Newman's Own Organics Review & GIVEAWAY

I think it is safe to say that a lot of us are more concerned with the ingredients in our foods and how they are grown and processed prior to arriving at our local grocery. We want to make sure we're putting the safest  and best tasting products on our dinner tables for our family. With Newman's Own Organics, you can do just that; they take the guess work out of determining if what you're eating is safe!

It's easy to get Newman's Own (yes, the salad dressing company) and Newman's Own Organics confused. Newman's Own Organics started as a division of Newman's Own in the early nineties. Nell Newman (Pauls' daughter), along with her business partner, Peter Meehan, managed to build their brand and NOO became an independent company in 2001. With the slogan "Great tasting products that happen to be organic", they created products based on what they liked; their pretzels stemmed from "Pa" Newman's love of pretzels and Nell's love of chocolate was a deciding factor in choosing organic chocolate bars. Side note: the company was a pioneer in the food industry when it offered it's first line of organic chocolate bars in the mid nineties!!

So we know it's organic....but is it GOOD?!? Holy smokes, it's all delicious! Pretzels, licorice, cookies, dried fruit, chocolate...oh my! I have a few favorites that I'd like to tell you about.

First, the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. If you are a Reese's fan, put them down and go get some of these NOO cups. These were so creamy and smooth, and melt in your mouth! Each 1.2 oz package contains three cups, all with ingredients you can pronounce!! Splurge without feeling you went off the deep end with these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. You can also get them in Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate Peppermint, and Milk or Dark Chocolate Caramel.

Second, the Licorice. Not only do you get an organic stick of licorice (who knew this even existed until now?), but they've topped themselves with the addition of Sour Flavors -- Sour Strawberry, Sour Apple, Sour Cherry, and Sour Mango. The bag of Sour Strawberry only lasted a few days in my house!! Great taste, and they don't leave behind that "fake" flavor in your mouth that a lot of licorice does. Each five ounce package would be great to keep in your drawer at work to snack on throughout the week...or day!

Third, the Chocolate Newman-O's! Think Oreo with a chocolate cream center! Also available in  Original, Wheat Free Dairy Free, Peanut Butter, Ginger 'n' Cream, and Hint O' Mint. Be careful though, these things are dangerous!

And finally, the High Protien Pretzels. What an amazing snack!! Not only are they packed with protein, but they have a higher fiber content than most pretzels I've seen. Nice and crunchy and not too salty -- this pretzel has it all!! They are baked not fried, making them a great choice for all occasions and all occasions is when you can use them as there are TEN varieties of these tasty little pretzels!

Whatever you choose, you can't go wrong with Newman's Own Organics. Not only have they made an extensive line of treats for you, they've got those four-legged family members covered as well, with their Premium Pet Foods! With every product they make, they keep us in mind, the planet in mind, meet all requirements of the USDA National Organic Program, and they GIVE BACK. Since 1982, Paul Newman and the Newman's Own Foundation have donated more than $350 million dollars to educational and charitable organizations worldwide.

Because I love these products so much, Newman's Own Organics has agreed to give a few of my favorite things to one lucky reader....score!! Head over to their Facebook page to give them a "Like" and a shout out, visit their website and email me to tell me which products look best to you. Oh, and don't forget to follow my blog and like me on Facebook! Do this before February 8th to be entered. Winner will receive full size products PLUS a surprise courtesy of Newman's Own Organics! Good luck!!

New Yummy (and helpful) Find!

Staying healthy is SO important to me so when offered the chance to do the Goodbelly 12 day challenge I was all for it! Goodbelly is a probiotic drink that helps regulate your digestive system and is also super yummy! I did my usual and hopped on their website to see what they were all about and found out some great reasons that I should be drinking Goodbelly and just how important it is to keep your digestive health in check. Probiotics not only help with your digestive health but also aid in your immune system health, a fact I was unaware of. Their are different types of probiotics but Goodbelly has more information found here including a link to help you find which Goodbelly product is right for you.

I actually got the perfect opportunity to take GoodBelly for a test spin these past couple of weeks. I have been out of town visiting family and to be honest eating horribly. My son and I have been living out of a hotel so when a family member wasn't preparing us a huge spread I was visiting restaurants which is not normally something I do too often. The week prior to going out of town I had started drinking GoodBelly and then brought some with to keep in my hotel fridge that was otherwise filled with Max's things. I chose the Cranberry Watermelon drink-- yum! As promised it tastes like a refreshing blend of tart cranberries and the sweet flavor of watermelon. I love that the blend is dairy free, soy free and vegan but not only that -- it works. My belly loved the active and live cultures that helped it feel good even while eating things we were normally not accustomed to. I challenge you to try the 12 day challenge, hop on their website and you can get instant coupons emailed to you as well. Watch for a Goodbelly giveaway coming up around the holidays!

