Review - WB Kitchen Brownie Honey Cookies

Brand:  WB Kitchen

Flavor:  Brownie Honey Cookies

Where to get it: here @ BarefootProvisions.com

                I grew up with a mother who baked quite often. I had two mortal kitchen enemies – vanilla extract and baking chocolate. They both smell wonderfully delicious, but taste like absolute mortal peril. These cookies were a lot like that first bite of baking chocolate that 6 year-old me had. Really bitter, really not good, really heartbreaking. Honey is the first ingredient, but the cocoa is unsweetened, and let me tell you – they create a really terrible harmony. Maybe other flavors are better?

               

Tastes like:   Bitter sadness

Taste rating:  0/10

Qualities:   Gluten free, all-natural

What’s in it:

Review - Kay's Naturals Protein Puffs

Brand:  Kay’s Naturals

Flavor:  Almond Delight Protein Puffs

Where to get it: here @ KaysNaturals.com

                I think you’re supposed to snack on these out of the package like you would a cracker or chip. I did that for the first 2 puffs, and then immediately dumped them in a mug with some unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I let them sit for a few minutes (okay 10), and they sogged up just a bit. DELICIOUS. I’m having trouble deciding if this was embarrassing or genius. Either way, these little cinnamon balls are snacking good, with only 125 calories per package and a whopping 12g of plant-based fiber. I seriously might just buy more to eat for breakfast.

               

Tastes like:  Slightly salty cinnamon cereal!

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Kosher, Gluten free, Made in the USA, vegetarian, vegan, all natural

What’s in it:  

Review - Naturalia Fruit Wich

Brand:  Naturalia

Flavor:  Pineapple Mango Fruit Wich

Where to get it: Looks to be available in HEB stores, I couldn't find anywhere online. 

                Another super creative fruit snack! It really does surprise me that a company can take literally just fruit and turn it into a unique snack. This snack contains pineapple and mango – nothing else, and it’s still super unique. It’s not a bar or leather, it’s crispy little chippies that taste like fruit, but don’t disintegrate like an actual chip. More than once, I’ve eaten so much pineapple that my mouth has taken on that weird-acid-pain-uh-oh feeling. The presence of the mango tempers that acidic pineapple situation quite a bit, which makes it really nice while still having the pineapple taste.

               

Tastes like:   Less acidic pineapple

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:   Gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, all-natural, raw, Non-GMO

What’s in it:

Review - Freeyumm Apple Oat Bar

Brand:  Freeyumm

Flavor:  Honey Apple Oat Bar

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                It’s a good thing this bar was snack-size, because it was gone before I even realized I was chewing. It’s like a cross between a cereal bar (think Nutrigrain with the apple goo in the middle) and a chewy granola bar…and it’s about 100x better than either of those. Oat-y, apple-y, cinnamon-y, and really just all together a great little snack. The ingredients aren’t scary, either – all normal, easily-recognizable-as-food ingredients. They’re also pretty much allergen-free, so they’re safe for all the kiddos at school…if you can bear to part with them.        

Tastes like:   Apples n’ oats!

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:   Non-GMO, Gluten free, vegetarian, all -natural

What’s in it:

Review - Get Up and Go Caffeinated Blondie

Brand:  Get Up & Go

Flavor:  Caffeinated Bright-Eyed Blondie

Where to get it: here @ GetUpAndGoBaked,com

                Well, I’m a bit torn on this one, guys. It tastes amazing, like, maybe one of the best chocolate chip products I’ve ever had. The problem is…it SHOULD taste amazing, for it has 360 calories and 48g of carbs – 36 of which are sugar. So, on one hand, this is not for people who are dieting or counting calories, except in a really, really rare instance. You’re NOT going to eat half of this…2 servings, my ass. It’s not very big. On the other hand, there are PLENTY of bro bars out there with the same kind of nutritional stats, and they taste like absolute rubbish.

               

                So here’s what I’ll say: it’s yummy. It’s full of calories and carbs. It’s hailed as a caffeinated treat so you don’t have to drink those nasty (and HORRIBLE) for you energy drinks, but the very last ingredient is caffeine. The VERY last, after even vanilla extract. If you’ve ever made chocolate chip cookies, you know how little vanilla extract goes into an entire batch of those cookies, leaving a miniscule amount in a single cookie. I imagine it’s much the same for these brownies, and caffeine is listed AFTER it. If you’re going to feel a blast of energy from this product, it’s coming from the sugar, I assure you.

Tastes like:   A chocolate chip blondie

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:   Gluten-free, all natural, vegetarian, Made in the USA

What’s in it:  (I couldn’t find this anywhere on their website…) Brown Sugar, Eggs, Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla, and Salt), Oat Flour, Palm Oil, Butter, Invert Sugar, Tapioca Starch, Rice Flour, Vanilla Extract, Water, Xanthan Gum, Caffeine.

