Flax4Life - Chunky Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Muffins - July 24, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Flax4Life
Chunky Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Muffins
Good +
Weight: 3.5 oz. (99 g.) / 14 oz. (396 g.) in total container or 4 muffins
Calories: 359 calories in 1 muffin
Cost: $8.99 for 1 container of 4 muffins
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate Chip Theme Week.

Today's Chunky Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Muffins hailed from Flax4Life (Bellingham, WA).

Flax4Life offers a line of chocolate and/or chocolate brownie gluten free muffins (as well as other non-chocolate flavors) with flax. They're all quite tasty. Muffins aren't necessary low calorie, but one of these is so satisfying, you won't feel like you need to eat more.

And these Flax4Life muffins with chunky chocolate chips/pieces really did taste better than most other gluten-free baked goods.

Sun-Rype - Good Bites - Chocolate Chip - July 23, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sun-Rype Products Ltd.

Good Bites - Chocolate Chip

Good

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total package

Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving (3 pieces)

Cost: $4.99 for 1 package

Purchased from: Safeway, Danville, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate Chip Week.

Today's Chocolate Chip Good Bites were from Sun-Rype Products Ltd. (Kelowna, B.C. Canada) and were composed of dates, seeds and chocolate chips (and cocoa powder) with a light dusting of gluten-free oat flour and traces of "natural flavor" and sea salt.*

Dates contain fiber and phytonutrients and act as a rich, moist binder for otherwise dry ingredients. However, dates are also loaded with sugars and have an almost overly intense, dried fruit sweet flavor, unless balanced with nuts, seeds, grains and/or chocolate.

Fortunately, today's compressed bites contained 4 different kinds of seeds and seed butter, and tasted well-balanced. Although the more subtle chocolate flavors were overshadowed by these other flavors.

This bar was vegan and did "not contain peanuts, tree nuts or gluten."

*Ingredients: dates, pasteurized seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax, chia), dark chocolate chips, sunflower seed butter, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), gluten-free oat powder, apple juice concentrate, natural flavor and sea salt.

Enjoy Life - No Nuts! Seed and Fruit Mix - Mountain Mambo - July 22, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Enjoy Life Natural Foods, LLC
Not Nuts! Seed and Fruit Mix - Mountain Mambo
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (2 oz.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 280 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week and Day #1 of Chocolate Chip Week.

Today's Not Nuts! Seed and Fruit Mix - Mountain Mambo was from Enjoy Life Natural Foods, LLC (Chicago, IL). The satisfying trail mix style blend contained raw sunflower kernels,  roasted and hulled pumpkin seeds, raisins, dried apples, chocolate chips and cranberries.

The mini chocolate chips* added some chocolate flavor without making the mix too sweet.

When it comes to trail mixes and energy bars, not that many are made in a dedicated gluten free and nut free facility. Happily, this Enjoy Life mix was. So, those with allergies can relax and enjoy a bit more with this snack.

*The Enjoy Life brand also includes a line of chocolate chips and other chocolate-containing snack items.

Larabar - Nut and Seed Crunchy Bar - Peanut Chocolate - July 21, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Larabar

distributed by Small Planet Foods, Inc.

Nut and Seed Crunchy Bar - Peanut Chocolate with Sprouted Chia Seeds

Good

Weight: 1.24 oz. (35 g.) / 4.96 oz. (140 g.) in total box of 4 bars

Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar 

Cost: $1.99 for 1 box of 4 bars

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week.

Today's Larabar Nut and Seed Crunchy Bar - Peanut Chocolate with Sprouted Chia Seeds (Product of Canada) was distributed by Small Planet Foods, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN).

This Non GMO and Gluten Free bar contained a relatively short list of ingredients: Peanuts, honey, sprouted chia seeds, cacao nibs, maple sugar, almonds, coconut oil, cocoa powder and sea salt.

The bar had a naturally sweet flavor, a crunchy, chewy, slightly seedy texture with hints of nuts (peanuts, almonds) and chocolate. The maker's use of sprouted chia seeds seemed to make these resilient seeds a bit easier to consume and digest. 

Tosi - Cappuccino Crunch Almond SuperBites - July 20, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Tosi
Cappuccino Crunch Almond SuperBites
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.6 oz. (73.7 g.) in total package
Calories: 156 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1/2 package
Purchased from: Transit Center Cafe, Presidio, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week.

Today's Cappuccino Crunch Almond Super Bites were from Tosi (Tustin/Anaheim, CA).

The bar broke off into even, rectangular pieces or bites, that had a pleasantly sweet (not too sweet, thank you) seedy crunchiness, with hints of coffee and chocolate.

barkThins - Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seed with Sea Salt - July 19, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

barkThins

(manufactured by Ripple Brand Collective, LLC)

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seed with Sea Salt

Good +

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 4.7 oz. (133 g.) in total bar

Calories: 230 calories in 1 serving 

Cost: $3.27 for 1 package

Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week. Most of the seed items in this year's seed week seem to contain pumpkin seeds. More pumpkin seeds are being used with chocolate and energy bar items; however,  this finding was also linked to what was available in local shops that I hadn't tried before.

Pumpkins originated in the Americas; however most pumpkin seeds are now from pumpkins grown in China.*

Today's Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seed with Sea Salt from barkThins were manufactured for Ripple Brand Collective, LLC (New York, NY). The brand was acquired by Hershey in 2016.

A generous helping of dry roasted and salted pumpkin seeds were embedded in slim sheets of dark chocolate. The seeds gave this bark a satisfying crunch and contributed a seed flavor and aftertaste.

*Pumpkins are now grown on every continent but Antarctica. While China is likely the top producer of pumpkin seeds; Ukraine, India, the U.S. and Mexico are also significant producers.

R.e.d.d. - Chocolate Superfood Energy Bar - July 18, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

R.e.d.d.
Chocolate Superfood Energy Bar
Good
Weight: 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: REI, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Seed Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Superfood Energy Bar was from R.e.d.d.* (Portland, ME). This protein + energy + vitamin + mineral bar contained a long list of ingredients, including plant/mostly fruit extracts and powders, and yerba mate extract that contained caffeine.

Busy people presumably have a more difficult to find time to cook a healthy meal from scratch. Enter the legion of protein and energy bars on the market, including this one.

This gluten free bar claimed to be 3 products in 1: protein bar + energy shot (1/3 cup coffee) + multi-vitamin. It contained "10 grams of protein, 19 vitamins + minerals, and 35+ grams of natural caffeine," and seeds.

The number one ingredient listed was a Redd vegan protein blend (pumpkin seed protein powder and pea powder) ...followed by agave syrup and oats. The bar also contained organic chia seeds.

The chocolate came in the form of dark chocolate and cocoa powder.

* R.e.d.d. stands for Research Enhanced Design + Development.