New discoveries for #BreakfastWeek

Breakfast Week is always a great time for introducing new recipes and ingredients to the breakfast table so we were delighted to receive this trio of products to try out. They are all also great sugar-swap products, reducing the sugar content of our usual breakfasts.

First up was the 30% Less Fat Lighter Strawberry & Blueberry Granola from Jordan's - perfect if you're watching your waistline since Christmas. (It also exists in a Raspberry & Apple variant.) Jordans have added barley to their oats which naturally reduces the fat by 30%, compared to other granolas. The freeze-dried blueberries and raspberries as well as the addition of honey adds sweetness while the wholegrain oats look after your heart and fill your tummy. It is high in fibre and helps maintain your cholesterol, but the best thing is, it tastes great and keeps the hunger pangs at bay until lunchtime. 

I always like to kickstart my day with a glass of fruit juice but I'd never really thought about trying vegetable juice. V8 sent us a carton of their Original V8 Vegetable Juice which is a blend of eight different juices : tomato, carrot, beetroot, celery, parsley, spinach, Iceberg lettuce and cress. I was delighted to learn that one 150ml glass counts as one of your 5 a day and only contains 26 calories and 4.2g of natural sugars, compared to 15g of sugar in a glass of orange juice. It looks like tomato juice which already had Pierre looking dubious ("Is it blood ?!") and, sadly, the kids weren't totally won over by the taste. (They did love the V8-Fusion Beetroot/Raspberry juice that we tried a while ago though.) As a grown-up, knowing how good it is for me, I've been happily drinking it, and I actually really like the taste. V8 are on a mission to get you to Activ8 but also to win prizes - they currently have a competition to win an Activ8 kit on Facebook and there is also a Fruit & Veg Machine which can help you win weekly prizes too.

And finally, Clarks Maple Syrup. This is great drizzled over pancakes or porridge as a slightly less sweet alternative to honey but can also be used in a variety of recipes. I've recently used it to make the gooey delicious Canadian delights that are Nanaimo Bars and a lovely Cranberry and Apple Compote, and I had a very successful attempt at making Cinnamon Maple Sticky Buns, but if you want to try a savoury dish, Maple Syrup Glazed Pork is delicious too. I'll be sharing some recipes tomorrow using the Original Maple Syrup which contains carob fruit syrup so it is a lower sugar option.

Are you shaking up your wake up for Breakfast Week? If so, what have you been munching on?

Disclosure : We received the products in order to write an honest review.