Healthy Snacking with Bestowed {and a Giveaway}

I was provided a Bestowed Box at no cost to me. Bestowed will be providing the prize for this giveaway and will ship the prize directly to the winner. I did not accept monetary compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

While the concept of the monthly subscription service is hardly a new one, I've been noticing that more and more companies have started providing this service to customers over the past 6 months. For a fee, you can have samples from a specific family of products delivered directly to your door each month. The variety of services is wide, so if you do enough research, you're bound to find something to fit your interests -- from beauty and fashion to gourmet coffee and tea to products for your favorite pet. It's a great way to try products that you might otherwise overlook.

And that's exactly what the folks at Bestowed are looking to do. Created by nationally-recognized nutritionist and author Heather Bauer, Bestowed wants to help you "discover healthy foods you'll love". For $19/month or $209/year, you'll receive a box containing at least 5 healthy food and snack product samples each month. I'm always looking for healthy snack ideas, so when they offered me a chance to try one of their monthly boxes to review, I jumped at the chance.

I haven't had a chance to try all of the products just yet, but I wanted to give you an idea of what types of items were waiting for me in my Bestowed box.

Oloves Hot Chilli Mama Olives

Here's a perfect example of a product that would not catch my attention in the grocery store. Because I'm not a fan of olives, I generally walk right by them unless I need them for a specific reason. But Stephen likes olives and now he has a snack option to consider the next time he insists on working hours on end without taking a break for a real meal.

The Oloves products are Kosher-certified, gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, and nut-free and are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Plus, their packaging (liquid-free, foil-fresh pouches) make them the perfect snack to throw in your bag and to eat while on the go.

Nature's Bakery Fig Bar

When I was commuting to Manhattan, I made a point of having a bar of some sort in my bag at all times. Cereal bars, granola bars, energy bars -- they all had their chance to accompany me to New York. Had I known about these Fig Bars from Nature's Bakery at the time, then they definitely would've been included in the rotation.

The Fig Bars are packed with all-natural ingredients and are Kosher-certified, cholesterol-free, dairy-free, and vegan. I loved the combination of fig with raspberry because it cut back on the cloying sweetness found in other fig bars or cookies. Each package contains two servings, but I ate both of them without abandon before I realized I probably should have saved the other piece for later.

Oh well ;-)

Happy Squeeze Smoothie from Happy Family Brands

I know that Happy Family products are really popular with my friends who have children because they're made from organic ingredients that are minimally processed, but I had no idea that Happy Family created a line of products geared toward adults. I haven't tried this smoothie yet, but when I do, I just hope I don't wind up being an over-zealous squeezer... I would really hate to have to report that I wound up wearing it rather than drinking it.

$25 iTrain Gift Card

I was really excited to discover a gift card to iTrain in my Bestowed box. iTrain features podcast downloads from celebrity trainers designed to maximize your workout. You can download the workouts directly to your iPod or other MP3 device and bring your workout with you... Especially helpful if you travel a lot and want a way to keep up with your training program.

I was looking at the website the other day and I think I'm going to have a hard time deciding which program to download because there are so many options to choose from. I can't wait to find something to supplement my running!

Nature's Earthly Choice Quinoa and Lentil Soup Mix

Now, quinoa isn't new to me. I've made quinoa salad several times and order it out when I can, but I've never combined it with lentils or prepared it in a soup. I made up this soup mix from Nature's Earthly Choice for lunch the other day, and Stephen and I really enjoyed it. I think his exact words were "I liked that. Make that again."

The soup is organic and gluten-free and goes from stove to table in 15 minutes (once you've brought the water to a boil, that is). Super tasty and super filling!

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts / Artisana Coconut Butter

I also received samples of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts and Artisana Coconut Butter, two products that I've never had before but am looking forward to trying.

Bestowed Box Giveaway

** This giveaway is now closed. The winner has been notified. **

Now this is where it gets exciting. I've partnered with Bestowed to offer one lucky Taste As You Go reader the chance to try one of their monthly boxes, too!

Enter to win a one-month subscription (i.e. one Bestowed Box) by leaving a comment on this post telling me your favorite healthy snack.

• The deadline to enter is 11:59 PM ET on Friday, April 26, 2013.
• The winner will be chosen at random and will be notified via email. You must include your email address when commenting to be eligible. If I have no way of contacting you, then I will choose another winner.
• Only one entry per person, please.

As an added bonus, each customer who signs up for a Bestowed subscription using code 5OFFBSTOWEDD01 will receive $5 OFF!

Good luck!



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