Lucy's: Gluten Free Cookies Review

(Click on the logo to be directed to Dr. Lucy's website)

 

I have been really excited for this review since I purchased these cookies. Dr. Lucy is a woman and mother who had found out her child had severe food allergies. And what mother could keep cookies from their child forever? Dr. Lucy was determined to formulate a cookie (and other desserts) that everyone and anyone with or without medical dietary constrictions could enjoy. I was ecstatic when I came across these cookies because of the great simplicity in making them. These cookies are gluten-free (HOORAY! a yummy gluten-free treat because we all know not all gluten-free stuff is tasty). They are very tasty and made without milk, eggs, peanuts, or any tree nuts! Dr. Lucy's guarantees these cookies made at a dedicated bakery that caters to protecting customers from the allergens they strive to avoid.

I was very lucky to find these cookies in a 3-flavor variety 12 pack, which means I get to share some with a couple lucky readers once I complete my third and final review of my three healthy snack reviews! The three flavors that came in the box were Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Cookie, and Maple Bliss. Each Snack n' Go Pack contains three cookies which is also the actual serving size for these crunchy treats.

First, let's take a look at our classic cookie flavor, Lucy's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip. For a gluten-free snack these were much more pleasant than I expected. I'm not even a big fan of chocolate chip cookies and I loved these. They tasted just like a crunchy chocolate chip cookie. So for my gluten-free chocolate chip cookie loving people, you no longer have to feel deprived of tasty treats!

INGREDIENTS: Dr. Lucy's Flour Blend (Gluten-Free Oat, Garbanzo, Potato Starch, Tapioca, Sorghum And Fava Flours), Organic Cane Sugar*,Vegan Chocolate Chips, Gluten-Free Oat Flakes, Soy Milk*, Brown Sugar*, Palm Fruit Oil, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Filtered Water, Flavoring And Citric Acid From Non-GMO Corn, Crushed Soy Beans*, Sunflower Lecithin, Nondairy Lactic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Vanilla Extract*, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Annatto Extract Color, Cellulose Gum.

Lucy's Gluten Free Chocolate was scrumptious. It was just the right amount of crumbly and could cure any chocolate fix. I really liked this cookie even though I'm a fan of soft, chewy versus crunchy, crumbly. I would recommend the chocolate cookies to my gluten free chocolate lovers, you will feel spoiled.

INGREDIENTS: Dr. Lucy's Flour Blend (Gluten-Free Oat Flour, Garbanzo Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca, Sorghum And Fava Flours), Organic Cane Sugar*,Soy Milk*, Molasses*, Cocoa, Palm Oil, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Filtered Water Flavoring And Citric Acid From Non-GMO, Crushed Soy Beans*, Sunflower Lecithin, Non-Dairy Lactic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Baking Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vanilla Extract*, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Annatto, Cellulose Gum.

Last, but of course not least (since they happened to be my favorite of the three), we have Lucy's Gluten Free Maple Bliss. These were so delicious, the flavor of maple melted on your tongue when you took a bite into one of these crunchy cookies! I'm from New York, and we are a reputable state when it comes to real Maple Syrup. These cookies reminded me of being home in the fall. A gluten-free maple flavored treat is something I'd recommend to any stranger, friend, or acquaintance.  



INGREDIENTS: Dr. Lucy's Flour Blend (Gluten-Free Oat Flour, Garbanzo Flour, Potato Starch, Tapioca, Sorghum And Fava Flours), Organic Cane Sugar*,Gluten-Free Oat Flakes, Soy Milk*, Molasses*, Palm Oil, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Filtered Water, Citric Acid And Flavoring From Non-GMO Corn, Crushed Soy Beans*, Sunflower Lecithin, Non-Dairy Lactic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Baking Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vanilla Extract*, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Annatto, Maple Syrup*, Cellulose Gum. 

Have you made up your mind yet? Are you ready to run out, find, and eat these palatable, healthy snacks? I know that I cannot wait to get more. These are the healthiest store-bought cookies you're probably going to find from here to Jupiter. Not only are they essentially allergen free, but they are also vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO verified! Their ingredients come solely from natural sources and they taste like heaven so indulge yourself. The convenient snack n' go packs would be the perfect treat to give out to trick-or-treaters this Halloween! They are great for lunches or an after school snack and the goodness doesn't stop at these three flavors, they also come in many more flavors as pictured below.

