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.

After the June Degustabox not being so great for me, I was a little nervous about how I would get on with July’s. Luckily this box suited my tastes a LOT better and I had a great time testing as much out as possible.

I loved the packaging of this Firefly drink, it’s so pretty! Peach & Green tea is a combination I’ve long loved so this was a winner- especially during the recent heatwave! £1.55 from www.fireflydrinks.com, Ocado and Waitrose.

I’ve not had a chance to try out these brioche hot dog rolls from St Pierre but previous experience with the brand tells me they will be good. These currently reside in my freezer ready to take on this weekend’s camping trip! Available at selected Tesco and Morrison’s stores for £1.40.

Another product that I haven’t had a chance to try yet is the Bull’s Eye Original BBQ sauce, but I have tried this in the past with chicken and it’s good stuff! I’m desperate for some good weather and a free weekend to repeat the experience. Available at all major supermarkets for £2.50.

Fox’s Glacier mints and fruits were staples of long car journeys when I was growing up. I haven’t had them for years so I was pretty excited to be reminded of their existence with the arrival of three new varieties- all very much for grownups! Summer Punch was a clear winner, these are limited edition and cocktail inspired so grab them whilst you can. £1 per bag- Little Lifts & After Darks available at Sainbury’s. Summer Punch available at Home Bargains.
I’m on the hunt for some original glacier fruits now!

I’m really limiting my caffeine at the moment so we’re saving these for a special treat, but I have tried the Taylors of Harrogate coffee bags before and they are so good! Freshly brewed coffee in tea bag form! A perfect cup in just two minutes with no mess or fuss! £1.50 from major supermarket chains.

These Blackcurrant Jaffa Cakes were this month’s product of the month…and I wanted to like them, really I did! I just can’t get behind blackcurrant and chocolate personally! Worth a try if you are a fan of fruit and chocolate though, I’ll be sticking to the original. £1.20 from Tesco.

I did however very much enjoy the new dark chocolate Noccionoir Hazelnut bar from Lindt. Dark chocolate is one thing I can stomach (still no milk chocolate, boo) and this was such a luxury treat! This will be available from Tesco from July and rolling out in other retailers later this year with an RRP of 85p.

My savoury snack obsession rages on and Love Corn cheese and onion corn snack is fuelling it! These are such an addictive little snack, and healthier than my other current love of frazzles! 70p for a single pack or £16 for 24 in major supermarket chains and online.

Two classic products here and there isn’t much I can say that hasn’t been said before (that and I can’t stomach them yet!). Smarties will never not be a favourite though, outside of pregnancy and I love the new recyclable bag!
Lindt Nocciolatte milk 85p from all major supermarkets, Smarties £1 from all major supermarkets.

I don’t really enjoy “normal” crisps that much, but every so often I just need a bag of salt and vinegar McCoy’s. These new flavours had me intrigued- they are rustic and smoky, inspired by the flavour of cooking meat over an open fire. The Peri Peri have a decent tang to them, whilst the Chorizo is delightfully smoky. Both a super satisfying snack and one every McCoy’s lover needs to try. There is also a BBQ rib flavour in the range. 90p a bag from convenience stores. Multipacks available from Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys.

I’ve not tried this three fold Hard Seltzer because pregnant, but I am excited to when I can! I love Hard Seltzer drinks and this tropical flavour sounds so good! It also comes in red berries and citrus for £2 a tin from Morrisons, Bargain Booze and on Ocado, Amazon and Revl.

This is the kind of food I’m craving at the moment! I loved these pot pastas (from the folks behind Pot Noodle). Probably not at all good for me, but both the carbonara and tomatoey mozzarella really hit the spot and now I need to track down the bolognese flavour for research purposes! £1.19 from all major supermarket chains. I’m a little bit obsessed!

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.

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.

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.