Navitas Naturals Organic Superfood Power Snacks Review

Product Review: Navitas Naturals Organic Superfood Power Snack

Company: Amazon via seller Navitas Naturals

Price Range: $8-$10

Who Would Buy This: 

Those shopping for a raw vegan snack that is ready to eat out of the bag. Anyone needing a healthy snack that will actually boost health rather than destroy it.

Purpose of Product:

Provide all the health benefits of chia, maca, cacao, camu-camu, and goji in a tasty and delicious way. Healthy snacking opportunities are few and far between in this world, for vegans and raw vegans, the options are even more limited. With this snack, you can find a tasty treat that goes great with a morning bowl of fruit.

Pros:

Please your taste buds with this awesome vegan snack. When the first ingredient on a product is dates, you know this item will be the sort of caramel sweet goodness that dates distinctly are. After dates comes a whole plethora of raw vegan ingredients designed to provide an optimal mix of nutrients. Full list of the ingredients (all organic) include:

• Date Paste
• Cacao Powder
• Chia Seed
• Sesame Seeds
• Raisin
• Sunflower Seeds
• Goji Powder
• Maca Powder
• Lucuma Powder
• Camu-camu Powder

Consume all sorts of nutrients in a pleasant way. Look at the ingredient list above. The ingredients listed are like a superstar lineup of health foods that are difficult to source in a grocery store. With the Navitas Naturals Superfood Snack, easily consume nutrients in a whole foods format instead of some kind of concentrated powder or supplement. 

Fool any sort of anti-vegan out there. As sad as it is, there are plenty of people out there that refuse to eat any food labeled as "vegan". With such a sweet and chocolatey snack, your non-vegan friends and family will not think twice when eating this food. More than likely, they will comment as to how this is one of the best snacks they ever had. Little do they know that they are eating a cruelty-free and health building superfood. 

Cons:

To a certain extent, I think these snacks could be homemade. Sourcing all the ingredients in this product from raw vegan sources may be difficult, but I think it is possible to make a version of this snack at home for far less cost. Organic raw dates are pricey, and they form the majority of this snack. I feel a sort of whole wheat cookie that has some dates made within them can be just as healthy, but will not be raw.

Guarantee:

The Amazon A-Z Guarantee is the best guarantee in the market. In the event that the product is not delivered, delivered in a broken condition, or is not meeting the quality expectations of the buyer, the item may be returned to Amazon for a full refund. A 30 day window exists to file a claim to Amazon over any problem that may come up with the product.

Value for money?

The Navitas Naturals Organic Superfood Power Snacks is a great buy for anyone looking for a ready to eat raw vegan snack. Do not feel guilty from eating these in moderation. I would not recommend eating a whole bag in one sitting. When eating one or two along with a breakfast of fruit or oatmeal, I find these to be a great product. I know it defeats the purpose of a raw food, but adding a cube of this snack to oatmeal for breakfast really sweetens up the dish to an extremely pleasant level.

Where to buy:

Amazon - Navitas Naturals Organic Superfood Power Snack

Continue to read reviews at Amazon:

"Great tasting healthy snack!" - Emily B.

"Great for snacking during long trips." - Astra

By Mat McNeile

Fat Free Vegan Hummus in the NutriBullet

My first non-blender recipe released on this site. When I make hummus, I like to keep it pretty simple. However, the most important thing when it comes to hummus is keeping it fat free. Especially when it comes to olive oil, there is absolutely no point to adding it to a hummus. The olive oil is simply empty calories. I choose to not add tahini when making hummus because tahini too is just extra calories and not completely needed when making hummus. Many may think tahini is needed to get the hummus creamy, but I have found that pressure cooking your own chick peas makes the chick peas incredibly soft. Check out my review on the Instant Pot in order to find out about my favorite pressure cooker.

You will need:

•  2 cups of pressure cooked Chickpeas, or 1 can of Chickpeas,
•  1 Clove of Garlic (Cook it with chickpeas, or use prechopped from the store),
• Juice of 1 Lemon,
• Water till the 1/3rd mark of the NutriBullet,
• (Optional) I like roasted red peppers mixed in as well, but a spicy chile powder works well too.

