Beware hidden sugars !

Founder of Nut Blend Nut Butter Gabriella Block discusses hidden sugars lurking in “healthy snacks”

Whether it’s 4pm in the afternoon or straight after dinner, I always like to ‘indulge’ in a healthy snack. To you that might mean chocolate, to others it could be a piece of fruit – but in any case, it is usually a healthy craving of energy, satisfaction and happiness. Unfortunately, these feelings are often associated with consuming sugary foods.

In 2015, I struggled to find a naturally flavoured food product on the market that had zero added sugar or sweeteners – including “healthy” sugars (unrefined) and those from dried fruit, such as dates.

I started experimenting with 100% natural nut butters and a range of unique ingredients; and watched them transform into a velvety smooth spread – although it never went further than my spoon. I felt zero guilt or anxiety and avoided empty energy and sugar lows.

I could – and still do – eat the entire jar and feel simply amazing!

This is what inspired me to set up a business and launch Nut Blend Nut Butters.

Nut Blend’s mission is to provide guilt-free indulgence and ‘feel good’ flavour without any type of added sugars, sweeteners, salt or oils. Did we mention, our nut butters are the perfect addition to vegan snacks and/or gluten free snacks! By blending a specific combination of ingredients, we strive to satisfy your sweet tooth in the healthiest way.

In the current UK market, 89% of nut butter brands enhance the taste of ‘flavoured’ variants, such as chocolate hazelnut, with added sugar or naturally sourced sweeteners, such as dates; stevia; rice malt; maple syrup; agave syrup; coconut nectar; honey or fruit juice concentrate – and these are all just code names for sugar.

• One date contains 18g of sugar.
• Agave syrup is highly refined and contains almost 90% fructose (the sugar we want to avoid). It is metabolised by the liver and has more chance of being stored as fat.
• Honey, along with maple syrup, agave nectar and rice malt syrup, lacks nutrients like fibre, which prevents you from feeling full and thus can lead to excess calorie consumption.

This is why our ingredients are different.

Nut Blend contains a very small amount of naturally occurring sugar, an average of just 0.75g per serving and 5.1g per 100g; zero salt and is free from added oils. We celebrate high-quality ingredients and provide you with total product transparency. For example, Indulgent Nut Butter starts with rich cacao and ends with crunchy cacao nibs. We soften cacao’s bitterness with a touch of coconut – so as not to overpower the flavour – and for depth and creaminess add sunflower seeds, almonds and cashew nuts. That’s it. Lifebox is proud to feature healthy snacks like Nut Blend in our various subscription gifts.

• Praline Nut Butter contains raw maca, which derives from a Peruvian vegetable and adds sweet caramel notes.
• Perfect Nut Butter adds a pinch of rich, spicy cinnamon and pure vanilla.
• Coconut is naturally sweet and silky smooth – and we use it in Golden Nut Butter for a tropical flavour.

Nut Blend grew out of passion – for the ingredients, the taste and the overall uplifting experience – and we promise to make you feel good.

Find out more about healthy snack brand Nut Blend here