I’ve always been a bit sceptical about subscription boxes, and my experience with Abel and Cole last year didn’t do anything to dispel that scepticism. But after lusting after The Vegan Kind boxes for several months, it was only a matter of time before I decided to part with my hard-earned cash. The fact that I would get £5 off my first order was also a deciding factor.
I still consider myself to be in the early stages of my vegan journey, so I’m always on the lookout for new vegan foods – snacks especially. This is why The Vegan Kind lifestyle box is an ideal way to discover new goodies. It’s like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get! Admittedly, I was still a little concerned the box would turn up and I’d hate everything in it. Mainly because I’m a fussy eater and consider myself to be a crap vegan. I feel there are a huge amount of foods that I should like – but don’t. I just had to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t my lifestyle box – it was Ian’s as well – and he eats just about anything, so it would be highly unlikely that something would end up going to waste.
Because of the date I signed up I had no idea if I would be in time for September’s box. So, last Saturday when the postman knocked on the door I was super excited! After I’d done my happy dance up and down the hall a few times (true story), I decided to open it and see what all the fuss was about. Or rather, I left it sat on a table for a couple of hours, convincing myself I was going to make an unboxing video. Ha! But I finally realised this wasn’t going to happen for several reasons. 1) We’re in the process of renovating our house, so I convinced myself there was nowhere to film it. 2) I was in my scruffs, supposedly getting ready to do work on the house (this didn’t actually happen), and thought it would take too much time and effort to make myself look presentable. 3) I hate being in front of the camera and really wasn’t in the mood for getting waaaaaaay out of my comfort zone! I’ll see how I feel when I receive October’s box.
What vegan goodies are in the box?
So, what’s inside September’s box? That my friends, is a very good question.
- Lenny and Larry’s white chocolate macadamia nut cookie
- Livia’s Kitchen salted maca caramel Biccy Boms
- Pop Chips sea salt and black pepper chips
- Cheeky P’s curry flavour roasted chickpeas
- Beloved date nectar
- Revolution Foods protein sample
- Green Frog natural geranium and peppermint body wash
- Raw Energy bliss balls recipe
The Vegan taste test
Lenny and Larry’s white chocolate macadamia nut cookie
The first snack to get the taste test was Lenny and Larry’s complete cookie. I don’t have a great track record with macadamia nuts, but I was willing to put previous experiences behind me and give the cookie a chance – and I’m glad I did. It was SO nice! Apart from the fact it tasted good, I liked that it contained 16g of protein, which makes this an ideal pre or post workout snack. The cookie serves two, so that’s a protein hit of 8g – which is what I get from one of my homemade protein bars. The next time someone suggests that vegans live on diet of sawdust and wood shavings, point them in the direction of this bad boy.
Pop Chips sea salt and black pepper chips
Next up was the Pop Chips. Now, I’m not really a fan of crisps. Ever since I stopped eating pickled onion Monster Munch and Space Raiders as a kid, crisps are something that rarely make an appearance in my diet. But being in the box, I had to give them a try and was pleasantly surprised. They were very tasty, and because they aren’t fried like a lot of crisps are, they don’t taste greasy either. I can’t say they’ll be going on my weekly shopping list, but if I was out and about and found myself in need of a snack, I’d definitely grab a packet if I saw them.
Livia’s Kitchen salted maca caramel biccy boms
Livia’s Kitchen Salted Caramel Biccy Boms. Oh. My. Rare. These are immense! They came in a pack of two, although after visiting Livia’s website, we also saw they’re available in sharing bags as well. Although, if I bought a bag, I can’t guarantee I would be willing to share them with anyone. It was a close tie with the cookie, but I think this was my favourite snack in the box.
Beloved date nectar
Although we haven’t opened the Beloved date nectar yet, I know it will get used as we’ve bought it in the past. I think this will come in handy for baking with.
Cheeky P’s curry flavour roasted chickpeas
Cheeky P’s Chickpeas. I don’t like chickpeas, so as soon as I saw these I told Ian he could have them! Ground-up chickpeas in a recipe I’m okay with. But full chickpeas, I really don’t care for. Ian asked me to try them because of the curry flavour, but I can’t bring myself to do it. So, for now, I’m sticking them on the dislike list. But like I said earlier, Ian eats anything, so they won’t go to waste.
Green Frog natural geranium and peppermint body wash
I was happy to find a body wash inside the lifestyle box, and looked forward to trying it. But when I did I was left feeling disappointed. It didn’t foam like other body washes do and I thought the smell was awful. I love that it’s made with 100% plant based ingredients, but it just wasn’t what I expected from a body wash. It will get used, but I won’t be buying another one. Sorry Green Frog, but it’s a no from me.
Revolution Foods protein sample
We haven’t tried the Revolution protein sample yet. I believe that it’s possible to reach your daily protein intake through food without the use of supplements. I understand there will be occasions when training for certain events, larger amounts of protein may be needed and a supplement will be required. But as for BCAA’s supplements, as far as I’m aware, there isn’t any proven research at the moment to say they can benefit a workout. I know this comes down to personal preference, but overall, I believe the correct amount of protein can be reached through a healthy diet. I’m not saying this sample will never get used, but at this moment in time I don’t feel it fits my requirements.
Raw energy bliss balls recipe card
I really like the fact that a recipe card is included in each Vegan Kind lifestyle box. I haven’t tried any of the recipes out yet, but I’m really looking forward to making the hazelnut Ferrero Rocher style balls. It seems pretty straightforward – just the way I like my recipes to be! This month’s recipe was by Beloved Dates.
Final Thoughts
When the box first arrived, I was super excited. Mainly because I had no idea what it contained – which is the whole point! But when I opened it and saw a packet of crisps and some chickpeas, I felt a little deflated to begin with. I had to remind myself that this wasn’t just my lifestyle box though, it was for Ian too, and the whole point of subscribing is to discover new snacks and products. And as it happened, the crisps turned out to be pretty tasty!
Overall, I really liked the box, and even though there are some things I would never go out and buy – I now know they exist. So, it means if I stumble across them in the future I’ve already tried them and crossed them off my list. The other thing I liked is the ‘featured campaign of the month’. Every month The Vegan Kind donate 10p from every box sold to their featured charity/campaign of the month. I love this idea of giving something back. This month, donations are being made to Animals Asia.
I think The Vegan Kind lifestyle box is a great idea and can’t wait to see what arrives next month. Lifestyle boxes are £10 plus p&p and contain 5 to 8 cruelty free vegan products.
Are you a subscriber to The Vegan Kind, or is it something you would ever consider? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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