Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Let's Talk (Healthy) Holiday Snacking




Doesn't it seem like the holiday season gets earlier every year? Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, but Christmas decorations are already everywhere, as are holiday commercials, and holiday party invites, and yes, holiday snacking. I feel like every time I go to the grocery store I'm bombarded with advertising for holiday cookies or holiday cakes or holiday party mixes or signs showing happy families sitting around eating sugar and fat filled snacks galore. I'm not going to lie - I love this time of year, and I love the comfort food that comes with it. I also love hosting guests and serving delicious snacks by a crackling fire and twinkling white lights and all that. But after a year of committing to healthy choices like getting regular exercise, consuming daily smoothies and lots of plant-based meals, and setting aside at least a little time for rest and meditation, I've made a promise to myself that I'm going to make healthier snack choices during what is by far the most indulgent of seasons.


I recently learned of a company called NatureBox that delivers a world of carefully sourced and nutritionist-approved foods right to your door, and I instantly thought about holiday season snacking. Each of their snacks contains wholesome ingredients - with no artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors, zero grams trans fats, and no high fructose corn syrup. Yes, please! They even have something called a 'Product Promise,' which you can learn about right here. This is my first holiday season as a mom, and as cliche as it sounds to complain about being a busy working mom with little free time during the holidays, the truth is that going grocery shopping takes more planning and effort these days. So if there is a way that I can get a variety of better-for-you snacks for the holidays (with endless options for picky eaters at our gatherings) that also eliminates excess shopping trips, you better believe I'm going to be all about it.

When you join NatureBox, you receive five different snacks every month. You can choose the snacks you want or be surprised with their carefully curated selections. They even have options to appeal to those with dietary goals or taste preferences. (Check out their entire snack catalog right here.) After what was probably an excessive amount of deliberation, I ended up deciding on the following for my first box: Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Seeds, Peppery Pistachios, Cinnamon Swirl Kettle Kernels, Garlic Plantain Chips, and Cinnamon Spiced Almonds. And you guys - everything was so good. Truly. My husband and I are them up. Each snack was high quality and tasted incredibly fresh. There was no weird chemical aftertaste like with so many traditional snack foods and no unpronounceable ingredients. I loved that I was able to get such a great variety of different types of snacks - both sweet and savory - that each had its own health benefits, and that I was able to eat a couple of handfuls and feel satisfied. I think my favorite was a tie between the Peppery Pistachios and the Garlic Plantain Chips, although I thought they were all delicious. I'm looking forward to my next shipment and serving up more Naturebox snacks at one of our holiday gatherings next month. It looks like making healthy snack choices this holiday season is going to be a easier than I thought. Woot!


Before I go, here's some good news: NatureBox is offering each of you a free trial box, so you can make healthy snack choices this holiday season too! The free trial box contains one full-sized bag and four single-served pouches. Just click here to start your free trial with NatureBox!* And if you have any other tips for how to make healthy snack choices during this season of indulgence, I'd love to hear about them.

*Fine Crumbs: Free trial is available for new and US subscribers only. Not valid on gift subscriptions and may not be combined with any other offers.


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10 comments:

  1. I've been tempted to give these a try. I love that they're healthy and come right to your door! Glad to know you enjoyed your selections.

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  2. I love this concept, and I heard about this company and while ago and forgot to order something, so thanks for the reminder! Haha. We've made changes to our diet since we started exercising at the gym "for real" so I don't want to do totally blow it during the holidays, either. :-)

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  3. This is great! I may need to check this out. Me and my bf need to find alternative snacks that aren't so sugary and salty. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. MMMM, cinnamon swirl kettle kernels! Ive heard of Nature Box, now I'm going to try them out. Thanks for the free trial!=)

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  5. These snacks look delicious! If those were in my kitchen right now, I'd make a run for the cupboard, get some of them and pour myself a nice glass of port wine :-)
    I've been trying to cut down on chocolate and other unhealthy snacks, but so far I haven't been doing as good of a job as I would like to.

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  6. It does look like a nice selection of snacks. I admit, it is hard when you have kids and people are baking all of these yummy treats.

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  7. I've seen the nature box all over social media, but I haven't tried it out yet. The free trial is definitely enticing, though. Looks like super yummy snacks!

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  8. This is such a brilliant idea - what a shame it's not available in Canada yet! I always have good intentions about not snacking so much during the holidays, but since that has never worked out to date, it would probably be far wiser for me just to stock up on healthier snacks, instead ;)
    xox,
    Cee

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  9. Thanks for your comments everybody! If you get the free trial, let me know what you think!

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