Review: Toosum Bars

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I love snack bars! Skeptical? Just check out my comprehensive list of the many, many, many bars I have tried, photographed, and reviewed over the years.

Clearly, I like bars.

But when you're just feeling a little peckish and you don't want a big bar, or you're packing a snack for a kid at school and a full sized protein or granola bar is just too big. And who wants to eat half the bar and leave the other half in an open packet, to dry out?

Luckily, there's a solution.

The healthy, gluten-free snack bar:

Toosum bars are the perfect size for a small snack or a brown bag pack-along.

Toosum bars are 100 calorie gluten-free oatmeal bars. They call themselves 'bites with benefits' and live up to the claim. All four flavors (blueberry & greek yogurt, coconut & banana, cherry & plum, and cranberry & acai) are made of gluten-free, whole grain oats, brown rice flour, and healthy nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. 

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Review: Paleo Scavenger Granola

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Granola is my absolute favorite sort of cereal. Nuts are my favorite crunchy snack. So a granola made almost entirely out of nuts sounded delicious!



It didn't disappoint. Paleo Scavenger Granolas are handcrafted in Chicago and, as the name suggests, completely grain-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly.

Instead of the usual grains, these granolas are made of healthy nuts, like almonds, walnuts, and coconut, as well as dried fruit and natural sweeteners, like honey and maple syrup!

Healthy fats are so important for healthy skin and hair! Paleo Scavenger granolas are a much better choice than many other commercial granolas, which can often be packed with processed sugars and sometimes even trans fats. I would much rather have a breakfast or snack that keeps my skin soft and glowing and my hair shiny and healthy!

 

They're also all delicious! They're not what I would first think of when I think of granola and they do taste different than other granolas, so I would say they're somewhere between granola and trail mix. 

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Review: Bella Viva Orchards Gift Boxes

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The holidays are just around the bend and with the holidays comes the gifting season. While many of us think of the December holidays (in particular Christmas) as the main gifting days, and I'm among those who feel that way, Thanksgiving is also a gifting holiday if you're attending someone else's holiday dinner!

Throwing a Thanksgiving dinner takes a lot of time and effort. Showing your appreciation for your host's efforts by bringing along a thoughtful gift is not only a nice thing to do, but also encourages your host to continue hosting future Thanksgivings. 

My favorite thoughtful host/hostess gifts for Thanksgiving are gifts that are relevant to the dinner. Bringing a healthy, delicious, and prettily packaged option for pre-dinner munchies is thoughtful and helps your hosts out. I really like the Bella Viva Orchards Organic Gift Crate as that perfect present!

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Review: Chinoa Bites

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I love breakfast - it's my favorite meal of the day! So much so that I even eat breakfast for lunch and/or dinner often. 

But sometimes, no matter how much you love breakfast, it's tough to get up early enough for a leisurely sit-down breakfast. 

Chinoa Bites have all the goodness of a healthy granola in convenient on-the-go bites that are easy to eat at your desk at work, in class, on the train, or wherever you are. 

With this breakfast, you get that extra bit of sleep and you get to start your day on a healthy, satisfying, and delicious note. 

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Ziegelmeier's: It's What's For Breakfast!

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Breakfast is my hands-down favorite meal of the day - so much that I often enjoy having breakfast for lunch and/or dinner, too!

I love finding new healthy food brands, especially small, family-owned brands, so I was thrilled to stumble upon Ziegelmeier's on Etsy!

The Oklahoma-based, family-run company makes really yummy (I can vouch for it) toasted pecan butter, glazed pecan poppers, and pecan-packed granola! It's run by a busy mom and a Desert Storm veteran dad -

- but I'm pretty sure their two kids help out, too. At the very least with the taste-testing. It's important work, someone has to do it!

I tried the Organic Chocolate Pecan Cranberry Granola and two kinds of pecan butter - a crunchy toasted pecan butter and a creamy toasted pecan butter!

The granola was delicious and the flavors worked together really well. It was perfectly sweet, but not too sweet, and the chocolate lent a delightful indulgence to the whole grain breakfast treat.

Unsurprisingly, given that they're the company's specialty, the toasted pecan butters steal the show. They're vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, free of chemical additives, free of preservatives, paleo-friendly, made in small batches, and free of added oils.

There are no fillers to be found here, these nut butters are healthy pecans through and through!

Of the two, crunchy is my favorite because I love having different textures.

The pecan butter is delicious on anything - bread, cereal, the aforementioned granola, yogurt, muffins, sweet potatoes, etc. I would suggesting getting the quart size, because it's so delicious that you'll otherwise find the jar empty, a well-loved spoon by its side.

A spoonful of this pecan butter is such a yummy, creamy treat!



If you're feeling creative and/or have some spare time on your hands, check out their website for an extensive recipe database to please any pecan fan! Next on my to-make list are the Toasted Pecan Praline Bon Bons and Z's Toasted Pecan Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies. How great do both of those sound?

