Soulara is an online subscription meal delivery service that aims to provide nutritious meals that are nourishing for the body while reducing the environmental footprint.
Amongst the Soulara plant-based range of dinner and lunch meals, there are a few breakfast options including this Choc Hazelnut Chia Pudding. Here, I review how the chia pudding stands up in regards to nutrients and taste.
Was the Choc Hazelnut Chia Pudding nutritious?
Firstly, the nutritional panel labelling on the Soulara’s Choc Hazelnut Chia Pudding is slightly confusing.
With no explanation, I received two containers of the chia pudding in my order. Initially, I thought this was an error and I was lucky enough to receive an extra pudding. Although when I examined the nutritional panel I was left confused – why did it say serving per container 2? Was the serving size 200g in total?
Then I realised the two containers of the Choc Hazelnut Chia Pudding were individual serves and the nutrient panel on the package was incorrect. So keep that in mind if you order Soulara’s puddings or granola breakfast options.
Back to the meal itself!
The Choc Hazelnut Chia Pudding is comprised of Hazelnuts, Chia Seeds, Coconut Milk, Hazelnut Butter, Maple Syrup, Vanilla Extract, Cacao Powder, Cacao Nibs, Hemp Seeds, Coconut Flakes and Sea Salt.
There are no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives that you’d often find in similar meals which is a bonus.
The individual meal is 489 calories, which is largely coming from the healthy fats in the hazelnuts, chia seeds, coconut products and hemp seeds. From a macro ratio, it is 37% fat, 29% carbohydrates and 9% protein. At 9g and only relying on the chia and hemp seeds, this is not much protein for a breakfast option although the fat content should help keep you feeling full.
I am pleased to see the sugar content is at 11g which is relatively low when compared to many sweet breakfast options that tend to be loaded with sweeteners as well as fruit. As far as sweeteners go, maple syrup is one of my preferred options in moderation. This is because it is naturally high in antioxidants, is low GI and isn’t highly refined.
Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet breakfast option this could be included as part of a healthy diet. For me personally, I like to start the day with more protein and tend to opt for savoury meals. I would actually consider diving these into two serves and treating it as a mid-morning or afternoon snack.
How convenient is the Soulara range?
Individual meals delivered right to your door each week – it’s hard to think of a more convenient way to ensuring you’re eating a whole food diet.
Soulara’s subscription model is easy to use and there is the option to pause or cancel the service at any time without any penalties. I actually prefer this style of ordering than the minimum spend options many other providers offer.
The meals are also fresh, so no need to wait until they defrost or worry about the texture of the food once heated.
How was the taste of Soulara Choc Hazelnut Chia Pudding?
My mouth instantly started watering after reading the summary of Soulara’s Chia Hazelnut Chia Pudding. “Coconut-milk soaked chia seeds combined with cocoa, hazelnut butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Sprinkled with cacao nibs, hazelnuts, coconut and hemp seeds.”
Sounds delicious, right?
While it appeared to sound more like a decadent dessert than a nutritious breakfast option, it certainly didn’t deliver on flavour. I actually thought this was pretty boring considering the ingredients. It wasn’t at all as rich and chocolatey as I had expected.
The level of sweetness for me was fine, however, for those who are accustomed to eating sweet food (particularly refined) you’ll be left unsatisfied. I should note this is not a criticism, as just over 11g of sugar per serve is a pleasant sight given it is a sweet breakfast and compared to others of this nature.
The addition of the nut, coconut and seed mix did provide the textural relief you need from a chia pudding. But overall, it left me feeling a little unsatisfied. As you could easily make this at home, my suggestion would be to save the meal choose for Soulara’s more wholesome and tasty lunch or dinner options that take more effort to make.
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