healthy laps

A few months ago, Kaia Foods graciously sent me some samples of their raw and vegan foods.

 From the Kaia Foods website:
 
Kaia foods was founded with the belief that our health is best supported by eating an abundance of minimally processed whole foods. We sprout, mix and dehydrate our organic foods at low temperatures so that they remain ‘raw.’ No baking, frying, bleaching, or weird processing steps!
 
 I was psyched when I received this package!  The products fit perfectly with what I believe food should be about.

 
 Organic Buckwheat Granola
 I was sent their 3 flavors to try out – Cocoa Bliss, Dates & Spices and Raisin Cinnamon.
 
Made with sprouted buckwheat, sprouted walnuts, sprouted sunflower seeds, sprouted pumpkin seeds, coconut, ground flax seeds, and agave nectar, plus dried fruits and seasonings.
 

 Cocoa Bliss Granola
 

 
 I had never tried a raw granola before, so I honestly was not sure what to expect here.  I figured that I couldn’t go wrong with the Cocoa Bliss being the chocolate lover that I am, so I started here.
 
 The granola is made of buckwheat*, agave nectar*, raisins*, dried coconut*, cacao powder*, ground flax seed*, sunflower seeds*, pumpkin seeds*, walnuts*, natural vanilla extract, spices, and mineral salt. (*organic) 
 
 It contains big chunks in the bags, which I really enjoy in my granola.
 

 
 Did I like it?  I loved it!  The buckwheat gives the granola a super crunch and the raisins add a little chew to it.  The chocolate flavor comes through nicely, but is not overpowering by any means.  This was my favorite out of all 3 granolas!
 

Dates & Spices Granola
 
 Ingredients: buckwheat*, dates*, agave nectar*, ground flax seed*, dried coconut*, sunflower seeds*, pumpkin seeds*, walnuts*, natural vanilla extract, spices, and mineral salt. (*organic) 
 

I really liked this flavor as well.  I liked that there was definitely a hint of spice, but it was not all that you would taste.  Once again, I love the crunch of the buckwheat.
 
 
Raisin Cinnamon Granola 
Ingredients: buckwheat*, raisins*, agave nectar*, ground flax seed*, dried coconut*, sunflower seeds*, pumpkin seeds*, walnuts*, natural vanilla extract, natural orange extract, spices, and mineral salt. (*organic)

This was my second favorite!  I loved the hint of cinnamon that came through, and all of the raisins.  YUM!

If you like buckwheat, I highly recommend this granola.  It is different than your typical granola and in my opinion is better because it gives your body more essential nutrients while you eat!

Organic Sprouted Sunflower Seeds

All we do to our sunflower seeds is sprout, season and dehydrate them at low temperatures instead of roasting them. The nutrients and great taste stay intact and aren’t processed away.

I was sent 4 flavors of their sunflower seeds: Garlic & Salt, Sweet Curry, Teriyaki and Cocoa Mole.

Garlic & Salt

Ingredients: sprouted sunflower seeds*, onion powder*, garlic powder*, and sea salt. (*organic)

This flavor was great.  Salty with a hint of garlic.  Not too overpowering.

Sweet Curry

Ingredients: sprouted sunflower seeds*, raw agave nectar*, curry powder*, wheat-free tamari*, cumin powder*, garlic powder*, cayenne pepper*, and sea salt. (*organic)

Yum!  These had a mild sweet taste that I loved.

Teriyaki

Ingredients: sprouted sunflower seeds*, wheat-free tamari*, raw agave nectar*, ginger powder*, garlic powder*, and cayenne pepper*. (*organic)

I am a big fan of terriyaki sauce, so I did like these.  The flavor is that of a typical terriyaki – not too sweet, but not spicy either.  In my opinion, the curry was better!

Cocoa Mole

Ingredients: sprouted sunflower seeds*, raw agave nectar*, raw cacao powder*, vanilla extract*, cayenne pepper*, and sea salt. (*organic)

I definitely liked these!  They taste like a sweet dessert (but, not too sweet!).  Watch out for the kick at the end. 🙂

Overall, the sunflower seeds are delicious!  The actual sunflower seeds do not taste any different than what you would normally buy, but they are sprouted which makes them healthier for you.  I typically buy raw seeds and stay away from the roated and salted seeds for health reasons, so I would purchase these in a second.

Organic Fruit Leathers

To make our fruit leathers we puree whole organic fruits and dehydrate them at low temperatures, without adding sugars or concentrates. Yum!

I was sent 3 flavors of fruit leathers to try: Vanilla Pear, Spiced Apple and Goji Orange.

 When I opened these, I was not sure what to expect.  They seemed drier and flakier than the typical fruit leather that I was used to, but I was willing to give it a shot!

Goji Orange

 Ingredients: orange*, banana*, goji berries*. (*organic)

Mmmm…very orangy!  I liked it.   

Spiced Apple

Ingredients: apple*, banana*, spice blend*. (*organic)

I could taste the banana more than the apple in this one…

 Vanilla Pear

Ingredients: pear*, banana*, vanilla extract*. (*organic) 
 

I was a big fan of all of the fruit leathers, so I am having trouble picking a favorite!  If I had to though, I think this is it!  I love the pear that comes through.

The texture of the fruit leather is a bit different than your run of the mill fruit leather, but as you are eating these just think of the nutrients being absorbed by your body from the real fruit that was used to create them! 🙂

Overall, I really enjoyed all of Kaia Foods products.  They use minimal ingredients and a very minimally processed which allows the products to keep most of their nutritional value intact.  I would buy each of the products again without hesitation because I feel really good about eating them!

Another bonus from the website:

As part of our mission to improve quality of life through proper nutrition we invest 1% of sales in fighting hunger. We currently donate to The Hunger Project and to the United Nations World Food Program.

Filed under: Product Reviews | Tagged: granola, Kaia Foods, nuts, reviews | 3 Comments »