A few days ago a friend gave me a promotional code for a free ‘Graze box’. ‘A grazing what?’ I thought confused as an image of a crate of grass popped into my head. It turns out Graze is an online company who send out healthy, nutritious snacks by post. The ‘box’ is simply the environmentally friendly packaging they come in. The service works much like a magazine subscription; you create an account on the Graze website, giving your address and billing details and for a little over £3 a week you’re sent a Graze box containing four of their specially selected snacks.
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| The Graze Box |
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| Inside, the four punnets of nibbles |
They currently have over a hundred different foods grouped into categories like ‘crackers’, ‘natural treats’ and ‘dried fruit’. Although many of the options have similar ingredients –for example I counted 53 out of 113 snacks that contain nuts– so maybe it’s not for you if you’re picky or have allergies. You’re invited to rate each snack, choosing from ‘bin it’ if you don’t want to receive it at all, ‘try it’, ‘like it’ or ‘love it’. How you rate a snack determines how often you’re likely to get it in your box. There’s also a ‘send soon’ tick box for when you really want to try something. You don’t have complete control over the nibbles you get but you can roughly tailor it to your requirements. It’s great if you like most foods and enjoy surprises, which luckily I do!
My first box arrived on my nominated day with the normal post. I was impressed by how generous it was –about the size and shape of an A5 notebook– compared to similar healthy snacks Graze doesn’t score too badly in the value-for-stakes. The box came with a couple of leaflets, one with the usual nutritional information and one extolling the Graze philosophy, including what seems to be their mantra “eat more healthy things, fewer muffins”, as a confirmed cake-o-holic I’m a little sceptical but I’m prepared to give it a try!
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| Ready to start snacking |
Inside the box there were four individually sealed plastic punnets that lifted out of the cardboard base, so if you wanted to you could easily slip one in your handbag or lunch box. The first tray Greek Halkidiki Olives contained eight plump olives in a delicious basil and garlic marinade that added a really nice subtle flavour but didn’t overpower the taste of the olives. The next two trays were both dried fruit mixes, Fruit Sangria a medley of super-sweet juicy strawberries, physalis and orange sultanas -if you don’t know what a physalis is you’re not alone, I looked it up and according to Wikipedia it’s Pronounced /ˈfaɪsÉ™lɪs/, ˈfɪsÉ™lɪs, faɪ'seɪlɪs, faɪˈsalɪs Physalis is a genus of plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), native to warm temperate and subtropical regions throughout the world. The genus is characterised by the small orange fruit similar in size, shape and structure to a small tomato, but partly or fully enclosed in a large papery husk derived from the calyx. a posh gooseberry basically. It added a nice tart flavour that contrasted perfectly with the sweetness of the strawberries. Oh the strawberries, I could have eaten a box of those on their own! The second fruit mix Beach Bum was less successful, I found the dried mango and banana pretty tasteless and the coconut a little like eating shredded cardboard. On the up side the final carton contained three scrumptiously moreish Apple and Cinnamon Flapjacks. I loved the rustic home-made taste these had and the fact they contained real juicy pieces of apple, delicious! Overall I was very impressed with the Graze website and the variety and quality of the food. It’s a great idea for people who would like to eat more healthily but perhaps don’t have the time to prepare nutritious snacks themselves. Personally I may not be ready to renounce cake yet but I could definitely see myself grazing through one of these yummy boxes everyday.
To try Graze for free, go to Graze.com and enter the promotional code RZM8GKW3. Credit or debit card required, for full terms and conditions please see the Graze website
