Review - Toosum Bar

Brand:  Toosum

Flavor:  Yogurt & Blueberries

Where to get it: here @ Toosum.com

                 You’re made in Seattle! You’re only 100 calories per bar! Please come here and let me love you! Awwww man, I don’t love you. Sad face. The bar does have a great blueberry presence, but that’s about the only thing worth mentioning. The texture is dry and sawdust-y, and the blueberry flavor isn’t enough to overpower the rest of the flavors in this bar. This bar is definitely not what you’re expecting from a “fruit and yogurt” bar.

               

Tastes like: 

Taste rating:  3/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, Gluten-free, Made in the USA

What’s in it:

Review - Alive & Radiant Kale Krunch

Brand:  Alive & Radiant

Flavor:  Kale Krunch Quite Cheezy

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                                Kale is the prettiest girl at the dance right now, and for good reason. It’s delicious, it’s healthy, and it’s crazy versatile. The recent wave of kale-based snacks punctuate that versatility, and I assure you, I’m happy to try them all! This “cheezy” Kale Krunch tastes great, and is full of good stuff (it contains no cheese at all, and is vegan). All the ingredients are things you can picture in your mind – this is the new thing that I do. If I read a label, and a food-type image does not come to my mind pretty quickly, well…sometimes I eat it any way, to be honest. However, I won’t be extolling the virtues on the ingredient panel for my blog posts, at least.             

                But back to the snack at hand! Cheese-y and nutty tasting, the only improvement I could make on these would be to add a tad more salt. It is known that I am an absolute salt fiend, though, so I don’t want to lead you to believe that these are lacking in flavor – they definitely aren’t. If you’ve never tried kale, this is a great way to start, because it doesn’t taste “green” or “like dirt”.   

                 

               

Tastes like:  Crunchy, cheesy nuts

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Raw, Vegetarian, Vegan, Kosher, Gluten-free

What’s in it:

Review - Laiki Rice Crackers

Brand:  Laiki       

Flavor:  Red and Black Rice Crackers

Where to get it: here @ LaikiCrackers.com

                                I’ve never been a fan of rice crackers. I don’t like their smooth surfaces, their resistance to being smashed satisfactorily between my teeth, or their smug puffiness. When I received these Laiki crackers, I almost gave them to my coworkers without even looking closely at them. I am very, VERY glad that I didn’t give them away – they are NOTHING like I expected. They look like small Triscuits – no shiny surface or smug puffiness! They are salted to the gills – YES. They tasted a lot like the mass-market, oil-soaked, salty heaven corn chips that always gave me a hydrogenated headache – but without the snack hangover, an no remorse at all. Just 3 ingredients – it doesn’t get any “cleaner” than that. These crackers are probably the biggest surprise I have had since I started this blog, and I would like to thank you, Laiki, for reminding me to keep an open mind, and an open mouth. 

                 

               

Tastes like:  Healthier, better “Bugles”

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free

What’s in it:

Review - Terra Nut P'Nut Punch

Brand:  Terra Nut

Flavor:  Pnut Punch

Where to get it: here @ TerraNut.com

                Little teensy power house! These have just 3 ingredients – peanuts, oats, sugar, and what a perfect little snack they are! They seem small, but I warn you, do not pop the whole “log” into your mouth at once. The texture is a bit powdery, so bite gently, but you won’t regret it. Somehow, the initial “dryness” fades away as you chew. I’m guessing that’s the handiwork of the sugar. With the perfect balance of sweet, peanut, and somehow salty tastes, these tiny bombs are perfect for a snack, a pick me up, or a treat at night.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Sweet peanut dust

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Kosher, All natural

What’s in it:

Review - Pop Chips Sweet Potato

Brand:  Pop Chips

Flavor:  Sweet Potato

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                I’m not always on board with popped potato snacks, but I am on board, under the deck, and snuggled into the captain’s bed with these Pop Chips. They also hit the magic number, 100 calories in the snack-size bag. There is decent amount of chips in the bag, but I wish there were more…purely for pig-out reasons. I guess you could dip these guys in something if you wanted to, but I really saw no reason to do so. These are one of the best popped snacks on the market, for my calories.               

                 

               

Tastes like:  Crispy, light sweet potatoes

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Kosher, vegetarian, vegan, all natural

What’s in it:

Review - Dolcetto Petites Lemon Wafer Bites

Brand:  Dolcetto Petites

Flavor:  Lemon Wafer Bites

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                I know, I know…cookies…WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?? Making me smile, that’s what they’re doing here. Any company that takes the time to make a 100-calorie pack deserves a chance. These little darlings are so light and flaky, so lemon-y delicious, so YES PLEASE. They don’t mess around, they’re very sweet, and you won’t be under any kind of illusion that you’re eating a diet cookie. These are the real thing, and I am celebrating that fact. Instead of that donut in the break room, or that piece of birthday cake, eat a pack of these with wild abandon, and don’t feel guilty about it.   

                 

               

Tastes like:  Light and flaky lemon kisses

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  All-natural, no artificial ingredients

What’s in it:

Review: Health Warrior Chia Bars

Brand:  Health Warrior

Flavor:  Chia bar (variety)

Where to get it: here @ Health Warrior

                Hello, you perfectly-sized tiny little powerhouse of a snack! 100 calories per bar? Yes, please! I love, love, love the texture of these Health Warrior Chia bars. If you’re the kind of weirdo that gets excited when a glob of chia seeds get stuck together in your smoothie and then you get to chew them (why is that so fun to me?), then you will love these as much as I do. They come in all kinds of flavors, I devoured the apple cinnamon one before I remembered that I needed to take a picture. These are a definite winner in the “so many bars, help!” snack race.

               

Tastes like:  Fig Newton-granola bar-fruit casserole

Taste rating:  9/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Kosher, Vegetarian, Vegan

What’s in it: (Mango flavor bar)