Of all the food trends that are currently out there, it seems like the superfood trend is here to stay. In fact, superfoods are so trendy that there are even quizzes dedicated to them (and I'm definitely not kidding). Now that superfoods are all the rage, incorporating them into your diet doesn't have to be complicated. Navitas Organics is a plant-based brand that's bringing some amazing superfood snacks and products to the mainstream.
I first discovered the brand's products a few years ago while shopping at my local Whole Foods. That's when I fell in love with their Power Snacks, specifically in the Coffee Cacao and Cacao Goji flavors. With their "Live Life Positive" mantra, I found myself entirely on-board with the superfood trend. When the opportunity to try more of Navitas Organics's products presented itself, I just couldn't resist, and I had to share my thoughts.
Superfood + Bar: Hemp Peanut
Price: $22.68 for 12 bars on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrition: One bar contains 190 calories, 45 milligrams of sodium, one gram of fiber, and nine grams of sugar (seven grams of which are added).
Notable Ingredients: Along with a few other ingredients, this organic, non-GMO, and gluten free bar contains roasted cashews, almonds, honey, roasted sunflower seeds, almond butter, roasted peanuts, and toasted hemp seeds.
Taste: So, here's an unpopular opinion: I hate peanuts and all things peanut-related (including peanut butter). However, I didn't have issues eating this bar. The peanut flavor isn't overwhelming and is nicely balanced by the other flavors and ingredients. And I can't forget to mention all the health benefits that come with these ingredients, especially hemp and peanuts. The texture is also spot-on. It's perfectly soft and chewy. The whole combination makes for a not-too-sweet yet still mildly sweet snack bar to grab on the go or to sit and enjoy.
Superfood + Bar: Goji Açaí
Price: $22.68 for 12 bars on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrition: One bar contains 190 calories, five milligrams of sodium, one gram of fiber, and nine grams of sugar (seven of which are added).
Notable Ingredients: Along with a few other ingredients, this bar contains roasted cashews, almonds, honey, roasted sunflower seeds, dried blueberries, cacao nibs, goji berries, and pomegranate powder.
Taste: I'm clearly not Goldilocks, but if I was, then I'd say that this bar is just right. Of the three Navitas Organics snack bar flavors that I tried, this one was definitely my favorite. It's like a blueberry muffin in bar form (and who can resist a blueberry muffin?), but also with all the benefits of goji berries. It has a bit more chew or stick to it than the Hemp Peanut bar due to the dried blueberries, but I found that the texture made this Goji Açaí bar all the more enjoyable. Overall, the fruity undertones and goodness of the bar made it a snack that I'd happily reach for over and over again.
Superfood + Bar: Maca Maple
Price: $22.68 for 12 bars on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrition: One bar contains 180 calories, 35 milligrams of sodium, two grams of fiber, and nine grams of sugar (eight of which are added).
Notable Ingredients: Along with a few other ingredients, this bar contains roasted cashews, almonds, roasted sunflower seeds, cacao nibs, Maca powder, amaranth seeds, maple syrup, and Lucuma powder.
Taste: To be completely honest, I was most nervous about trying this bar. I'd never heard of Maca before, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into as I mentally and physically prepared to take a bite of this bar. It turns out that Maca is a root grown in Peru that belongs to the radish family. It's rich in vitamins and, among other benefits, it's said to be a source of stable, prolonged energy. As a result of the Maca, the flavor profile of the Maca Maple bar is entirely unique. The primary flavor of the bar was mildly nutty with a caramel or butterscotch-like undertone, and I can safely say that I was pleasantly surprised.
Coconut Hemp Organic Pumpkin Seeds
Price: $5.99 for a four-ounce bag on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrition: There are 160 calories in a one-ounce serving of Coconut Hemp Pumpkin Seeds. One serving also contains 20 milligrams of sodium, two grams of fiber, and four grams of sugar (two of which are added).
Notable Ingredients: This snack contains only pumpkin seeds, coconut palm sugar, coconut, hemp seeds, and sea salt.
Taste: Among their many benefits, pumpkin seeds are a great source of magnesium and antioxidants, and studies show that they can help reduce blood sugar levels. These Coconut Hemp Pumpkin Seeds are lightly-sweetened to perfection. They honestly taste like granola clusters, but without all that sugar and all those unwanted ingredients. I'm kind of obsessed. You can snack on the pumpkin seeds plain, but I bet they'd also provide a delicious crunch in plain yogurt.
Turmeric Tamari Organic Almonds
Price: $7.99 for a four-ounce bag on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrition: There are 150 calories in a one-ounce serving of Turmeric Tamari Almonds. One serving also contains 170 milligrams of sodium, three grams of fiber, and one gram of sugar (but it's not added sugar).
Notable Ingredients: This snack contains only almonds, tamari soy sauce, and turmeric.
Taste: I was really excited to try these almonds. After all, the benefits of turmeric really do seem endless. It's the one stop shop for all your brain health, skin clearing, digestion, and antioxidant needs. But, I had one question: what in the world is Tamari? Spell check doesn't even recognize the word. It turns out that Tamari is basically a soy sauce substitute. Like your soy sauce poster child, Tamari is also the byproduct of fermented soybeans, but Tamari includes little to no wheat whereas most soy sauces do contain wheat. As far as the taste profile of the Turmeric Tamari Almonds go, they had a really nice, pungent flavor that I can best describe as a not-so-barbecued yet also-seemingly-barbecued almond. The nuttiness is nicely balanced by the spices, and the golden turmeric powder on my fingers made me feel as though I was eating a generally guilt-free version of Cheetos.
