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 - Bite Fuel Power Bites

Brand:  Bite Fuel

Flavor:  Power Bites Protein Cookies

Where to get it: here @ BiteFuel.com

                I’ve had some pretty good luck with protein cookies lately, so I was really interested in trying these little dudes. They’re smaller, almost like you’re eating a “real” mass-produced grocery store cookie out of the delicious rows in their cellophane packaging. Unfortunately, I hated the taste on these guys. They’re as sweet as a Quest bar, with that overwhelming weird protein powder taste and aftertaste. I suppose if you were STARVING and hadn’t had anything but bland chicken and unsalted green beans for a couple of weeks, these might hit the spot…but otherwise, take a pass.

               

Tastes like:   Protein powder and sugar alcohol

Taste rating:  2/10

Qualities:   Non-GMO, Gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - Think Fruit Pineapple

Brand:  Paradise Fruit Company

Flavor:  Think Fruit Pineapple Tidbits

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                I like all things pineapple – fresh, dried, dehydrated, smothered in sugar, robed in alcohol, whatever. This tiny bag of sweet pineapple chunks is no exception; I’m in loooooove. It’s also a good thing that they gave me a tiny bag (I feel like I say this often, but it’s true), because it really is a tiny bag of sugar. I don’t mean that in a bad way, fruit has eternally been a huge part of a healthy, balanced diet, but it truly is mostly sugar, depending on which fruit you’re working with. Couple that fact with the added sugar in this bag, and what we have here is basically candy: delicious, wonderful, natural fruit/candy that doesn’t contain any weird dyes or colorings or boiled animal hooves and skin (gelatin). I’ll take it, every time.

               

Tastes like:  Delicious sugary pineapple

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities: 

What’s in it:  Gluten free, vegetarian, vegan

Review - Nutiva O'Coconut

Brand:  Nutiva

Flavor:  O’Coconut Classic

Where to get it: here @ Nutiva.com

                O’Coconut, O’Coconut, I wish you were more than twoooooooo biiiiiiiites. Have you guys tried some of those raw macaroons that are on the market now? The ones that are really super delicious? These little treats make those delicious macaroons seem just average. They are softer, chewier, and every bit as coconutty. If they come in a bigger bag, I don’t think I want to know about it. If they come in more flavors, I don’t think I want to know about that either. Although I bet they’d be good covered in chocolate, or peanut butter…or raspberry jam….Phew. Thanks, Nutiva, these are great little treats, I tell you what.

               

Tastes like:  The guts from an Almond Joy  

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, USDA Organic, vegetarian, vegan

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 - Cracked Nut Butter

Brand:  Cracked Nut Butter

Flavor:  Brownie Batter & White Chocolate Raspberry

Where to get it: here @ VitaCost.com or here @ CrackedNutButter.com (Different things are available on each site.)

                How many protein products have you had that claim to be “Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough” or “Cake Batter”? I know I’ve tried scores. And how many have even come close to tasting like dough or batter? For me, pretty much none.

                Until now.

                Holy crap.

                This is happening.

                What we have here, is Cracked Nut Butter in raw confectionary flavors, spiked with protein. Actually, they have more grams of protein than sugar, but you’d never know it. The Brownie Batter seriously tastes like actual brownie batter. The little sucky pouches are DANGEROUS, because I find myself just mindlessly, joyfully sitting at my computer, sucking on them like they’re 70-calorie applesauce packs. They definitely aren’t that, but they really aren’t terribly nefarious, especially for how stinkin’ delicious they are.

               

                Great before working out, great after working out, great for a before-bedtime treat…these are just incredible.

               

Tastes like:  Batter and dough and %$!@*! heaven

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - Go Healthy New York Date Bar

Brand:  Keep Healthy

Flavor:  Apple Date Bar

Where to get it: here @ KeepHealthyInc.com

                 I was really surprised to see that this bar doesn’t have any added sugar in it. I know dates and raisins can be very sweet, but this flavor blend is really outstanding. The almonds and walnuts take the sweet down a little so it’s not downright syrupy, but they don’t make this bar taste like another nut bar at all. The texture is great, moist (sorry), chewy, but not goopy or slimy. You know how sometimes these fruit bars “sweat” and get a little weird? This one didn’t do that at all. Truth telling – I actually ate this one 2 months past its “best by” date and it was still pretty much spectacular. If you’re a fan of dates and raisins, and you’re tired of eating trail mix, get some of these bars. You can even eat them one-handed.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Sweet date heaven

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free

What’s in it:

Review - FitMiss Vanilla Chai Protein Shake

Brand:  FitMiss

Flavor:  Vanilla Chai Protein Shake

Where to get it: here @ FitMiss.com

                I’m always leery about trying a new protein powder, especially when it’s one that I’m going to review, because I always try to drink them “clean” – just powder and unsweetened almond milk. Even my favorite protein powder really benefits from some PB2 and Splenda most of the time, or at least a banana, but this one really doesn’t need anything added to it. I didn’t get a strong, spicy chai flavor from this, but it was still really tasty. It had a great, true vanilla taste, and at 90 calories and 3 grams of carbs, you can pretty much have one of these whenever you want, even a couple times a day. If your tummy is good with whey protein, FitMiss is definitely a great option.

