Sunday 11 December 2011

Treat #2 Pick n mix

In our office we have what we call the 'tuck shop' - a corner where people take it in turns to leave biscuits and sweets - usually when they come back off holiday, but sometimes just for the hell of it. Currently it's stocked up with old school sweeties ... strawberry laces, foam bananas and milk bottles ... treats I used to love as a kid but just don't appeal to me now - perhaps because they taste too synthetic.

Still having something sweet to nibble on is always pleasant, so here are my alternative sweeties which would also make great healthy stocking fillers:

Bear yoyos - a healthy alternative to strawberry laces, you can get these in Holland & Barrett and some Boots

Dried mango slices - chewy and supersweet, I get mine from the Camden Food Company

Dried strawberries sweetened with apple juice - I get a small scoopfull from Cranberry when I feel I need a sweet treat but they also sell them and also dried cherries in my local tesco.

Dried fruit and nut mixes - sweetness with the added crunhc, these mixes are sold pretty much everywhere. Natural is best but for a treat I love the savoury sweet combo of salted peanuts and raisins.

Dark chocolate brazil nuts - way healthier than yoghurt or milk chocolate covered nuts (less sugar and no dairy) but still have the whole Christmas snackiness about them! Add dark chocolate covered apricots to that too.

On the theme of dark chocolate I just discovered Thornton's mini dark bars. I've always loved the Green & Black mini bars, but these are also super tasty and are mini versions of their new dark chocolate blocks. They had plain, mint and ginger available in my local Thornton's but the larger blocks come in even more tempting flavours and are all gluten free and vegan. I've always found Thornton's chocolate too sweet but these have just the right level of sweetness, plus they're a bit more substantial than the G&B mini bars.

Feeling lazy ... sign up to Graze - they do the most adorable little snack boxes with amazing dried fruit, nut and chocolate combinations such as mayan mocha (dark chocolate coated coffee beans, blanched almonds, physalis and jumbo raisins) or jaffa cake (roasted hazels, orange infused sultanas and dark chocolate buttons), plus healthier chocolate free versions.

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