Snacking on the Go

One of the things I have learned is, in order to not over eat or mal pasarme (not eat at my usual time), I have to snack.  We are always on the go.  Whether we are on our way to school, work, or the gym, always on the go.  Sometimes we over schedule ourselves and may not even have time to stop and eat.  But your body needs fuel to keep going.  I always encourage my family to take snacks on the go.  I prefer the snacks to be healthy snacks.  Sometimes that can be hard with the kiddos.  We have to teach them healthy habits to keep their minds and bodies strong.

Thanks to The New Primal for sending samples to review.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

One snack we all enjoy is jerky.  Even the little one always asks for meat sticks.  This is a good snack they can take on the go and eat anywhere they are.

The New Primal says they are the #1 selling natural jerky in the county.  Their beef is sourced from New Zealand: (Why, you ask?)

1)  grass grows year round due to New Zealand's temperate environment
2)  New Zealand has some of the strictest animal welfare standards and bio-security laws in the world
3)  GMO's are illegal
4)  Cattle have zero natural predators there

The flavors include Habanero Pineapple Beef, Barbecue Beef, Cilantro Lime Turkey and the first pork product- Maple Bacon Pork. 

  

Product Facts:

·      Our beef is humanely treated and pasture raised, not injected with hormones or antibiotics, or being fed anything other than non-GMO contaminated grass. 

·      There is zero sodium, sugar, or preservatives/nitrates added to The New Primal’s jerky, only natural, easily recognizable ingredients you’re likely to find in your own kitchen.

These jerky sticks are fresh new flavors.  They are perfect for our family.  Perfect for anyone looking to eat clean protein.  They are very tasty too. 

For more information, visit www.thenewprimal.com.

Bugs Be Gone-I have Green Goo

Summer time is here.  What do you do when it is Summer?  We hang out outdoors.  But in Houston, it has been raining cats and dogs.  We can't seem to catch a break.  Rain = mosquitos.  We already have to worry about the sun, and now we have to worry about the Zika virus. 

Thanks to Green Goo for sending me samples of their product to review.  All opinions stated are my based on my personal experience.

I have a 4 year old who loves the outdoors.  She cannot be contained.  She gets bumps, scraps, bites, and everything else with being a kid just being a kid.  I have no worries about that but what I do have worries about are insect bites, cuts, and scrapes that could lead to illnesses or disease. One of my friend's son got a cut and ended up in the hospital almost dying from a staph infection.  I recently had a spider bite which I thought was a harmless mosquito bite that grew into a really bad infection.  We, as parents, can take things to lightly now a days.  There is also the threat of what we put on our kids, those chemicals harming them as well.  The things we put on them to protect them, actually harming them.  So more and more, I am doing more research into all natural products.

Sierra Sage / Green Goo formulas are created using timeless herbal wisdom with organic ingredients to produce Food for Your Skin™. We are Rethinking First Aid™ with petroleum and artificial free ingredients. Our First Aid products are the first defense without increasing antibiotic resistance. We strive to bring the farm into the pharmacy by carefully selecting only the purest, most sustainable herbs and essential oils to create medicinal everyday products.

-Formulated by a Certified Herbalist

-Free of parabens, lanolin, mineral oil, glycerin, silicon and petrochemicals

-Made with certified organic herbs and 100% pure grade essential oils

-Environmentally friendly, recyclable and post-consumer recycled containers

-Gluten free, 100% Vegetarian

-Family owned and operated

Green Goo® First Aid is an all purpose healing salve.  It is like having a first aid kit all in one tin!   Petroleum & Artificial Ingredients Free.

Replaces over 25 items in your First Aid kit including but not limited to Neosporin, Hydrocortisone, Calamine for Poison Ivy, any anti-itch, anti-fungal

• safe for you, your children and your pets including but not limited to dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, horses, cattle
• portable First Aid for the first time
• versatile
• First Aid Dressing
• works better than your traditional brands
• natural

What I liked most about Green Goo was that it was multi-purpose.  I can carry this in my pocket on our walks, runs, or even on our bike rides.  My daughter likes it because it doesn't sting like other medicine.  She likes when I massage it on. 

It helps relieve symptoms associated with:

• Insect Bites

• Cuts and Scrapes

• Cracked Hands

• Poison Ivy

• Cold Sores

• Sunburns

• Chapped lips

• Blisters

• Ingrown toenails

• Fungal infections

• Chafing

Did you say Chafing?  Yes, I have thunder thighs and my thunder thighs needed some relief.  Runners, joggers, or walkers will understand the need for chafing relief. 

Bugs Be Gone is a blend of organic herbs and essential oils that help keep the bugs away.  It is an outdoor spray that works and is safe to spray directly on your skin.  It is made with herb infused Witch Hazel.  Deet free. Citronella free.  Chemical free.  Oil free.  Does not stain clothing.

Great for the entire family: Adults, Children, and Pets.

