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Archive for Health and Nutrition

Smiley 360 – Centrum Flavor Burst Review

Posted by Brande on July 1, 2013
in Coupons, Health, Health and Nutrition, Personal Care Products, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

“I received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 here!”

Centrum Flavor Burst Review

When presented with Centrum Flavor Burst I have to be honest, I was a little skeptical. How could a multivitamin actually taste good? Sometimes the things that are good for you don’t always taste good. I’m here to tell you that Centrum Flavor Burst Supplements actually do taste good. The cherry (red), blueberry (blue), and grape (purple) balls look similar to gum balls. Centrum suggests taking 4 chewable tablets per day and they can be consumed with or without food. I do caution that they contain soy.

Who has kids? You probably need more energy and an immune booster, Centrum can help you out. With the Vitamin B and antioxidants included in your flavor burst delivery capsule, you’ll keep up with your kids and be healthier!

Packed with Vitamins A, V, D, E B6, B12 and folic acid, this is the vitamin for everyone! Get yours today, Centrum is offered at most grocery and big box stores, as well as your local pharmacy!

Click here for a coupon and don’t forget to like Centrum on Facebook.

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Sambazon Smoothies Review & Giveaway

Posted by html404 on June 1, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews

Disclaimer: I received Sambazon Smoothies and Juices coupons for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

I have mentioned time and again that we really try to eat well. I’ve also shared how much our family enjoys fruit smoothies and green smoothies, which we usually make at home with our blender. However, we learned of a pre-made product called Sambazon Smoothies and Juices that peeked our interest. Sambazon also has superfood juices as well.

Sambazon Smoothies Facts:

Sambazon smoothies and juices are made with the finest organic Amazon
Superfoods™ on the planet such as Açaí [Ah-sigh-ee], Acerola [Ah-sir-o-la], and
Yerba Mate [Yur-ba Mah-tay].
• Their juices and smoothies are available in ten different delicious flavor varieties,
and packed with antioxidants and healthy omega 3-6-9s.
• All Sambazon Superfood juices are NON-GMO, USDA organic, vegan, gluten-free,
and provide whole food nutrition.
• A bottle of Sambazon Superfood juice (10.5 ounces) retails for $2.99.

Sambazon Smoothies Review

My two year old and I really enjoyed the Sambazon Smoothies and Juices. We tried the Blended Breakfast Smoothie with Strawberry, Banana, Chia and Ancient Grains (Amaranth & Quinoa) and Acai Superfood Juice. They tasted like green smoothies to me. The juice is not as thick as the smoothie. Not too sweet but not bitter either. I cannot say I noticed any difference in how my toddler or I felt after drinking the Sambazon Smoothies and Juices but appreciate the nutrition they provided our bodies.

I thought they were a little pricey for such a small bottle, but have come to accept that we often have to pay premium prices for good food. I also found not all smoothies and juices are available at all locations so if you decide to look for them check for their availability and store locations on Sambazon’s website.

Feel free to follow Sambazon on Facebook and Twitter. Please use the hashtag #momsmeet. And be sure to enter the giveaway below so you have a chance to try Sambazon Smoothies and Juices too.

Sambazon Smoothies Giveaway

One winner will receive three free product vouchers, plus a wooden bowl and spoon (pictured in the photo above) valued at $45. Giveaway prizes will be sent to the winners directly by Moms Meet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Azure Standard

Posted by html404 on May 29, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Uncategorized

Our family eats a lot, as you can imagine since we are a family of ten. We eat as much organic products as we can but to buy them in the grocery store or at Whole Foods is really expensive. Co-ops like Azure Standard or Country Life Natural Foods enable us to purchase organic products in bulk and save money at the same time.

We have been using Azure Standard for a year and a half. We place a monthly order on our Azure account. Our drop site is in our town at our local Farm and Fleet parking lot. The drop site is where we help unload the truck for our group’s order and pick up our individual orders. We have a drop site manager who reminds us of order deadlines, pick up times and any changes Azure Standard announces.

Azure has many different products from personal care to bulk rolled oats or quick oats to bulk produce items like a 25 lb bag of organic carrots we like to buy. We have come to love the creamy ice cream they carry – Alden’s – which has no propylene glycol (antifreeze basically) or other harmful chemicals in it.

