Review: Bean Supreme - Vegetarian Sausages:

After deciding recently to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my diet I bought vegetarian sausages. The Bean Supreme brand (NZ) has three different flavours of vege sausages. I tried out Sundried Tomato and Kalamata Olive.

These (as the company name suggests) are made out of beans - soy beans. The ingredients list for this product isn't too long, and most of the ingredients are ones you would have in your pantry.

A serving size is two sausages, there are 6 in a pack.


Nutrition: 194 calories, 8.5g fat (4.8g saturated), 13.1g carbs, 4.3g sugar, 16.3g protein, 688mg sodium.

Pretty good calories with high protein, and better fat than regular sausages. The sodium is quite high but that's expected.

Taste: These look like real sausages. I just put them in the oven until browned. I first tried them chopped up into a bowl with rice and veggies. I like the taste of the sausages, but for me, this flavour is far too overpowering. A plain flavour would have been much better.

Texture: Like I said above, the texture of these is really good. This flavour has chopped sundried tomato throughout.

Value: These are about $7.00 NZD on special at the supermarket. Probably what you expect for a product like this, and with 2 to a serving you get three meals out of it, which isn't so bad.

Overall: 6/10

I really like the texture of these, but I just didn't enjoy this flavour. It was far too strong and overpowering and ruined it for me. I like sundried tomatoes and olives, but it was just too much. I have since tried the Rosemary and Sage ones and they are better. I'll definitely be buying the other flavours.

Review: Sambazon Organic Freeze-Dried Acai Powder

In one of my recent iHerb orders, I finally decided to try out Acai powder. It's a pretty popular superfood, but I wasn't really what sure what to do with it. It's a purple berry that grows in the Amazon forest and is used in smoothies, yoghurt, and other drinks.

The brand I got is Sambazon, it was $18.49 for 90g, which serves 30. 

Acai (pronounced A-sigh-ee) provides powerful antioxidants and helps boost your immune system.

So far I have added it to my smoothies and greek yoghurt.

It's purple in colour, and to be kept in the fridge after opening. It comes with a little scoop, which is so cute, and handy.



Nutrition: 20 calories, 1.5g fat (Omega 6 and 9), 1g carbs, and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Taste: It's not a sweet powder, so you would want to add some sweetener too if you have a

sweet tooth. It just tastes like what it is - dried berry. It's a little bit dull, so I think it really depends what you mix it with.

Texture: It does have a bit of a powdery texture, but mixes in well with yoghurts and drinks.

Value: While quite pricey for a reasonably small tub, I think it will last me quite a while. A little goes quite a long way.

Overall: 6.5/10

I don't know if I would purchase this again, as the taste isn't really my thing, but if it really does boost your immune system

If you want to purchase Acai berry you can purchase from here, and get a 5-10% discount off your first iHerb order by using my discount code LDJ484.

Recipe: Beetroot, Pineapple, Carrot, Celery, and Ginger Juice

I've been into making juices at home a bit lately, and experimenting. Today I made a beetroot, pineapple, celery, carrot, and ginger juice.

Makes 1

Ingredients: 

• 5 baby beetroot/2 medium
• 3 small carrots (1 large or 2 medium)
• 1/4 - 1/3 pineapple (depending how sweet you like it)
• 1 (long) stalk of celery
• small cube of ginger (depends on taste...I like it strong. add small amounts until happy with it)

Directions:

Juice all ingredients and pour into a glass. Add small amounts of ginger inbetween adding other ingredients.

Nutritional Info:

165 calories, 1g fat, 38g carbs (8g fibre, 26g sugar), 4g protein, 230mg sodium

Food Review: R.A.W Food Bar (Cashew)

I've seen these R.A.W food bars around a bit, but never tried one. I got one the other day from the supermarket since it was on special.

Brand: Ceres Organics

Ingredients: Cashews (50%), dates. - Pretty raw ingredients! 

Nutritional Value (per bar): 217 cal, 4.9g protein, 12.3g fat (2.1g saturated), 21.4g carbs (18g sugar), 4mg sodium

While obviously high is fat and sugar, both ingredients are natural so it's still a good option for a treat (over a regular bar anyway).

Taste: Pretty good, it is quite small (50g) for the amount of calories, but it keeps you satisfied if you're looking for something small and sweet in the afternoon! The flavour isn't anything amazing, just a slight cashew taste. So I wouldn't bother if you don't like cahews.

Price: What you expect for a health bar. Around $3.00, sometimes cheaper if it's on special.

Overall: 7/10

I would buy this again for a good raw snack, I just wish it had more flavour.

Review: Lorna Jane Fluro 3/4 Workout Pants

Every time I travel to Australia I always stop by the Lorna Jane shop. This time I went to Lorna Jane in DFO in Brisbane.

I bought these 3/4 workout pants on sale for $55 AUD.

They are made from "LJ excel Classic" which is apparently their best selling fabric, being shrink and fade resistant, quick drying, and breathable, among a couple of other things.

I wore these for the first time today, and for the ultimate test - it was squat day, so I could test how stretchy they were!

There is a handy pocket at the back with a zip (which I like, I always think things will fall out without one). There is no inside pocket on these pants.

They are pretty tight, but really stretchy. The big grey band around the top makes them comfortable and doesn't dig in and make big fabric marks on your skin. I like the length of them, especially since it's coming up to winter (boo!)

They were comfortable to squat in, and so far they seem like great workout brands. 

Final verdict: 4/5

While a little on the pricey side, you are paying for the brand, and hopefully long-lasting quality.