Innocent Alphabet Champions - X is for...

I'm a big fan of innocent as a brand. Not only are their smoothies and veg pots really delicious and convenient when on the go, but they make sneaking in a couple of those well needed 5 a day a doddle, especially when it comes to the kids! They use plenty of fruit in their drinks so they are bursting with flavour and they even make tubes which are 100% puree and juice that are ideal for lunch boxes. I couldn't really ask for more, especially with them currently being half price in many supermarkets too. We certainly took advantage of the offer recently.

The Smoothie Society

Struggling to get the precious five a day in? Fed up of those stinky vitamins that punctuate your mornings? Can't bear the thought of holding your nose yet again as the cod liver oil slowly slides down? Well why not join the ranks of the sworn in soldiers of the smoothie making society?

The world of the smoothie has really advanced over the past few years, and is no longer restricted by the constraints of regular fruits and juices. In dishing yourself out a delicious health kick in the morning; it can be goodbye to orange juice and bananas, and hello to aloe vera juice and wheatgrass powder!

A decent blender needn't set you back the earth, but will open up a universe of possibilities in creating a healthy start to your day. The more traditional smoothie ingredients can be combined with a wide range of interesting ideas to keep things fresh and different. If you’re taking supplements such as muscle building or weight loss protein powders, these can even be added to your blend to keep you away from that tiresome shaker!

Ingredients such as wheatgrass powder supercharge your red blood cells with green plant chlorophyll to help bodily regeneration and cleansing, while aloe vera juice supports a healthy digestive system. Zinc powder and Echinacea will give your immune system a boost, and guarana, ginseng and vitamin E products can all help to provide a dose of energy to set you on your way to an active day.

The beauty of the smoothie is that there is no better way to tailor a culinary creation to your own taste and fancy. Just chuck whatever you like in the blender and as long as you're not barking completely up the wrong tree you should be fine. Taking in certain things, such as carrots, in a raw state can also be favourable to their benefits, or release different goodness to when they are cooked.

There are zero constrictions to adhere to, but below are some ideas of ingredients you can throw together to get you started...

The Traditionalist

Orange juice, apple juice, banana, strawberries, raspberries

The Supercharger

Pineapple juice, aloe vera juice, wheatgrass powder, ginseng juice, mango

The Gym Buff

Pineapple juice, protein powder, oats, banana

The Vitamin Boost

Orange juice, vitamin E powder, carrot, ginger, lemon juice

The tasty treat

Vanilla ice cream, rhubarb, white chocolate, Greek yogurt

What goes in your smoothies?

*Sponsored guest post*

Good Natured - review

If you are looking for a healthy side to go along with the winter warming stews, pies and pastas Good Natured is a great option.

The award winning brand grow their fruit, veg, salad, herbs and potatoes in tunnels and glasshouses and by using natural predators like ladybirds they are able to provide your 5 a day in the best possible way - completely pesticide residue free.

Each product has a quirky name like 'Razzle Dazzle Basil' and 'Perfect Peppers' which makes them appeal to kid by bringing an element of fun to food that they may not always want to eat!

We received some 'Tantalising Baby Plum Tomatoes' to review and they really were delicious. The Mr likes to pop a few in his lunch box and I like them combined with salad. They lasted a long time in the fridge staying firm for several days and I really enjoyed the fresh taste and juiciness. They are priced competitively in comparison with supermarket products and they make a great snack to have to hand as an alternative to the biscuit barrel!

Good Natured's website has lots of information on where the produce is grown and a recipe page to inspire you to whip up something wonderful.

The Seasonal Calendar is helpful too as it informs you of which products will be available in store and when.

You can pick up your Good Natured products from Tesco, Asda and Morrisons.

*We received a voucher to purchase Good Natured products for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own*

Tilda Kids Review

It can be a struggle to get your child to eat vegetables at times so when products you wouldn't expect contain 1 of their 5 a day it's always a great bonus! Tilda's new rice for kids is not only delicious but it contains 1 of your child's portions of veg and is a perfect accompaniment for their meals.

Each pouch contains natural ingredients, are full of goodness without unwanted additives, are convenient as they can be heated in the microwave or on the hob, full of flavour and they contain vegetables in pieces and/or puree.

We were sent some Tilda rice to review and we were pleased with the product.





The packaging features cute animals which makes the product fun and attractive for children. There is a crocodile called Charlie, Monkey called Rupert, Jasmine a Tiger and Lottie a parrot. The base to the packets is transparent so you can see the rice before you buy it you fancy a nosey at what it looks like.



The rice comes in 4 flavours:

Mild and Sweet Curry 
Sunshine Vegetable
Sweet Vegetable and Wholegrain
Cheese and Tomato





It is very easy to cook, you simply tear the top slightly and heat in the microwave for 40 seconds (800w) or heat on the hob for 3-4minutes with a small amount of water. I was concerned that the rice would be dry but it was moist and fluffy as rice should be and it tasted very good. The kids enjoyed it with a variety of dishes, I had it as a snack and I feel it would be great to pop in your bag for work or to take on day trips to heat up whilst out and about with the family.

Nutritional bit
Each pouch is around 200 calories and is high in carbs - perfect to give your little people lots of energy!



Thumbs up all round!