Tags: all natural

21 Feb 2017, Comments (0)

Seattle Chocolate Company chocolates

Author: Healthnuttxo

Time for one of my favorite reviews… Chocolate!!! I got some yummy goodies by Seattle Chocolates. They also sent some cute little tubes of coffee flour, cocoa nibs and cherry pulp which was awesome to see, as it is what makes up this delicious chocolate.

Super Chocolate Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar by Seattle Chocolates. This one is “powered by coffee flour & cocoa nibs” , Non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, and Rainforest Alliance Certified.

Upon opening, the aroma of chocolate is extremely strong, and quite delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever had such an overwhelming chocolate aroma by opening up a wrapper before! It is a dense chocolate, but softer on the inside (the “truffle” aspect, I am assuming). The taste is quite good- definitely a dark chocolate, but not super bitter. While it isn’t a melt in your mouth kind of chocolate (that’s the nature of dark chocolate), it is enjoyable, and I am not a huge dark chocolate fan. It has a semi-sweet sort of feel, kind of like when you pick the morsels out of cookie dough when making homemade chocolate chip cookies. It is sweet, but not overpoweringly so. I really enjoyed this!

4 stars.

1/2 bar is 190 calories, 15 grams of fat, 17 carbohydrates, 12 sugars and 2 grams of protein.

Next up, the Jcoco Chocolate (also by Seattle Chocolate Company). I was given two, the Noble Dark, which was 72% dark chocolate with cocoa nibs, and the Arabica Cherry Espresso in Dark Chocolate. I liked that when I opened each package, there were 3 mini bars inside, all individually wrapped, with fun pictures on each one. On the back it says “one bar= one serving to one in need” , where various donations are made, which you can read more about here.

Both bars are all natural, non-GMO, vegan, and gluten free. The box the chocolate comes in is on 100% recycled paper, and the products are Kosher. Talk about win-win-win for anyone with restricted needs trying to find some yummy chocolate, that ALSO is for a good cause!

First up, the Noble Dark. Make no mistake, this was definitely a dark chocolate. A tad on the bitter side for me, but honestly, I still liked it. And let me repeat, I am NOT a dark chocolate fan. The cocoa nibs added a nice crunch and some texture to the chocolate. Again, not a melt in your mouth chocolate, but still good. Definitely a strong cocoa flavor, but tasted so fresh and pure, with mild sweetness.

3 1/2 stars

Next up, the Arabica Cherry Espresso in Dark Chocolate. This one definitely had a nice cherry undertone to it, which provided both sweetness and a nice flavor. This chocolate seemed to be smoother, and more “melty” in consistency. Not as bitter as the other 2, and a tad sweeter. I really liked this one. My favorite of the three.

4 stars

 

Overall, some pretty darn good chocolate. What’s better than satisfying a chocolate craving, while also giving back to those in need? Plus with dark chocolate, you get a little antioxidant boost that the news, etc. always raves about. Win-win! I would definitely give these a try, even if you are a milk chocolate fan like I am, because they are worth it, and please check them out if you like dark chocolate, you will not be disappointed!

 

This is an unbiased review. I received these samples to try for free.

 

4 Oct 2016, Comments (0)

Love Our Nuts Raw, Whole, Natural Almonds

Author: Healthnuttxo

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Nuts are one of my favorite snacks. There are only a few things that I crave when I am insatiable (despite eating enough) or in a mood where I want something crunchy and satisfying. I LOVE the sweetened (honey roasted…) versions of nuts, and typically I go for roasted or salted.

Love Our Nuts has some gluten free, raw, whole and natural nuts. You can get 2 lbs for only 13.99 which I think is a STEAL seeing as these small cans of nuts at the store is 6-7$. If you aren’t a fan of raw, you can totally roast and flavor these yourselves!

They are a hard and crunchy nut, fresh, and bursting with flavor. There is no salt, and they are not roasted. Typically, I prefer roasted/salted nuts, but I cannot lie, these are yummy! I tend to prefer roasted because the raw almonds are usually “soft”, and I like a crunchy nut in order to be satisfied. However, these were really good!

