Review - Amrita Energy Bar

Brand:  Amrita

Flavor:  Energy Bar, Protein Bar

Where to get it: here @ AmritaHealthFoods.com

                I have such a hard time with raw bars. Is it me? Someone please let me know. I feel like if I was on a raw diet, I would only be able to eat fruit, veggies, and nuts. The presence of sesame in the Apple Cinnamon Energy Bar just killed this for me. I like sesame, and I also like apples. I guess together…not so much. I was actually surprised to see that there was no flax in the bar, it was that “seedily bitter”. I’ll keep trying the raw products, but for now I’m solidly in the “please cook my food” camp.

               

Tastes like:   Cinnamon and sesame

Taste rating:  3/10

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

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 - Organic Living Superfoods Salt & Vinegar Almonds

Brand:  Organic Living Superfoods

Flavor:  Salt & Vinegar Almonds

Where to get it: here @ OrganicLivingSuperfoods.com

                I love salt, I love vinegar - I don’t really love potato chips. They always kind of make me feel like…blerg. With these raw sprouted almonds from Organic Living Superfoods, salt & vinegar have FOREVER found a new home for me. These nuts are absolutely, amazingly, totally, and completely delicious. I literally cannot overstate this. Usually when I get random packs of slivered almonds to review, I taste one or two…and then promptly dump them on a salad. NOT THIS TIME. Please do not put these on a salad. Please enjoy them just as they are. Do not let the subtle but perfect flavor get doused in a heavy vinaigrette. They are 100% perfect, right out of the bag.

Also to note, their website has SO MANY COOL THINGS. Go there.

               

Tastes like:   The best thing salt & vinegar has ever been on

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:   Raw, vegetarian, vegan, USDA organic, gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - Simple Squares

Brand:  Simple Squares

Flavor:  Various

Where to get it:  here @ SimpleSquares.com

                The texture of these is just absolutely perfect. It’s like, the moistest (sorry), chewiest granola bar that you’ve ever had – but there’s no granola in it. These bars are nuts and coconut, with some sweetener and seasoning, and that’s it. No grains. No soy crispies. I’m not sure how many tries it took them to get the consistency this perfect with such limited ingredients, but I bet it was quite a few. I’m not a big chocolate fan, but I will say that the amount of chips in the Cho-Coco flavor was the absolute perfect amount; it really set the coconut flavor off without being too sweet. Due to these bars being almost all nuts, the fat content makes up the majority of the ingredient panel, which is just fine with me. If you’re a coconut-lover, you need to get you some Simple Squares!

Tastes like:  Lightly sweetened coconut granola bars

Taste rating:  7/10

Qualities:  Gluten free, USDA organic, vegetarian, Kosher, Raw

What’s in it: (Cho-Coco Flavor)

Review - Dipperz

Brand:  Wonderfully Raw

Flavor:  Dipperz Cheezy

Where to get it: here @ mycocoroons.com

                I’ve had kale prepared like this, but I was super intrigued to see this 3-veggie mix coated in cashew cheese. Also, broccoli is one of my most favorite things, so this was even more exciting for me. Dipperz really earns the “z” in “cheezy” with these guys. The cheese presence is a heavy one, which is pretty exciting considering that these are vegan (so there’s no actual cheese in them). I liked the broccoli pieces best, they remained fluffier and held more of the coating, I found. The carrots and cauliflower kind of got all mixed up into a cheezy pile of stuff, but that’s alright, just tip the bag up into your face. Hands-free fun!         

               

Tastes like:  Cheezy veggies, but crunchy  

Taste rating:  7/10

Qualities:  Organic, Gluten free, Non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan, raw

What’s in it:

Review - Righteously Raw Brownie Mouthful

Brand:  Righteously Raw

Flavor:  Brownie Mouthful

Where to get it: here @ RighteouslyRaw.com

                I was surprised by this little treat, I was expecting something like a little smooshed-together blob or really dense brownie-type situation. What this really is, is an individually wrapped dark chocolate truffle, plain and simple. There’s a harder dark chocolate shell, softer chocolate ganache filling. If you love dark chocolate, you will love this, absolutely. I can’t help but think that this would be the perfect snack to unwind with on a Friday night, with a glass of red wine…even before dinner. You only live once, right?

               

Tastes like:  Dark, dark chocolate

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Kosher, vegetarian, vegan, Gluten free, Non-GMO, organic, raw

What’s in it:

Review - Bites of Bliss Bar

Brand:  Bites of Bliss

Flavor:  Pineapple Coconut Superfood Bar

Where to get it: here @ MyBitesofBliss.com

                                I love pineapple, coconut, and dates – basically everything that this bar is made of. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this bar. I’m trying to figure out exactly how that makes any sense at all. I wonder if it’s the kind of dates that they used? The bar had a very robust flavor, almost like rum. I couldn’t taste the pineapple at all. The coconut does make a nice presence in the form of actual shreds throughout the bar, but provides just an undertone of flavor. I’d skip this one, unless you’re a dark liquor fan.