Follow Ziegelmeier's on Twitter and Facebook to stay up-to-date on latest developments, new products, and sales!

Have you tried pecan butter?

Do you prefer crunchy or creamy nut butter?

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Keeping It Simple with Detour Simple!

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How is it already the second half of February? Sometimes I really feel like a less impressive Rip Van Winkle - it seems like it was 2000 yesterday!

Then again, I was seven in 2000 and I'm 21 now and definitely have come a long way from my seven-year-old self...

I'm now a published children's book author, petite model, film/TV actress, ghostwriter, blogger, and Harvard grad, for starters. So that's a little different than second grade me.

I'm also several inches taller and don't have a bedtime.

But I'm not the only one with exciting new developments. Detour Bar is starting 2015 strong with a new line of three all-natural healthy nutrition bars hitting stores this month - Detour Simple!

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Celebrating National Non-GMO Month with GMO-Free Cookies!

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I love science. In fact, I majored in biology at Harvard. That said, I don't particularly have the desire to eat science experiments.

So GMO foods? Not really my thing.

A lot of people feel the same way, so October is national month to consciously avoid GMOs! It's really not as hard as you might imagine - it doesn't mean you have to go all organic or you can only eat hemp seed shakes and fruit salad (as yummy as those both are).

It's also not difficult to get kids on board! There are lots of delicious non-GMO snack foods, if you look for them. I really like Mary's Gone Crackers Love Cookies!

They come in four flavors, of which I've tried (and loved) the chocolate chip and the double chocolate cookies.

I know, right. I've tried the two chocolate ones - big surprise.

For those who don't like chocolate (how is that a thing?) there are the n'oatmeal raisin and the gingersnap cookies! Why N'oatmeal? These cookies, all four flavors, are gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, and GMO-free.

They're healthy, lunchbox-friendly, allergy-friendly, and delicious!

The cookies are made with superfoods, like chia seeds, quinoa flakes, a whole grain gluten free flour blend, and coconut palm sugar.

They're crunchy cookies that are the perfect amount of sweet and both of the chocolate cookie flavors (even the chocolate chip) are very, very chocolatey.

I love it! They're also buttery-tasting, even though they're vegan, and crisp, even though they're gluten-free.

Mary's Gone Crackers did a great job with these! I give them a thumbs up and would definitely include them in C's lunchbox as a healthy non-GMO treat that she can take with to her nut-free cafeteria without worry. Yum and yay!

How are you celebrating National Non-GMO Month?

Do you pay attention to GMOs in your foods?

Are you concerned about GMOs?

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Have Your Cookies And Eat Them Too

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Back to school is well underway - or rather, almost forgotten by now in face of the return of routine - and it's finally starting to feel like autumn.

There are lots of wonderful things about fall and winter and the advent of the holidays. But they aren't exactly known for helping with health goals! Spring and summer are all about eating right and getting fit, but fall and winter, with the holidays and colder weather, are more about comfort foods and coziness.

It's like:

But too much of that and you feel like:

After all, fall and winter encompass a lot of months.

I'm all about healthy being fun and more desirable (even purely on a hedonistic level) than unhealthy. So there's no reason not to indulge your cold weather cravings - but indulge it the healthy way most of the time!



Betsy's Best Bar None are a healthy alternative to your traditional cookie. Normal cookies are great for now and then, but these Whole Food Rounds are something you can enjoy daily without concern as a healthy source of energy - and protein!

Each cookie has 5g of protein and each packet has 2 cookies (so, let's be honest, that's the realistic serving). All that protein is vegan, paleo, organic, non-GMO, and filler-free.

It's also, as advertised, whole food protein and not protein from whey or soy isolates or pea proteins.

The nut-free and grain-free recipe is not only paleo-friendly but also perfect for allergen-free diets or schools with strict nut-free lunchbox rules.

They're certified vegan, gluten-free, 100% organic, certified kosher, and non-GMO. There's pretty much no healthy diet that these don't fit into!

There are six flavors (the sixth is Orange Poppy Seed) and I tried five of them.

The flavors are all inventive and delicious. I honestly enjoyed all of them, even the Lemon Coconut! Usually that type of flavor isn't my thing (I'm all about all chocolate everything for bars and cookies) but the dense texture made it work!

The chocolate flavors were, of course, my favorite.

Especially the dark chocolate because, well, dark chocolate.

As you can see, these aren't masquerading as a candy chocolatey treat - they do taste like healthy food and they aren't interchangeable with an Otis Spunkmeyer double dark chocolate muffin, but they're deliciously hearty with nice dark chocolate chips.

They taste good, they're good for you, and they're good for the community!

I find the story behind the cookies particularly fascinating and it's definitely another good reason (though the taste and nutrition are really enough) to buy these!