They are smaller than most almonds I have seen, the shell of the almond doesn’t fall/flake off, and you don’t miss the salt. They almost have some type of SUPER mild “vanilla” type flavor, which must be the natural almond flavors shining through. I like them.

I think these would be great in a trail mix, with some sweeter components, such as raisins and some chocolate. They are plain, but have that “real” flavor. Unadulterated, nothing added, almonds. Can’t argue with nature. 4 stars
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I received this product for free. This is an unbiased review.
19 Nov 2015, Comments (0)

Perky Fruit Bodies- Cacao Banana Coconut, Coconut Banana, Strawberry Banana

Author: Healthnuttxo

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I got some yummy Perky Fruit Bodies to try! What is that, you say? These are organic, raw, vegan, gluten free, and kosher “fruit leathers”.

Let’s get to it! ^-^

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Coconut Banana– this one is squished!

IMG_7576The color and appearance isn’t appetizing, but we always go beyond that for food reviews! The flavor is OK. Banana and coconut flavor is strong, the banana provides the natural sweetness, and tastes like an over-ripened banana. It is dry, and a bit flaky. It is not “sticky” like you would picture a “fruit roll up”, and is more like a natural fruit leather, but still on the drier side. It’s alright. 2 1/2 stars

Strawberry Banana– this one is good!

IMG_7578Tangy from the strawberries, and sweet from the banana. Tastes like a strawberry banana smoothie in fruit leather form. It is a bit chewier than the Coconut Banana, and more held together, which I like. It has a bit of a “rip” to it when you bite it. I would eat this one again. 4 star

Cacao Banana Coconut-  this one I also like.

IMG_7577The cacao flavor is pretty strong, but it gives a chocolate covered banana flavor to it. Good amount of sweetness. The Cacao gives almost a dark chocolate feel as well. The coconut flavor is very mild, and lacking, but I don’t mind because I think it tastes good the way it is. Chewy and has a nice “rip” to it…I like this one! 4 star

Overall, not bad! They run 60-130 calories each, ranging from 14-18 carbs and 0-7 grams of fat depending on the flavor. I think they would go great as a pre workout snack, as you are getting a boost of energy from the sugars from the fruits, and they are light enough where they will not make you feel sluggish during a workout. I also like how they are individually wrapped and easy to bring with you on the go. You can view nutritional information below.

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I received this product to try for free from the company. This is an unbiased review.

 

 

 

 

 

22 Apr 2015, Comments (11)

Blake’s Hearty Beef Stew

Author: Healthnuttxo

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Saw this at Target today (the best store in the world, duh) and decided to give it a whirl. I often stay away from frozen dinners for a few reasons…
1. Full of sodium (hellooooo bloating)
2. Full of preservatives (how about some BHT with your carrots?)
3. Teeny portions for a lot of money

And while this one looked small, the sodium levels were low, and it was a natural dish so no preservatives or colors added. I’ve also had Blake’s chicken pot pie before and it was scrumptious. So I decided to give it a whirl.

Suggested cooking method is the oven. Did I use the oven? Of course I did….the microwave oven (see what I did there?) 😉

Here’s what it looked like:
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Smaller than I thought. Frozen dinner? How about a frozen snack….

There was literally 3 pieces of beef in here. THREE. TEENY. PIECES. I am a big girl (okay, I’m not a big girl, but my stomach likes big portions), and I can easily down a plate of meatballs, steak, hamburger, etc. And still be hungry. So I knew this wasn’t promising.

The first piece of beef was scrumptious. Soft, tender, flavorful. Bits of garlic and pepper, perfectly complimented with the gravy. Reminded me of the stew my mom used to make…mmm.

The other two pieces of beef were fatty. Half fat I should say. White, visible fat. Chewy and bleh. Some people like fatty meat. I am not one of them. Moving on…

The carrots and peas were on point. Carrots were perfect consistency, and peas were nice and crisp. It reminded me of the inside of a pot pie. Both flavorful and fresh. Very good.