               

Tastes like:  A sweet vanilla shake

Taste rating:  9/10

Qualities:  Gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - One Bar

Brand:  One Bar

Flavor:  Cherry

Where to get it: here @ theonebar.com

                You really can’t argue with this bar. It’s little, it’s simple. It’s good for you. Pick a fruit that you like, and you’ll enjoy this bar as a quick snacky. It’s more than a fruit leather, it’s thicker and takes more time to chew. I also really like the simplicity of the packaging to go along with the simplicity of the product. Thanks for not putting dancing cherries or apples on rollercoasters on the front of your wonderful little product, One Bar.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Meaty fruit

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Gluten free, Vegetarian, Vegan

What’s in it:

Review - Hail Merry Macaroons

Brand:  Hail Merry

Flavor:  Choco Macaroons

Where to get it: here @ HailMerry.com

                Tiny little sweet balls of coconut sweetness, you’re just SO GOOD! Looking for a treat? Like coconut? Grab some of these Hail Merry Choco Macaroons. I’m not even a big fan of chocolate and I absolutely LOVED these. The bag I had contained 3 little macaroons – the perfect amount for when you really need to feel like you’ve had dessert. Even better, you can enjoy one here, one there, one later – just to squelch that nagging voice in your head that tries to send you to the office vending machine around 3 pm. They pack a great flavor and sweetness punch, so I’m really not being unrealistic when I say you CAN just eat one and feel pretty good about it, and that’s almost no calories at all. Plus…coconut is healthy, right? These are basically vegetables.

               

Tastes like:  Chocolate coconut YUM

Taste rating:  9/10

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

What’s in it:

Review - Energy Gummi Bears

Brand:  Energy Gummi Bears

Flavor:  Citrus

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                Pre-workout in gummi bear form? Yes please! I am a person who needs pre-workout. Without something (pre-workout, juice, a fruit squeezy), I almost always have to slog through my workout in slo-mo, hating every minute of it. That’s no way to live. I popped these guys about 15 minutes before my workout, and no joke, they really helped, especially with the cardio portion of my workout, which is my least favorite. They look like typical gummi bears, but the taste is turbo sweet, probably to mask some of those wonderful “energy ingredients”. We all know how nasty those energy “shots” tend to taste, by comparison these are much, much better tasting.

                Additional fun fact: in what I consider to be a direct juxtaposition to the maniacal bear on the front of the package, there’s a little line of scripture on the back. I could not love this more.             

                 

               

Tastes like:  SWEET gummi bears

Taste rating:  7/10

Qualities:  Gluten free, Made in the USA

What’s in it:

Review - Kay's Naturals Protein Pretzels

Brand:  Kay’s Naturals

Flavor:  Cinnamon Toast Protein Pretzels

Where to get it: here @ KaysNaturals.com

                When I was in grade school we were often served this strange-looking blob of sticky rice with our lunches. As far as I could tell, it was just cinnamon, sugar, and rice, but I have been unsuccessful at recreating the concoction in my adulthood. Enter these protein pretzels from Kay’s Naturals, and BOOM! I’m right back to being a happy, porky 4^th grader. Now, obviously pretzels are not rice, but the flavor is so much the same that I absolutely squealed with glee, to the surprise of most of my coworkers. I didn’t even both to try to explain to them why a bag of seemingly ordinary pretzels was giving me such delight, I don’t think they’d get it.

                Oh and before I get too carried away (too late…), I should mention that if you want to eat pretzels, these are CRAZY full of protein – 12g in the 120 calorie-size bag. They only have 15g of carbs – I say “only” because they are PRETZELS and they have almost as many grams of protein as they do carbs. That’s pretty kickass.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Cinnamon sugar rice from the lunch lady

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Vegetarian, Kosher, Gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - Gnu Fiber Love Bars

Brand:  Gnu Foods

Flavor:  Fiber Love Bar (various)

Where to get it:  here @ NuGoFiber.com

                I keep eating little bars here and there, and they mostly all taste like date juice and sadness. These little dynamos from Gnu Foods taste like the flavor listed on the package. THE FLAVOR LISTED ON THE PACKAGE. What a novel concept! I also REALLY liked these little sample-sized bars that I got my hands on - I got to try both flavors for roughly the same amount of calories as one whole bar (140). They taste like cookies, but they have the texture of a bar, which I think is just perfect, dang it. I feel it’s safe to say that if you see these in the store, and there’s a flavor that speaks to you, you’re gonna love it, because it’s going to taste like you want it to taste. Hallelujah!  

