SunRype: The NEW Fruit & Chia Bars and just released Energy Bars #Review

SunRype, makes bars for consumers that want other options than the soy loaded and artificial sweetener filled bars, you see in so many products of this kind today. I want real food and this goes for when I need a pick-me up snack to even a replacement meal. My Husband has soy sensitivity and I want a bar we can both share and eat. We usually even split an energy bar when we are running errands and the last thing I want to do, is say you can’t have this one. The bars are gluten free and even though we do not have a sensitivity or allergy to gluten, we like to not always eat the same ingredients with every meal. When SunRype approached me about reviewing their 4 most recent bars, I looked into the company and liked how they stated things like “100% Fruit Snacks”, “Simple Ingredients”, to words in the ingredients list that you can pronounce…….so a bar I can actually trust!

I was sent the following varieties from two of SunRype’s newest collections:

Fruit & Chia in Mango Twist
Fruit & Chia in Apple Cinnamon
Energy in Chocolate Coconut
Energy in Raspberry Chocolate

Verdict:

Taste matters because I love fruits and vegetables, and never understood why others did not until I tasted some bars on the market. Any real fruit was annihilated and I probably would feel the same if my introduction to certain fruit bars began that way. SunRype, respects the fruit! The Fruit and Chia bars are like the breakfast scatters I already eat. Every Sunday, I fill a mason jar with dried fruits, seeds and nuts to eat throughout the week. It’s mixed with several flax seeds from ground to whole, dried fruits from coconut to acai berries to other ingredients like cocoa nibs and even mini dark chocolate chips because everything in moderation does not hurt, plus actually makes eating your meal an enjoyment. Ironically, I skip what I call the common filler nuts like peanuts and it’s nothing against the nut but I prefer almonds, pistachios, to walnuts and if I crave peanuts, I’ll just eat peanuts. When I read the packages on the SunRype Fruit & Chia bars, they make what I eat. Versus it being a scatter that I usually eat with yogurt or Kefir, they put it in a package I can travel with. Great for mornings I am in a hurry or dinner will be at a later time that busy day. The bars start with 100% fruit pieces and use sweeteners from the fruit itself to molasses and even brown rice syrup. You know…..real foods! It’s a whole grain bar and they use gluten free oats and brown rice flour. Each of the Fruit & Chia bars contain 800 mg of ALA Omega-3 Fatty Acids and both the Mango Twist and Apple Cinnamon bar is just 200 calories per bar. Sodium is just 50 mg and you get a nice 4 grams of protein. I avoid cinnamon anything. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the spice but most times anything with it is loaded and overpowering. Not with SunRype! The spice is a compliment and the bar resembles an apple bread I bake from scratch. The Mango is a nice break from the common flavors and has a tropical puree taste from the dried mango but because the bar contains coconut, it has a beautiful balance.

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Now, the SunRype Energy bars come with 7 grams of protein that is plant derived. SunRype, also does not hide behind proprietary blends, they list what their energy blend comes from. The main component is pea (protein), green tea extract and ginseng powder for an energy boost. I find my body not only gets a natural boost from these ingredients but I metabolize them better, so no crashing like you would have with some energy drinks. The Chocolate Coconut is 210 calories and the Raspberry Chocolate variety is just 10 calories less. Not bars that you have to punish yourself later by cutting calories from your meals. They are decent in size and more than fulfill their need by stopping hunger to even keeping you going. The Chocolate Coconut was my favorite of all 4 bars. I love coconut and SunRype did not skip on the ingredient. I not only satisfied myself with a snack but also a craving. The Raspberry Chocolate still had the tartness from the berry! Love that because it’s the whole point I go after such berries, I want what they bring from the tart to sweetness that is unique in flavor to that variety.

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All in all, this bars were a hit. They remind me of my morning scatters I enjoy, mixed with fruit leather bars I purchase at the local Framer’s Market…..SunRype just got the wonderful idea of making them both meet to make a bar that is not only nutritious, but a pleasure to have. They have a store locator for their products to even available on Amazon, so no reason to not give there treats…..I mean bars a try. 🙂

 

Connect with SunRype at:

• Online
• Amazon
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• #SunRype #SunRypeBars #SunRypeEnergyBars #SunRypeFruitChiaBars

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from SunRype. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery Breads Review #SilverHillsBakery

The market is full of breads from sliced, wheat, organic,artisan to non-gluten varieties and much more. Finding the bread is easy, but finding one that has real ingredients and tastes wonderful…….well, not so easy.