                 

               

Tastes like:  …rum raisins?

Taste rating:  3/10

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

What’s in it:

Review - Papa Steve's No Junk Raw Protein Bars

Brand:  Papa Steve’s No Junk Raw Protein Bars

Flavor:  Peanut Butter Crunch

Where to get it: here @ PapaSteves.com

                If you’ve been counting calories for any amount of time, you know that eventually, each one becomes really, really precious. That’s how calorie-counters succeed, we learn that if we have that 500-calorie donut at the breakfast meeting (that we didn’t even enjoy that much, we only ate it because it was “there”…crap), we are going to struggle for the rest of the day trying to stretch our remaining 700ish calories over our remaining 14ish hours of consciousness. It is for this reason that I almost never get impressed/fall in love with any kind of bar that has over 200 calories. I simply cannot eat a bar for a meal. I can’t do it. I want other things. It doesn’t feel like real food to me, it always feels like a snack.

                This bar…is a little different. Yes, it has 295 calories and 31g of carbs. Yes, you need to pay attention and not go to bed thinking, “Wow, I ate three of those Papa Steve’s bars today in between my meals”. HOWEVER…if you’re a peanut butter fan, and you miss eating peanut-buttery desserts from heaven above…this bar needs to be behind your “Break In Case Of Emergency” glass. It’s got such an authentic peanut butter taste, but there’s a little extra to it, so it fulfills a need different than the peanut butter you put on your oatmeal on gym mornings. The “Dessert” need. The “I Need To Eat Something Bad” need. But it’s NOT something bad. The ingredients are stellar, plus you get 20g of protein and no added sugar.

                Thank you, Papa Steve. Thank you a whole bunch.

                 

               

Tastes like:  A mellow peanut butter experience

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Raw, vegetarian, Gluten-free, Non-GMO, 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 - Urban Remedy Banana Brittle

Brand:  Urban Remedy

Flavor:  Banana Brittle

Where to get it: here @ Urban Remedy

                I am a bread monster. All kinds, all times of the day, as much as I can get. Well, not anymore, because it turns out that bread isn’t that great for you, especially if you’re a diabetic. Well shit. No more of my mom’s banana bread with an inch of butter slathered on top of it for me! But wait…what’s this? Banana…brittle? Ohhhh, I’m sure it’s just another raw chunk of dates and almonds. So then I took a bite, and I am pretty sure that glitter shot right out of my eye sockets. This tastes JUST like banana bread. JUST. LIKE. IT. The texture is different, sure…but the taste is indistinguishable to me. It’s not hard like peanut brittle, it’s more of a delicate, chewy situation.

                I love this product SO MUCH. I would like to write another entire paragraph just slobbering on and on about how much I love it, and how crazy it is to me that the flavor is just so perfect. But I suppose writing that declaration is almost as good, so I’ll spare everyone. If you like banana bread – YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Banana bread!!

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Raw, Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, Certified Organic

What’s in it:

Review - Hail Merry Raw Almonds

Brand:  Hail Merry

Flavor:  Vanilla Maple Almonds

Where to get it: here @ Hail Merry

                The only thing wrong with these almonds is that there aren’t 700 of them in the package. I was so sad when the last one was gone. Slightly sweet, perfectly crunchy, with just a pinch of salt…almonds aren’t even my favorite nut, but these may very well be my favorite nut-based snack. I also really like the packaging, cute design, and the fact that it’s not just another cellophane pouch. I’m glad I had the chance to discover these.      

                 

               

Tastes like:  Lightly sweetened nuts from above

Taste rating:  10/10

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

What’s in it:

Review - Thunderbird Energetica Bars

Brand:  Thunderbird Energetica

Flavor:  Various

Where to get it: here @ Abe's Market

                I LOVE overachievers. I’m not one, but that just makes me appreciate them all the more. Thunderbird Energetica has drilled down the awesomeness of their bars all the way to the wrapper, which is compostable. Heyo! Could you be any cooler? No, I really don’t think you could be. Eating these bars makes me feel like an Earth Avenger. They’ve even been blessed by a shaman. Show me a snacker who remains unimpressed, and I’ll also have you know, they are incredibly tasty. The Cashew Fig Carrot was my favorite (ahem, why no snazzy name?), but I also liked the Sweet Lemon Rain Dance as well. They’re quite fruity and have that sweet date-type taste, and I’m into it. Thank you for being you, Thunderbird Energetica. I appreciate your awesomeness.          

