The vegan Box – August unboxed

The Vegan Box is an Australian subscription box which contains numerous vegan snacks and treats, as well as including a lifestyle product or two in the box.

There’s also a vegan beauty box version which is released every second month, as opposed to the vegan snack food box being released monthly.

The box costs $29.99/month (including P&H), however you can get the first box at a discounted price.

As a flexitarian (mainly vegetarian diet with the occasional meat meal), I’m rather keen to try out a variety of vegan foods and snacks, why this box appealed to me so much (I am a foodie after all and love exploring different diets as well as cuisines).

I can honestly say that every item in this box was completely new to me and I was quite impressed with a few of the products I tried.

The Vegan Choc Honeycomb by The Red Balloon Candy Artisans was one of the first items I tried. I tend to avoid chocolate as it’s a trigger for migraines, so trying a vegan version was a little too enticing for me… it reminded me of violet crumble (a much loved choc bar that I had to give up)… the packet retails for $8.50 and definitely has that gourmet appeal to it (your only problem will be not finishing the pack in one sitting! It’s near on impossible to do!)

Another fave product of mine from the August Box… Organic Peanut Cream Caramel with Salt by Super Fudgio…. breakfast has never tasted soooo good… it also tastes great on it’s own too! Not only is it dairy free, but it’s gluten free as well (so all those with a gluten intolerance rejoice – this is stuff that dreams are made of!) You can purchase this for about $3,95 at selected vegan stores (such as Vegan Perfection, Cruelty Free Shop and Uproar).

Nudus Foods produce a range of air-dried fruit and vegetable chips – with not a single ingredient added to their chips (and nothing taken away either), it’s the perfect guilt-free treat as well as getting 1 of your daily 5 servings of fruit & veg! Win-win right there! They retail for around $4 a bag.

I received a pack of Organic Seaweed Sea Salt & Vinegar created by Ceres Organics. At first bite, I was actually rather unsure that I would like them – it tasted too strong for me initially, but I found myself eating the whole pack in one sitting as the aftertaste subsided. I think I just got a good dose of vinegar with that first bite to be honest… I will be on the lookout for these again though as whilst eating them all I could think was that they’d be great crushed up and mixed in with fried rice…. or as a base for homemade onigiri! A 5g pack retails for around $1.80 – check your local stockist here.

Beanopini is another brand I had to yet to discover – they produce flavoured superfood lupini beans in small batches using traditional artisan techniques. They’re Australian grown and a sustainable crop, helping to fix the nitrogen to soils and improving soil fertility (another win for the environment there!) Once harvested, the beans are soaked and rinsed in water over several days, then lightly pickled and combined with natural herbs and spices to give them their exceptional flavour, before being vacuum-packed to seal in their freshness. The beans are quite filling, so perfect to satisfy those munchy urges, and even great as an energy booster after a gym workout too! They retail from $19 (for 10 individual serve packets, or 4 share packets) or you can find your local stockist here

Last item in The Vegan Box was this Advanced Natural Toothpaste by A Bit Hippy. It uses fluoride replacement therapy, replacing fluoride with calcium hydroxpapatite instead. It’s also free of SLS, titanium dioxide and glycerin. It also has low abrasivity for gum protection.

I found this to be a little on the runny side, however still usable (I’m guessing it’s more related to my place being like a sauna, so I may try putting it in the fridge to see if that helps). Overall I didn’t mind it though, it left my mouth feeling fresh and there wasn’t any unpleasant aftertaste (if you’re not use to natural toothpastes or bicarb as a base, it may take some getting use to though).

Verdict: There were a lot of brands I was completely unaware of until now, and some rather tasty treats inside. It’s hard to pick a clear winner in the box…. but it’d definitely be between the The Red Balloon Candy Artisan’s choc honeycomb and the salted caramel peanut cream by Super Fudgio – both left me wanting more. Other stand outs were the Nudus fruit chips and Ceres Organics Seaweed snack (especially once I got past that sudden hit of vinegar).

I’m a little late in posting this review (I’ve already received the September edition and boy does it look good!) The Vegan Box is great for anyone wanting to explore vegan snack foods, or seeking dairy free or gluten free snacks (there’s quite a lot that gluten free, so even just for that it’s worth looking into it). It’s a great gift for a foodie or vegan family member or friend too.

If you’re already receiving The Vegan Box, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!