                 

               

Tastes like: 

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, Kosher

What’s in it:

Review - 6350 Natural Foods Raspberry strips

Brand:  6350 Natural Foods

Flavor:  Raspberry

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                Apples, raspberries, sugar – that’s it. YUMMY. They are like little fruit strips, but they taste like sweet raspberry jam. They are about 100 times better than your favorite fruit strip, I guarantee it. I love that they are also studded with raspberry seeds, and why wouldn’t they be? They aren’t some over-processed, 25-ingredient Red 40 kid snack. I like these better than fresh raspberries. I like these better than chocolate raspberry torte. If you’ve ever seen the Friends episode where Monica makes a huge batch of jam, and Joey eats it right out of the jar - that is me with these strips. I like 6350’s raspberry strips as much as Joey Tribiani likes Monica’s jam. There is no higher compliment that can be given.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Delicious, sugary raspberry jam

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Vegetarian, Vegan, Kosher, Gluten free, all natural

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 - Quest Cravings Protein Peanut Butter Cups

Brand:  Quest Cravings

Flavor:  Protein Peanut Butter Cups

Where to get it: here @ QuestNutrition.com

                One of my favorite foods of all time is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. They’re not healthy, they’re full of weird stuff, and…I’m diabetic. They’re not supposed to be in my life. In walk these Quest peanut butter cups like, “What up, I got 1g of sugar babe.” Okay! Upon first glance at the label, I was shocked. These have MORE grams of fat in them than Reese’s, and about the same amount of calories. Yikes. Okay, that’s fine, they are supposed to be a treat. Right? Plus, there are 20g of protein in them and hardly any refined sugars. Right? Well, the problem is…SOMEHOW, despite there being *17* grams of fat in these babies, they are dry AF. I don’t understand how this is scientifically possible. Aside from the dryness, the chocolate is VERY bitter, I assume to make up for the sugar-alcohol sweetness overload that is becoming Quest’s signature move.

                Final word:  file these under “too good to be true”. Drink a shake that you like instead.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Bitter peanut dust

Taste rating:  4/10

Qualities:  Vegetarian

What’s in it:

Review - Fruigees Nothing Beets Cherry

Brand:  Fruigees

Flavor:  Nothing Beets Cherry

Where to get it:  here @ Amazon.com

                Not everybody loves beets. I love beets. However, I love beets in an “on my salad” kind of way. Anytime I have had a juice that has had beets in it, it has had that unfortunate dirt-type flavor. But beets are a superfood, so the more beets you can get into your diet, the better. If you just can’t handle those damn dirty beets and their dirty dirt taste, try this Nothing Beets Cherry squeezer from Fruigees. This pouch is a delicious miracle of cherry wonder. So cherry, so delicious, I bought more of these online less than 5 minutes after I finished my first one. I like to chill them, and then have one right before working out. That fruit sugar really does the trick when I have a long bike ride & some Friends reruns ahead of me after work.              

                 

Tastes like:  Cherry sauce millionaire!

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, Organic, vegetarian, vegan, all natural

What’s in it:

Review - Go Vida Grapes & Pineapple

Brand:  Go Vida

Flavor:  Grapes & Pineapple

Where to get it: here @ GoVida.com

                Freeze dry everything you can get your hands on, Go Vida. You’re perfect, everything you make is perfect, and I love you. A lot. I’m not sure what they are doing differently than other companies, but please keep doing it. I love the combinations they make, and the fruit is always sweet and never chalky. I was skittish to try this combo, since pineapple can be so sour when mishandled. There is no sour about this, it’s as sweet and pineapple-y as the non-dried stuff. These are the best pure fruit snacks on the market, for my money.

               

Tastes like:  Big raisins and delicious pineapple

Taste rating:  10/10

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

What’s in it:

Review - Snap Infusion Supercandy Jelly Beans

Brand:  Snap Infusion

Flavor:  Super Candy - Beans

Where to get it: here @ SnapSuperCandy.com 

                                If you wanted some jelly beans, and you found out that you could eat jelly beans AND get whammy loads of vitamins at the same time, why would you NOT eat those jelly beans? I can’t think of a reason. Candy and nutrients, all wrapped up together. Smart.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Fruit juice jelly beans

Taste rating:  8/10

What’s in it:

Review - Caveman Cookies

Brand:  Caveman Cookies

Flavor:  Mayan and New World

Where to get it: here @ Abe's Market

                I love chewy cookies. I think most people do. My person doesn’t though, he will literally take a perfectly good cookie, and put it in the refrigerator with no covering so that it dries out and gets hard. WEIRDO. He would hate these Caveman cookies. They are SO chewy, I actually had a hard time tearing off a little piece to sample. Whatever these folks are doing to achieve this kind of texture, they are doing a great job and I hope they never stop. Taste-wise, I find these to be very unique in a sea of “breakfast/trail/power” cookies. The New World flavor tasted like a more natural, molasses-y (from the maple syrup, I assume) oatmeal cookie.  The Mayan has a bold, slightly bitter chocolate flavor, with a chili powder buddy bringing up the rear. Good little cookies, and if you can get the tiny ones (pictured), they are only 70 calories.              

                 

               

Tastes like:  Some oats and seeds went on a vision quest

Taste rating:  7/10

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

What’s in it: (Mayan)