Betsy's Best Bar None was founded in 2011 in Portland, Oregon not just to create a healthy snack for people of all different dietary requirements to enjoy, but also to provide those transitioning out of the prison system with gainful employment. That's a hugely important part of breaking the cycle!

Do something for your health while helping others rebuild their lives! That's such a perfect double-win situation!

Have you tried Betsy's Best Bar None Whole Food Rounds?

Which flavor looks best to you?

What's the last thing you did to give back to your community? Can't think of anything? Order some of these and you just did!

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December Bestowed Box Review + A Discount Code!

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As you know from my previous reviews, I'm a big fan of Bestowed Box.

It's a great way to try new foods and learn about new healthy products. Health foods can often be on the more expensive end of things, and I'm not a fan of any sort of food waste (even if the food isn't particularly expensive), so it's great to be able to try a wide variety of things without having to buy large, full-sized containers or multipacks of anything.

Bestowed Box subscriptions are a great gift for adventurous eaters, foodies, unadventurous eaters trying to expand their horizons, health nuts, and those trying to eat healthier. It's also a great gift to yourself! Receiving a fun orange box of surprise goodies every month is a great way to build in a mood booster into your life. 

It's also a great way to make progress on two resolutions - expanding your horizons (trying new things!) and the ever popular eat healthy foods one. It's a great way to get some healthy snacks into the pantry after the somewhat unbalanced holiday feasting that a lot of us do (myself included! It's okay - it's the holidays - but it shouldn't be permanent).

This also becomes true for parents, once you move out to college - they start loving you so much that home becomes one delicious Candy Land! Whodathunk.

And they're reasonably priced for all that you get (see the bottom of the post for a discount code)!

Every month, nutritionist Heather Bauer selects some great products with a theme to share with Bestowed box subscribers. 

This December, Heather got into the holiday spirit by putting together a box full of products that give back to the community in some way, whether through a popular organization (like Make-a-Wish) or a unique way. Read more about the way the individual products give back online!

My mom happy-danced when she saw the Saffron Road Thai Red Curry Simmer Sauce.

Okay. So she doesn't actually ever dance. But she was really happy! She loves these - they're healthy and make meal prep super fast and easy - just add meat and/or veggies, cook up some rice to go with the main dish, and you have an ethnic restaurant-worthy meal with better nutrition and less cost/hassle!



My 8-year-old sister loved the All-Natural Baked CHeddar Fries from Snikiddy. And parents love them just as much as kids do! While kids love the cheesy, crunchy snack for its flavor and mouthfeel, parents love that it's non-GMO, gluten free, and has 50% less fat than regular potato chips. Made of cornmeal and potato, it also packs so nutrition - including some healthy digestion-promoting fiber!



I couldn't get enough of the I Heart Keenwah Ginger Peanut Quinoa Clusters - ginger and peanut just belong together, I don't know why I haven't done it before! They're sweet, crunchy, nutty and delicious!



Same goes for the KIND Snacks Dark Chocolate Chili Almond Bar, which helped me make it through a last-minute packing debacle for my fabulous family vacation (photos to come! I love my fam-bam). 



All good stuff and great taste.



We can't wait to try the Simply Organic Mediterranean Herb Greek Yogurt Dip (just add plain yogurt!) and my mom loves that the Pacific Organic Chicken Stock is unsalted and all-natural. No additives here!



As always, you can order more of anything that you really like on Bestowed Box's website. It's so convenient, I love it.

Okay, so here's what you really want - the coupon! Enter the discount code HELLOYUM40 at checkout to get your first Bestowed box for only $10 (normally $19). This code expires on 12/31 (in just a few days!) so be sure not to dawdle in putting your order in!

What's the best gift you got this Christmas?

What's the best gift you gave this Christmas?

Are you giving yourself a gift this holiday season? Do it.  

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A Sweet Solution & More Christmas!

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Did you know that Reese's peanut butter cups are banned from some schools?

What?

While most of us think fondly of the peanut butter-filled chocolate treats, they can be lethal to people with peanut allergies.

No nuts!

Sun Cups has the perfect solution so that you (or your kid!) can enjoy a sweet treat without breaking school rules or endangering a classmate!

Sun Cups are nut-free, gluten-free, GMO-free, and certified Kosher. They come in dark chocolate and milk chocolate, which come as the original sunflower butter-filled cups (closest to the peanut butter cup model), or as caramel-filled cups or dark mint chocolate cups.

Organic Lemon Juice in a Dark Chocolate Mint Cup? That's unexpected! I wonder what it does?

The mint filling is fresh and minty white chocolate - pretty perfectly suited for the Christmas season!

In addition to being totally allergy-friendly, they're delicious. The chocolate is creamy, the fillings are decadent, and the size isn't skimpy.