In our home, we love “brown breads”. This is what we call the molasses type to wheat breads, and even those seedy ones. As much as I do love baking and I do bake our white breads, I have not hit a satisfactory taste profile when it comes to wheat breads and I also would like to just get a loaf at the store, get home and just bake something else. I do not always have the freedom to do so because I’m the type of person that if I can’t find what I am looking for, I make it!

In comes Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery with their large selection of breads. They all fall into our “brown bread” kind of loaves, but they have everything from bagels, burger and hot dog buns. The breads may share a base color (tan or brown) but at first impression, I was worried they would all have the same base flavor and not really differ much than just what seed selection each bread has. Let us just say don’t judge a loaf by it’s cover!

My first loaf I purchased at Sprout’s Market and it was in the refrigerated section and the store had some issues like over stuffing the open fridge, so the loaves in the back were partially frozen. I opted on a fresher date, so that meant a semi-frozen loaf. I picked “The Big 16” variety and took it home and because we carry coolers when we shop, I figure I keep the same environment going and put it in the cooler. We got home and the following day we just tried a slice out of curiosity. Even though the loaf had been stressed because I later found out at Target they just keep it out with no refrigeration, this was an entire different playing field when it came to quality. The bread retained it’s moisture but most of all, it has everything I ever wanted in a wheat style bread. The ingredients are simple and understandable, plus as a baker it would be products I would use to make my own breads at home. The wheat is flavorful without those odd bitter notes and aftertaste you experience with most “brown breads”. I find companies use sugars and sweetened syrups to cover up both the bitter off flavors, but to keep the texture satisfactory, and let’s be realistic…….to try to extend the life span of the bread. Not Silver Hills Bakery!!! They let the bread do all the talking on it’s own and I dropped my favorite all time favorite Milton bread over this loaf. This was after just one bite of a naked slice. Nothing else and I already knew I had a winner.  I also like that each slice is around 100 calories and did I mention organic and Non-GMO ingredients?  Plus, vegan and non-Dairy ingredients too.  they make a non-Gluten variety and nothing is loaded with sugars or any unwelcoming (so not necessary) ingredients. I went down the list on their website of all the breads they make and over and over I kept say, “I’d eat that”.

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I go out shopping and because the first loaf was so welcomed, I buy another variety but at Target this time. It’s called the Squirrely Bread and I see it has exactly what I look for in a bread of this type, down to the sunflower seeds. Again, we bring it home and this is when I found out that the breads from Silver Hills Bakery are all each their own. This one tasted nothing like the loaf before! It even tasted better and my Husband remarked you gotta buy this one again, plus I want to try the Little Big Bread they carry. Yup, I’m taking orders now of what loaf to pick-up because even my family knows that this is now our “go-to” brand.

 

I feel bad that I never noticed Silver Hills Bakery Breads before but I now not only have made them a part of my permanent grocery list, I now get to share them with others. I am not the only one that enjoys these breads because two Targets on different days and each one was out of the Little Big Bread. The tag was there, so I know they carry it but I will catch it when it’s back in stock. I’m on a mission! I also have added the conquest to get my hands on those bagels they make and why not the hamburger and hot dog buns too! It’s nice to go into a store and pick-up bread like a normal person again 🙂 Make your taste buds sing and try something that is new, different and better…….get your hands on a loaf of Silver Hills Bakery bread and just one slice will make you a believer! You just have to promise to leave the last Little Big Bread loaf for me.

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Connect with Silver Hills Bakery Bread and find a loaf or two at:

• On-line
• Store Locator (they make it easy to find)
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• #SilverHillsBakery   #MomsMeet

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

Swaggable: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70 Chocolate Protein Powder Review #FuelledByHemp

I have been a fan of the Manitoba Harvest brand and on a few occasions tasted their hemp based products, just to always find a new food to enjoy and this one is no different. They then added chocolate to the mix, so they definitely were making sure we would love it just even more.

The previous Hemp products were in their whole form, where the Hemp Pro 70 line is finely ground, so you can have more options when incorporating it with other super-foods or just enjoying it as it comes. The Hemp Pro 70 powder is plant based protein, which breaks down like this:

• A 4 tablespoon serving is only 130 calories
• 3.5 grams of total fat and only 0.5 is from Saturated and zero Trans fat.
• Sodium is a modest 25 milligrams
• The Carbohydrates breakdown to 11 grams per serving, two come from dietary fiber and 7 grams of sugar.
• Iron breaks down to 21% of your daily value, which is usually based on a 2,000 caloric intake. If you are dieting and consuming less calories, then this would satisfy more of what you should have on a daily basis.
• You get a nice boost of 14 grams of total protein in each serving, so imagine if you pair it with Greek or Swedish yogurt, which a good brand gives you more of the good stuff and less of the sweet stuff (i.e. sugars).