I love that I can add to or change my order throughout the month right up until the order deadline, since the shopping cart will save my order until I click “submit order”. I appreciate that Azure accepts C.O.D orders so we don’t have to use a credit card but pay with cash or check on pick up day. I love that we do not have to order every month.

There is a minimum order of $50 but our family does not have any trouble meeting it.

There are no member fees, though there are freight charges based on the weight of your total order. To become a member, all you have to do is contact Azure Standard to see if there is a drop site in or near you and they will put you in touch with the drop site manager. Azure even offers a free catalog upon request.

Country Life operates similarly but different. Anyone can place an order, no membership is required, but the minimum is $500 or $600 so more often than not groups of families place an order together and get the order delivered to one family’s home. We really like Azure because of the many different items they carry so we rarely order from Country Life anymore. For the most part, prices are pretty comparable between the two.

Are you a part of any food co-ops? Feel free to share to give readers more resources and choices.

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The Last Time We Were Sick…

Posted by html404 on May 27, 2013
in Articles, Family Stuff, Health, Health and Nutrition, Home, Uncategorized, Writing Prompts

We are pretty protective of exposing our children to illness if we can help it. With as many children as we have, it takes us a very long time to get over any sort of flu bug, cold or illness when it goes through all of them or us. You will probably be surprised to learn that the last time we were sick was probably 18-24 months ago. My husband was sick last fall but only because our landlord’s handyman discovered mold in the wall where the washer had leaked. Once that was taken care of my husband was well again. It’s weird to say but his body really is a mold detector. He’s the first one to experience any adverse affects of mold.

I am usually the most healthy and I chock that up to being a mom. Mom’s cannot get sick because we have to take care of everyone else! My last bout was with my tooth but it’s been behaving itself, thankfully.

Here are the reasons I believe we have gone so long since the last time we were sick:

1. We have managed to avoid large crowds during the winter by just staying at home. We live simply and most of our children are content just to be home bodies. Thus, we avoid any flu bugs going around.

2. We try really hard to eat healthy. We are not fanatics by any means but a healthy diet is a huge part in having a strong immune system. This means we try not to eat prepared foods or anything in the center of the grocery stores. We try to shop the perimeter of the store. We also cook and bake from scratch avoiding harmful sweeteners, artificial flavors and colorings and preservatives.

3. We avoid chemicals and pharmaceuticals as much as we can. We use natural cleaners and fertilizers.

4. We use essential oils on our bodies and even ingest them if we feel a cold or sore throat is beginning. We diffuse them in the air to purify it of germs and impurities.

5. We try to get enough rest. Sometimes that is harder to do during different seasons, but we are pretty adamant about our children getting to bed on time and getting enough sleep.

6. Our children spend the majority of their time outside since we have moved to the country. They are not cooped up in the house all the time and they are much more active than they were when we lived in the townhouse.

I don’t know for sure what has kept us healthy but these are the things I think have helped us. I am extremely grateful for this long run of good health. In the past we have been sick for weeks on end as it went through the whole family, so this has been a blessing to say the least.

What do you do to keep your family healthy?

P.S. This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Writing Prompts.

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Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt

Posted by html404 on May 14, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Our family loves yogurt. We’ve even made it ourselves and plan to do it again once our garden is planted. So when a Wallaby Yogurt review opportunity presented itself I agreed to do it. We had tried Wallaby Yogurt before but had not tried their new Greek Yogurt.

Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt is smooth, silky, creamy and yummy. If you don’t know the difference between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt it’s the thickness and texture, in my opinion. It stays on the spoon better for kids (and adults too!) Sometimes, but not always Greek yogurt has less sugar in it. It depends on the brand and of course the fruit flavor.

My hubby brought home blueberry because it’s one of my personal favorites. The yogurt and blueberries were in separate sections like so:

Then I mixed them together like this:

The only thing I didn’t like was the curve of the container made it hard to get all the blueberries out of the bottom. I actually used the end of my spoon to get as much as I could out and added to my yogurt. The more blueberries the better in my book. Spoken like a true Bluenoser (person from Nova Scotia ) I think one of those new inventions shown on the show Shark Tank called Spatty (and the larger one Spatty Daddy) would have come in handy to get all the blueberries out.

Otherwise the yogurt was delicious and definitely one we’d buy again.

