When I was recently asked to review a new snack, I said yes without a second's hesitation but was expecting the same old predictable cracker or crisp type offerings. I was therefore really pleased when top healthy snacking brand You Are What You Eat's new Nature snacks plopped on the mat.
The brand has totally understood us complicated women and our ambivalent attitude to snacking, coming up with four different varieties, as they say "two to tempt your naughty side and two to appeal to your exotic spirit, satisfying all of your cravings". So when you have those good and bad angels on your shoulders type moments when looking for something to ease your hunger pangs, you're bound to find something to fit the bill !
We received two little bags to test, Nature with a hint of exotic Berries Mix and Nature with a hint of naughty Fruit, Nut & Dark Chocolate Mix. Both samples were individual 45g packs, but they can also be bought in larger 125g packs to share (or to hide in your secret snacking place to come back to whenever you fancy a nibble !). As I was feeling generous, I divided each pack into four equal parts (and yes, the girls really did count to make sure each portion had equal numbers of each ingredient !).
The Berries Mix contains blueberries, cherries, cranberries, crimson raisins and cape gooseberries. Having never tasted a cape gooseberry before, I started out with one of those - they're so sharp they made me shudder but not in an unpleasant way ! The tartness nicely complemented the other berries in the pack and all the berries were packed full of flavour and juiciness.
As 45g split four ways doesn't go far, we decided to munch our way through the Fruit, Nut & Dark Chocolate Mix too, which contains cashew nuts, golden sultanas, pecans, raisins, apricots and dark chocolate drops. This mix certainly seemed more indulgent and satisfying but I think that is more due to the contrast between the crunchy nuts and the juicy fruit rather than the inclusion of chocolate drops. It's a delicious but healthy mix but there was one thing that disappointed me - in the whole 45g pack, there was one solitary piece of apricot (so yes, you guessed it, I had to nibble it into four equal-sized pieces to share out !).
The other two varieties that we didn't try are Nature with a hint of exotic Fruit & Nut (pistachios, sultanas, almonds, Chilean raisins and dragon fruit - hmmm another fruit I've never tried before) and Nature with a hint of naughty Yoghurt (yoghurt-coated pineapple, pumpkin seeds, sultanas, almonds and raisins).
The snacks nicely balance taste and healthiness, counting as one of your five-a-day portions of fruit but tasting as delicious as sweets. Everyone in our family, kids and adults alike, loved every single ingredient. They would make brilliant healthy snacks on the move or lunchbox treats in the individual bags, and a bigger family-sized bag would make a great alternative to popcorn, crisps or sweets in front of the telly.
The fruit and nuts pack in lots of vitamins and antioxidants but are relatively low in calories, compared to alternative snack choices - depending on the variety, a small pack contains around 150-200 calories.
I'll definitely be looking out for the other varieties to give them a go. I might have to hide them next time though so that I can eat them when the girls aren't around and avoid splitting them four ways !
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : 89p for a 45g pack, £1.79 for a 125g pack
Other reviews you might be interested in :
Nakd Wildly Different Fruit-Infused Raisins
Nakd Wildly Different Raw Fruit, Nut & Oat Bars
Asda's Great Stuff range for kids - great healthy snacks and meals
Harvest Cheweee Cereal Bars
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