Recently I was sent a box full goodies from Lo-Dough, including their Southern Style Coating, Brownie Mix and original Lo-Dough Bases. Lo-Dough was a brand I was immediately intrigued by. Since January I have completely changed my eating habits and, so far, lost over two stone by cutting down my calories and exercising daily. In the beginning, I was incredibly dedicated and strict. I went for runs every day, I wore my Fitbit, I ditched the snacks and was on the Joe Wicks bandwagon way before he was trending on YouTube. We’re on week 8 of lockdown now and it’s proving a lot harder to stay motivated. I’m constantly snacking due to boredom and feeling too lethargic after a day trapped in the house with the girls to exercise once they’re in bed. Now, more than ever, I’ve found myself dreaming of huge wedges of tiger bread covered in Lurpak, stuffed dough balls and a Creme Egg Brownies. I couldn’t wait to see if Lo-Dough could satisfy my cravings…
What is Lo-Dough?
Lo-Dough is basically a light and healthy alternative to traditional bread-based products including pizza bases, wraps, pastry, breadcrumb coatings and cake mixes. Lo-Dough is made entirely from protein and fibre, it’s free from artificial preservatives, flavourings or colours, suitable for vegetarians, and GMO, dairy, nut and soy-free. It also contains certified gluten-free wheat flour. One circular sheet of Lo-Dough comes in at only 39 calories, which might not mean a lot to some of you, however, if you’re used to counting every single painstaking calorie as I have over the last few months you’ll understand how impressive this is! Other benefits include its long shelf life; 6 months unopened without the need to refrigerate.
How to Use Lo-Dough
I was really surprised by how versatile their products are. I used the 2 Original Lo-Dough Bases (£3.25) to make a pizza with Penny as it was a fun activity on a miserable day, however, there are literally entire cookbooks with hundreds of recipes including kebabs, quesadillas, quiches and fritters. The dough feels like a slightly puffier tortilla wrap. Our first attempt, was very wet and soggy as we went a little overboard on the toppings, however, our second attempt was definetly more of a success and it even crisped up around the sides, although I did singe the ham a bit. The trick is to slightly fry it with a little Frylight first. We used passata, mozzarella, mushrooms and ham, which sounds basic but let me tell you for a fussy three-year-old Penny was feeling incredibly adventurous! The pizza only contained around 170 calories which really is unbelievable.
I also received a bag of their Brownie Mix (£4.99). You simply add water, mix it up and throw it in the oven for 20 minutes which is brilliant if you’re wanting a guilt-free late-night treat. My brownies weren’t pretty but that’s because I basically ate them straight from the baking tray. One bag of mix makes 9 reduced-fat brownies that contain only 65 calories each. I was pleasantly surprised that they contained real chocolate chips and were gooey which is just how I like them. Unfortunately, they weren’t as indulgent as I’d hoped. That being said, if I had a tub of my trusty Alpro 360 Velvety Chocolate Ice Cream handy to serve along with them, they probably would have been heavenly. Also, as with the base, you can customise your brownies by adding more chocolate, nuts, fruit and sprinkles. At only 65 calories, there’s lots of leeway to get creative. Next time I might add some digestives and sprinkle marshmallows on top rocky-road style.
I’ve got a sweet tooth but surprisingly my favourite product was actually their Southern Style Coating (£3.99). The plan was to use it to make the KFC Rice Box recipe from Pinch of Nom, however, I was missing a few ingredients so used it to coat chunks of chicken breast and serve it in a wrap with savoury rice and sweet chilli sauce. It was amazing. I was surprised at how flavoursome it was, as often with ‘diet’ food you find that you have to sacrifice slightly on taste. It wasn’t heavy or greasy but still felt like I was tucking into a takeaway. Plus, it was incredibly easy to prepare and cook with.
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