Tag Archives: Biona

Kale Wrap / Sour Sweets

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KALE WRAP
Finally.. they were one of the last coffeeshops, but Starbucks introduced a vegan meal. Or meal, something more than a hand full of nuts or a piece of dark chocolate. Starbucks is my favourite place to get tea. I drink my green tea with soy milk or, my latest discovery.. a Green tea Soy latte. If I wanted to eat something  I could choose between some little snacks, because all the sandwiches, wraps and cakes have meat, dairy or egg in them. A lot of other coffeeshops already offered vegan options, especially if we talk about PRET, they are king! Though Starbucks didn’t. Such a shame. But as the world is changing, Starbucks had to. And of course I had to try it. I didn’t have breakfast the morning I did and so it was kind of like a breakfast burrito. First of all, I think it looks good. The lettuce inside and the wrap itself are fresh and the overall taste is nice. It’s just a shame there is a lot of crap (sugar!) in them. But if you’re in a rush and you need to have something in your stomach, I think Starbucks did a good job with offering something tasty!  Let’s hope for more options in the future. Way to go!

SOUR SWEETS
I love love love sour sweeties. I know they’re not good for you, but very once in a while I have some. Sometimes until my tongue is literally open. I know.. it’s bad! It’s just so yummy. The sour the better. A while ago I discovered these Sour Snakes from Biona. BIona is one of my favourite brands. They just have a lot of good stuff. I took these to Rome and I was pleasantly surprised by the taste They’re sour (though it could of lasted a little longer) and the taste is nice. They’re obviously still not healthy, but I’m sure it’s at least better than the other ones. But just once in a while it should be fine. To take with you on a trip or like me.. when I’m on my period (serious cravings!).

Did you already know these products or are you going to try them after reading this? Please let me know or show me on Instagram by using #PlanetManel. Would you like me to test and review your product(s) or do you have any suggestions? Please send me a message via CONTACT! It can be anything (food, drinks, beauty..) as long as it’s vegan. Thank you! X

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Linseed / Chocolate

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LINSEED
Whenever I buy linseed, which is whenever I run out, I buy the brown linseed from Biona at the Whole Foods Market. I love this brand and it has good prices for good quality. I use linseed every day. I always put 1/2-1 tbsp in my green smoothie. I also use it as a topping for my smoothie bowls, yogurt or in my salad. Linseed are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids and fibre, but they are also high in antioxidants. Perfect to start your day with this. Starting your day with a tbs of linseed is especially helpful when you’re a constipated. That also means that you have to make sure you don’t use too much, as it can work lactating.

CHOCOLATE
It’s quite tricky to get Tony’s Chocolonely here in the UK. There are a few rare shops that sell it, but it’s definitely not like it is in Holland. There you can just get them everywhere, even in the normal supermarkets. I’m sure they will come to the UK. Tony’s Chocolonely is a great brand, as it’s 100% fair trade and slave free. There are manyyyyy flavours. They are  known for their flavour combinations as they are not as any regular chocolate flavours. A lot of them are vegan, but unfortunately not all of them. My favourite is this one, the salted almond. It’s heavenly! I also really like the coconut-pecan, but lately I’m always buying only this one. It’s so good with a nice cup of tea. I always make sure I buy a few bars before flying back to London, in case I wasn’t given any. As a lot of people tend to get me this.. I really don’t mind! Haha!

Did you already know these products or are you going to try them after reading this? Please let me know or show me on Instagram by using #PlanetManel. Would you like me to test and review your product(s) or do you have any suggestions? Please send me a message via CONTACT! It can be anything (food, drinks, beauty..) as long as it’s vegan. Thank you! X

Harissa / Butter

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HARISSA
Last year I discovered this yummy thing, called Harissa. I make a super easy to make aubergine dish with it. The recipe ‘Keen On Aubergine’ will be shared with all of you soon. I made it for a lot of people already and everybody loves it. Yes people, vegan food is delicious and we do not eat grass, haha! I also discovered Harissa is also very tasty on a sandwich. Just put some cream cheese, houmous or guacamole and with some raw veggies on a sandwich and spread a thin layer of Harissa over it too. I’m sure you will like it. Harissa is quite spicy, but it also has a unique flavour. Unfortunately several brands put sugar in it. This is super unnecessary and I don’t understand why they do this. But Sainsbury’s own brand is cheap, tasty and without any crap. Also, because it’s not very big it’s less likely to go bad. Unless I just got you addicted and you need a bigger jar.