The square potatoes were an epic fail. These were supposed to be red skin potatoes? They tasted like the super starchy brown ones you can make french fries with. They were essentially a block of mush. Starchy mush. Awful.

The gravy was thick, but gelatinous, which probably meant it had a high fat content. And seeing as my mere 3 pieces of beef could not possibly contribute all 12 grams of fat, I assume the rest of the fat was in the gravy. Which I will admit, was delicious and flavorful. It held the dish together nicely and went well with everything. Even those awful potatoes.

Overall? Meh. Hearty? Hardly. I wasn’t even hungry when I ate this and I think I am hungrier post meal. Would not buy again, but if bought for me I would eat it. 2 1/2 stars

 

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30 Jul 2014, Comments (1)

Live Love POP all natural popcorn- Lime Fresco, Sea Salt, Truffle Salt

Author: Healthnuttxo

Popcorn is by far my favorite snack (this post is still not biased!!). I was sent 3 flavors of a brand of popcorn I have never heard of, or even seen in stores, for free. Live Love POP sent me Lime Fresco, Sea Salt, and Truffle Salt popcorn, all made with minimal ingredients, and waist line friendly (30 calories per cup!).

The popcorn comes in brown bags that were both easy to open and close to stay fresh. I like that it had a nice sturdy bag, but also a natural feel, and had a zipper built in the bag. My number one pet peeve with snacks is that the cheap plastic breaks and then you have a bag ripped down the middle, thus, either snacks all over the floor from improper opening or stale snacks. BOOO!

I decided to try the Truffle Salt flavor first. And boy was I not disappointed! It was SO good! I never had truffles, or truffle salt, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, this popcorn had a lot of flavor and almost reminded me of a garlic knot. Garlic knot flavored popcorn for 30 cals a cup? COUNT ME IN! I did not miss the butter or anything on this popcorn, flavor was covered! It also had a good amount of salt, but not too much. My only complaint was that bag was too small! heh! 4 1/2 stars

Next up, the Sea Salt. This one was honestly pretty bland. I know it had no other flavor really except salt, but it was even lacking in the salt department. It was crunchy and fluffy popcorn, which kept me eating the rest of the bag, but I wouldn’t buy this one in the future if I had the chance. Not enough salt to have a sea salt flavor. 3 stars

Lastly, Lime Fresco.

This one I had high hopes for, especially after the Truffle Salt flavor. It sounded semi exotic, and a new flavor I never tried when it came to popcorn! The popcorn was a bit odd. It had a lime flavor, some bites more potent than others, that was a bit sour, mixed with some salt flavor. The flavor reminded me of a lime rub you would put on chicken to grill with. It got better as I ate more of it, and although it wasn’t my favorite, it wasn’t bad. I feel like a touch of butter would have been perfect, but again, 30 cals a cup a can’t really complain! 3  stars

Overall, I like the popcorn! I would LOVE to have more of that truffle flavored popcorn and love to see if Live Love POP has any more flavors to try. I think they would make a really good sweet flavored popcorn, because I like the direction they are going in! These popcorns are vegan, all natural, and GMO free 🙂

30 Sep 2011, Comments (7)

Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte LARAbar

Author: Healthnuttxo

Look-ee what I got in the mail, as a complete surprise to me…

YEP- some Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte LARAbars! With a cute little bag, button, sticker and slice of information pie.

What a nice welcome surprise once I walked in the door and had a package waiting for me. Thanks, LARAbar!!!

Now, down to business. It looks like your standard LARAbar….

….but it’s not.

This one ROCKS!!!! I noticed the bar seemed softer than usual when I took a bite, but still had that sticky density we all know and (hopefully) love. As I kept chewing, I really loved this bar. It tastes like chocolate covered cherries!!

