink with breakfast then you get unlimited refills which is great. James ordered an orange juice which came in a tall glass with ice.

For breakfast I ordered the Eggs Benedict for £6.95. This consisted of two poached eggs, honey roast ham served on sourdough toast topped with hollandaise sauce. The bread was perfectly toasted with just the right amount of crunch without it being overdone and was served in lovely thick wedges. The eggs were cooked to perfection, the yolk was the perfect consistency. I had absolutely no complaints and breakfast was served promptly after our drinks arrived.

James ordered the Coast to Coast Breakfast for £7.45. His plate was topped with Cumberland sausages, streaky bacon, fried eggs, breakfast potatoes, tomato, corn fritter and baked beans. The beans came in a separate ramekin which I thought was good as some people can be fussy if their beans are touching other foods! Neither of us had ever heard of corn fritters before and James doesn’t like sweetcorn so I wasn’t sure how he would get on with it but he really liked it. I tried a little bit and thought it was lovely although I am not 100% sure what it is made of. He enjoyed his meal and said it was served hot and everything was balanced well on the plate.

We both left feeling nice and full and couldn’t have asked for a better service. I would love to go back and sample one of the sweeter menu options – the banana and salted caramel pancakes sound amazing! Thank you Coast to Coast for providing us with a lovely breakfast in aid of National Breakfast Week!

What will you be having for breakfast this week? To find your nearest Coast to Coast, head on over to their website.

*We received free breakfast in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

Arla Protein Review*

Summer is basically here and one of the first things that crosses my mind is keeping healthy and getting back to a regular gym routine. One of the things I struggle with is finding snacks that fill me up and replenish my protein sources after a work out.

When I first heard about Arla Protein a quark product from Arla Foods, I couldn't wait to incorporate this into my pre and post workout snacks. The handy 200g pots are ideal and don't take up too much space in your gym bag.



Arla Protein pots RRP at an average of £1.25 for a 200g pot. I think this is a great price for a product that packs in 20g of protein per pot! That's the same amount of protein as 5 egg whites. Not only do these give you a good protein hit, the Arla Protein is fat free and low in sugar. It is made with all natural ingredients including quark which is a natural dairy product.

These pots are available in raspberry, blueberry and strawberry. I tried all 3 and they were all absolutely delicious. My favourite was the blueberry and I enjoyed eating this with some fresh blueberries and a sprinkling of granola for a bit of crunch.

The Arla pots are thick and creamy and taste really delicious. Usually with fat free products you can taste the artificial sweeteners and they aren't that nice but with these pots its a real treat and if you're trying to avoid Aspartame then these are a great option.

So, if you’re looking for a new pre or post workout snack, try Arla Protein today. Find it in the yogurt aisle nationwide at all major retailers. You can find out more information on the Arla website here.

*The Arla Protein pots were provided free of charge in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

Potato cakes with smoked salmon - Jamie Oliver Recipe

I recently featured a breakfast I had made, the Jamie Oliver Potato cakes with Smoked Salmon. I altered the recipe a little bit, but the original can be found here.

 This was such a nice breakfast, and with most of the preparation done the night before it was really simple to put together in the morning (and really delicious!). 

First I boiled the potatoes in salted water until they were nearly cooked. I then took them out and let them cool down before grating them into small pieces. 

  In a mixing bowl I combined the potatoes with some spring onions, a tablespoon of flour, pepper and a little bit of butter and mixed well to combine little balls. These were then put in the fridge overnight ready for me to continue in the morning.

The next day I heated my frying pan with frylight and gently fried the potato cakes for a couple of minutes on each side until they were warm throughout and a golden colour. Meanwhile I prepared my eggs. I would have loved to have used poached eggs but I can't for the life of me seem to make them (tips please!). Instead, I used scrambled.

  
I then topped the potato cakes with the eggs and then the smoked salmon. I think the original recipe had this the other way around but I like to break the rules! I think my potatoes were slightly overcooked so these were more like fish cakes without the fish but they were still delicious! And so easy, even for me!