Review - Harry P. Fitness Muscle Pasta

Brand:  Harry P. Fitness

Flavor:  Muscle Pasta – Spinach Edition

Where to get it: here @ VitaCost.com

                I can honestly say that I would be fine to never eat traditional noodles again. After falling in love with the Explore Asia Mung Bean Noodles, I was pretty set. After trying these little corkscrew protein noodles, I feel like I’m REALLY set. They’re less squishy/elastic than traditional noodles, but other than that there is really no difference. I ate these Asian-style with cabbage & mushrooms for my weekly lunch meal prep, and made a tuna pasta salad with the rest of them. They were great both ways. One serving has 33g of carbs but ALSO 30g of protein. Noodles are now a healthy food!

               

Tastes like:  Really al dente noodles

Taste rating:  9/10

Qualities:  All Natural

What’s in it:   

Review - Fly Joy Snack Bars

Brand:  Fly Joy

Flavor:  Cashew Cookie Dough Snack Bar

Where to get it: here @ FlyJoy.com

                 So good so good so good!! With all of the nutritional boxes that this bar checks, I really can’t believe how good it is! I have four flavors, but so far I have only eaten the Cashew Cookie Dough bar, and man, it’s (as I mentioned) SO GOOD. I really can’t explain the flavor much more than, it tastes exactly like chocolate chip cookie dough, but soft and chewy. It’s definitely on the sweet side, but what a fantastic treat. I would eat this over a traditional candy bar ten times out of ten. That includes Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which are my all-time bad girl favorite. The fat content is a really reasonable 8g, and I’m okay with the 24g of carbs (including 11g) of sugar, because darn it, sometimes you just need a treat – and there are much worse treats that you could choose. Caloric content under 200, and vegan to boot, this is one that you will want to buy by the box.

               

Tastes like:  Chocolate chip cookie dough

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan, Kosher, Gluten free, Made in the USA, all natural

What’s in it:

Review - Nud Fud Spirulina Banana Chips

Brand:  Nud Fud

Flavor:  Spirulina Banana Crisps

Where to get it: here @ NudFud.com

                I had literally no expectations when I tried these. I didn’t know what they would look like, taste like, or smell like. My mind was completely open. I don’t really want to say that they weren’t good, but I guess I have to say that I personally didn’t like them. I LOVE bananas, but I find myself hardly liking anything banana that isn’t a raw banana in some format. They just start to taste so fake once they are cooked or dehydrated; I can’t handle it. These little weirdo crackers also have quite a lot of fat and carbs in them for the little enjoyment that they bring, so I definitely would say they aren’t for me.

               

Tastes like:  Fake banana (even though it’s not)

Taste rating:  4/10

Qualities:  Vegetarian, vegan, all natural, gluten free, USDA organic

What’s in it:

Review - Boundless Nutrition Perfect Cookie

Brand:  Boundless Nutrition

Flavor:  Perfect Cookie, Chocolate Chip

Where to get it: here @ VitaCost.com

                Protein cookies are just ALL the rage lately. To the uneducated, a lot of these cookies seem to be beckoning with a promise of cookie taste, but muscle-building protein shake nutrition. While they all definitely have more protein in them than a standard cookie, they should all be carefully evaluated for other nutritional factors as well, lest we fall into the trap of lying to ourselves. Oh and also, some of them just taste like absolute crap.

                The reason I really like these Perfect Cookie cookies is twofold. One:  they taste delicious. Not too much chocolate, not too much protein…honestly the taste is really just like eating a blob of delicious chocolate chip cookie dough. Who doesn’t love that?

                The second reason I really liked this cookie is because it’s small. Most of the other protein cookies I’ve tried seem to be obsessed with cramming 25g+ protein into them, which typically leads to a huge, gut busting 300+ calorie cookie that makes me feel super blah. These little guys are perfectly wonderful with just 10g of protein in them, and 150 calories – making them a snack, not a meal. They also donate a portion of their sales to cancer research. Can’t beat that, on any level.

               

Tastes like:   Cookie dough

Taste rating:  10/10

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

What’s in it

Review - Eat Real Yoghurt Coated Fruit and Nut Bar

Brand:  Eat Real

Flavor:   Yoghurt Coated Fruit & Nut Bar

Where to get it: here @ assorted locations

                Have I ever given a fruit & nut bar a 10? I don’t recall, but if I have, it hasn’t been for a long time, and it hasn’t happened very often. This bar FAR exceeded my expectations. It’s part granola bar, part fruit bar, and then there’s this delicious, soft layer of yogurt coating on the bottom that is just so spot on. This Eat Real company has some really good stuff, but I think it’s only widely available in the UK & Australia/NZ. If you’re in the States you might be out of luck, but I’m in the States and I managed to get my hands on a couple of these somehow, so they’re out there. Grab ‘em if you can.