Beach Bash!

I know I just rave about Enjoy Life Foods but I just love their cookies, granola, bars, chocolate and snacks! Now I have found another hot snack of theirs called "not nuts"-- there are two kinds of this amazing trail mix -- beach bash and mountain mambo. Both are outrageously good mixes so delicious you will never even think of the missing nuts. So what are in these delicious bags? Lets start with my fave-- mountain mambo:

Raw sunflower seeds, pumkin seeds, raisins, dried apples, CHOCOLATE chips and cranberries. Obviously the chocolate is what pushed it over the edge into being my favorite. The combination works perfectly together to give you that awsome sweet and salty mix. The sunflower and pumpkin seeds provide a great crunch and the apples and cranberries balanced this perfectly. There was nothing I did not like about this mix!
So how about the beach bash? First off, I love the name! Anything that can take my mind to the beach even if just for a minute has a place in my heart.

Again, a perfect combination of salty and sweet with a very unique and crazy good combination. This bag contained raw sunflower kernels, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, cranberries and apricots. I have never had a fruit mixture like this but loved how the pineapple, cranberries and apricots tasted together-- it was very tropical and fruity. This mix is perfect for the beach or just about anywhere you want a great and good for you snack.

Kid Friendly Top Ten

Kids know what taste good so when I had the chance to sample a couple of items from Kashi's kid friendly top ten list I was oh so excited! Both of the items I got from Kashi are new-- number 1 on this list is TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate layered granola bar. There is a reason this ooohey gooey bar is number 1:
"It's peanutty. It's chocolate-y. It's #1! Our latest layered granola bar tops our kids' list for a reason. Make that five tasty reasons: chewy granola, real peanut butter, roasted peanuts, and real fruit mixed with dark chocolate."

Once you have one of these you will know why they are number one on the list. The chewy granola bar is topped with a real fruit spread that is mixed with dark chocolate-- it tastes like a layer of fudge. Then on top of that there are dark chocolate chunks and peanuts. This will knock out even the biggest sweet tooth without the guilt. Love this bar.

Second on the list is the Cinnamon Harvest Cereal:

"Rise and shine! Cinnamon Harvest cereal wakes up sleepy taste buds with bite-sized organic whole-wheat biscuits lightly sweetened and baked with real cinnamon. Delicious and nutritious, it comes in at #2!"

I have always loved shredded wheat type cereal and cinnamon so this cereal was perfect for me. The organic wheat biscuits were just the perfect size and had a great hint of cinnamon with a touch of sweetness. I could put this cereal in my regular rotation and would for sure feed this to Max with its great nutritionals like:

• 47g whole grains
• High fiber
• Low fat
• Sodium free
• USDA Organic—Certified Organic by Quality Assurance International

Each Kashi item has a cool store locator by zip code button right on the page so you can easily find your favorites! Great feature!

Enjoy Life With a Cookie!

Just a couple short weeks ago I posted about Enjoy Life Foods gluten-free and allergen friendly snacks here. I just love that they are a company that makes snacking enjoyable for those with allergies or food intolerances but they are great for anyone who just loves to snack as well. I tried their new Crunchy Cookies and love these hand-crafted crispy cookies. When they say "crunchy" it is a good crunchy, not like they crumble into pieces but more like crispy if you ask me. I can not get enough of the Double Chocolate Chip cookies. Oh my-- they are made up of a deep chocolate cookie and sprinkled generously with rich, smooth chocolate chips.

With these being my favorite they have still have 3 other kinds that are also delicious. Another great thing about thses is that two BIG cookies only had 110 calories, I did a double take on this since they tasted so good. All the cookies contain no trans fat, no artificial ingredients, are kosher, gluten-free and casein-free. In order of my favorites there are the Vanilla Honey Graham (like a graham cracker cookie--yummm), Chocolate Chip (classic chocolate chip) and Sugar Crisp (simple goodness).  I've noticed that a lot of my local stores carry Enjoy Life Foods but you can do a store locator search here OR print out this store request letter and hand right to the store manager!

