Gluten Free Snacks: Mareblu Naturals Crunch Bags - Product Review #84

Gluten Free Snacks: Mareblu Naturals Crunch Bags

PRODUCT NAME:                         Crunch Bags

BRAND:                                        Mareblu Naturals

COST:                                           $2.79

SIZE:                                             3oz                        

COST PER OZ:                              $0.93                                                    

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:            YES

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             GFCO

ORGANIC:                                     NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:             N/A

VEGAN:                                        YES

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:              UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:              California

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging.  We cannot verify the accuracy of this information.  For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.            

REVIEW:
 When Mareblu Naturals was developing their product line, aside from tasting good, there were 3 goals in mind.  They wanted everything locally grown and packaged, natural and healthy.  It looks like they succeeded with their Trail Mix Crunch.  Mareblu Naturals Crunch Bags comes in several varieties including almond, blueberry pomegranate, pistachio trail mix, and cashew among several others.  They are all natural, 100% vegan, Kosher, cholesterol free, dairy free, contain no preservatives and of course are certified gluten free.  With a long list of attributes like that, you have strong makings for a healthy snack.

Mareblu Naturals has a very nice variety of these Crunch Bags.  We had the Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch, Pistachio Trail Mix Crunch, Cashew Crunch and Almond Crunch varieties.  The one that appeals to you will all depend on what you like.  I’m a fan of almonds pistachios, and cashews so all of them appealed to me.  They all had a slightly sweet slightly salty flavor that was perfect.  The only complaint we had was that some of the pieces were saltier than others. 

The one that stood out the most was the Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch.  It contained cashews, almonds, pistachios, blueberries and was sweetened with a little pomegranate juice.  Mareblu Naturals says that it is their most popular flavor and with good reason.  The different nuts give it the perfect blend of crunchiness while the blueberry adds a pleasant chewiness.  The flavor is great too.  The blueberries add a lot of sweetness to the flavor and what you end up with is a flavor that reminds me of one of my favorite childhood cereals, Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries.

Mareblu Naturals have done a great job with this snack.     It is has a vegan certification, pareve certification and a gluten free certification.  If you are allergic to peanuts, rest assured because these snacks are peanut free and are produced in a facility that is peanut free.  All of these have about 150 calories, 11-12 grams of fat, 45-50 milligrams of sodium and 5 grams of sugar.  These numbers look pretty good and are definitely a healthier option that many of the other snacks out there.  Only thing to watch out for are people with sensitive teeth might want to pay attention when they are chewing as this will get stuck between your teeth. 

Taste: These crunch bags tasted great.  They had a nice balance of sweet and salty and a great blend of textures.   

Labeling:  The labeling on the packages was very easy to read.  The Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix 

Crunch had a join our E-club offer in place of the certification seals.  While I know joining their e-club is important, I think the certifications are more important.  They also do not say whether or not their facility is gluten free or not.    

Packaging:  Resealable plastic package which makes it convenient to eat on the go and in separate sittings.  

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:

Taste:                     4

Texture:                 4                             

Value:                    4

OVERALL:              4

Reviewed 3/8/11 by Calvin C.

Gluten Free Snacks: Snapdragon Wasabi Cashew Crunchies - Product Review #61

Gluten Free Snacks: Snapdragon Wasabi Cashew Crunchies

PRODUCT NAME:                     Wasabi Cashew Crunchies

BRAND:                                    Snapdragon Pan-Asian Cusine

COST:                                      $5.58 (2-pack) $15.90 (6-pack)

SIZE:                                         2.6oz each bag

COST PER OZ:                          $1.07oz (2-pack) $1.02oz (6-pack)

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:        NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:         N/A

ORGANIC:                                 NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:         N/A

VEGAN:                                    UNKNOWN

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:          UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:          Thailand

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:
If you’re a fan of sweet, salty, and spicy, you will be a fan of Snapdragon Pan-Asian Cuisine’s Wasabi Cashew Crunchies. Imported from Thailand, these delicious clusters of cashews are a great snack for enjoying on the go, while watching TV, and while working in your cubicle. Let me warn you first these pack a little heat from the wasabi flavor. So if you aren’t a fan of spicy food, you might want to stay away from these.

Each bag of these cashew crunchies contains 2.6 ounces, which translates into about 2.5 servings per container. It’s probably a good idea that they pack so little into these packages, because most people would have no problem killing the package in one sitting. Here’s a tip, share the bag with some friends or family to ensure that you practice portion control. At 170 calories, 11g of total fat, 2g of saturated fat, 110mg of sodium and 5g of sugar, they aren’t the best for you, but considering the other options out there, this might be a healthier choice.

Now I must admit, I had no idea what to expect from these cashew crunchies. They were clustered together kind of like granola and looking at the ingredients, there are a lot of sweeteners like cane sugar, cassava glucose syrup, and coconut sugar. At the same time, I saw wasabi as the flavor so there’s sweet and there’s spicy. What gives? I popped one into my mouth and was completely surprised at how good they tasted. First you get the saltiness and heat of the wasabi, but after a few seconds, everything is balanced with sweetness. The sugars also help with the texture by forming a crunchy crust over the cashews.

Overall, Snapdragon’s Wasabi Cashew Crunchies provide a very nice blend of flavors and textures. This snack is best suited for people who like wasabi or spicy food. Also note that the these cashews contain cashews and fish and is manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts.

Taste: Great wasabi flavor which isn’t very strong that is balanced with sweetness. They taste so great that getting addicted to them is highly likely.

Labeling: The labeling on this package is very simple. I liked that they came up with their own gluten free symbol as well as a label notating how spicy it is.

Packaging: The packaging is very well designed. It is wedge shaped so that when stacked in alternating directions, it takes up less space. I also thought it was clever to put the company logo on the bottom side of the package complete with the color specific band so you know exactly what flavor you are about to grab no matter how it’s placed in the box.

Reader’s Reviews: Please share with us your review of this company’s other products + where you purchased the product + how long you have been using this product. Please no review from the family + friends of the company producing the product…

RATING:
Texture:         5
Taste:             5
Value:            3
OVERALL:      4.3

Reviewed 020111 by Calvin C.