The February Degustabox has arrived !

I always love the first peek inside a new Degustabox, trying to spot what might be hiding inside before diving in and unpacking it all. As soon as I saw the first products in February's box, I knew that last month's healthy eating theme was long gone !

Although there are still some healthy options, there are some totally indulgent treats like chocolates and brownies in this box too. As usual, it's a nice mix with cooking sauces, drinks and snacks from some well known brands and also some totally unknown companies.

The kids squealed with delight when I pulled out the first product - some Chocolate Brownie Bites from the American Muffin Company (£2.50). They're individually wrapped so they're great for popping in your handbag for snacks on the go. They're very nice and I was surprised to spot that they are gluten free and wheat free so even Coeliacs can enjoy them.

Staying on the chocolatey theme, our next find was Lily O’Brien’s Cocoa Cookie Crunch (£2.60). We tried out some of Lily O Brien's Christmas Chocolates this year and these were equally nice, if not nicer. They're crunchy chocolate biscuit pieces smothered in creamy milk chocolate and the sharing pouch didn't last for long !

Original Melba Thins (£1.39) were the next product out of the box. They're labelled as "quite somethin' - for night owls & early birds", which basically means they can be eaten for dinner with savoury toppings or for breakfast with sweet toppings. 

We've tried many of the Schwartz Flavour Shots (2 x £1.40) in previous Degustaboxes and they're a great way of knocking up a tasty and exotic dish with very little effort. The blend of herb and spice infused oil really packs a punch and adds great depth of flavour. You can read my review of the Spanish Paella Flavour Shots here and I'm looking forward to trying out the Indian Mild Masala Curry one very soon.

Beet It Sport Pro-Elite Bars (2 x £1.85) are a new one to me but it is apparently the number one natural nitrate brand in the world. They are reputed to help lower blood pressure and improve sports performances. They are flapjack bars and they taste better than I expected !

Another unknown snack brand next - Jack Link's Original Beef Snack (£1.39). It's made with the best quality beef seasoned with spices and oven roasted. Sounds perfect as I'm following the Dukan 2 diet at the moment and that's pure protein !

A duo of peanut-themed products next. Whole Earth Peanut Butter with Sunflower, Pumpkin and Flaxseed is another high-protein offering that I can tuck into without feeling too guilty. It can be eaten on bread or toast but I'll also be looking at incorporating it into muffins or cookies. Peanut Hottie (£3) is a hot drink powder that I'd heard about but never tried. I was very dubious but it's not as sickly as I thought - Sophie can't get enough of it !

Laimon Fresh (£1.99) is another brand that I'd heard of but never tried. It's a lightly sparkling lemon, lime and mint flavoured soft drink using only 100% natural ingredients. It's a lovely refreshing drink that is more sophisticated and grown up than many soft drinks on the market. It can be drunk on its own or mixed with white rum to create an instant mojito !

The enclosed recipe card gives the Spanish Paella recipe that you can find on the Flavour Shots pack and a serving suggestion for Melba Thins. Nothing very inspirig but the products don't give you much leeway in terms of creative recipes this time.

The total retail value of this month's box is £22.56 so the £12.99 subscription fee is great value, especially as you can use code  DCM2X to get a £3 discount at the checkout.

You might also like to know that there is currently a giveaway on the Degustabox facebook page, running until the end of April, where you can win your very own Degustabox.

for more information :

http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - website

http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook

http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter

Disclosure : I received a free box in order to write an honest review.