               

Tastes like:   The perfect fruit & oat bar

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:   Gluten free, all natural

What’s in it:

Review - Funley's Super Crackers

Brand:  Funley’s

Flavor:  Pizza N Stuff Super Crackers

Where to get it: here @ Funleys.com

                I think that I expected these crackers to be more of a Cheez-It-type situation, and I may have done them a disservice coming in with this mindset. They really aren’t anything like those – they’re less flaky & fairly dense. They also don’t have a ton of flavor to them, which I was definitely expecting since I tried their pizza version. I actually ended up eating them with some carrot sriracha hummus because hey, a cracker is still a cracker, no need to toss the bag just because they don’t taste like the utter junk food you were expecting them to be. I am a little wary of the claim on the front of the package that they contain “superfood carrots in every bite”. Are carrots a superfood? Is there a hard-standard for what IS a “superfood”? I’m not sure, but if there is, I don’t think carrots really meet the criteria. They’re better than potato chips for you, sure, but they aren’t exactly kale…

               

Tastes like:   Mostly thick cracker with a little bit of seasoning

Taste rating:  5/10

Qualities:   Non-GMO, Kosher, all natural

What’s in it:

Review - Alyssa's Healthy Vegan Bites

Brand:  Alyssa’s

Flavor:  Healthy Vegan Bites

Where to get it: here @ Alyssascookies.com

                 I ate the whole package. At once. I ATE THE WHOLE PACKAGE AT ONCE. I didn’t mean to, but it happened. When I flipped over to the nutritional information on the back to see what kind of damage I had done, I was shocked. 4 servings at 44 calories apiece = 176 calories. This can’t be right. Are these mislabeled? They taste like cookies. They are cookies…they ARE HEAVEN!!! If you’ve been missing oatmeal raisin cookies on your diet, these are literally life-changing. They’re also vegan, so I can’t think of a reason for anyone not to enjoy these little delights, unless you’re allergic to awesome. 

               

Tastes like:  Oatmeal raisin cookies!

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  All-natural, vegetarian, vegan, Made in the USA, Non-GMO

What’s in it:

Review - Nothin' But Granola Cookies

Brand:  Nothin’ But

Flavor:  Cherry Cranberry Almond Granola Cookies

Where to get it: here @ NothinButFoods.com

                I had these sitting in my review pile for sooooo loooooong because I just felt like I wasn’t in the mood for a seed and nuts pile like, ever. I finally made myself eat them and oh my, how wrong I was! These are literally cookies. I wish the package had only some way to tell me that they were actual, real cookies…oh. Crap. There’s that word, right on the package. Why did I disregard it? Why didn’t I trust Nothin’ But? Has it ever led me astray? Has it ever betrayed my tiny trust? Nope. And it still hasn’t.

                These taste like oatmeal cookies with dried cherries in them, which I want to run to my kitchen and hurry up and make for every party I go to now. They are so delicious. And you know what? The 2-pack of cookies says Serving Size: 1. FINALLY, a company with realistic rules. There’s just no way I’m not eating both of these once the package is open. Try these immediately.         

               

Tastes like:  Cherry oatmeal cookies

Taste rating:  10/10

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

What’s in it

Review - Paleo Life Bar

Brand:  Paleo Life

Flavor:  Primal Cocoa-Nut

Where to get it: here @ PaleoLifeFoods.com

                 I really hate giving absolute zero reviews, and I seldom do it. I feel like even if I really don’t like the taste of something, the nutrition will save it enough for me to give it a two- or three-rating. This bar is a whopping 340 calories and has 24g of carbohydrates. (It does have 11g of fiber though, which is impressive). It also tastes absolutely horrific. I spat my bite into the garbage. I could not physically force myself to keep chewing it. I totally love coconut, and this bar has a strong coconut smell, so I was pretty disappointed when it tasted so, so bad. I know this bar is probably somebody’s baby, and I’m sorry for that, but man, this was one of the worst yet.