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Cinco de Swap with Avocados from Mexico and $100 Gift Card Giveaway

Posted by html404 on April 26, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Giveaways, Health, Health and Nutrition, Recipes

“This sponsored post was made possible by The Motherhood and Avocados from Mexico. I have been compensated for my time and work on this campaign, however all opinions are 100% my own.”

Last Friday night four Chicago area bloggers gathered together to experience Cinco de Swap with Avocados from Mexico. We each made an avocado dish (or two) to pass and share. There was one blogger who had never tried avocados before. The majority of us were trying new recipes from avocado macaroni and cheese, avocado ice cream, guacamole and avocado fries. For some fabulous photos of the dishes served visit Frosted Fingers!

Did you know that avocados from Mexico are available all year round? I didn’t know this. I also didn’t know this when I chose a recipe for BLT sandwiches:

Fresh avocado in sandwiches, on toast or substituted as a spread in place of many other popular foods may help reduce your intake of calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.

I also did not know that one ounce (3 slices) of an avocado has 50 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it a good choice to help meet nutrient needs! I find that amazing.

However, I did know that avocados are full of good fats our bodies need. One of the reasons I would feed it to my little ones as babies – my older girls to this day love avocados. It makes for a very easy to prepare meal. Just wash it, cut it open, de-pit it and start spooning baby bites into baby’s (or your) mouth! Easy peasy! Our younger crew didn’t even notice the avocados on the avocado BLT turkey sandwiches.

Not very many in my family liked the avocado fries. I thought they tasted good, but liked Michelle’s (of Honestly and Truly) idea of serving them with a yummy dip.

Avocado Recipes

Here’s the link to the recipe that inspired our Avocado Fries. However, we did not fry them, we baked them and we used olive oil instead of canola oil. We also used regular bread crumbs seasoned with our own spices.

Our Avocado BLT Turkey Sandwich was inspired by this Turkey Avocado Bacon Sandwich recipe.

You can visit www.theamazingavocado.com for more recipes and nutritional
information.

Cinco de Swap with Avocados from Mexico and $100 Gift Card Giveaway

You all have a chance to win a $100 gift card! Just enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Premama Prenatal Vitamin Review

Posted by 278Wife on April 23, 2013
in All Natural Products, Health and Nutrition, Pregnancy and Birth, Products for Mom, Reviews

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Prenatal health is the number one priority for most moms to be. Choosing the right prenatal vitamin can be a challenge with all of the different options available. Sometimes one vitamin does not agree with your body so you have to switch to another. This has happened with a quite a few of the pills I have tried in the past. I was very interested to hear about Premama Prenatal Vitamin, a powdered supplement mix. Recommended by doctors, it is all natural, easy to digest, and flavorless. Ingredients in Premama have been proven to reduce the risk of some birth defects by 70% or more. These include Biotin, B vitamins, DHA Omega-3 fatty acid, Coenzyme Q10, Choline, Ginger Root, and Folic Acid. Many of these ingredients also aid with nausea and digestive relief, too.

Premama comes in a box of 30 on-the-go servings. Each sleeve is divided into two equal doses. This way you can choose to take the entire dose at one time, or break it up into two times a day. For me, it is hard to remember to take my vitamin even one time a day, let alone twice a day, so I took it all it once.

It states you can mix Premama with any juice or beverage so the first day I mixed it with water. I did not care for the texture or taste of the water so the next day I tried it with cranberry grape juice. This was much better! The more juice to mix it with, at least 12oz, the better. Simply add the entire sleeve or one part of the sleeve to the beverage and shake or stir.

Although the package says it is flavorless, I could still taste a hint of it. It is not a terrible taste, but it is a distinct taste that you get used to after a few days. I loved how convenient it was to just throw a couple of the packets in my purse for when I was going to be out of the house. I also noticed a huge improvement in my nail health. My nails started to grow very long and strong, which I have never experienced with any other prenatal vitamin. Premama Prenatal Vitamin is a great option for women who have a hard time swallowing pills, too.