BUTTER
Some people can be quite fussy about butter I noticed. I heard a lot of people struggling finding a nice butter in their vegan transitioning. I’m not fussy at all about this, as long as it’s vegan. Also I don’t use a lot of butter. Though, if I have to pick one, it’s definitely this one! It’s from one of my favourite brands again, Biona. It’s very spreadable (ok, if I have to fuss about butter, than it’s that I want it to spread and not break my sandwich!!) and has a slight coconut oil taste. I love everything with coconut and so this butter is just really my thing. What explains that this is the butter I keep in my fridge, even though I almost never use it. The one thing I use it for mostly, is if I’m snacking on a rice cakes with a slices of Vio life. This is definitely one of my guilty pleasures (of all time). So yummy!

Did you already know these products or are you going to try them after reading this? Please let me know or show me on Instagram by using #PlanetManel. Would you like me to test and review your product(s) or do you have any suggestions? Please send me a message via CONTACT! It can be anything (food, drinks, beauty..) as long as it’s vegan. Thank you! X

Black Beans + Chickpeas / Custard

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BLACK BEANS + CHICKPEAS
Where do you get your protein from?! Well, from this! Black beans and chickpeas form Biona. Not only this obviously, but I use black beans and chickpeas most often as my main protein source. Mostly I eat them in my salad. I wash them first and then I add 1/2 a can to my raw veggies and mix it up. I absolutely love this and do this almost daily. It’s so easy and super tasty. Another thing what I do is make dips and spreads. With the chickpeas I make houmous and in a very similar way I also make a spread with the black beans. Super delicious and  healthy to put on a sandwich and crackers. I especially like it, because you know exactly what you put in it. Also, because you can make a lot, it’s perfect for parties! Just serve some raw veggies (cucumber, carrots) and crackers with it and people will start dipping and spreading, I’m sure.

CUSTARD
This is such a thing here in the UK. This custard of Alpro reminds me more of ‘vanilla vla’, than of custard, but it’s very nice. ‘Vanilla via’ is something similar we have in Holland and we eat it as a dessert. The old fashion way to eat is, I believe my grandparents must still do it, is with a bit of yogurt and a splash of syrup (red squash) in the middle. Like it isn’t sweet enough, haha! I remember my dad used to mix a whole pack of this, with a whole pack of yogurt and then added apples, bananas, raisins and cinnamon. He’d mix it up in a big bowl and then we divided it into smaller bowls for pudding. It was always my favourite. Good memories! A shame it was dairy though. Anyway, this vegan custard is super delicious with the Dutchie Pie I made, so make sure you’ll give it a try. Try heating it up a little bit and it’s even better.

Did you already know these products or are you going to try them after reading this? Please let me know or show me on Instagram by using #PlanetManel. Would you like me to test and review your product(s) or do you have any suggestions? Please send me a message via CONTACT! It can be anything (food, drinks, beauty..) as long as it’s vegan. Thank you! X

Black Chai / Berry Burst

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img_3054BLACK CHAI
My favourite tea by farrrr is chai tea, because I have a real chai latte addiction. I can drink it all day long.. and sometimes I do. Only I rather keep it for in the evenings, as a treat. It’s even a bigger treat when my boyfriend makes it for me and he does that very often. He is not a tea drinker himself, but he even likes this chai latte too. Chai lattes, for me, are definitely little moments of happiness. Do you want to know how I make it? Check out the Foamy Chai recipe! I used all sorts of chai tea for my latte, but the best one so far is the ‘Black Chai’ from Yogi.  It has a very powerful taste and especially when you leave the tea bag in a little longer, before pouring the milk in, the taste is define. Did I mention yet that it’s organic tea? Well, it is! No nasty pesticides in your cup of love. I also really like the little quotes and messages on each tea bag, I find it very exciting to read what it says. Drinking a chai latte and reading a wise quote before bed time is a perfect combination!

img_6967BERRY BURST
As a vegan (or vegetarian) you can’t just pop any sweets in your mouth. A lot of sweets contain gelatine and if they don’t, then they often contain beeswax. Only sometimes you just really crave sweets isn’t it? I must admit that I don’t really have that a lot, but if I do I like to eat some of the Biona sweets. These Berry Burst sweets for example. They are not healthy or anything, but they’re vegan and they are organic though. Also, they are actually very tasty. Very fruity and a nice consistency. As they’re quite small, have a nice red-pink colour and are nicely shaped, they’re perfect to use for decorating ice cream or cakes.

Did you already know these products or are you going to try them after reading this? Please let me know or show me on Instagram by using #PlanetManel. Would you like me to test and review your product(s) or do you have any suggestions? Please send me a message via CONTACT! It can be anything (food, drinks, beauty..) as long as it’s vegan. Thank you! X