For the first meal of the day

Have you tried the new Rise breakfast bars (used to be Boomi bars which I am a huge fan of)? I just had the good luck of getting a whole sampler pack of these including the Crunchy Perfect Pumpkin, Crunchy Macadamia Pineapple, Crunchy Honey Walnut, Crunchy Cashew Almond and Crunchy Cranberry Apple. Just by the names alone I am sure you are drooling-- with this selection there is something or everything for everyone. Each bar is sweetly coated nuts and fruit then with their own special touches like big hunks of macadamia nuts, cashews, dried apples, dried pineapples and more! Upon seeing them there were two bars that were specifically calling my name to try-- the Macadamia Pineapple and Cashew Almond. My intuition was right on for these. The Macadamia Pineapple had such simple ingredients but huge on taste bursting with big chunks of macadamia nuts, sweetened with honey and topped off with pineapple-- my favorite. The Cashew Almond incorporated two of my favorite things-- cashews and almonds! The ingredients in this bar were also very simple and their combination was just right, this bar had dates also added to it which is one of my favorite additions to bars with its sweet flavor. All in all these are just great bars-- any one of them make the perfect breakfast (or anytime) bar.

YOU-- all my favorites

We all have weaknesses and I can not be trusted around chocolate, cereal, trail mix or any combination of these items. So when learning about You Bar I was so excited because the concept is very unique and really cool. You Bar makes protein/ energy bars just how you design them. You start out by choosing a base -- mouthwatering choices of nut butters or their own base of dates and almond butter. Then you choose your protein powder, nuts/seeds, fruits & berries, sweeteners, chocolate/seasonings, grains/cereals plus infusions. Then the fun begins-- you can name your bar anything you would like and it is put together in a custom wrapper just for YOU or whoever you choose to give this ultimate bar to. Think of the possiblities-- anniversaries, birthdays, stocking stuffers or just to show yourself some love.
I tried some bars out of the "popular bars" category and cannot even express how good the Great Date with Chocolate flavor is!

Great Date With Chocolate is a natural low fat and protein rich chocolate delight with a chewy fudge brownie texture.
Ingredients: Organic Dates, Whey Protein Isolate, Organic Honey, Cocoa.

They are not kidding that it is like a fudge brownie-- rich, chocolately and moist. Pure heaven. I could eat this daily. I could not believe those were the only ingredients and the bar only clocked in at 140 (good for you) calories. WOW.

Then it only gets better. You Bar also has You Trail Mix! Same concept, same fantastic results. Here was my favorite:

Mix Up Your Day is Slightly tropical, slightly Asian.  Perk up your afternoon with this uniquely delicious combination.  Mix Up Your Day will awaken your senses and refresh your palette.
Ingredients: Oat Bran Sesame Sticks, Organic Cashews, Almonds, Dried Pineapple, Goji Berries, Shredded Coconut.

I just love when I try something I would never normally have on my own and it blows me away. The mix was an amazing combination, the coconut set it over the top.

 

The fun doesn't stop there! You Bar also has-- You Shake, You Cookies and You Cereal. I REALLY want to try the cookies and cereal! Hint, hint for my stocking.

Nutritious Meals To Go

Now who doesn't need nutritious meals to go? I am needing them more than on the go these days, the only time I have to grab a bite to eat is when my son is eating as well. If I eat at another time he wants only what mommy has. So that is why I was so psyched to try The Healthy Baking Companies two product lines-- Heart Thrive and Suncakes.
Heart Thrive:

Heart Thrives are a delicious, VEGAN and NON-GMO energy bar. Made with oats, soy and dried fruits, each Heart Thrive supplies 30% daily PROTEIN, FIBER and CALCIUM.  

Heart Thrives are made from ingredients with a low glycemic index that metabolize slowly providing sustained energy for hours. 

They come in delicious flavors like Chocolate Chip, Cranberry, Apple, Apricot, Raisin, Date and Poppy Seed. I loved these hearty hearts! They are literally heart shaped, dense, chewy and the taste is wonderful. So far I have sampled the Chocolate Chip (first of course) which won me over because it tasted like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with big chips and a sweet chewy heart. Also, the Poppy Seed which was oh so good -- I love poppy seeds and rarely find them in anything anymore so this was a treat. And the Date one, which had such a great sweet flavor that only dates can lend to food.

Suncakes, "A Meal in a Cake":

It's an oatcake. A perfect food. High in fiber, high in protein, low in fat, made without wheat, oil, dairy, cholesterol, salt, or guilt!

Suncakes are an ideal blend of complete proteins and clean carbohydrates made from oats, brown rice syrup, brown rice flour, soy protein concentrate, soy flour, dried fruit & fruit juice.

California Suncakes™ are 97% fat free and provide 30% of your daily protein and fiber needs.

I also found Suncakes to be a dense, chewy and oat filled treat. They did differ in the consistency and flavor but were equally as delicious. Suncakes come in Apricot, Cranberry, Apple, Date, Poppy Seed and Chocolate Orange. So far I have sampled the Poppy Seed and LOVED it. I could see myself eating these every single day and never tiring of this flavor. I just love that they use dates in their food-- they are perfectly sweet, so good and nutritious to boot!

