Options (part of the Twinings family) make a range of low calorie hot chocolate drinks that can be made up with hot water. I first started drinking them when I began my Slimming World journey last year. Desperate for a chocolate fix I discovered these little delights which at only 2 syns (40 calories) per serving meant that I could satisfy my cravings. I keep a stash in my drawer at work for chocolate emergencies and another selection at home. I also take a couple of packets if I go away for the weekend - they are so eay to just pop into an overnight bag.

They are easy to make, just empty the sachet into a mug and add boiled water that has cooled for a minute. Like any other powdered drinks it is probably best to mix with a little water or milk first in order to prevent undissolved lumps remaining in your drink. I find a smallish mug is best or they taste a bit watery.

The drinks come in a variety of chocolatey flavours - orange, hazelnut, vanilla, toffee, coconut, banana, double choc, mint, white chocolate and basic Belgian chocolate. I have tried them all and they are all really delicious. They also do an indulgence range which at 60 calories is still suitable for dieters and includes brownie, fudge, cherry and a limited edition variety - the current flavour is winter spice. For me, the main downside to these drinks is the after taste from the artificial sweetener and that's why I have given it 4 stars instead of 5. They are not as creamy as full fat water based hot chocolates either, although you could add milk or cream to them if you wanted to.

These sachets don't have to be used purely for making into drinks. They can be used to flavour home made cheesecakes by mixing it with quark (for a low fat version) or mascarpone and piling the mixture onto a biscuit base. They can also be used to flavour cakes instead of cocoa or mixed with whipped cream and fromage frais to make a mousse or cake filling.

You can buy these sachets from most supermarkets and they are always on some sort of bulk buy offer. Asda currently have them on a 5 for £1 deal, Sainsburys is selling them 6 for £1.50 and Tesco has them at 4 for £1. They sell them individually at 32p. Some of the more popular flavours come in jars too which work out cheaper - though like the sachets the price varies from store to store depending on the deals at the time. I've seen them range from around £1 to £3.19