Blend until smooth and no chickpea chunks are left. If your blender starts stalling due to the mixture being too thick, add small amounts of water and keep blending. You will know when the hummus is just the right consistency once it turns that rich yellowish creamy color.

Feel free to taste throughout blending process to tweak recipe to your own tastes.

Once satisfied with the favor and consistency, throw the hummus into the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to chill the hummus down and let the flavors fully mix. Enjoy with your favorite snacks. My personal go to's are baby carrots, bell pepper slices, and corn tortillas for mini-wraps.

The NutriBullet is great for making hummus as it is quick and easy to blend when using this device. Cleanup is so simple too with the NutriBullet. I hate having to scoop out hummus with my hand basically when using a Vitamix to make hummus or any kind of bean dip. With the NutiBullet blender I can easily get all of the dish out without having to worry about a huge haste come cleanup time.

By Mat McNeile

Navitas Naturals Organic Protein Superfood Blend Review

Product Review: Navitas Naturals Organic Protein Superfood Blend

Company: Amazon via seller Navitas Naturals

Price Range: $10-$12

Who Would Buy This: 

Those shopping for a superfood to add to a smoothie to kick up the nutrition. Anyone seeking a raw vegan protein supplement.

Purpose of Product: 

To take advantage of a nutrient dense superfood. Perfect for adding to smoothies for any vegans and raw vegans out there looking for a natural superfood blend.

Pros:

Boost your smoothies with a blend of hemp, cacao, and maca. All three ingredients are certified organic and still in the raw vegan state. Strengthen your body with the positives all three ingredients provide. Overall, this superfood provides a rich source of protein, antioxidants, and minerals. Consuming isolated concentrates of foods is dangerous, with the Nativas Natural Protein Superfood Blend, you receive three organic powders that will naturally interact with your body.

Many vegans completely give up the chocolate flavor when becoming vegan. I know that when I first became a vegan I did not realize cacao could be consumed as a vegan food. For nearly half a year I was completely fine without having chocolate and did not think of it. However, I ended up buying a chocolate cupcake from a vegan cafe to see what it tasted like. It was almost like my mind was blown, the chocolate flavor surprised me with memories of times long past. This was a one time treat though, it was far too unhealthy and really expensive ($5 for a single cupcake!). Nativas Natural is not offering a perfect recreation of the chocolate flavor with this powder, but it certainly comes close. The flavor here is much closer to a sort of nutty flavor, but it still has the chocolaty overtone which is more than enough to return me to nostalgic memories.

When drinking with a smoothie, I like to add half a tablespoon to a smoothie. For the most part, I want the smoothies to taste of fruit, and primarily of bananas. With only this small amount, I am able to taste the flavors of the Protein Superfood Blend in a much more subtle way than when I add 1 tablespoon or more. This small amount is more used for the purpose of making an extremely healthy smoothie. If I am making a smoothie in the NutriBullet 900 S, I will still add a half tablespoon. When adding more than this amount, I will usually just try to make the smoothie into a chocolate banana smoothie in order to remind me of another nostalgic favorite of mine in pre-vegan days, chocolate milkshakes.

Cons:

Do not add more than 2 tablespoons if you do not want a very chocolate-y/nutty flavor in your smoothie. Perhaps it is just my taste buds, but I am too overwhelmed by the cacao flavor when adding anything more than 2 tablespoons of the Navitas Naturals Organic Protein Superfood Blend. I see no benefit in adding more than this amount.

Guarantee:

The Amazon A-Z Guarantee is the best guarantee in the market. In the event that the product is not delivered, delivered in a broken condition, or is not meeting the quality expectations of the buyer, the item may be returned to Amazon for a full refund. A 30 day window exists to file a claim to Amazon over any problem that may come up with the product.

Value for money?

The Navitas Naturals Organic Protein Superfood Blend is a great buy for anyone looking for a vegan and a raw vegan protein powder. Flavor is good in the protein powder and tastes like a real food instead of something chalky. Nutrient benefits gained from this superfood blend are a great deal for the price of this product.

