LYRA MAG.

ATHLETE ESSENTIALS Crunchy Sweet, Bite Sized... New Snacks that are everything their supposed to be (FUN TO MUNCH ON)-with added nutritional benefits. I mpressive- SPROUT  is a private company that makes a slew of tasty snacks-packed for one-six sized portions-perfectly portable for on the go crunch musts.   In the mix-veggies form the basis of USDA ORGANIC goodness...no circumspect ingredients in the mix! Everything we sampled-from the airy properly puffy Two Peas in a Pod-to the densely crunchy Crinklez-...were great. And dip worthy. Toddlers and kids of all ages will enjoy.  There is a slightly less salty/greasy taste than the mass market junk food equivalents...fyi. Which might a be plus for many. This company also makes baby eats. Pumkin Carrot Crinklez pictured-(also Cheesy Spinach Crinklez) and Two Peas In A Pod - Aged White Cheddar. (other flavors-Broccoli, Sweet Potato Cinnamon). ALL Gluten + Dairy Free, VEGAN, Non-GMO, no added sugar, no fake col...

Every once in awhile-a company makes some many good (tasty) products-we would buy stock in it...if offered :-) Family owned Clif Bar-is one of them. In fact their caffeine aided energy blocs (oversized gummies) and gels-gooey easy to digest carb hits -endurance athletes' must haves...are so effective -we buy by the CASE!  WHAT ELSE: The Clif Kid USDA Organic Z Bars -are our favs of the company's snack bars-sized right, real ingredients---and sweet tooth pacifying enough without giving us a headache. Not meal subs like their protein Builder Bars (imo)-but true snack satisfiers (12 grams of whole grains)...Clif Kid Z Bars are made chewy and fiber rich via oats and fig paste. Flavor options include dessert worthy Iced Oatmeal-what we tried-with vanilla and cinnamon hits, Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate, Chip, Caramel Chocolate and S'Mores. Widely Available.

With all the festive foods available seasonal celebrations can be sweet indeed! a challenging winter hike earns rewards BUT after an allergic response to something eaten on a far flung Southeast Asia jaunt-a few years back, we gained respectful first-hand knowledge of food allergies that can triggered by daily encountered substances.

Better Snacking PDQ Nick the hunger with tasty fun functional ingredients-plant based- ready to (h)eat ... NEW: yummy Garden Lites new Frittatas are flavor loaded-with loads of accolades earned-like being mini muffin shape-portion controlled- individually wrapped-ready to devour- without utensils - after  only a minute (microwave) or maybe like 18-25 minutes-in a toaster or regular oven-straight out of the freezer. 6 per package...easy to stack up a few in the freezer for grabs and practically on the go snacking. Delicious and appealing to kids-even with the adult pleasing flavors of mildly spiced veggie bacon and potato- or in a spinach  egg white + mozzarella version. A few Garden Lite Frittatas  can be the main meal act- because it's so easy HA HA. Just heat up  a few... they're excellent entreés for hungry cooks with NO time. NOTE: maybe not feline fare but kids will love the taste-on these RTE versions of a popular traditional Italian treat! ...

Fancy Food Show 2018 Stroll enough aisles at the massive Fancy Food tradeshow-and food themes jump out... Below-are some of the new 2018 trends we picked up on. via GIPHY Part One. Thin Is In -small bites - crispy sweets The name is apt...Rich Chocolate COOKIE THINS  are crispy melt in your mouth good-now available in snack size (90 calories). If you're the type that separates your Oreo cookies-and eat the wafer part, separately ...you'll love these Mandy's Cookie Thins. (Available by the case-  Fusion Gourmet , Amazon)  These mini graham crackers= Chortles - are so cookie cute small-lends itself to tossing a few atop an ice cream scoop-or yogurt. And as sweet indulgent as these are-there's a cleaner ingredient list-than others in this category. No high fructose corn syrup no hydrogenated oils, no palm oil (YAY), no trans fat, no cholesterol or saturated fats, and made in a nut free facility. The snack sizes above contain 110-120 calories-and they're...

Life on the go... Better for all aged humans, nutritious single serve lunch box snack options...come in savory global flavors or sweet tooth satisfying high protein options. Solid crunchy, chewy textures or fluids... vegan options-plant derived high protein is a trending eat/drink that's better for the planet (too). Tasty options from SAFFRON ROAD -include snack sizes of their crunchy roasted non-GMO chickpeas-in assorted flavors like sea salt or hot tinged in their savory Bombay Spice. Bar food re-defined, imo. SNEAKZ organic-sneaks in veggie servings plus protein in their USDA Organic- shelf stable 'milk'shakes that are dairy free. Sweet too-perfect adult post work out sip-plus retro -lovers-it kinda reminds us of Nestle's  Quik. From Bolton Farms- a line of sweet plant based protein drinks recently launched...USDA Organic-almond milk based -non-GMO-these keep cold options deliver 12 grams of protein/9grams of sugar/150-160 calories.

HEALTHY kids snacks are NOW more appealing- to kids !!!! Cleaner ingredients combined with fun packaging helps the bigger humans seal the deal when it comes to good-for-them  nutritious eats. via GIPHY AHHHH-so retro-no one should eat like this... Our fav eating grabs -worthy of little and big hands ... This above trio are ready to eat snack 'classics'-so stock up. L-R:  SWEET VALLEY ORGANICS Tart Cherries are addictive-Fair Trade melt in your mouth dark chocolate chewy 'candy'-surrounding naturally sweet dried tart cherries. Heavenly. Come in re-sealable pouches but-be prepared and buy two at a time. HALOS  'Pure Goodness" Mandarins/Clementines are in season for just two more months- bad news BUT are readily available pretty much everywhere we shop in handy net bags at terrific price points!. Seedless and super easy to peel-in juicy tiny sections- so no editing process aka adult intervention needed. We say-keep a bowl of HALOS on the kitchen counter...