FitSugar

Food Review: Bear Naked Granola Cookies

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:50:52 PDT

Bear Naked Granola is a staple in my cupboard, both for its fresh, bold flavor and its wholesome ingredients. Actually, I'm a fan of all the company's products - from trail mix to Grain-ola Bars. So when they sent me their new Soft Baked Granola Cookies to try, I couldn't wait to break open the box.

To find out how they measure up nutritionally and see if they taste as amazing as they look on the box,

read more. Double Chocolate is the perfect name for these cookies. They explode with an amazing bold cocoa flavor I loved. I thought they could have had a little chewier consistency - these cookies were a little dry - but they are definitely tasty. As for the Fruit & Nut cookies, they were also a tad dry, but I liked the crunchiness of the real nuts and the bits of dried fruit. I was amazed at how sweet they tasted for being so low in sugar. That's the power of natural sweeteners like honey and molasses. Both cookies had a healthy taste, so if you're looking for some decadent buttery cookies like your granny used to make, you won't find them here.

1 cookie	Double Chocolate	Fruit & Nut
Calories	130	130
Total Fat (g)	5	6
Saturated Fat (g)	1	1.5
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0
Sodium (mg)	60	40
Carbs (g)	20	18
Fiber (g)	2	2
Sugars (g)	11	9
Protein (g)	2	2
Iron (%)	6	2
Ingredients	Whole grain oats, semi sweet chocolate (organic evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, ground vanilla beans), whole wheat flour, evaporated cane juice syrup, evaporated cane juice crystals, canola oil, cocoa processed with alkali, honey, vegetable glycerin, molasses, vanilla extract, baking soda, soy lecithin, salt, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, nonfat dry milk, eggs.	Whole wheat flour, whole grain oats, evaporated cane juice crystals, honey, canola oil, raisins, walnuts, cranberries (cranberries, evaporated cane juice, glycerin, vanilla extract, baking soda, soy lecithin, salt, peanuts, nonfat dry milk, eggs.

As you can see from the nutritional info, these cookies aren't exactly low in calories, especially being a small, 2.5-inch cookie, but the ingredients are nutritious. Plus, one cookie contains two grams of fiber and two grams of protein, and they're cholesterol-free, so that's a plus. If you're craving the sweetness of a cookie, but don't want something super processed or full of saturated fat, these would be a great option.

Food Review: Bear Naked Granola's New Flavors

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:00:09 PDT

Granola is filled with sweet oaty goodness that not only satisfies your sweet tooth, but also fills your belly and gives you energy all morning. Bear Naked is one of my favorite brands because their products always test fresh, homemade, and are made with basic ingredients like oats, agave syrup, and almonds. If you're also a fan of Bear Naked, you'll be happy to see they came out with two new flavors of granola: Maple Pecan and Peak Flax.

To hear more about these tasty new granolas and see how they measure up nutritionally,

read more. The Maple Pecan has a traditionally warm and autumnal flavor, with a very strong hint of maple syrup. The pecans add a crunchy surprise, and every bite reminds me of pancakes at my grandma's when I was a kid. I equally enjoyed the Peak Flax granola. It has a uniquely sweet hint of honey and lemon that's very refreshing, and the crunchy texture complements the chewy dried blueberries beautifully. You'll see on the package that this granola is made with heart-healthy flaxseeds which deliver 320 mg of ALA per serving.

	1/4 cup Maple Pecan	1/4 cup Peak Flax
Calories	130	130
Total Fat (g)	4.5	4
Saturated Fat (g)	.5	0
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0
Sodium (mg)	20	0
Carbs (g)	22	21
Fiber (g)	2	3
Sugars (g)	7	7
Protein (g)	4	4

When you check out the nutritional info above, you'll see that both are low in saturated fat, sodium, and surprisingly, sugars. Four grams of protein per 1/4-cup serving isn't bad at all, but I would have thought they'd be higher in fiber. All in all, I'd definitely recommend trying these new flavors out if you're a granola fan. They taste great in milk, on top of yogurt or ice cream, and they were especially delicious warmed up.

Free Sample Alert: Bear Naked Grain-ola Bars

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Bear Naked is one of my favorite natural food companies because its products are not only made with wholesome ingredients, but they're all so boldly flavorful and delicious. If you've never tried any of Bear Naked's foods, now's your chance, and you won't even have to spend a dime.