It was sweet and tart, with that classic date taste. But,  then you get a hint of  dark chocolate flavor and a teensy bit of crunch. I really felt like I was eating almost a cordial cherry, with chocolate covered coating. This is definitely one of my new favorite Larabars!! And, according to the wrapper, this baby is Gluten Free and gives 1/2 of a fruit serving. What’s not to love??

Overall, this gets 4 1/2 stars. Really delicious! I will definitely buy in the future!!

What’s your favorite food involving cherries? I cant say I would turn down a slice of cherry pie 😉

chipped nail polish. *sigh* forgive me??? 😉

28 Sep 2011, Comments (3)

Popcorn, Indiana Bacon Ranch Popcorn

Author: Healthnuttxo

So this ones for you guys. Bacon seems like it’s such a big deal. As in a big deal as in people love it.

To me? Eh.

While I do appreciate a good slice of turkey bacon, I never liked bacon as a kid. Always left it on my plate on the diner, and scrunched my nose when I saw the grease my dad would pour into a glass jar after making breakfast. But that’s just me.

So when I saw this product, Popcorn, Indiana Bacon Ranch Popcorn I knew it would be a perfect thing to review. Plus, well, ok….it sounded pretty awesome. And I’m all for snacking. Guess what store I bought it at. No really, guess.

Why, WHOLE FOODS of course! 😉

Anyway, here’s what a bowl of the bacony-ranch goodness looked like.

*sniff* *sniff*….does someone smell bacon?

This popcorn was unbelievably delicious. It had a soft crunch to it, and a light residue on top of each piece of popcorn. I barely found any pieces that didn’t have a good coating on it, which was a positive. Nothing like a plain piece of popcorn to bring down the flavor party. Yea, I said flavor party.

Anyway, there was a salty taste, and a sharp white cheddar cheese flavor. And yes….I tasted bacon. There were also onion flavors as well, and it just really had a powerful and delicious ( insert ADDICTIVE) tastes. It reminded me of the Smoked Gouda popcorn I really loved as well.

This popcorn gets 4 1/2 stars. Why not 5 you ask? Well, it’s called Bacon Ranch popcorn, and I sort of missed the “ranch” element. It was more of a cheesy-bacon popcorn to me, with a bit of onion flavor.  It’s also a touch high in fat and sodium. Regardless, beyond good, and highly recommended.

What about YOU- fan of bacon? or no?  I like Veggie Bacon too! 🙂

s

7 Sep 2011, Comments (2)

Irene’s Raspberry Puffs

Author: Healthnuttxo

Look at this goodie I picked up from Whole Foods! I wanted some sort of sweet treat to follow up my lunch- and this was it! I bust my booty at the gym every day, usually after breakfast, so I like to have some “reward” for my hard work as part of my post-gym session. I was hoping these would be as delicious as they looked- and the fact that they are all natural, and have “no refined sugar” as the package states, didn’t hurt either!! =)

So after the trauma Hurricane Irene has caused last week (bless any and all who faced hardships!), let’s bring some good back to the name “Irene” with these cookies. They were delicious!

The first bite I took was all of the outer part of the cookie, and none of the raspberry middle. It was thick, and very rich, and reminded me of a homemade pie crust. It had that flavor and texture that made me crave a drink of water.

The raspberry part was smooth and sweet, but not overly sweet. They had a fresh raspberry taste, and reminded me of a raspberry jelly or jam. As I stated before, these cookies were made without refined sugars, so that’s something (as a Diabetic) I especially appreciate. Sweetener is sweetener to me, but the less refined the sweetener, I notice the less of an impact on my blood sugar levels. So a less guilty sweet treat for me? Count me in!

Overall, a perfect post-lunch treat. A good sized cookie, at only 110 calories and 4 grams of sugar. They reminded me of mini raspberry pies, but with a thicker crust! I’m not really sure why they are called puffs- I was expecting an airy or “puffy” cookie, but this was actually quite dense. Oh well, still yummy! 4 stars

Question- what’s your favorite thing involving the name “Irene” ? Let’s get some positive things to bring a better light to the name Irene after the hurricane!