Where to buy:

Amazon - Navitas Naturals Organic Protein Superfood Blend

Continue to read reviews at Amazon:

"Still tastes good, just think buyers should know." - Casocorcoran

"Although the taste is distinct, it isn't overwhelming." - Bluestocking

"I'm not vegan, but I do appreciate the addition of protein in my breakfast without having to add any meat." - Heather

Joyoung CTS-1098 Soy Milk Maker Review

Product Review: Joyoung CTS-1098 Soy Milk Maker 

Company: Amazon via seller Joyoung

Price Range: $140-$160

Pros:

Prepare up to 1.3 liters of soy milk in the comfort of your own home with the Joyoung CTS-1098. Make approximately the same amount of soy milk you would buy in a carton at the store with this machine. At $3-$5 a carton for soy milk at any grocery store, the costs of drinking soy milk can add u over time. When it comes to making your own soy milk, you will notice an incredible amount of savings as soy beans are cheap (even non-GMO soybeans) and soy milk requires a far smaller amount of beans than one ma imagine. I estimate that homemade soy milk easily costs 66% less than store bought. Making your own rice and flax milk will save you even more money. Almond milk is a little more debatable, but I truly question how a carton of almond milk can cost the same as soy milk when soybeans are about 50% as expensive as almonds. This most likely means almond milk at the store is low quality stuff.

Automate you soy milk making with programmable functions. Setup of the machine is easy, just place the soaked soybeans into the basin and add water to the fill mark. The machine will boil and grind the soybeans into a milky consistency. In twenty minutes, hot soy milk is ready to be served. Now, this is a product made in China by a Chinese company, but the machine is very intuitive and basically ready to be operated right out of the box. A manual is provided with the machine, but the initial setup and operation really is as simple as plugging it in and pressing a button. You will want to wash out the metal basin and the blending part with hot water and soap before first use though as with any cooking appliance.

Enjoy fresh, hot soy milk every morning. If you were ingenious enough, you could design a system where your machine literally will have hot soy milk ready to be used right when you wake up. You would need to soak the soybeans the day before, and then place them in the basin with water overnight (you could soak them in the basin overnight, I like to wash all beans before cooking though). Hook the Joyoung up to a timer to go off at the specified time and voila. Hot soy milk. The idea of drinking hot soy milk is foreign and unknown to most people. We always store our milk in refrigeration, whether it be cow's milk or plant milk. Experiencing a glass of hot soy milk is truly a life changing moment. For many of you out there with attachments to coffee and tea, consider switching over to hot soy milk as a possible caffeine-free alternative.

Cleanup is easy with the Joyoung CTS-1098. All you have to do is rinse the basin and the blending gears off. However, you will run into trouble if you leave the basin sitting out and let the leftover remnants of the soy milk dry out. Be sure to get the basin and blending gear submerged in water as soon as your use with the machine is over. If you can not drink or use all the soy milk in one sitting, I would advice storing the milk in a mason jar to be refrigerated and cleaning the Joyoung right away.

Cons:

Be aware of the limits of the filter. I am mostly happy with the filtration process that accompanies the Joyoung CTS-1098 Soy Milk Maker, but it is not the best in the world. Some small bits will not be screened out and the milk will not be 100% pure liquid. Tiny solid fragments will exist. This really does not bother me too much, as I now use the majority of soy milk I make in oatmeal and smoothies, rather than drinking it straight. Even then, the tiny fragments might bother the pickiest of people, but they are not that noticeable and do not bother the seasoned drinker.

Guarantee:

Joyoung provides a one year warranty on their soy milk maker if any defect comes up as a result of the manufacturing of the product. for a Chinese company, Joyoung is incredibly customer friendly with English speaking customers and attempts to help the user with any problems that may come up.

The Amazon A-Z Guarantee is the best guarantee in the market. In the event that the product is not delivered, delivered in a broken condition, or is not meeting the quality expectations of the buyer, the item may be returned to Amazon for a full refund. A 30 day window exists to file a claim to Amazon over any problem that may come up with the product.

Value for money?