                 

               

Tastes like:  Mmmmmm dates and figs and smiles

Taste rating:  9/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Non-GMO, Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw, No artificial ingredients

What’s in it: (Cashew Fig Carrot Bar)

Review: Kur Coconut Cashew Bar

Brand:  Kur

Flavor:  Coconut Cashew

Where to get it: here @ Abe's Market

                There is a street fair in Palm Springs, CA called “The College of the Desert”. In addition to the terribly romanticized name, it’s a night time street fair. It’s magical, and Palm Springs is absolutely infested with date farms. The first time I ever tried a whole, fresh date (as opposed to the chopped and sugared ones from the bag at the grocery store) was here, and it was one that had been rolled in coconut. These bars are about as close as I think you can get to that absolutely divine treat. They are tiny little powerhouses of YES. Small but mighty, they will satisfy any sugar craving, and you’ll actually feel like you have eaten a much larger bar. If you like dates, you will adore these. I sure do!

PS – While I admire the fortitude of people who try to maintain a raw diet, I’m simply not strong enough to do so. However it is worth noting that these bars are 100% raw. They are also only the second 100% raw product that I have reviewed that I would eat just because they taste good. Impressive.

                 

Tastes like:  Those dates rolled in coconut that you can get at College of the Desert

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Organic, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Non-GMO, Made in the USA, All-natural, Kosher

What's in it:

Review: Snapz Zucchini Crunch

Brand:  Snapz

Flavor:  Zucchini

Where to get it: here @ Snapz

                Zucchini is not typically eaten raw where I come from. I’ve never actually TRIED raw zucchini…until now. There’s a reason that people don’t eat it raw. No bueno. Nutritionally, this is a snack you really can’t beat. The ingredients are: zucchini. The end. No salt, no oil, no lemon pepper – nada. I feel like maybe some sea salt or black pepper would have made this more palatable, I really couldn’t handle it. If you’re someone who loves zucchini and eats it raw, then by all means, buy this by the truckload because it was made for you. Unfortunately, it wasn’t made for me.

                 

Tastes like:  Raw, wilted zucchini

Taste rating:  2/10

Qualities:  Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, non-GMO, no artificial ingredients

What’s in it:

Review: The Love Bean Superfood Fudge Spread

Brand:  Love Bean Superfudge Spread

Flavor:  Essentially Raw & Original Coconut

Where to get it: here @ Love Bean

                I didn’t know what to do with these little packets when I first got them. There are all kinds of suggestions on the back, and one of them is basically “Squirt it into your mouth and commence swooning” (I may be paraphrasing a tad). So, that’s what I did. At first I was like, “This is weird.” And then I was like, “Unnnngghhhh.” The texture is basically that of butter (at room temperature, you can also refrigerate these). I expected it to taste like coconut oil, which I’m not a huge fan of to begin with. It really didn’t though - it tasted more like chocolate, but a very smooth, comforting chocolate. (I’m also not a big fan of chocolate, if you haven’t gathered that yet.)            

                It’s really different. It tastes good. You need to try it for yourself. I feel like it would be absolutely KILLER on some sweet strawberries. Or toast. Man, I love toast. And the Love Bean offers them in little 1oz. packages, which I want to shuffle like playing cards with my grabby little hands.

Tastes like:  You’ll never buy another bottle of that chocolate syrup

Taste rating:  9/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Organic

What’s in it:

Review: Skout Raw Pumpkin Seeds

Brand:  Skout

Flavor:  Sea Salt Raw Pumpkin Seeds

Where to get it: here @ Skout Organic

                If you’re into pumpkin seeds, you NEED these in your life. I mean it. Roasted perfectly, because they aren’t roasted They’re raw, but they’re perfect. The amount of salt is perfect, the packaging is perfect, the nutrition is perfect. Not a lot to say, because this is simply simple goodness at its finest.

               

Tastes like:  The best pumpkin seeds money can buy

Taste rating:  10/10

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

What’s in it:

Review: Just Pure Foods Crispy Onion Rings

Brand:  Just Pure Foods

Flavor:  Crispy Onion Rings

Where to get it: here @ Abe's Market

                I am so impressed with these little guys! The ingredients get an A++; they are almost entirely plant-based and organic, but they taste just like those onions in the can that everyone uses that are full of flour and sugar. I love putting these on salads and also on ham sandwiches. THEY ARE SO GOOD ON SANDWICHES, YOU GUYS. I didn’t really like eating them straight out of the bag, but that doesn’t mean you can’t if you REALLY love onions. I haven’t tried putting them on the green beans and baking them, I kind of think they might sog up a bit, but I also kind of think I would be okay with that. Looks like I might have an experiment to perform this fall.

               

Tastes like:  Those goodbad onions in the can, but a little less crunchy

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Gluten free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Raw, No artificial ingredients

What’s in it: