LifeBox – Energy December 2018

LifeBox is a monthly collection of natural snacks, drinks and ingredients to support a healthy lifestyle. All items are vegan, and gluten and dairy free. It costs from £22.95 per month, including postage.

This box is the Energy version, which is designed to support activity and recovery for both men & women. As t happens, there might be occasional items which are not vegan in this version of the box, but it’s very rare.

On top is a little booklet.

You’ve got an introduction to the ethos of the box.

There are also some yummy and healthy recipes, plus a little bit about one of the brands in the box.

The menu is on a separate card.

Let’s take a look!

This is a small carton of Bam Organic Vanilla Protein Milk. This is fantastic. No artificial nonsense, no refined sugar, and a massive 25g of protein in each carton! And it’s organic. Now I want to try the chocolate version.

This is a vegan product, Bonsan Organic Cocomayo. This is a pretty interesting product, and as well as being vegan would be excellent for anyone with an egg allergy. Mayonnaise is wonderful, so it’s great for people who can’t have eggs. As it happens I make my own mayo, so I’m actually going to pass this on to egg-allergic friends (I don’t have any vegan friends).

Dr Will’s is the company featured in the booklet, and these are three little sachets of their sauces – Beetroot Ketchup, Tomato Ketchup, and BBQ sauce. The ingredients are really impressive, all natural and no refined sugar, and they really do taste good, especially compared to the ludicrous sweetness of regular ketchups.

If you love coke but hate all the chemical stuff in it, you’ll love this! Karma Cola Natural Sugar Free Cola. It’s ethically produced, contains no artificial horrors, and remarkably refreshing. Much, much better in every way than the stuff in the red cans.

These are two English Tea Shop Organic Black Tea Chai bags. A nice spiced tea, very warning for winter.

I was waiting for something Christmassy, and this Kitchen & Soul Christmas Ball is the one!  It’s a lovely fruit and nut energy ball with spices and orange for a festive taste.

Here there should be a Love Cocoa Chocolate bar but mine is missing from the box. Nooooooo… I have had the brand, though, and it’s delicious chocolate.

Nairn’s is famous for oatcakes and it looks like they’re branching out. This is a Nairn’s Oatcakes Cacao & Orange Oat Bar. They’ve got an impressive sugar content comparison on their website, and this is indeed lower in sugar than the average bar of this type. Very handy for a snack and not too crazy on the calories, plus chocolate and orange is a classic flavour combination!

This interestingly-named nu+cao chocolate bar is another snack/energy bar that isn’t heavy on the sugar. It’s quite high in fat, but combined with a pretty low carb count this is a great snack if you’re looking to keep carbs low and fat high. It’s organic too.

These Protein Ball Co. Raspberry Brownie Protein Balls are yummy. They’re not really high in protein, but they’re delicious, filling, and made from natural ingredients. My daughter is very fond of these, and they make a great after school snack too!

I’ve never heard of these. Raw & Wild Activated Pili Nuts Raw Chocolate and Coconut. Pili nuts are wild harvested and the activated, and these ones are coated with raw cacao and coconut. They’re both crunchy and creamy, great nutritional profile, and very yummy. A new discovery!

This is a little pot of Raw Ecstasy Activated Almond Butter. This is a pretty labour-intensive product, as the nuts are actually stoneground. They’re also organic. Almond butter is delicious, and a great alternative to peanut butter.

Finally, a single serve sachet of Teapigs Matcha On-The-Go. Very easy to use, just pour into water and give it a shake.

One more thing which wasn’t on the menu: a mini tube of Green People Unscented Shampoo. 83% organic, no harsh chemicals, and perfect for sensitive skin. Very handy.

Once again, a terrific selection of goodies from LifeBox.

My favourite item is the protein drink. I’m also very impressed with the ketchups and BBQ sauces, I’m definitely going to look out for these in the shops.

I’m less sure about the vegan mayo, simply because I don’t buy mayo of any kind, but I know a lot of people will appreciate this.

This is a great way to discover foods and snacks that aren’t loaded with junk. There’s even a healthy soda!

Lots of items are organic, ethically produced, and from small companies.

You even get several excellent recipes in the booklet every month, which is great for exploring healthier cooking.

One of the things I like best about this box is discovering new products, because I do try to make an effort to eat reasonably healthily. The higher-protein content of many the items in this box is also a huge plus.