Food For Life

Since I started eating clean I've been trying all sorts of new stuff. I had heard of Ezekiel bread but never tried it until recently. Food For Life sent me some coupons for their products and I immediately ran out to get some of these Ezekiel products I have been hearing so much about. I picked up a loaf of Ezekiel 4:9 bread and was sooooo excited when I read the ingredients...org sprouted wheat, filtered water, org sprouted barley, org sprouted millet, org malted barley, org sprouted lentils, org sprouted soybeans, org sprouted spelt, fresh yeast, org wheat gluten, sea salt. Bread made from fresh sprouted grains and no flour! Sign me up! This bread is actually good for you! According to the packaging, "...the protein quality is so high, that it is 84.3% as efficient as the highest recognized source of protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids. There are 18 amino acids present in this unique bread - from all vegetable sources - naturally balanced in nature."

One slice of bread has 80 calories, 0.5g fat, 3g fiber and 4g protein. The bread is dense and very flavorful, maybe best described as a nutty taste and texture. It's been a big hit here and even Andy is eating it now every day. I've incorporated it into my lunches and it's now my pre long run meal, toasted with some almond butter.

Although this bread isn't cheap, it's $4.99 at our local grocery store and I think a little cheaper at TJ's, it's totally worth it. A complete protein filled with sprouted grains...ditch the white bread people and get some Ezekiel. There is a whole line of products including wraps, pasta, bagels, cereals, etc and I can honestly say, they will all be a part of my diet here on out. I'm giving Food For Life 10 biscuits. They actually deserve more biscuits than that!

Eden Organic

There are so many different kinds of pasta out there these days! Whole wheat, Ezekiel, Kamut...yup, Kamut!! I had never even heard of Kamut until Eden Organic sent me some Kamut pasta to try out. Eden Organic started as a co-op and is now the oldest natural food company in North America and the largest independent manufacturer of 'dry grocery' organic foods. They are also GEO free which means they will not purchase or sell any food or food ingredient known to be genetically engineered. The company is based in Michigan and I'm bummed I didn't know about them while I lived out there. I really like what they stand for and their principles.

If you check out their product page, you'll see they carry a great variety. From beans to condiments, snacks, pasta and fruit juices...there's a lot to choose from! I'm glad they sent me this pasta to try because it fits in great with eating clean. The only ingredient is organic whole grain kamut wheat and check out the nutritional information. Packed full of protein and fiber!!

As for the taste, I was expecting it to taste different. Different from what I'm not sure. But it tasted great and might have been a little lighter than a plain whole wheat pasta. On their site, a box of this pasta goes for $3.14, which I think is reasonable. I did see it in my local grocery store but I forget to check the price. Doesn't really matter, though. We both agreed that we will definitely be buying this in the future. So with that being said, I'm giving Eden Organic 10 biscuits.

Smart Wool

Oooooh, yea!! Smart Wool sent me a pair of running socks to try out and I have to say, your feet are missing out if you haven't run in these. I received the PhD Running Light Mini's which are specifically designed for the woman's foot. They have a 4-degree fit system that has supportive braces across the arch, in-step and ankle with wool on wool (WOW) technology to reduce shock and abrasion. When I put these on they were so comfty! Running socks may be a little pricey but they are oh so worth it! This particular pair is considered light for mild weather and when I first put them on, my only concern was that they may be a little thick. I probably wouldn't wear them with my Nikes since those have a tighter fit, but they worked just fine with my Asics.

You really need to check out this site. They sell so much more than socks, with an every day use lifestyle line. They have some really cute stuff! I also appreciate that the company was founded by athletes and they have a philosophy that makes me want to work for them. A percentage of every sale goes towards a fund so they can give back to "organizations that promote environmental stewardship, healthy lifestyle choices for youth, and encourage responsible outdoor activity participation."

These socks are $13.95 a pair and I think they are well worth it. I will definitely be adding these to my running gear. I'm giving Smart Wool 10 Biscuits.

Rejuvenative Foods

I was sent some samples from Rejuvenative Foods to try out. I wanted to give you some background about the company but I have to say, the website is very busy!! I did find their mission statement, which is: "The main purpose and goal of Rejuvenative Foods is to support the dissemination of information about Raw Cultured Vegetables & Raw Nut and Seed Butters and to provide the highest quality products of this type available for everyone's health benefit." They sent me some almond butter, spicy kim-chi and raw sauerkraut. Of course I dove into the almond butter right away, as you can tell by the empty jar in the picture below. They make their almond butter by slowly grinding organic almonds 4 or more times. As per their packaging, "...repetitive grinding and cooling keeps the temperature low enough to retain enzymes and life energy." Seriously, the concept behind "raw" food really fascinates me. Anyway, the almond butter was good...it was almond butter, nothing out of the ordinary.




Next up I tried the kim-chi. Hmmm. Interesting. I love eating ginger when I eat sushi and I thought this would go great with some fish. I have yet to try that combo but plan to do it this week, actually. The kim-chi consisted of cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger, high-mineral health salt, and ground dried red pepper. It definitely had a kick to it, which is right up my ally.

When I opened the sauerkraut to try it, I almost didn't get past the smell. But I braved it out and took a taste. The sauerkraut was very fine, not shredded like I've seen on hotdogs. To my surprise, I actually liked it. Not sure what I would do with it, but the Rejuvenative website has some recipes suggestions I'll have to check out.

As for what I thought overall, I'll be honest...I would not purchase any of these 3 products. The 8oz jar of almond butter goes for $15, which I think is extremely high. The kim-chi cost $12 and the sauerkraut $10. I personally didn't like these products enough to purchase them again. But, there's always a but, Rejuvenative Foods has a huge selection of other products. From tahini and nut butters, to salsa to raw cured vegetables! I have my eye on the Pecan Pie Butter. It sounds delicious!

I'm giving Rejuvenative Foods 4 biscuits.

Raw Crunch Bars

I got some good bars to tell you guys about!! Have you heard of Raw Crunch bars? I was sent some to try out and I'm glad I had the opportunity. First, a little about the bars. The core ingredients in each bar are organic, raw nuts and seeds. There's a little bit of raw honey but nothing artificial in these babies. Each bar is hand-made, uncooked and unprocessed. There are 4 different flavors: cranberry, blueberry, goji berry and dark chocolate. I was really pleased with the nutritional information in these bars. The only ingredients are organic sesame seeds, organic sunflower seeds, organic pumpkin seeds, organic cashews, organic blueberries, organic flaxseeds, organic pecans, raw honey, organic macadamia nuts and celtic sea salt. A single bar has a measly 150 calories (which I think is great for a bar packed with so much goodness), 10g of fat (but this is healthy fat, which we need), 3g fiber and 5g protein.

As you know, I've been doing the eat clean thing and these bars have been perfect. For one of my snacks I have a half bar with a piece of fruit. They go perfect together!! The picture below is of a whole bar, not a half. A full bar is about 4 inches long. I tried to get a close up shot so you could see all the different nuts and seeds.

Now, I do have a little bit of bad news. The bars are a little pricey. If you buy in bulk, 48 bars, you'll pay $110 or around $2.25 a bar. I know these are handmade, with organic ingredients, but with a little effort on my part, I could mix up a bag of organic mixed nuts and seeds and probably save a heck of a lot. I really did enjoy these though and recommend you try them out. They are a perfect snack for some energy on the go. I'm giving Raw Crunch Bars 8 biscuits...I think they would have gotten a 10 if I thought I'd actually pay that for a case of bars.