               

Tastes like:  Something that you don’t want in your mouth

Taste rating:  0/10

Qualities:  All-natural, Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

What’s in it:

Review - Morning Sunshine Kitchen Cookies

Brand:  Morning Sunshine Kitchen

Flavor:  Dark Chocolate & Fix

Where to get it: here @ MorningSunshineKitchen.com

                 There is A LOT going on with this cookie. In fact, I think that there are probably more mix-ins than actually cookie substance. It’s cookie-shaped, but as soon as you take a bite, it crumbles quite a bit, and ends up a lot like trail mix. It is tasty though, but if you’re in the mood for a cookie, you might not be too stoked to find yourself tucking in to a pile of seeds and raisins along with it. The nutrition is also a pretty heavy hitter, this is more of a meal cookie than a treat – 269 calories & 14g of fat, don’t take this little mound lightly.

               

Tastes like:  Crumbly cookies with trail mix in them

Taste rating:  6/10

Qualities:  Gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, all natural

What’s in it:

Review - 180 Degree Snacks Cashew Crunch

Brand:  180 Degree Snacks

Flavor:  Cashew Crunch

Where to get it: here @ CrumCreek.com

                The only people who have a reason not to eat these are people with tree nut allergies. There’s no excuse for anyone else. Sweet & salty blocks of cashews, what’s not to love?? Salt, sugar, nuts. No weird soy crisps binding it together, no flax seeds to get stuck in your teeth, no bizarrely placed cranberries ruining my life. 4g sugar, 4g protein, vegan, gluten-free…this just really fits into every diet. The packaging is also really dynamic, and anyone who’s been reading this blog for a while knows that I’m a sucker for great-looking packaging so I can feel special when pulling out my purse snacks in public.

Tastes like:  Kettle corn cashews

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Kosher, vegetarian, vegan, all natural, gluten free, Made in the USA

What’s in it:

Review - Raw Fusion Almond Berry Bar

Brand:  SAN Nutrition

Flavor:  Raw Fusion Almond Berry Bar

Where to get it: here @ Sann.net

                 Let’s start with the positives on this bar, shall we? It’s vegan (yay bunnies!), the ingredient list is full of good things (broccoli, spinach, almonds), and it has 15g of plant-based protein per bar. As far as taste goes, I found it a little iffy to begin with, and the more I chewed, the worse it got.  The strongest flavors are berry and sesame (there are sesame seeds in it), and they are marginal at best, but I just couldn’t get past the texture.

               

Tastes like:  Putty

Taste rating:  3/10

Qualities:  Vegetarian, Vegan, Made in the USA, all natural

What’s in it:

Review - R Bar

Brand:  Well Rounded Snacks

Flavor:  PB & J R Bar

Where to get it: here @ RBarEnergy.com

                Organic dates, organic raisins, organic peanuts. That’s it. That’s what you’re getting with this bar. I happen to really like all three of those components, so this bar was a hit with me. If you don’t like raisins, you will certainly not like this bar. I’m not too sure about the “PB & J” claim here…maybe R Bites was trying to take the angle that the raisins equate to grape jelly? Whatever the angle, it’s not really working out that way; this tastes nothing like a PB & J anything. That doesn’t mean it’s not good, though. I must confess that I was missing the salt in a big way, since this is basically trail mix all smooshed into a puck. However, I will admit that not everyone is as debased as I, and this is certainly a more healthy option without salt in it.

                 

               

Tastes like:  A giant raisin

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  All natural, Gluten free, Vegetarian, Vegan, organic, Made in the USA

What’s in it:

Review - To You Bar

Brand:  To You

Flavor:  Apricot Coconut

Where to get it: here @ ToYouSnacks.com

                This bar looks SUPER appetizing. If you like apricots, I think you would probably find the flavor right in line with the appearance. Unfortunately, I hate apricots, so I tried to eat this with a reasonably open mind. The texture is soft but not gooey, the coconut is major player, and the ingredients aren’t all Scary Larry. Good, simple, tasty bar. Now, if I can just find one with cherries in it…

                 

               

Tastes like:  Slightly astringent coconut

Taste rating:  6/10

Qualities:  All natural, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - Pure Organics Ancient Grains Bar

Brand:  Pure Organic Ancient Grains

Flavor:  Peanut Butter Chocolate

Where to get it: here @ Shop.ThePureBar.com

                The first ingredient in this bar is peanuts, but when you unwrap it, it kind of looks like pasted-together birdseed. Don’t dismay! The smell is wonderful, like a fresh jar of peanut butter. The taste is also pretty great, very peanutty, subtly chocolatey, and all the crispy grains give this bar a firm but not hard texture. It’s low in sugar (8g), and at 160 calories, it just about as perfect as a snack bar can get when you need something between meals, or even before bedtime. Anything to keep me  away from the Reese’s at midnight…

                 

               

Tastes like:  Lightly chocolate-d peanuts

Taste rating:  7/10

Qualities:  All natural, Gluten free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Non-GMO, Kosher, Organic

What’s in it: