eatingEVOLVED

eatingEVOLVED are a company based on the principle that chocolate is a food, and is not candy. 

eating EVOLVED believe that when chocolate is done right, it can be a delicious, antioxidant-rich, superfood – very different to the sweet non-food candy bar that can be found on supermarket shelves.

All of the chocolate available from eatingEVOLVED is amazing. Just check out how many different chocolate bar options are available above! What is even better is that all the chocolate is free of gluten, dairy, and soy. In fact, eatingEVOLVED uses as few ingredients as they can! Their products taste amazing, and do our bodies good because they contain no junk, no fillers, just the highest quality, Fair-Trade cacao lightly sweetened with organic maple sugar. Delicious!

I am a massive fan of peanut butter cups, but I know they shouldn’t really make a feature in my day to day diet. So, when I saw that eatingEVOLVED offered a range of coconut butter cups I jumped at the chance to try them!

Here is the eatingEVOLVED banana cream coconut butter cup:

These chocolatey-coconut-banana extravaganza’s are new on the eatingEVOLVED scene as they were only released in April, and they are amazing! The outer chocolate coating is crisp, and dark, whilst the inner banana cream is smooth, sweet and decadent. What is really cool about the chocoalte cups from eatingEVOLVED is that they contain only natural, whole food ingredients. Just check out the ingredient list for the banana cream option: Organic Coconut, Organic Cacao, Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Banana

Although the coconut butter cups are awesome on their own, they can be catapulted by pairing them with other delicious foods like almond butter, and banana. Just check out this seriously delicious snack that I created using the eatingEVOLVED coconut butter cups:

But, the coconut butter cup options don’t stop there! I loved having a cup or two with my breakfast smoothie. Here is one of my favorite seriously purple banana, kale and blueberry smoothies with the eatingEVOLVED caramel and sea salt coconut butter cups.

 

eatingEVOLVED combined the cleanest caramel with their famous Coconut Butter Cups to create a truly magical chocolate experience- and I couldn’t agree more. I don’t really understand how they were able to pack so much yumminess into such a clean, and simple chocolatey treat!

Other products on offer from eatingEVOLVED include a range of chocolate bars, I tried the 85% cacao crunchy caramel and the 100% cacao midnight coconut primal bars and was blown away by how tasty they were! Although the midnight coconut bar was pretty intense, I still enjoyed just munching on squares, and also really liked adding chunks of both of the bars to my nice creams, morning bowls of porridge, cakes, and pancakes. The opportunities for delicious creativity with the range of primal bars from eatingEVOLVED is pretty endless- especially when used with a combination of other eatingEVOLVED products, like their range of phenomenal chocolate spreads!

I used a lot of different eatingEVOLVED products in my breakfast today. This colorful glass layered up blueberry chia jam, with oat and chia pudding made with a big spoonful of eatingEVOLVED original chocolate spread and a couple of chunks of an eatingEVOLVED crunchy caramel primal bar, topped off with a dollop of blueberry and banana nice cream, and a generous drizzle of tahini and eatingEVOLVED original chocolate spread sauce. Phenomenal!!

P.s. the chocolate spread from eatingEVOLVED is out of this world! Move over sugar laden fake chocolate spread alternatives, and make way for this dark chocolate and coconut bonanza. The original spread is and made with nourishing coconut oil. I have really enjoyed using the spread as a topping for fruit and nice cream,  and as a spread on pancakes, and toast. To be honest, the spread is even great eaten straight out of the jar!

I haven’t tried it yet, but if you are a cocoa powder lover, then it is also on offer from eatingEVOLVED.

I really can’t rate eatingEVOVLED and the products that they have on offer highly enough. As a plant based runner, finding foods that are dairy, gluten and soy free, and also delicious can be a struggle at times, however thanks to eatingEVOVLED, I don’t think I will ever struggle to satisfy my chocolatey cravings every again!

If you want to try the products on offer from eatingEVOLVED, then head to their website now! (just click on any of the eatingEVOLVED links within this text and you will be taken straight to the site!)

Laiki

The creators of Laiki, Pradeep, Ennis, and Renata were brought together by their love of food. Laiki® Rice Crackers were born from their frustration that gluten-free crackers were all popped, puffed, or taste like cardboard. As a result they created a worry-free snack made from simple ingredients that was full of flavor and packed a satisfying crunch.

Laiki’s crackers taste amazing! Laiki make for excellent snacks any time of the day. I loved taking the small cracker packs with me to races to munch on throughout the day. I also loved using the crackers as little scoops for hummus!

Laiki offer a variety of cracker options depending on the size of the cracker bag you are after. Check out the Laiki website to find out more about the cracker options.

Check out the nutrition facts of the small Laiki cracker packs here:

What is not to love?

I really enjoyed dipping my Laiki crackers in some peanut butter and sandwiching them with apple slices. But you could also try dipping them in chocolate- a recent addition to the Laiki Facebook page!

As mentioned Laiki crackers are made from Thai black and red rice which means the crackers are also packed with more nutrients and flavor than crackers made from white or brown rice. Literally the ingredient list is rice, oil and salt.

To actually learn more, click here 🙂

As a result of their simple ingredients, Laiki crackers are gluten free. In fact they are specially made in a dedicated facility and are ELISA tested for any presence of gluten with independent lab services so you can be 100% sure that the crackers do not contain any gluten. In addition, because the crackers only contain rice, oil and salt, they are vegan too.

To keep up to date with Laiki and to get your hands on great offers, head to the Laiki Facebook page: Laikiricecrackers 

Tribe

Tribe is a company that provides specialized Tribe Packs for people who want healthy snacks to fuel them through their activities. Tribe also hosts running events, and weekly get together runs in and around London. Take a look by clicking ‘here’ if you want to find out more!

Each Tribe Pack contains five nutrient-rich Tribe Snacks to help us all train stronger, and longer. There are three Tribe Packs on offer depending on what your goals are. You can choose what snacks are put into your Tribe Pack, and you can be sure that whatever you pick will be good for you, as all Tribe snacks contain no refined sugars, no artificial ingredients, and no sulphites. All of the Tribe snacks only the highest quality natural ingredients. To understand more about the Tribe Packs, and the science behind the snacks included check out the Tribe nutrition page on their website.

I tried out the ‘Go The Distance’ Tribe Pack, which has been developed for people training for half marathons, tough mudders and 10km’s- Ideal for me! In my pack I got a range of Tribe Snacks to help boost my energy and recovery. Here I will show you a couple of the snack I received in the Tribe Pack, but make sure to check out the Train and Chew Instagram platform, Twitter feed and Facebook page for more information, and posts about Tribe and their great range of snacks!

There are lots of Trail Mix’s on offer from Tribe. Check out their site for the full range. I was sent the Lauga Trail Mix in my Tribe Pack which combined cacao dusted seeds, nuts and raisins to create a great endurance boosting snack.

This trail mix was named after a mountain marathon in Iceland that Tribe’s Guy ran in 2011. The mix was built for tough adventures, and is packed with good fats, protein, fibre & carbohydrate. Natural source of vitamin E, which helps defend cells from oxidative stress.

I enjoyed sprinkling the pack over my morning smoothie bowl to give it a great crunch, and healthy fat and protein boost.

Check out the mix of nuts, seeds and raisins in the Lauga mix:

There is research to suggest that distance runners can benefit from taking in fats (like those in the Lauga Trail Mix) for fuel- so I am more than happy to jump on that band wagon! For more interesting tips and nutrition facts head to the Tribe blog now! 

In my Tribe Pack I also received the Cacao Almond energy bar. It was dense, sweet and delicious! Combining only natural energy giving ingredients, I was able to really enjoy the bar knowing that it was doing my body good. The bar has fueled Tribe adventurers taking on ultras across Iceland, trans-Moroccan bike rides, and a 2000 mile triathlon- so it was great fuel for me on my long run this weekend! The cacao almond bar contains only 170 calories, but provides 20g carbohydrate for optimal energy, and is made with organic cacao and packed with antioxidants to help prevent oxidative stress. Brilliant!

You can buy Tribe Booster Packs from their website too. So, if you need more of their awesome snacks then make sure you head to the Boost Pack page!

Make sure to check out the Train and Chew Instagram platform, Twitter feed and Facebook page for more information, and posts about Tribe and their great range of snacks!

 

Perfect Bars

Perfect Bar is an awesome company that makes delicious and nutritious bars.

The company started thanks to Dr. Bud Keith who was: a health food guy before anyone said “health food.” In the mid-1960s, he opened one of the first gyms — Healthouse Gym and Juice Bar in Mission Beach, San Diego, CA. He knew that what we eat has a direct effect on how we feel. He worked with Jack LaLanne to help change the way people viewed health and fitness — and to share his belief that “whole foods are the only acceptable source of nourishment for your body.”

You can  check out a more detailed outline of the Perfect Bar story by heading to their site, or watching the video below:

Check out the Perfect Bar blog for even more information, and healthy living tips and tricks!

I tried out a sample pack of the Perfect Bars. So I got to try the entire range on offer! All the bars are packed with goodness, and contain no preservatives, additives, salt, coatings, refined sugar or any other synthetic additives. They are just delicious.

FYI, the bars have to be kept refrigerated, or in the freezer because they are so fresh.

This worked fine for me, and in actual fact, I really enjoyed having one of the Perfect Bars straight out of the freezer because they were so refreshing when cold! However, you could easily warm the bars up in the microwave if you want a warm bar experience, or alternatively, just take a bar with you to work and by the time you want it, it will be perfectly thawed and ready to eat!

The first bar I tried was the carob chip Perfect Bar. It is a blend of creamy organic peanut butter, rich and velvety carob chips, Organic Honey and 20 expertly –hidden whole foods. Each bar contains:

• 16G OF WHOLE FOOD PROTEIN
• HIGH ENERGY
• Over 20 ORGANIC SUPER FOODS
• And, are NON-GMO and GLUTEN FREE

The carob chip Perfect Bar was a great addition to my post run breakfast, helping to replenish my energy stores, and keep my body working at its best. I loved the little carob chips which were sweet and seriously delicious- an ingredient that I am not used to, but will look out for it now!

The Peanut Butter Perfect Bar is the bar that started it all. These bars are made from creamy peanut butter, organic honey and 20 expertly-hidden whole foods. The larger bar can be a delicious meal on the go, or if you are a me, a great snack, or addition to breakfast. As a result, these bars can be enjoyed wherever life takes you. And according to the makers, the ingredients are simple, wholesome and yes, perfect. You can get 8 of these awesome bars for just $20 from the Perfect Bar website– an absolute steal in my opinion!

Perfect Bar also make mini versions of two of their classic bars, and here is one such mini bar. This Peanut Butter mini bar was ideal as a quick bite after dinner, and was also a great little snack with some fruit mid-morning. You can get 20 of these bars for just $20 from the Perfect Bar website!

Check out the awesome texture of the Peanut Butter perfect bar:

You do not have to just eat the Perfect Bars on their own either. Be creative. There are loads of great ways to enjoy the Perfect Bars on their Instagram page. Just check out this stack of a peanut butter Perfect Bar with dark chocolate ‘hummus’, and fresh raspberry jam. Doesn’t it look incredible?! It was created by Tiffany from @nourishedbykale 

 

I think, out of all the Perfect Bars I tried, my favorite was the Almond Butter bar. I loved the flavor, texture and nutrition profile. These also come in the mini size, so are ideal for any occasion. My favorite way to enjoy the Almond Butter bar was as a side to a bowl of banana and avocado chocolate mouse! I also loved the Almond Butter bar as a base to some of my favorite cheesecakes!

Perfect Bar listened to its customers, and created a vegan friendly Perfect Bar. The vegan Perfect Bar is Almond Coconut flavor, and is just as delicious as all the other Perfect Bars. The vegan bar is made with 100% vegan ingredients, so no worries there. This bar combines creamy organic almond butter with naturally sweet organic dates (as opposed to honey), and is blended with yummy coconut and, just like the other bars, also contains 20 expertly-hidden whole foods.

 

 

Perfect Bar also make a lighter version of their traditional bars for those wanting a lower calorie and lower fat snack bar. These bars are called ‘lite’ and come in two flavors: Almond Acai, and Cranberry Crunch. I really liked the crunchiness of these bars, and also enjoyed the fruity flavors.

These lite Perfect Bars are great for when you want to lighten up, or just need a quick snack between meals- to be honest, these bars are great for any occasion. The lite bars are still made by blending together creamy peanut butter with organic honey, but they are also blended with organic dried fruits, naturally light crispy puffed rice and 20 expertly-hidden whole foods. These bars contain 35% fewer calories than the traditional Perfect Bars, but are still 100% incredible.

 

 

To keep up to date with Perfect Bar, and to get your hands on some of your own bars, head to their site now! You can also buy Perfect Bars from a number of retailers across the US, have a look on the Perfect Bar site to see if these awesome bars are stocked in a store near you!

