Kashi

Is it odd to count a food brand as one of my best buds? Made with real ingredients, I find tasty Kashi products have become something I rely on, and I stash the company's bars in my purse, desk drawer, or gym bag — they make for great pre or postworkout snack to enjoy. If you're a fan of Kashi's TLC Fruit & Grain bars, check out this new flavor, Cranberry Walnut.

To find out what surprised me about this bar read more

I had a small addiction to Kashi's GoLean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax cereal, so I thought I should branch out and try a new variety. They have 25 different cereals to choose from though, so which one should I buy? Fiber and protein content are important to me in the morning, so I made this handy chart to figure out which cereals contained the most.

Don't see the Kashi cereal you're looking for? Then continue reading.

Here's another reason to eat whole grains: it will help put an end to the dreaded belly bloat. Eating too many refined grains like white rice, enriched pasta, or white bread slows down your digestive tract, which causes that bloated feeling. I don't know about you, but I hate getting dressed when my belly is full of air.

For the next few weeks, swap out any refined grains in your diet with whole grains, and see if you notice a difference. Whole grains are full of fiber, which helps keep us "regular" and our digestive tract moving along at a normal pace. By doing this, you should find that you'll have much more energy during the day since your body won't be working overtime to digest food.

I know that eating whole wheat pasta may not sound delicious to some of you, but there are a lot of easy and tasty swaps you can make instead. Choose whole wheat bread over white, and eat a whole grain cereal like Kashi or muesli. I also love the taste of quinoa, which is a hearty grain filled with fiber. Why not try this curried quinoa salad for dinner tonight?

If you're a fan of Kashi, I've got great news! The brand is offering free samples of three of its products: GoLean Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble (its newest cereal), TLC Dark Chocolate Coconut Fruit & Grain bars, and GoLean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax cereal.

If you're not familiar with Kashi products, here's your chance to try them out without spending a dime. And if you're already a Kashi lover, then it'll be fun to try out one of the brand's new foods. Just go to the Kashi website and select which sample you want to try (you only get to choose one). Then enter your name, address, and email, and your sample will be shipped to you in four to six weeks. Yay!

I always have a box of Kashi GoLean cereal in my cupboard, whether it be regular GoLean or GoLean Crunch. These cereals are a great source of fiber and protein, full of wholesome whole grains, and taste great in milk or on their own. If you too are a fan, then you'll be psyched to hear that a new version is hitting shelves now — GoLean Crisp!

Curious to know how it compares nutrition and flavor-wise? Then keep reading.

I was going on a trip and picked up some Kashi TLC Trail Mix bars. I trust their products completely so don't feel it's necessary to read labels before buying them. While in the car, I happened to check out the list of ingredients and saw vegetable glycerin.

If you're curious to know what it is or why it's used keep reading

If you're a fan of Triscuits, you're going to love Kashi's new Heart to Heart crackers. Both flavors — Original and Roasted Garlic — contain plant sterols to help lower cholesterol, and six natural antioxidants including green tea and grape seed.

To find out how they compare with the crackers you grew up with, read more