Snackafiable!

 If 'snackafiable' were actually a real word, I would deem it worthy to describe the generous assortment of goodies that Kaia Foods sent me (heinously long ago) to review. [Thanks Heidi!] This girl does Cross Fit six days a week AND fuels herself with green smoothies! You know you've got a good company on your hands when the people who actually work there are raw foodists. So, pretty much, Kaia rocks all around!

My heart went a fluttering when I opened my package (I heart snail mail, for sure) and to my surprise there were two bags of granola, seasoned seeds, kale chips, and fruit leathers! I didn't even know Kaia made anything other than granola! Holy moly! If there is a such thing as yummy snack heaven, then I was surely there.

We're certified cereal addicts in the Raw Food Nerd household/kitchen so Kev and I dug into the Cocoa Bliss buckwheat granola first. We get seriously razzed and jazzed over cereal and granola; it's kind of sad actually. I mean, when we were in college we used to celebrate our anniversaries with over sized bowls of cereal-- often eating at least two boxes in one night. (what? moderation? yeah, right!) It's really hard to stop eating Puffins...

Since I consider myself an authority on cereal and granola (second only to Kev who can still down an entire box, on his own...in one night..lol), I can tell you, this stuff is splendidly delicious. If you love chocolate, than this is the granola for you. Kaia Foods does a great job of balancing the chocolaty yumminess and sweetness. When it comes to raw food, texture is paramount and I think that is what makes this granola outstanding. Don't get me wrong, I like when my granola gets nice and soft after it's been sitting in nut milk, but ultimately it's still got to maintain that crunch-factor! Am I right? Perhaps this is why I enjoy raw granola more than the traditional variety made with oats; buckwheat always retains it's crunchability. And I cant help but love how it turns my nut milk into chocolate milk...You'll be going back for fourths seconds no doubt!

These are ingredients we can feel good about putting into our bodies: buckwheat*, agave nectar*, raisins*, dried coconut*, cacao powder*, ground flax seed*, sunflower seeds*, pumpkin seeds*, walnuts*, natural vanilla extract, spices, and mineral salt. (*organic)

I'm not much of a nut/seed person anymore, but I make exceptions now and then for the sake of the blog...such a hard life I live, I know. Anyway, I didn't have to be prodded too much to shovel heaping handfuls of Kaia's Sprouted Sunflower Seeds. They sent me two flavours: Sweet Curry and Teriyaki.

You will notice, the bag of Sweet Curry Sunflower Seeds is missing so I just used a picture from Kaia's website. Yeah, Kev takes them to work and school to snack on and he snagged the bag before I could get a picture. We both LOVE the taste of these seeds.The Sweet Curry has a nice subtle sweetness to it that matches the natural heat of the curry. And yumm, I am obsessed with cumin so I can definitely pick up the notes of cumin in the curry.  And the Teriyaki, I cannot get enough of these. It has some heat, but it isn't over powering thanks to the agave and I love the undertones of ginger and garlic. Kev says they keep him full all day long. We both agree that these are out of this world as far as seasoned seeds go!

Oh, the Kale Chip, a much sought after treat for the raw foodist. These are perhaps the best kale chips that I have ever had. The only ones that compare (other than my own of course, ha ha) are the ones that Kev and I got at ChocolaTree in Sedona, AZ. However, those were Cheezy flavored so it's like apples and oranges in my book. These were BBQ Kale Chips which completely put them on a whole other level to begin with and then they had to go and taste EXACTLY like the BBQ potato chips I used to eat pre-raw and vegan. That's hard to do!  These are the ultimate snackafiable indulgence! I'm hooked...might give up making my own kale chips all together..lol

  

I have a soft spot for fruit leathers. They remind me of being a kid on the playground at snack time when I used to desperately (and often unsuccessfully) try and trade my orange for a Fruit-by-the-foot or a Fruit Rollup. Remember those!? Their chemically, dye-tastic and HFC syrup-laden nature was muchly sought after by school kids alike. Fortunately for all us fruit leather lovin' folk Kaia has found a way to not only replicate, but improve an old favourite with new and inventive flavors made from ALL fruit:

Apple Spice: Oh me gosh, takes like apple pie with a kick!

Lime Ginger: I've been on a lime kick lately so this was exceptionally appealing to me. A nice combination of tang (from the lime) and spice (from the ginger).

Vanilla Pear: Reminds me of a dried version of pureed pears. This one was my favourite. The vanilla hits you once you begin to chew; it was like a petite surprise for my taste buds. Ahh, pear. Ouu, vanilla. Yum.

Now if only they had peel out shapes and designs...maybe one day?

Kaia, which according to their website means 'body' in Sanskrit, is a company after my own heart. ::sigh:: All of their food, across the board, is mighty tasty -- not to mention ALL organic. Really, what's not to love?