You also can’t overlook the omega factors and that is not something you get in plain yogurt, so this is why I feel it pairs up so well with it.

• Omega-3 you get 667 milligrams
• Omega-6 you have a generous 2119 milligrams
• Omega-9 gives you 412 milligrams

The product’s ingredients are simple as it gets and the shortest list I have seen on any protein powder list: Hemp Protein concentrate, Organic Coconut sugar, Organic Fair Trade Cocoa powder and natural plant extracts.

Taste Factor:
All because something has chocolate it does not mean it will be pleasant in taste but thankfully Manitoba Harvest hit it perfectly. No fake malt flavors or granule texture left behind when I made my “jungle mix” this morning. My jungle mix bowl was one banana, a mix of nuts like walnuts, Brazil nuts, peanuts, and almonds. I then have dried cranberries, Goji berries, a few tablespoons of ground Flax seed and a dash of sunflower seeds. I add a dollop of vanilla flavored Swedish yogurt and a drizzle of almond butter. Two tablespoons of the Hemp Pro 70 protein powder and I lightly toss it to incorporate it. It’s the type of breakfast that if it’s even Monday, I’m ready! You can adjust your serving by your needs so even if 4 tablespoons gives me the aforementioned nutrition, I added other ingredients, so that means I can stretch out my protein powder but also have other sources that make up for it. I get to start my morning with a good chocolate taste that is not just good in flavor for being in a protein mix, but it’s so good in taste that I don’t crave a latte or a candy/sweet thing later. Not even Mondays can beat you when you start your day like this!

Connect with Manitoba Harvest and get your Hemp fix at:

• On-line
• Product’s Link
• FaceBook
• Twitter
• #FuelledByHemp

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Swaggable and Manitoba Harvest.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Graze.com: Healthy Snacks delivered to your door

Here’s something new for snackers. Graze is a “snack subscription” service. I was able to try Graze at zero cost, with no commitment (And you can too!). The program allows you to pretty much “Nay” or “Yay” items, but you can’t select what snacks you want in your box, otherwise “build-your-box”. I like the surprise-me idea and because they sort of catalog your tastes before, I gave it a go!

I was told my box would arrive the first week of February and it arrived the last week of January, so that was a pleasant surprise. My snack box was shipped via USPS and you get four treats, each individually sealed. Codes are also included to share with friends and work sort of like a referral program. Included is also a Nutrition Facts card, which lets you know the caloric count, sugars, ect.. However if you want a full list of ingredients, it states to check on-line….so very easy with even an exact unique link listed on there that coincides with the item.

My first item to try was the Herby Bread Basket. My husband and I tried the garlic crostini, a mini basil breadstick, and a oregano rice cracker. I tried the cracker first and the cluster seems to be made from brown rice going by the taste but has a very sugary flavor that tends to not bump nicely with the herb notes. I did not detect oregano and more of what you get when you use parsley flakes, but that can be from flavors combining in the packet. My Husband just stated he really does not like how those taste. The sugary notes were overwhelming and hard to look past them and maybe would fit better with an Asian mix, versus a mix that seems more Italian-like going by the flavors. The garlic crostini is just like a crouton would taste and not overly garlic. Think of the square croutons that are meant to be used for making stuffing but in a pinch you see them used on salads. Now, the mini basil breadsticks were pleasant but salty. I even rinsed my mouth thinking the sugary notes from the rice cracker were influencing my taste buds but unfortunately it was not. 1 out of 3 items in this snack were okay-ish,so I gave this one a “Nay”

The next day we tried the HoneyComb Flapjack, made of rolled oats and drizzled with chocolate. The item is soft in texture and smells a little like a oatmeal cookie does minus the raisins. Took a bite and the first thing that came to mind, a no-bake cookie. You do not taste the chocolate and I give you that the square does not have a processed flavor at all but it was lacking in flavor period. The square smelled better than it tasted. My Husband bailed on taking a second bite because the grainy texture was just not his thing. I dumped the rest into my yogurt cup and it sort of got lost in there. This is when I noticed the grains I eat from my granola mix had more flavor than the Flapjack. We gave this a “Nay”.

I wanted to end on a good note so I opened the Trail Mix. My mix had redskin peanuts, roasted hazelnuts, jumbo raisins, and cranberries. It’s so my kind of thing that this mix was created for me. I peel open the container and noticed it does not smell like what I am seeing. Sort of musty. I taste a peanut and my Husband takes a very non-jumbo sized raisin and walks off. My peanut was soft in texture and tasted rancid so I did not finish it. I then hear from the other room in the house, “don’t taste the raisin, I had to spit it out”. Ummmm….okay, so I taste a hazelnut and roasted it is not and suffers from that same softness and weird off taste the peanut does. I gave up and disposed of this mix. The nuts are soft like if they had been in a cooler and then sweated a bit when they were warmed (maybe while in transit). Nonetheless, they were bad! Nay again!

