One of the perks of being a food blogger is not just the naughty foods you get to eat, but doing unspeakable things like opening advent calendars before December...the horror! We've all done it before though, right?
Luckily on this occasion the advent calendar in question was more guilt free than eating an entire chocolate filled calendar...that's because it's full of healthy-plant based protein, is gluten free, refined sugar free and suitable for vegans. Hurrah! But doesn't that defeat the point of an advent calendar...aren't they meant to be a daily dose of something naughty leading up to Christmas Day?
I'm not sure the answer to that but calendars are certainly getting more fancy these days...you can get Gin, Wine and Beer calendars for around £40 from Iceland, or a large Wine Advent Calendar at Aldi for £50. Because why not spend the festive season sozzled?!
Thankfully there's saner options for those of us looking after our health, such as the very dull sounding Herbal Tea Advent Calendar from Holland and Barrett...and this, the Sci-mx Protein Advent Calendar - a much tastier but still very healthy alternative!
This calendar is available from Tesco and consists of 24 Bites of Plant Based Protein behind the windows. They contain a protein mixture made from peanuts, pumpkin seeds and peas, plus natural sugars from dried fruits like raisins. There's three flavours: Christmas Spice, Cranberry and Date and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
I do love the fun design of the calendar - it's tongue-in-cheek as well as seasonal and goes well with the fitness theme. It says "Merry Fitmas and a Happy New Rear" - does this mean you can get a new rear for Christmas after all the rich food takes it's toll? So many questions!
I must admit I felt guilty opening an advent calendar so early, like a naughty child or something. But it had to be done for snacks science! The protein piece behind door 1 was Christmas Spice. And it tasted...very nice! (I'm such a poet). The flavour is a classic spice mix of cinnamon, ginger and so on. The bite reminded me somewhat of Nakd bars, although a little drier in texture as there's more protein in these and less sugar. It was a pleasant and tasty little snack, and although I didn't realize it until after my second piece...it was rather filling! So far so good - I can get used to healthy eating if this is part of it.
The second door I opened revealed a sticky toffee pudding flavour. It had a super strong toffee aroma that smelled very inviting. Taste was it was again a bit like Nakd bars, and reminded me of their Toffee Nibbles actually. I preferred it over the Spice variety as it felt a tad more indulgent. Again, very filling and tasty!
The next few doors had more Christmas Spice flavour which was annoying because I wanted to find the Cranberry variety...and at last, I did!
This was my favourite flavour of all of them, it has a super fruity taste that isn't all that tart considering it's cranberry, but tastes perfectly festive. Think dried fruit mixed with spice - the best of both! I really liked this one and opened a few more windows, looking for another.
I haven't eaten the whole thing because it feels wrong considering it's not December yet, but maybe I'll just go out and purchase another and re start in December...I have a good excuse after all!
All in all, despite not really liking the idea of a "healthy" advent calendar initially, I'm happy to say this proved me wrong. If you're wanting to stay lean and healthy during December despite all the temptations the last thing you need is a daily dose of sweets, alcohol or cheese (yes, you can even get a Cheese Advent Calendar now too!). You might just want to save all that stuff up for the big day itself, and for that purpose this calendar is ideal. Bravo to Sci-mx for catering to people not only wanting a protein boost and to stay lean, but also those who are vegan and/or need to avoid dairy, gluten etc due to allergies. I would highly recommend this!