Detour

Detour works hard to ensure that every product they make tastes amazing by doing rigorous taste tests. Their bars are high in protein thanks to whey which Detour believes has hidden powers. They say that whey protein has remarkable properties and that is why it is at the heart of every product Detour builds.

Detour is a company that was started by an Olympian, and as a result the company is passionate about athleticism and nutrition. Detours mission is to bring the nutritional know-how of elite athletes to fitness enthusiasts of all levels. Detour invented the modern, delicious “multi-layer” protein bar in 2002 and they have been improving on it ever since.

Detour offer a range of bars, all of which are really yummy and nutritious. Their bars are all low in sugar and high in protein. A great way to find out which bar is best for you just check out their variety pack!

I tried the Simple Detour bars. They are gluten free, low in sugar and high in protein.

The Caramel Peanut ‘simple’ Detour bar tastes incredible. The caramel layer is delicious and contains crunchy nuts which just make it even better! Just check out the layering:

The bar is low in sugar and contains 20g of protein- ideal for a post workout recovery snack. These bars are perfect for those who are constantly in the pursuit of excellence as these bars deliver all of the body-shaping nutrition with low levels of sugar.

The bars also come in smaller, 10g sizes, which are great as a quick on the go snack anytime.

The Chocolate Chip Caramel simple bar is made with real ingredients and is covered in a delicious chocolate coating. It also has a rich caramel layer- which is amazing, and has been finished off with chocolate chips. I tried warming the bar up, and topping it with a dollop of nice cream and some nut butter. It made for the perfect post workout treat!

You could even use one of the Detour bars as a topping for your bagels, as shown here in this Instagram image by @hungrygirl325 

Whey is the ultimate protein because it is a naturally complete protein. It contains all of the essential amino acids, the building blocks of strong lean muscle, your body needs every day. Whey is often called a “fast” protein because it is easy to digest and efficiently absorbed into your body providing an ideal fuel to working muscles.

 

The final bar in the Detour ‘simple’ range is deliciously decadent yet incredibly good for you. It is the Salted Caramel Cookie Dough bar.  I took one of these on my recent long haul flight and it was the perfect way to fuel up without any nasty ingredients. Covered in chocolate, these bars look and taste decadent, but the ingredients prove otherwise.

The ‘simple’ bars are made with clean ingredients so you can feel good about enjoying these bars.

I also tried the Detour ‘Smart’ bars.

This is the blueberry flavored bar, showing the whey drizzle. I didn’t like these bars as much as the Simple bars as I found them pretty dry and lacking in flavor. However, at only 130 calories, and containing 10g of protein they made for a good between meal snack and easy addition to my breakfast.

There are other bars in the Detour Smart range, like the Coconut Almond bar shown below.

I think I would enjoy the Smart bars more if I used them in a recipe, as shown below, where @pbeechie used the Smart bars as a base for these amazingly yummy looking coconut-chocolate and fruit tray bake bars:

To check out more bars, and to learn more about what Detour is doing, then check out their social media pages, or read their blog!

You will also be able to find some great recipes using the Detour products on the blog too, so it is well worth checking it out.

Vega Sport Performance Protein

Vega Sport Performance Protein is a plant based protein powder that is packed with nutrition that really enables people who enjoy it to reach for the next-level in their sport performance. The product is delicious and easy to mix in with liquids. I love it!

Each scoop (41g) of Vega Sport Performance Protein contains 30 grams of complete protein, 6 grams of each BCAA and glutamine, plus performance ingredients such as tart cherry, turmeric, and probiotics. Check out a full list of the ingredients in the powder on the Vega website.  As a result of all of this, Vega Sport Performance Protein can really help to build and repair strong muscles, and reduce recovery time.

Vega Sport Performance Protein is non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan and grain-free.

Vega Sport Performance Protein is made without grain, dairy, or caloric sweetener ingredients, making it appropriate for some definitions of paleo lifestyle. Check the ingredient list to determine whether it will fit within your lifestyle.

Vega Sports Performance Protein is super versatile and can be incorporated into lots of recipes and meals.

Adding a scoop to overnight oats (like in this bowl here) is a delicious and super easy way to boost breakfast protein.

Protein pancakes are also a great treat that can be made even better with Vega Sports Performance Protein. Just check this stack out!

I love the vanilla flavor, however the chocolate flavored protein is ideal for creating chocolaty desserts like this post workout pudding:

This pudding is smooth and delicious. It is a great way to refuel after training. With the Vega Protein this dessert is nutrient dense and the perfect way to get what you need into your body after a workout. The pudding recipe is on the Vega site. You can easily blend it before your workout, let it set in the refrigerator and then enjoy it once you get back.

Hemp Protein and Informed Choice  

Interestingly Vega doesn’t incorporate hemp protein in their Vega Sport Performance Protein because although they think that hemp is a pretty awesome source of plant-based protein, they wanted to give athletes assurance that all products in the Vega Sport system would be safe to use both in training and competition. Hemp contains THC (even though in tiny amounts) and this means that Informed Choice and other third-party sport supplement certifiers will not allow hemp to be in products and have a zero-tolerance policy for any hemp ingredients.

As a result of this, Vega Sport Performance Protein is Informed Choice certified. The Informed Choice program provides assurance that Vega Sport Performance Protein has been tested for substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency list of banned substances and is safe for athletes to use.

To keep up with everything Vega, and to get more recipe ideas check out their social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest.

 

Ka’Chava

Ka’Chava is the Tribal Superfood whole body meal in a glass. Each plant based shake provides over 70 superfoods and nutrients that simply can’t fail to make you feel good. The amazingness of the Ka’Chava shakes are evidenced in this image taken from the Ka’Chava website:

What is even better is that each shake is pure, clean and delicious. The shakes are all: vegan, gluten free, soy free and contain no artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. Brilliant news for me, and the thousands of other label readers, and health enthusiasts out there too!

Ka’Chava are made from lots of different plant-based whole foods and has been developed to deliver all the essential nutrients that our bodies need in one deliciously wholesome shake. Ka’Chava have developed 2 delicious flavors to choose from – Chocolate and Vanilla. My personal favorite was the vanilla shake, however both were seriously yum!

The superfoods in the Ka’Chava shakes have been used by tribal cultures for centuries for their health boosting properties. The superfoods used include those shown here:

Ka’Chava has taken a different take on shakes from so many other shake makers out there by taking a holistic approach to nutrition. Each shake provides you with the following:

There are loads of reasons why people drink Ka’Chava– check them out now on the Ka’chava site.

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, serious athlete, health purist, or simply looking to manage your weight, drinking Ka’Chava daily is the best way to achieve the results you want while improving your overall health!

I enjoyed my Ka’Chava at breakfast combined with frozen bananas, kale, berries and almond milk for a delicious meal that really kickstarted my day, and provided me with all the nutrients my body needed to perform at its best! Amazingly by adding Ka’Chava to my breakfast it was able to carry me all the way through until lunch!

I also really enjoyed having a Ka’Chava shake as a recovery meal after a workout. The Ka’Chava shake made for the perfect post workout recovery meal as not only was it delicious, and filling it also delivers the protein, carbs, and nutrients that my body needs to repair and build lean muscle after training. In order to ensure that I was able to recover optimally, I added a banana and some berries to my shake, and finished it off with a handful of homemade granola, in order to get that oh so important ratio of 4:1 carbs to protein for optimal recovery.

You could create a range of drinks like this Chocolate and Spinach power smoothie that was posted on the Ka’Chava blog:

For some other great ways to enjoy the Ka’Chava shakes check out the Ka’Chava blog. Alternatively take a look on their Instagram page, Facebook page, Twitter feed or Pintrest board.

What about Healthy Chocolate Wafers?

Ka’Chava shakes are amazing. They can provide sustained energy, protein for repair and muscle rebuilding, they can control hunger and even help improve digestion! Check out the range of other amazing benefits that Ka’Chava offers on their site now! I literally cannot promote Ka’Chava enough! If I could I would have Ka’chava every day and would experiment with so many different ways of enjoying this incredible shake.

Go onto the Ka’chava site and get yourself some of this amazing product now. If you aren’t convinced by me, then simply read some of the reviews by other people on the Ka’chava site. See one of the recent reviews that was posted on the Ka’Chava site here:

Can’t Say Enough Good Things

Megan on Jan 23, 2016

I discovered Ka’Chava about a month ago by stumbling upon it on Instagram. I read the impressive list of ingredients and decided to buy both flavors. I’ve tried a lot of protein powders and meal replacements and this is by far the best! It doesn’t taste “green” at all! I look forward to having it for breakfast every morning and every smoothie experiment I’ve made has turned out really good.