JIMMYBAR!

I recently discovered a new brand of bars that currently produce two vegan flavors. While looking for a fruit cup at school two weeks ago because of my lack of a lunch, I noticed the JIMMYBAR! and knew right away that they were healthy and possibly vegan. Finding vegan snacks at my school is quite slim, so these were a treat to find. When trying  any new vegan brand that I am interested in, I am intrigued to found the brand’s site, like them on facebook, and message/comment to them that I have just bought and will soon try their food/drink. Thus, that is exactly what I did when I was first trying the bars.

The two vegan options were “No Bluffin’ Banana Muffin and “Super Hip Chocolate Chip” which I have purchased two of each now; they are both gluten-free, dairy-free, and natural. The banana flavor consisted of only bananas, dates, almonds, walnuts & crisp brown rice. Having minimal ingredients in vegan bars is a plus and you can really taste each one. I thought that it tasted very much like banana bread; it was chewy, sweet near the end of a bite, and crunchy from the nuts. It is a perfect light snack option that wasn’t too sweet or dry. As for the chocolate one, to me it was as if I was eating a healthy crunchy chocolate chip cookie; sweet for a dessert, but like the banana one, it wasn’t overly sweet. I would recommended these two those that want a healthy snack at school, work, home, or when running errands for sure. I am definitely interested in tasting their other bars and was told that they are coming out with new flavors soon. As well, JIMMYBAR! is a Chicago based company which makes supporting them even better. I will surely keep an eye on their progress of the company. 

 

For more information on JIMMYBAR!, check out their site. http://jimmybars.com/

Nakd Bars

As a frequent viewer and user of instagram, I discover new brands that are located in the U.K and other countries. It is always disappointing to find out that those foods are not sold online to ship to the U.S. Thus, I was ecstatic and couldn’t resist the chance to order from Nakd Bars since they were finally shipping to the U.S and were offering free shipping plus coupon code for a limited time. I ordered the Sampler Pack and received the box in a week’s time. I couldn’t wait to try each one, but I did share two and a half with my mom. As well, my boyfriend so kindly began opening up a handful of them and taking a bite of them for himself after a few days of receiving the box. Mostly, I was intrigued to see the difference of packaging and taste of these bars as compared to the many I have tried already. By far, my favorites was the Rhubarb & Custard, Caffe Mocha, and Ginger Bread. Each of these had a distinctive taste and were very much unlike flavor combinations I have had with other vegan bars. The bars had minimal ingredients and a good amount of protein which is a plus. They are all a perfect size to eat on the go as well or have as a dessert. I read more on the site and find out that while the ingredients aren’t organic, they are working to find a way to use such ing. in the future. While I try my best to eat mostly organic foods and ingredients, I didn’t feel too guilty with trying these out since they looked so scrumptious. My hope is that the company can sooner than later be organically certified. I would more than likely be buying these in the future as a result. By the way, you also receive two free bars with this sample pack and I would be more than happy to refer any fellow vegan that is interested in these bars.

http://www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/

Goody Good Stuff

While I try my best to eat a good amount of whole, unprocessed foods, it is fun to have vegan candies now and then. I wouldn’t recommend eating such goodies everyday, but to treat oneself or give out on Halloween, isn’t a big deal. My boyfriend and I tried each flavor and I liked the Summer Peaches the best as they were sweet and chewy, but didn’t stick to your teeth like some chewy sweets can. The two sour mixes had just a touch of sour and then tasted sweet to me. As for the Cola Breeze, it reminded me of root beer candies of which I am not a huge fan of, but my mom might be if I have her try them out. The company also offers 4 vegetarian varieties for those that aren’t vegan. The packaging includes a cute little Koala Bear and the states that the candies are gelatin free, gluten free, fat free, dairy free, and contain no artificial ingredients. I would be interested to see more vegan flavors for the future with fewer and more natural ing. probably. As I said before, these gummies would be a great alternative to non-vegan candy for certain occasions, a treat for kids, or to share with friends who have never had vegan candy. For all of you vegans that want a sweet/sour candy check these out.

http://www.goodygoodstuff.com/content/varieties

Drink Chia

Superfoods have been all the rage in the past few years since I have been vegan and have been continually been said about how beneficial they are to one’s diet. Chia seeds, being one of them can be used in several ways such as in water, juice, bars, desserts, and more. My interest in adding chia seeds in a new way was found when I was given the four flavors of Drink Chia. I was curious to see how each tasted and what the benefits of the chia seeds were for the drinks. While water is my main source of hydration each day, it was a great alternative to bring the Strawberry Citrus to school this past week. It had a sweet strawberry taste that wasn’t to overwhelming, but just right. The chia seeds added a different texture while drinking as well. I finished that one, but have only dabbled in the others so that they last more than a day. The Mango Tangerine is a citrusy, orange flavor that is similar to fresh orange juice. While I felt that the Honeysuckle Pear and Lemon Blueberry tasted more like apple juice, one sweeter than the other. Overall, each flavor was refreshing and the nutritional benefits are great with over a 100% of Niacin, Vitamin B12, Zinc, and Vitamin B6. I would try these again in the future and hope to see new flavors in the future. Anyone that has yet to try chia seeds, this is a perfect way to do so and share a bottle with a friend as well.

To try a sample pack online, go to: http://www.drinkchianow.com/