 

 Watch for my third and final healthy snack review to find out how to win my healthy snack package containing treats from all three reviews! 2 winners will receive one of the flavors I've reviewed along with 5 other healthy snacks from these reviews!

DISCLAIMER: These products were not sent to me directly from the company, I chose to purchase and review them 

 on my own accord. These are my honest thoughts and opinions on the products I have reviewed. This post also contains information gained from the company's website in order to inform you of the company responsible for this product. Giveaways are only valid to US residents for the time being.

 

Hansen's: Natural Cane Soda Review

(Click on the logo to be directed to the Hansen's website)

Hansen's is a family company and has been around since as early as the 1930s. It started in Southern California with a father and his three sons squeezing fresh juice to sell to the locals. The great thing about Hansen's beverages is that they have always been free of preservatives, caffeine, sodium, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. They are completely natural and the Hansen's are presenting sodas you could actually say are healthy to drink. Soda? Healthy? Who ever thought they would hear those two words in the same sentence? In 2008, they decided to make an evener greater stride towards health in the switch from high fructose corn syrup to real cane sugar. If you're going to drink soda or let your kids drink soda, this would be the best choice. You and your kids can enjoy a sweet, carbonated drink that's not going to be detrimental to your long-term health.

First off, I want to let all of you know that I am not a regular soda drinker. I've steered clear of sodas, other than the occasional sip or two, for about the past 10 years or more. One day, I just decided that I did not want to put that unhealthy of a beverage through my system any longer. A main reason I still don't drink soda is because the carbonation usually upsets my stomach. However, anytime I see a soda that's a healthier alternative to your big name brands (such as Coke and Pepsi), I jump on it because my boyfriend is a soda drinker and I'm always looking for healthier alternatives for my family. When I saw Hansen's though, something in me thought that maybe this would be the occasional sweet, carbonated drink I could treat myself to and actually enjoy. I believe I was right. As I stated before, these sodas are lacking the unhealthy ingredients/contents that almost all sodas contain. They are made with NO preservatives, NO caffeine, NO sodium, and NO artificial flavors or colors. They also are free of high fructose corn syrup which you can find in almost any food/drink item being sold here in America. 

 

 The 4 flavors I am going to review are pictured to the left. Cherry Vanilla Creme, Mandarin Lime, Kiwi-Strawberry, and Creamy Root Beer. I was happy to find that the carbonation from the soda did not upset my stomach as it usually does which makes me wonder if maybe it's those other harmful ingredients that cause stomach upset when I happen to consume soda.

Creamy Root Beer

 

 I personally do not like root beer so I left it up to my boyfriend to review the Creamy Root Beer flavor. He is a big fan of food and beverages NOT containing high fructose corn syrup, as am I. As far as the flavor goes he said that it was sweeter than other root beers, almost too sweet, which is probably because of the real cane sugar used to make it. He also said that it was a very smooth root beer. He would recommend it to those who like root beer.

Cherry Vanilla Creme, Mandarin Lime, Kiwi Strawberry

 

The Cherry Vanilla Creme was my favorite out of the three flavors I reviewed. It was unusually sweet for soda but in a very good way, it was a treat. It tasted like dessert in a can. I definitely think the natural cane sugar has is a large contributor to the tastefulness of these sodas. I would recommend this flavor to people who like cream soda and other sweet flavored sodas. 

The Mandarin Lime was a really interesting flavor that I didn't think I was going to like but turns out I liked it a lot. You could taste both the mandarin and the lime really well and the two mixed together to create a great flavor. This flavor wasn't as sweet at the others but still very refreshing. I would recommend it to those who like tropical flavored sodas.

 

The Kiwi Strawberry, unfortunately, wasn't as delicious as I expected it to be but it was still enjoyable. You could taste the strawberry but it was very subtle and I was disappointed to find that I couldn't taste the kiwi at all. Either way, I liked this flavor too and would recommend it to anyone. All three flavors would be refreshing on any hot summer day.

Although there wasn't much to be said about these sodas, the reason I chose to review them was for their properties. The big one being that they do not contain high fructose corn syrup which is playing a big factor in the health of Americans. It's hard to pick up anything at the grocery store that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it and it shouldn't be that way. We should have a choice, more healthy food items/beverages need to be available to us to choose from in the grocery store. Another reason I chose the Hansen's Natural Cane Sodas is because they are all natural, another thing that's hard to come by in your local grocery stores. It is also very important that they contain none of the harmful additives like preservatives, caffeine, sodium, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. Overall, I would recommend these to anyone as an alternative to any other brand or type of soda. If you must drink soda, then this is what you should be drinking, as the other sodas are very unhealthy and could cause you a lot of trouble with your health down the road.