It's a great lunchbox treat for a kid at a peanut-free school, for a plane ride (I've heard of entire flights banning peanut products because of a single peanut-allergic passenger - understandably so, given the extreme sensitivity some have against the nuts), or just for everyday. With Christmas around the bend, they're also a great option as a stocking stuffer?

Don't want to wait until December 25, celebrate the German way.



HOLD THE PHONE. I  know what you're thinking - they get gifts early???

Well, yes - but on Christmas Eve. I, however, am talking about St. Nikolaus Tag, which already comes December 6 and leaves you with a clean pair of shiny boots (you have to provide the elbow grease and the boots) as well as a bunch of yummy candy!

German kids polish a pair of boots the night before December 6, put their boots outside their bedroom door, go to sleep, and wake up the next morning to boots full of sweet treats!

You can improvise with rainboots if you're from a warmer climate

Um, yes? Why would you not want to participate in this awesome tradition?

And all the better if you find some Sun Cups in your boots!

You can order Sun Cups online, get them at Whole Foods, or find them in a local store or market using their store finder tool!

Have you tried Sun Cups?

What are your 'different' holiday traditions?

Do you celebrate St. Nikolaus Tag?

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Review: November Bestowed Box with A Discount!

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I always enjoy Bestowed Box and they never fail to put together a great box full of a variety of healthy snacks, so I was excited to try their November box!

This box definitely didn't disappoint!

Don't you just love that excited feeling when you open up a package and you're not completely sure what you'll find inside.

That feeling only gets better when you open up the package to find all of this! Um, hello there chocolate. 

I'm always impressed by how much variety they manage to pack into that orange box (roughly the size of a 'medium' flat rate shipping box, for those of you who are familiar with USPS shipping). There's salty, there's sweet, there are beverages, complete health-nut foods (oh hey, chia seeds).

This time, they even had a frozen treat in there!



Well, soon-to-be frozen treat. Since the box ships at room temperature, the Life Ice clearly wasn't frozen yet. But it comes in a tray of 24 ice cubettes (1 tray is a serving) that freeze just as they are. There's no prep work, you just put the whole tray in the freezer. Perfect for a lazy cook busy student like me.

Minor rant - why is pre-Thanksgiving always a period for professors to give that last pre-finals hard-core push of papers, exams, etc.? Sleep, I miss you!



It's not like I've had time to exercise since...um, summer? But for those who do, Skratch is a nutrient-packed sports drink mix that's natural, unlike many on the market, and mixes easily into water for a post-exercise pick-me-up.

I wonder if it works as well for a post-all-nighter, pre-class pick-me-up? Oh Harvard, I love you. But sleep? Can we maybe discuss adding that back to my life, please?



CHOCOLATE COCONUT WATER. I've never had coconut water before (as far as I can recall) but this is absolutely delicious out of the fridge. I had no idea what to expect (chocolate water? That doesn't sound too great) but trust me, it's a treat. I had it fresh out of the fridge on the way to class one morning this week and it was so deliciously dark chocolate, but still refreshing!

I definitely agree with the recommendation on the bottle to enjoy it cold.



Quest bars are just great at any temperature. They're seriously my favorite bar, Quest Nutrition can simply do no wrong - have you tried the peanut butter cups? OMG LOVE.

Do you think Santa knows how to make Quest peanut butter cups, white chocolate raspberry bars, and chocolate peanut butter bars?

Anyway, back to the rest of the box.

These crackers are really tasty! I'm definitely more of a sweet than a salty snack person, but these gluten-free multi-seed crackers were definitely very seedy (=yummy) and they were perfectly thin and crisp and crunchy. They're pretty salty, but not more than other crackers, and the size/shape is perfect for scooping up dips. Though they're honestly tasty all by themselves!

Have you heard of Nektar Honey? Or Eat Green Tea? The former is honey in crystallized form (the health benefits and, more importantly, flavor without the sticky mess for your tea!) and the latter is green tea where you can eat the actual leaves for added health benefits and to increase the amount of antioxidants absorbed. Pretty cool! I love green tea.

The Perfect Fuel Chocolate doesn't need much explanation and I've already reviewed it here. But chocolate. Seriously, what's not to love?

Now that you're appropriately excited/really wanting some Bestowed Box action in your lives, I have great news.

To make your holidays all the merrier, you can get your first box for only $10 with the discount code HELLOTEN105. Hurry to use the code, because it expires on November 30!

I'll give you a minute.

You're welcome.

That's pretty great deal, considering all the treats that you get to try - and especially when you consider the great healthy new snacks they introduce you to. I review quite a lot of snacks, so I probably know of more snacks that most people do. But even I have managed to be surprised by at least a few snacks in every box that I've tried. And all the tried-and-true snacks are also always delicious!

Have you tried Bestowed Box?

What are some gifts on your list for loved ones this year?

What are you asking for?

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