As you well know from last night’s post, the people at Newman’s Own Organics sent me quite a few of their wonderful products to review. I focused on the sweet treats last night and today I will continue on with the other items. As well as general information about the company and why I know I will continue to buy some of their products.

Dried Fruit Products

I received apples, cranberries, prunes, and apricots. What I loved about these is how they don’t have any preservatives, added sugars (besides the cranberries having a small amount of added organic cane sugar), etc. They are the real deal. All of the varieties had the perfect amount of sweetness and tartness. The apricots and prunes are excellent to eat alone as a quick, simple snack. They are chewy and delicious, without a coating of sugar like some other dried fruits seem to have. The cranberries, in my opinion, aren’t very different from other dried cranberries I have come across, but they still make a great oatmeal topping. The apples were the only one I didn’t love, but that is because dried apples aren’t my favorite to begin with. I much prefer a crunchy, whole apple than the chewy dried apple rings. Overall, these still get 2 thumbs up from me!

Minty Fresh

Peppermint, Wintergreen, Cinnamon, & Ginger varieties. Yep, you read that right. A ginger mint! The tins are just like Altoids and the rolls are just like Certs. I will admit that I don’t think there is anything extraordinary about the peppermint or wintergreen mints as they are just your basic flavors. However, the cinnamon and ginger are really something. I love the cinnamon flavor. A nice kick, but refreshing at the same time. All of them are fun to pop at the end of a meal. I will give you this warning: really really like the flavor of ginger if you want to try the Ginger Mints. The taste is strong. I liked it well enough, but it was my least favorite due to the strength of the flavor. I do plan on saving them for whenever I might have morning sickness (who wishes for nausea? I guess I do.), as ginger is a natural nausea reducer.

Soy Crisps & Pretzels

Dare I say that the Soy Crisps are just as good, or perhaps BETTER, than Popchips?? You all know how much I raved about Popchips, but there were definitely pros to the Soy Crisps that Popchips doesn’t have. Like what exactly? They are much more dense, therefore taking less crisps to satisfy your hunger. Also, being made from soy, they have an extra protein kick with 7-9g per serving. Popchips do have a larger variety of flavors and a more chip-like quality, but I really loved the Soy Crisps for their other qualities. I tried the White Cheddar & Lightly Salted flavors. Both were awesome. Time to find their Cinnamon Sugar and Barbecue flavors stat.

As for the pretzels, well they are pretzels. They taste like pretzels, have the same crunch as pretzels, similar stats to other pretzels…but are special because some of the varieties have some extra protein (5g) and the ingredients are not a mile long and consist solely of things you can actually pronounce.

Take home from these reviews? The products are GREAT alternatives to many favorite snacks as they are made with organic, natural ingredients. This quote on their approach to food sums up that point:

Great tasting food that happens to be organic. That's what we kept in mind when we created our products. We focus on the kinds of products we loved as kids, but take them one step further by using the highest quality of available organic ingredients.

Also, I know I will be happy to continue buying some of these products because I love supporting companies that not only carry quality products, but have a quality approach to business as well. The founder, Paul Newman, has contributed over $200 million to charities. The have various good causes listed on their website to show what they support, such as the Rainforest Alliance (to promote a healthy environment through quality farms) and camps for children with serious illnesses. Try some of these. You will end up with a NOO love just like me. Don’t laugh at my coolness. 😉