Maca Powder
Price: $8.99 for a four-ounce bag of Maca Powder, $14.99 for an eight-ounce bag, or $24.99 for a 16-ounce bag on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrition: There are 20 calories in one teaspoon of Maca Powder. One serving does not have any sodium but does contain one gram of fiber and two grams of sugar (but it's not added sugar).
Notable Ingredients: The sole ingredient is Maca Powder (I know, there's probably no surprise there).
Taste: Okay, when I opened the bag of Maca, I think I may have stumbled back a few feet. The powder is super potent, which means it's also very pungent. I've learned that the Maca smell is not for everyone, and in that case, Navitas Organics's Maca Maple bars are great because they disguise that Maca smell. Nonetheless, I carried on, plugging my nose as I placed a dash of Maca Powder into my vanilla yogurt. After mixing it into my yogurt, I braced myself and took a bite. Again, I was surprised. The yogurt didn't completely overpower the Maca, which really likes to make its presence known. Instead, the dairy was a pleasant compliment to the Maca. I'd describe the texture and flavor as a paradoxical woodsy smoothness, and I wasn't mad about it. I'll admit that I tried not to smell the Maca as I took a bite of the yogurt. While the Maca Powder wasn't my favorite, I can definitely see how Maca could be tastefully incorporated into a variety snacks, desserts, and smoothies.
Cacao Powder
Price: $9.99 for an eight-ounce bag of Cacao Powder or $18.99 for a 16-ounce bag on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrition: There are 60 calories in 2.5 tablespoons of Cacao Powder. One serving does not have any sodium or sugar but does contains 5 grams of fiber.
Notable Ingredients: Unroasted cacao beans are the sole ingredients.
Taste: Who doesn't love cacao? I know I'm definitely a chocolate fanatic. It helps that raw cacao beans are an incredible superfood, filled with magnesium and antioxidants. First, I added a dash of the Cacao Powder to my yogurt. It felt like I was eating dessert, and I couldn't have been happier. Next, I made truffles, which I know aren't truly healthy, but I figured that a nice Cacao Powder coating wouldn't hurt. It was definitely a much-needed finishing touch to what a chocolate-lover's dreams are made of. There are, of course, other ways to incorporate Cacao Powder into desserts that are much healthier overall. But, I think you should be allowed to cacao as you please.
Matcha Powder
Price: $21.99 for a three-ounce bag of Matcha Powder on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrients: There are five calories in half a teaspoon of Matcha Powder. There are 10 grams of sodium in one serving of Matcha Powder, but there is no fiber or sugar.
Notable Ingredients: Certified organic matcha leaf powder is the sole ingredient in this product.
Taste: I have a love-hate relationship with matcha. Literally. Somedays, I love it. Other days, I hate it. I just have to be in the matcha mode. I waited for that day to come before opening the bag of matcha, and I'm so happy that I waited until I was in the mood. As with the other tastings, I added the matcha to vanilla yogurt. It was delicious. I could truly tell that this is high-quality matcha, which makes sense given that it's shade grown and cultivated from the hills southwest of Mount Fuji in Japan, according to the Navitas Organics website. Plus, matcha is super good for you. For example, it's filled with antioxidants and it boosts your metabolism. Next on my matcha-mode bucket list: to make a matcha latte and some matcha-filled desserts.
Turmeric Powder
Price: $11.99 for an eight-ounce bag of Turmeric on the Navitas Organics website
Nutrients: There are 20 calories in a two-teaspoon serving of Turmeric Powder. There is also one gram of fiber in Turmeric Powder with no sugar or sodium.
Notable Ingredients: Certified organic turmeric powder is the sole ingredient in this product.
Taste: I often cook with Turmeric Powder, adding a dash here and there to meat dishes for extra health benefits. It seems to have mustard or relish-like undertones in its flavor, which adds something special to many meals. While I have yet to personally try Golden Milk, it's on my agenda. The packaging for Navitas Organics's Turmeric Powder even provides customers with a quick and easy recipe that calls for eight ounces of a nut milk, a half a teaspoon of turmeric, one-eighth of a teaspoon of ginger, one teaspoon of coconut oil, and a pinch of pepper—all of which must be blended together and warmed. So, is turmeric the superfood of all superfoods? It's impossible to say for certain, but it appears as though there's no limit to what turmeric can do.
According to their website, Navitas Organics also sells Pomegranate Powder, Mulberries, and Goldenberries, which only goes to show that the superfood possibilities are endless. Now that I've tasted several of Navitas Organics's superfood products, I can't wait to continue trying new superfoods and recipes. Although I may not be reaching for the Maca Powder anytime soon, I definitely don't plan on hopping off the superfood bandwagon. With so many powders, bars, and other products, there's no telling where the superfood world can take you. While I can't say that every superfood will be to your liking, I'm certain that there's something for everyone. It may be worth exploring the infinite world of superfoods and superfood-based recipes.