So if you are looking for great meals on the go, snacks, hiking food, biking food or anything in between check out The Healthy Baking Company-- they really know how to make healthy taste good!

Go to snack

Ever since I was little nuts have been a snacking staple for me. My dad actually used to buy giant bags of mixed nuts that were still in the shells and sit around using a nut cracker to open each one. My favorites are cashews (number one) and almonds coming in at close second. Yumnuts now has both gourmet cashews and almonds, I was able to sample the delicious Toasted Coconut cashews. Generally I try to eat my nuts raw because I hate that most nuts are roasted in oils, which they simply do not need but Yumnuts does not use any oil to roast their yummy cashews (or almonds) they simply dry roast them-- perfect! The Toasted Coconut flavor is to die for. I am an avid coconut fan anyways so take cashews and wrap them in a coconutty topping and I am in nutty heaven. These cashews were buttery and rich like cashews should be but then had a coconut outside, I don't know how else to describe it but it was like a thin shell of goodness. They have quite a variety of other flavors too-- I would love to try the Chocolate or Touch of Honey as well.

Enjoy Life with Chocolate!

Yummy! Just say the word "chocolate" and my ears perk up. I love chocolate for breakfast, lunch dinner and anywhere in between. Enjoy Life Foods has added more chocolate items to their lineup of delicious gluten-free and allergen friendly foods. So when given the chance to try their new Mega Chunk chocolate chips (ummm hello?!) and Double Chocolate Crunch granola I did not hesitate. So how good can chocolate chips taste that are dairy, soy and gluten free? You would never notice the difference. The chips were very generously sized hence the term mega, with a sweet and creamy chocolate flavor. These would be perfect for baking your favorite chip recipes OR straight out of the bag by the handful like I had them.

How about the granola? This was AMAZING. The granola had the perfect amount of chocolate flavor, sweetness but still the crunch of a great granola. I love the idea of chocolate for breakfast and its not a junk food cereal, their granola is:
NO TRANS FAT, NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS, VEGAN, KOSHER PAREVE, GLUTEN-FREE, CASEIN-FREE
and packed with:
Magnesium, Iron,Niacin (Vitamin B3), Zinc, Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Folate,Vitamin B6

Enjoy Life Foods has tons of other snack foods, not just for those with food intolerances or allergies but anyone looking to have a satisfying treat. Visit them online, facebook, or follow them on twitter.  You should be able to find their products pretty easily as I pick up their cookies and bars regularly.

Love your heart!

Corazonas was kind enough to send me a couple of their best selling oatmeal bars to try out. While Corazonas snacks are aimed at those who are trying to lower their cholesterol they are a heart healthy and delcious snack for everyone out there. The oatmeal squares that I sampled are packed full of nutrition with 13-16 grams of whole grain, 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. They are also infused with plant sterols which are proven to lower LDL cholesterol levels-- thats the bad kind! So to the snacks! I tried the Chocolate Chip and the Cranberry Flax, both were great but of course me loving Chocolate so much that was my favorite. The Chocolate Chip one reminded me of an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie but heartier. The body of the bar was packed with oats and had just the right amount of sweetness then generously scattered with chocolate chips. I loved this bar. I thought it was a great size for a mere 190 calories. I saw on their website that they also have Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownie. I would love to try both of those flavors! I think we all know someone who is trying to or needs to lower their cholesterol, so if they think that delicious snacking is out of the picture for them point them to Corazonas. We should all be proactive with our heart health and just reach for great snacks all the time. Corazonas has other heart healthy snacks in their linup too!

Oh Tootles!

How CUTE are these freeze dried fruit snacks from Brothers All Natural? I am so excited to see the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme as this is my sons FAVORITE right now. Although he is still a little young to enjoy the healthy goodness packed into these adorable bags he loved playing with the packages adorned with Donald Duck, Goofy and of course Mickey. Brothers All Natural puts out the best freeze dried fruit that I have ever tasted and they add nothing to it-- no sugars etc like you will find in other brands. I can not wait to have my son chomping on healthy snacks like these that make having fruit easy on the go (and perfectly portioned). Another thing I find so great about these freeze dried snacks is the ability to enjoy out of season fruit year long! I am so sad to let go of my peaches, strawberries and pineapple for the year but can still enjoy them with these handy dandy snack packs. Oh and on a side note you have to try the Apple Cinnamon slices-- amazing. What is your favorite freeze dried fruits?