Helps to Keep those Pesky Bugs Away:
*Mosquitos
*Gnats
*Flies
*Fleas and ticks

INGREDIENTS:
*Witch Hazel Extract, Distilled Water, *Yarrow, *Sage, and a special blend of Essential Oils: *Geranium, *Lemon Eucalyptus, *Lemongrass, *Cedarwood, *Mint,  and *Lavender.
*Certified USDA Organic.

I have been lightly spraying Bugs Be Gone on my legs.  I wear a lot of dresses to work and on my lunch hour I like to walk the park.  Those pesky mosquitoes had been attacking me on my walks.  The other mosquito sprays were not as effective.  Also, I could not spray my toes.  The sprays always messed up my nail polish, not sure why?  Bugs Be Gone has been working.

Review-A Smooch A Day Will Keep You Fit For Play

***Disclosure-Sample product received to review.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

Smooch is a 100% natural fruit snack that's made with a blend of three fruit purees (not from concentrate), containing 5% chia seeds and 1% acerola cherry puree to keep you energized.

Smooch:
-contains 368 mg of Omega 3
-vegan and vegetarian friendly
-gluten, dairy and nut free
-contains whole grains
-1 of your 5 a day
-only 70 calories
-BPA free

Smooch comes in a single serve pouch, perfect to carry in your gym bag, briefcase, purse or car!

My thoughts-I like that I can throw this pouch in my bag in the morning.  It is a great snack because it is low in calories.  It is also good for me because of its healthy natural ingredients.  It also tastes good.  It is a grab and go kinda snack.  Even your kids will like them. 

One more thing, they will donate $0.01 of every smooch to charity...a little goes a long way.

Blue Monkey Coconut Collection Review

Do you like coconuts?  Ever tried coconut flavored anything like oil, drinks, or even chips?

Family-owned Blue Monkey Coconut Collection is introducing Coconut Chips, a delicious snack with a punch of dietary health! Made from the nutrient-rich meat of the coconut, the chips are gently baked to bring out the coconut’s natural sweetness and turn it from white to golden brown.


Available in original, ginger and wasabi flavors, the Blue Monkey Coconut Chips are a great source of heart-healthy fiber (packing in a solid seven grams per serving!), 100% natural and baked free of preservatives. The chips are also vegan, GMO-FREE and Gluten-FREE. They’re great on their own, eaten alongside a meal or used to enhance baked goods!

The Blue Monkey Coconut Chips are packed in a 1.4oz recyclable bag and are now available at natural and mainstream markets nationwide and online at Amazon.com for an SRP of $2.89.

My thoughts-I like coconuts.  I like to drink coconut water.  I like the Blue Monkey Pure Coconut Water and prefer the one with pulp.  I like that it is 100% natural.  No added sugar or artificial sweetners. 

The Blue Monkey Coconut Chips are good.  Great snack that is high in fiber.  My co-workers were curious of my snack.  I let them all try the coconut chips and they all liked them.

Blue Monkey is hosting a Freebie Fridays promotion on Facebook : http://woobox.com/husxjq

***Disclosure-Sample products were received.  All opinions are my very own, honest opinions.

Ruggles Green Review

Ruggles Green is The Greenest Restaurant in Texas and the 3rd Greenest Restaurant in the United States.  Ruggles Green is the 3rd most reviewed restaurants in the city out of over 13,000 restaurants in the Houston Area.

I got to learn from "THE GREEN GUY", Federico Marques, what makes them Green and why their food tastes soooo good.

Here is what we sampled:

Homemade Organic Chickpea Hummus~

Served with green manzanilla olives, sun dried tomatoes and wood-fired flat

bread – (can be made Gluten-free )

Hi-Protein Hempanadas~


Delicate empanadas made with high-protein hemp flour, wheat flour, raisins, cilantro, blended cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and all natural beef; served with roasted garlic cilantro sauce and peach chipotle sauce

Fresh Vegetable Pizza~

Roasted tomatoes, eggplant,zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, garlic, mozzarella, fontina and feta cheeses and pesto sauce; topped with baby arugula and balsamic vinegar

Dale's Pizza~

All-natural bacon, all-natural ham, crème fraiche, basil, fresh thyme, roasted garlic, fontina


and mozzarella cheese; topped with sea salt and cracked black pepper

Ruggles Green Margherita Pizza~
Fresh roma tomatoes, organic tomato sauce, roasted garlic, thyme, oregano, basil, fresh

mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, and fontina cheeses; topped with extra virgin olive oil

High Protein Hemp Brownie

Our famous chocolate, high-protein hemp brownie served warm with chocolate trellis,


chocolate sauce and vanilla bean ice cream (can be made Gluten-free)

My thoughts-I like that all their food is natural.  It is free from dyes, chemicals, etc...  They have a color coding system on the menu; blue is gluten free,  yellow is dairy free, green is vegetarian, and red is kids live well.  And I like that most items can be made Gluten-free.  All you have to do is ask.  (I recently went to a restaurant which I will not say the name, but it took 3 hours for them to find something I could eat because of my allergies.)  And the food tastes really good.  It is really flavorful.  But what I really like the most is that there are 2 coming soon near me, one is Sugarland opening Aug 27 and one in the Heights in November.