While supplies last, Bear Naked is offering free samples of its Grain-ola bars and cereals. Just choose the sample you want, fill in your info, and get excited for your free sample to arrive in the mail within four to six weeks.

Food Review: Bear Naked Chocolaty Cherry Granola Bar

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:00:22 PDT

Granola bars make great pre and post-workout snacks, so I always keep some in my gym bag to nosh on. Since variety is the spice of life, I like to try out news ones, and recently sampled some Bear Naked Grain-ola Bars.

Each bar is made with 15 to 17 grams of whole grains, with no hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. To find out what I thought of the Chocolaty Cherry flavor, keep reading

Food Review: Bear Naked Cereals

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Bear Naked Fit Granola is a staple in my house, along with other cereals, since I like to mix cereals to reap the nutritional benefits of them all. So when I heard this company was making two new varieties of cereal - Banana Nut and Cranberry Raisin- I had to try them.

To find out what I thought and see how much fiber each serving contains

read more. Both flavors have satisfyingly thick flakes made from wheat and rice that taste hearty with a hint of sweetness. You see those little oat clusters? They add a nice crunchy texture that compliments the soft dried fruit. The Banana Nut cereal contains tons of sweetened banana chips, dried apples, and walnuts. The Cranberry Raisin cereal is full of raisins, sunflower seeds, cranberries, pepitas, and also has dried apples. I can't really say which is my favorite, since they're both so full of bold flavor and texture. I was surprised that they both have eight grams or less of sugar per serving because the flakes taste so very sweet. I love how this cereal is high in fiber and protein, but low in calories and sodium. It's set to hit stores in mid to late June, so definitely look for it. Each 12.5 ounce bag costs $4.49. Since the ingredients are 100 percent natural, and the taste is 100 percent delicious, it's definitely worth it.

	3/4 cup Banana Nut	3/4 cup Cranberry Raisin
Calories	220	210
Total Fat	5 g	4.5 g
Saturated Fat	2.5 g	1 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	210 mg	140 mg
Carbs	43 g	41 g
Fiber	7 g	4 g
Sugar	13 g	15 g
Protein	5 g	5 g

Food Review: New Bear Naked Native Granola

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:00 PDT

I'm a huge fan of Bear Naked products so I'm excited that they just came out with a new line of granola known as Native. They're all about unique flavors and ingredients from exotic lands. So far they have two different flavors: Yumberry Goji Currant and Mango Agave Almond. I couldn't decide which one to try so I picked up a bag of both.

To find out how they tasted

read more. Talk about massive amounts of flavor! I think these granolas are Bear Naked's best yet. I love the unique flavor of the agave nectar in the Mango Agave Almond and the dried goji berries in the Yumberry Goji Currant. Not only do both granolas have a robust flavor, but they're also low in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium, and they have a good amount of fiber and protein, too. Both flavors are delicious, but I liked the Mango Agave Almond best because of the agave-coated almonds, and the fact that mangos are one of my favorite fruits. I will most definitely buy this Native Granola again, and I highly recommend it to granola lovers. Check out the nutritional information below and know that I think a quarter cup serving is small, too, but that is the serving size for most granolas.

	1/4 cup Yumberry Goji Currant	1/4 cup Mango Agave Almond
Calories	130	140
Total Fat	4 g	5 g
Saturated Fat	1 g	1 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	10 mg	25 mg
Carbs	19 g	18 g
Fiber	3 g	3 g
Sugar	6 g	6 g
Protein	3 g	3 g

Granola Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:00:00 PDT

You know how I feel about breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day because it jump starts your metabolism and feeds your brain so you're more productive during the day. It helps people maintain their weight and eating breakfast gives you energy to exercise later in the day. Breakfast eaters are also more likely to consume their daily amount of fiber since so many morning foods are full of whole grains, like cereals and bread.

Granola is one of my favorite breakfast foods, but some can be high in fat or sugar. To see how some popular granolas compare,

read more. This is the nutritional info for 1/4 cup of granola.