Little high in saturated fat, but it’s a treat! And hey, it’s made with delicious butter 😉

1 Sep 2011, Comments (4)

Oogie’s Gourmet Popcorn White Cheddar

Author: Healthnuttxo

So far, I’m a fan of Oogie’s Gourmet Popcorn. The ever-so delicious Smoked Gouda **highly reccommended**, pretty yummy Movie Lover’s Buttered Popcorn, and also pretty good Hatch Chili Con Queso flavors. I was excited to try the White Cheddar.

You see… I sort of had an obsession with White Cheddar popcorn when I was younger. There would always be a bag of it in the house, and I was known to demolish the whole bag (yes….the WHOLE thing) in a sitting. Who counts serving sizes or calories when they are little? I sure didn’t!  ; )

Then I just grew out of the bag a week White Cheddar popcorn phase. And then when I received Oogie’s Gourmet Popcorn White Cheddar for free to try in the mail, my love was rekindled. YES. White Cheddar Popcorn we meet again!!

So I opened the bag, and here’s how it looked.

The popcorn itself was light and fluffy, with a great crunch. Just as popcorn should be. It left a slight residue on my hands, but not so much where I had to wipe my hands all over the couch cushions (KIDDING!). I wouldn’t say the flavor screamed White Cheddar , and in fact some pieces I questioned to myself what flavor was it exactly?

It wasn’t really salty, and had a mild cheese flavor. It also had a bit of a buttermilk flavor that reminded me of Ranch dressing. It was certainly a unique flavor, where some pieces were very flavorful, and others left rather bland.

So does Oogie’s Gourmet Popcorn White Cheddar live up to my past of White Cheddar popcorn love affair?

Not exactly, but it was still good. I would eat it again, and would buy it if I saw it in stores. 4 stars

How do you like yo eat YOUR popcorn? sweet? salty? Let me know!!! 🙂


24 Aug 2011, Comments (5)

Oogie’s Hatch Chili Con Queso Popcorn

Author: Healthnuttxo

First off, I’m already a pretty big fan of Oogie’s Gourmet Popcorn. I REALLY liked the Smoked Gouda popcorn, which if you haven’t checked out already, you can read about it here.

Another bag that Oogie’s sent me to try was the Hatch Chili Con Queso Popcorn. I didn’t know what to expect with this popcorn. Would it be spicy? Would it taste cheesy? Salty? The only sure way to find out….open the bag and eat some! ; )

As you can see, it had an orangey tint. It’s even brighter than that picture depicts.

The flavor was certainly different. At first, a very slight cheesy taste, that kind of reminded me of nacho cheese. Then it tastes a bit salty, and reminded me of white cheddar popcorn. Then, WHAM! This little bit of heat and spice creeps up and is left with the aftertaste, with a slight burn lingering in my mouth. It was pretty good, and was spicy enough to detect, but not overly spicy that made me go running to the fridge for some milk to calm the spicyness.There was also a bit of oniony flavor in this light and fluffy popcorn, that added a nice touch.

While I liked this gluten free popcorn and think its very tasty,  I dont think I could eat more than a serving at a time. But hey, maybe that’s a good thing..no eating the whole bag in one sitting! Another thing I noticed with this bag and the other Oogie’s popcorn I have had, is that the seasoning is very hit or miss. Some kernels have a lot (which, I LOVE!) and others are bland. But then again, I feel that way with some other brands of chips too. I guess it’s hard to evenly coat everything!!

Overall, 3 1/2 stars. Pretty good, but I kind of wish it was a bit more cheesy tasting, for the “Queso” aspect. I also found myself coughing quite a bit from the spice/heat of the popcorn. But then again…I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy foods =P  My favorite is still the Smoked Gouda!

SPICY FOODS- yay or nay? I would take super mild peach salsa over hot salsa any day =)

I received this to try for free for the company, but my opinion remains unaffected.
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