This is my first review of three that will be part of my next giveaway containing items from all three reviews, so keep track of the next review, and the one that follows to find out what you can win and how to win it! 

DISCLAIMER: These products were not sent to me directly from the company, I chose to purchase and review them 

 on my own accord. These are my honest thoughts and opinions on the products I have reviewed. This post also contains information gained from the company's website in order to inform you of the company responsible for this product. Giveaways are only valid to US residents for the time being.

Three new reviews on the way!

The summertime madness is ending and cookouts are finally starting to seem few and far between. I have chosen my next 3 items for review falling under the category of snack reviews which has become the theme for the month of August. The three items are as follows: Hansen's Natural Cane Soda, Annie's Homegrown Organic Fruit Snacks, and Lucy's Cookies. They should all be posted by or before August 31st. You can expect my review for Hansen's Natural Cane Soda to be up Friday the 23rd. After all three reviews have been posted there will be a "snack giveaway" for 2 lucky winners. The giveaway will include items from all three reviews. Instructions for entering the giveaway will be found at the end of the review for Lucy's Cookies. Thanks for all your support! If you haven't yet, please go to Mommy2Mommy Reviews, and like my page!

Brookside: Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit Pieces Review

(Click on the logo to be directed to Brookside's website)

Located in Fraser Valley, a rural/agricultural area of British Columbia (Canada), Brookside Farms has been around since the early 1950s. It wasn't until almost a decade later that their products of fruit and nut nature moved towards the creation of delightful confections. Brookside's Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit Juice Pieces are a delectable treat that I believe just about anybody could enjoy in numerous situations.

The Brookside Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit Pieces are available in the three flavors as shown above; Dark Chocolate Goji with Raspberry, Dark Chocolate Acai with Blueberry, and Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. Though they share many of the same ingredients, all three flavors have their own little twist that your taste buds will love. I will start off by saying that these are one of my absolute favorite snacks to grab for many occasions that I will refer to later on in the review. I'm also going to be up front and honest with you, these are not one of the healthiest "snacks" on the planet but when compared to your typical concession stand candy; such as sno-caps or milkduds, they are golden!

 DARK CHOCOLATE GOJI WITH RASPBERRY
    

INGREDIENTS: dark chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, whole milk powder,  alkalized cocoa powder, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavor), fruit juice from concentrate (filtered water, raspberry juice concentrate, goji berry juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate), cane sugar, corn syrup, maltodextrin, pectin, citric acid, malic acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid, canola oil, confectioner's glaze.

 

DARK CHOCOLATE POMEGRANATE
    

INGREDIENTS: dark chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, milk ingredients,  alkalized cocoa powder, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavor), fruit juice from concentrate (filtered water, pomegranate juice concentrate, cranberry juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, elderberry juice concentrate), cane sugar, corn syrup, maltodextrin, pectin, malic acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid, canola oil, confectioner's glaze.

 

DARK CHOCOLATE ACAI WITH BLUEBERRY
    

INGREDIENTS: dark chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, milk ingredients, alkalized cocoa powder, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavor), fruit juice from concentrate (filtered water, acai juice concentrate, blueberry juice concentrate, raspberry juice concentrate,  cranberry juice concentrate, pomegranate juice concentrate, elderberry juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate), cane sugar, corn syrup, maltodextrin, pectin, malic acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid, canola oil, confectioner's glaze.

 CAUTION! THESE PRODUCTS MAY CONTAIN: wheat, peanuts, and/or other nuts.

 



The nutrition facts of these snacks are common among the three and can be noted in the picture to the left. Keep in mind, these are made with mostly natural ingredients, therefore the high amount of sugars they contain is not as bad as one would think, since they mostly consist of natural sugar coming from real cane and fruit juices. Another upside to these tasty little pieces is that they also contain natural antioxidants which are known to benefit our overall health tremendously. Antioxidants act as an army against the free radicals in our bodies that are constantly trying to knock our immune systems' down to less than par, thus aiding in protection from disease and infection.