I fully believe that paying for soy milk or any plant milk at the store is a complete ripoff. The milks provided at the store almost always have some unwanted product in it, and many do not taste that good to begin with. Homemade, hot soy milk is hands down one of the great discoveries only vegans seem to make. Think of a soy milk maker as a long term investment. Anyone out there that purchases plant based milks will likely make up the cost differential between store price and soybean price within a year or two. For quality, long term affordability, and hot soy milk, the Joyoung CTS-1098 is a great deal for the money.

Where to buy:

Amazon - Joyoung CTS-1098 Soy Milk Maker

Continue to read reviews at Amazon:

"Great machine for soy milk lover." - ARabitt

"It is very easy to clean too." - Tammy Hsu

"Easy to make fresh nutritious soy milk." - Dad24sons

By Mat McNeile

The Purple Berries Smoothie for NutriBullet

Yep, misspelled smoothie.

Today's smoothie recipe will be for an antioxidant packed tasty treat. I hope everyone enjoys the picture, it was my attempt to get creative with the drawing.

You will Need:

• 2 Bananas. I like to use one frozen and one non frozen.
• Handful of strawberries. Frozen works if that is all you have, I prefer fresh.
• Equivalent of a handful of frozen cherries. This will make your smoothie a nice dark color.
• 2 Handfuls of Blueberries. Feel free to put in your favorite berry. Frozen works too.
• Fill with water or soy milk to a third of blending container. I am really liking the Soyajoy, so I choose soy milk for most smoothies now.
• Add ice only if you did not add a frozen banana and/or frozen berries. Only put in a few cubes.

Blend for 15 seconds.

Enjoy

By Mat McNeile

NutriBullet 900 S in Australia. Is it possible?

I see this question brought up a lot, so I will try to provide as coherent an answer as possible. I am not an Aussie, I do live in the United States. This post is simply a means to relay information I have gathered on the subject.

Will the NutriBullet 900 S work right out of the box in Australia?

No, it will not. The NutriBullet is designed to be used in the United States. It is powered off of 115 volt 60 Hertz. The power output in Australia is 230 volt 50 Hertz.

This means that if you attempt to run the blender in an Australian kitchen, it simply will not work and could potentially break as a result of being overloaded.

How do I correct this?

You will need to use a power inverter if you want to have a chance of being successful. This model on Amazon.com seems to be a good choice: Power Bright VC500W Voltage Transformer.

I have not tested this out to confirm the machine will operate. With that being said, many people report success from using this transformer.

Also, if you want to purchase the NutiBullet 900 S and you live in Australia, I would recommend Amazon.com. Many sellers of the machine will not ship to Australia or will gouge you like crazy. Amazon is a far more dependable choice. Click here to go to the Amazon page: Nutribullet Pro 900 Series.

By Mat McNeile

NutriBullet 900 S: Milling Blade. Where is it? Why is it not included?

Many new buyers of the NutriBullet Pro 900 S are worried due to a lack of a milling blade with this latest model.

Here is the short answer to anyone wondering why a milling blade is not included: the NutriBullet company fully believes that the regular blender container can now handle the milling process all on its own.

Long answer:

The NutriBullet 900 S does not come with a milling blade because the latest model is now powerful enough to do the traditional jobs of milling in the regular blending container. Now, I do not necessarily believe this myself.

For anyone looking for a blender to be primarily used to mill things like whole wheat grains, or oat groats, or any single whole grain, then I would not recommend the NutriBullet. I have had great success with the Vitamix over the years when it comes to milling in a dry blender container. Let it be known that I mill very tough items like mesquite beans.

If you are just wanting a blender to make spices out of whole seeds. Then the NutriBullet 900 will work absolutely fine. It will also chop nuts well into small pieces. Furthermore, it is great when it comes to making oat flour out of rolled oats.

Conclusion

The NutriBullet 900 S does not include a milling blade. The NutriBullet company stands by the claim that the 900 watt motor is fully capable of milling items in the regular blending container, but I question that statement. If anyone is seriously looking for a blender capable of milling hard grains, then I can only recommend a Vitamix blender. The NutiBullet is great for a wide variety of tasks, but I would never attribute milling grains as one of them to it when I can compare the power of a Vitamix.

To learn more about the latest NutriBullet model, feel free to read my review of the NutriBulet Pro 900 Series. 

By Mat McNeile