The Booster Seeds I would love to say are my next choice by I am starting to grow shy here. The Booster mix has sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and golden flax seeds. I eat flax seeds and pumpkin seeds on a routine basis, so this is again familiar territory. I peel open the container……..these smell and taste fine!!! Yay!! the seeds have crunch and no musty smell. They are plain with no salt and sugar and play well with anything or you can enjoy them as-is. We have a winner and the quality is decent.

So, 4 snack boxes in total and 1 out 4 was a winner. These 4-box units usually cost $6.00, plus that includes shipping. I will say that $6 with shipping would make me buy at least once a month but when only 1 snack item was a hit and it was the plainer of the bunch, that would be one over priced 1.2 ounces sized snack. I really wanted to be a Graze fan because the idea of trying new snacks and with a healthy twist, plus delivered to your door is something I desire……sort of dreamy for me who likes this kind of “stuff”. The freedom to move deliveries around to fit your needs or even budget makes this a friendly company, which is rare today. The site is welcoming and easy to see what they offer. I just would not want to cringe at opening a packet and being welcomed by rancid nuts that made the dried fruit taste like something that you want to only taste once and never repeat. I worry about when Summer hits and if the quality will “boing” all over the place but have to share for my first-time try, Graze left me wanting to graze from my pantry versus from my mailbox. I may try again in the future because I would love to support a company with good intentions that maybe were caught on a bad day!

If you would like to give Graze a try, visit them at:

• On-line– https://www.graze.com/us/products
• Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/grazeusa
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=grazeusa

I received the above product free of charge from Graze.com. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Swaggable: Hail Merry Sunflower Seeds

Another great company that I was introduced to by Swaggable. Hail Merry is a company, which focuses on Superfoods and the Raw food “lifestyle”. I am very much into Superfoods and I do dab here in there when it comes to consuming foods in their raw state, to maximize nutrition and absorption/digestion. I love that a company like Hail Merry carries a simple promise close to their heart and what defines their objective of why they exist and create. Anyone can produce anything but do they do it well and safely is the difference. Like not every calorie is created equally, not every sunflower seed is the same. Their promise is to help people achieve higher health, as stated on their webpage.

I received the Salt n’ Pepper Sunflower seeds and love that they come ready to eat. I know many of us usually eat them shelled, but this just delivers a salty mess in your mouth and then that shell you need to dispose of. The seeds gets all the flavor, which is light in salt but you get a nice amount of heat and flavor from the crushed black peppercorns. I also like that what you see is what you get. The product is raw, vegan, gluten-free with zero refined sugars. Gets better. Raw oils and rich in Omegas, plus living enzymes. The packet contains one ounce, which is only 150 calories. It take a lot of sunflower seeds to create an ounce and because of the lack of shell…..it’s all pure seeds! I love the ingredient list and it’s simplicity. You have organic sprouted sunflower seeds. Celtic sea salt, cracked black pepper………and that is all! A very pure product indeed.

But everything good does not always taste good……right?

I love roasted nuts and seeds but have read how the nutrition value is altered through the roasting process. The oils “cook” and you have oxidation and what was really healthy turns to be not so beneficial in the end. I want to maximize what I get out of foods and make it count. For a product that is not roasted, Hail Merry found a way to still make it enjoyable. I like adding pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds to salads so the savory seasoning goes perfect with my array of lettuces. The change in texture is enjoyable and because the seed is not roasted, it tends to be softer but still delivered a nice clean flavor. The seeds are not mealy or dry like other seeds I have tasted in the past. I think this clean flavor is also augmented by the soaking process the seeds are given in order to activate the living enzymes, which are known to aid with digestion. The dehydration comes next and as stated on the package, this is done slowly so this why I think the seed is not dry like others. No one likes jerky texture when it comes to seeds! The handling of the seed from cultivation, packaging to until it reaches your palm is thought through and through. I encourage you to visit their site because they go beyond just seeds and nuts. Hail Merry has an array of products from macaroons, miracle tarts, and Grawnolas…..yeah, you got to read about their granola and that was not a misspell :).

I respect a company that respects their clients and I hope to be able to share in the future more of their products with you!

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/hailmerry?fref=ts
On-line: http://www.hailmerry.com/snacks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=hailmerryllc

I received the above products free of charge from Swaggable. I am not obligated in providing a positive/favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with a product, which may differ from yours.