Granola	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Bear Naked Peanut Butter	140	6	17	3	4	4
Bear Naked Fruit and Nut	140	7	18	3	5	3
Bear Naked Peak Protein	140	7	16	2	6	5
Bear Naked Heavenly Chocolate	130	3.5	19	3	6	3
Bear Naked Banana Nut	140	7	18	2	5	3
Bear Naked Apple Cinnamon	140	5	17	3	7	2
Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Crunch	110	3	18	2	3	4
Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch	110	1.5	20	3	3	4
Cascadian Farm Cinnamon Raisin	79	1.1	16	1.1	6	1.9
Cascadian Farm Maple Brown Sugar	83	1.9	16	1.1	5.3	1.9
Cascadian Farm Oats & Honey	87	2.3	16	1.1	4.9	1.9
Kashi Cocoa Beach	115	4.5	16.5	3	5.5	3
Kashi Mountain Medley	110	3.5	18.5	3	6	3
Kashi Orchard Spice	110	3.5	18.5	3	5.5	3
Kashi Summer Berry	105	3	18.5	3	4.5	3
Kellogg's Low Fat Granola with Raisins	87	1.5	18.6	1.5	6.8	1.5
Kellogg's Low Fat Granola without Raisins	72	.95	15	1.5	5.3	1.5

Fit's Tips: When comparing granola on your own, check the serving sizes. Although the info above is based on 1/4 cup servings, serving sizes tend to range from 1/4 cup to 1 cup. So you may think a granola is low in calories, but the serving size may be small.

Food Review: Bear Naked Fit Granola

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:30:00 PDT

I'm a huge fan of yogurt and granola, and this new Bear Naked Granola has the word "fit" in the name, so I was curious to try some.

I am guessing this granola is "fit" because it's low in fat. But how does it taste and compare to regular Bear Naked Granola? To find out

Food Review: Bear Naked Trail Mix – Pacific Crest

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:30:00 PST

Looking for a quick snack before or after a workout? Trail mix has always been one of my favorites, and now Bear Naked (the company who makes that delicious granola) is making really unique variations of trail mix made with all natural dried fruits and nuts. There's no sugar or salt added, which is a plus. I picked up a bag of their Pacific Crest flavor. It's a little pricey (about $4 a bag), but totally worth it in my opinion (especially since I found it on sale for $2.50). Want to know what's in it? Then

read more

This snack is my new best friend and you can see why. There was no skimping when it came to making this trail mix. There are tons of whole cashews, huge pieces of dried mango (my weakness), monster-sized raisins, pistachios, and sunflower seeds. All delicious. All organic. All good for you.

Serving Size	1/4 cup
Calories	140
Total Fat	8g
Saturated Fat	1g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	10mg
Carbs	14g
Fiber	2g
Sugar	8g
Protein	4g

This is one healthy snack. It's low in calories, high in protein, has a good amount of fiber (for such a small serving size), and is low in saturated fat and sodium. You may not be happy with seeing 8g of total fat, but remember that nuts contain healthy fats (monounsaturated fats) your body needs. Eating fats like these can actually help to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol. Now I can't wait to try the other trail mix flavors.

Crunch Without the Salt

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:43:00 PST

With high blood pressure in my family, I try to avoid foods that contain high amounts of sodium. But it's tough to find pre-packaged crunchy snacks that fit that bill.

The people over at Bear Naked, the same ones who make that amazing all natural granola have salt-free snackers in mind.

Check out their Organic Trail Mix (it's so new - it's not even on their website yet). The packaging is clear so you can see the almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, whole cashews, raisins, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips - all ingredients prefaced with the word "organic."

On the back, they list each ingredient separately and explain why they chose them.

Cashews contain 75% unsaturated fat so even though they're shaped like a kidney, they're good for your heart.
Pumpkin seeds provide high levels of phytosterols, which are believed to lower cholesterol.
Dried Cranberries are vibrant in both taste and antioxidant activity.

So snack away, knowing you're giving your body a healthy energy boost, with zero sodium.

Serving Size = 1/4 cup	Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Crunch	Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch	Bear Naked Fruit and Nut	Bear Naked Peanut Butter
Calories	120	120	140	140
Total Fat	2.5g	2g	7g	6g
Saturated Fat	0g	0g	1.5g	1g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	0mg	0mg
Sodium	10mg	15mg	0mg	15mg
Carbs	22g	23g	18g	17g
Fiber	2g	3g	2g	3g
Sugars	4g	4g	6g	4g
Protein	4g	4g	3g	4g