The Sugarland location will be the greenest in the world.  From the water, to the lights, it will all be green, green, green, that's Ruggles Green!!

***Disclosure-No compensation was received.  I was invited to attend this event.  I received a swag bag with samples.  These are my honest opinions. 

Giddy Up & Go Granola Review

Thoughtful Food, Inc., announced its first product Giddy Up & Go Granola - a delicious granola blend promoting healthy digestion, which offers the optimal daily requirement of Omegas needed for brain development. Starting with the finest ingredients available, Thoughtful Food created two granola blends so pure that they are one of the only brands on the market to be USDA certified organic and certified gluten-free – not to mention dairy free and vegan. Products are also made using only 100% organic agave nectar, and may be a safe choice for some diabetics as well.

Jennifer Bielawski founded Thoughtful Food in 2009 after her family was forced to change their diets to eliminate grain, starch, sugar and most lactose. After investing in many new gadgets and spending countless hours in the kitchen experimenting with recipes and searching for and testing numerous products, Jennifer discovered how to replicate many of the foods her family could no longer eat. This inspired her to start her own company, making nutritious “clean” food that tastes great! Giddy Up & Go Granola can currently be found in over 300 stores and vending machines on the West Coast, and is rapidly growing.

 My thoughts-I have never just snacked on Granola alone but now I have.  I love the Notoriously Nutty Granola.  It is a great snack.  The Seriously Seedy is good too.  I brought the two different bags to work and allowed my co-workers to snack on them.  They all had good things to say.  Like this was seriously a great snack.  Healthy doesn't have to taste bad.  Some could not pick which one they liked more, because they were both great.  So we all loved it.

***Disclosure-No compensation was received.  Samples provided for review.  This are my honest opinions.  This product has been Independentmami tasted and Independentmami approved.

Nueva Cocina Review

 What is one of the most common chronic health disorders in western countries and affects approximately 3 million American?  It’s Celiac Disease, also known as gluten intolerance, which causes symptoms that range from mild weakness and bone pain, to chronic diarrhea, abdominal bloating, and progressive weight loss.   Sufferers cannot eat specific food-grain antigens that are found in wheat, rye, and barley, and he only treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet.  With May being Celiac Awareness month,

 Nueva Cocina, the nation’s first line of all-natural, healthy and authentic Latin rice dishes, seasonings and soups, is taking you on a culinary adventure by bringing attention to the condition and by showing you that eating gluten-free due to Celiac Disease or other food allergies, can still be delicious.  We will be featuring gluten-free recipes all month, and we’re offering a 20% discount off on our Gluten-free Variety Pack, which features two each of our gluten-free rice mixes, soups and seasonings.  Click here http://www.nuevacocina.com/store/2386/Gluten-Free-Pack.aspx and enter in the code NOGLUTEN when purchasing.

One of the most common misconceptions about gluten-free foods is that they taste bad or bland and have a strange consistency.  Nueva Cocina founders Celeste De Armas (who is gluten sensitive) and Corina Mascaro set out change this perception. “From the very beginning, our intention was to create a line of products that we would want to eat ourselves, and feel good about serving to our family and friends.  We knew that there was nothing available in the Latin food category that was 100% natural, met the gluten-free dietary needs of millions of people, and at the same time, tasted amazing.”  Today, 16 out of 18 of Nueva Cocina products are gluten-free. The Coconut Raisin Rice parfait recipe below will tantalize your taste buds and take eating gluten free from drab to ‘delicioso.’  

Coconut Raisin Rice Parfait

 1 box of Nueva Cocina Coconut Raisin Rice

1 Cup of unsweetened coconut milk
1 Cup of cream of coconut
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tub of gluten-free pudding (you can also cook the instant kind)
Whipped cream (you can use Cool Whip or make your own with heavy whipping cream)

Follow the directions on the Nueva Cocina box to cook the Coconut Raisin Rice.  Once cooked, add 1 cup of cream of coconut, 1 cup of the unsweetened coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Cook on low heat until liquid is absorbed and rice has a thick and creamy consistency, approximately 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and refrigerate covered for at least an hour.  When ready to serve, spoon a layer of pudding into a wine glass, then add a layer of the rice mixture.  Continue to build your layers and top it off with whipped cream.  Garnish with toasted coconut and/or fruit of your choice.

My thoughts-With more and more people going to GLUTEN FREE, there should be more options.  I am so glad that finally there is a Latin cuisine option.  Nueva Cocina has great easy to read and follow directions on each product.  The Picadillo is our favorite.  My mom really liked the Coconut Raisin Rice too. 

***Disclosure-No compensation was received.  Samples provided for review.  These are my honest opinions.