Overall, Premama is a great product. Check out their website for more information on their prenatal vitamin as well as some great information on pregnancy in general.

www.drinkpremama.com

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Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on April 4, 2013
in Food and Treats, Health and Nutrition, Reviews, Uncategorized

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and Honey Bunches of Oats partnered in support of this campaign. Honey Bunches of Oats compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Our family is pretty big on oats and yogurt so when the opportunity arose to review a box of Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch, we jumped on it. While we love cereal, it is a treat when we have it because there are not too many boxes big enough to feed our family. We tend to eat bread, bagels, eggs, homemade pancakes and waffles for breakfast since those foods go further. Cold cereal is sooooo easy though…much less fuss and mess! Definitely a life saver on busy days. We appreciate that aspect of cold cereal.

Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch is made with oats, whole grains and Greek yogurt, plus some other ingredients you can check out at the link above. Greek yogurt is thicker, smoother and seems to have more substance to it than regular yogurt. It also tends to have less sugar and is more tart than sweet, which is a lot better for us health wise.

Once we added milk to our cereal we could not really taste the yogurt very much and that may be why my daughter said it needed more yogurt. If you like granola…granola anything, you’ll like, and even love, Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch.

Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch has:

Four nutritious grains: rice, wheat, oats and corn
33g of whole grain per serving†
5g of protein per serving
4g of fiber per serving
80% of the recommended daily value of iron per serving

We all enjoyed eating Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch! It tasted yummy! Our only complaint is there wasn’t enough of it.

You can follow Honey Bunches of Oats via Twitter (@HBOats) or Facebook.

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Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker Review

Posted by 278Wife on April 2, 2013
in Appliances, Baby Products, Food and Treats, Health and Nutrition, Parenting, Reviews, Uncategorized

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinions on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

When I think of making baby food I think of a long day of lots of work, lots of mess, and no fun. When my son was ready to eat baby food I bought a hand food processor, determined to make my own food. It lasted for about two days. The food was always too thick and chunky and I never knew if he was getting enough nutrients. It was just easier to buy the baby food, even though I wasn’t crazy about all of the ingredients in some of the foods. Now that he is a toddler, he is picky and will only eat certain foods. If only there was a way to get him to eat more nutritious foods in an easy way…there is! Introducing the Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker, the answer to all of my problems.

This baby food maker is for the whole family. It has two different texture settings, smooth or chunky, making it perfect for your growing baby and toddler. It also has a smoothie blade attachment so you can make healthy smoothies for the whole family. I was a little hesitant at first to try it, since my previous experience with making baby food was unsuccessful. Once I pulled the Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker out of the box, I thought it looked more like a juicer than a baby food maker. The size was perfect, it was a little smaller than a 2-slice toaster. The bowl can hold up to 3.75 cups, or 4 meals. Putting it together was easy, it came assembled! I skimmed through the recipe booklet that came with it. It came with great meal ideas written by world-famous child nutrition expert, Annabel Karmel. I chose to do the Banana and Blueberry puree, but replaced the blueberries with strawberries. For some odd reason, my son is not a fan of strawberries so I was anxious to see if he would like this.

To begin with, I filled the reservoir with water to level 2. There are three different water levels depending upon what you are making.

Next I filled the steam basket with three strawberries cut up and a whole ripened banana. They also include a half steam basket that can be placed inside the large basket so you can seperate foods and flavors. I love this option since you can easily cook two different items at once. After I added the food, I placed the lid on top and replaced the canister back into the baby food maker. I plugged it in and pressed the green on/off button to start cooking.

After a a couple of minutes steam started to build up in the steam basket. The bananas and strawberries began to cook.

After about 14 minutes, I heard a beep and the green light turned off. I carefully opened the lid, hot steam came out, and I saw very mushy fruit.

Next I dumped the fruit into the glass bowl that had lots of yummy smelling juice in it.

You can then choose which texture you want, smooth or chunky. I chose chunky so I replaced the lid and turned the knob to chunky. After about 5 seconds I realized it was fully blended. I removed the lid and saw a wonderful puree. It smelled so fresh and looked so smooth, I couldn’t wait for my son to taste it.

I poured the puree into a 4oz cup and told my son I made special applesauce just for him. Now remember, he does not like strawberries. He took a spoonful and said, “Mmmmm, mommy this is good applesauce!” He gobbled the entire cup and I was thrilled! That right there, sold me on this food maker. If I could make my picky three year old eat something he did not like, I could make many other healthy foods in there and he would have no idea what he’s eating.

Clean up was a breeze! Most of the pieces are dishwasher safe, which is exactly where they went. I wiped the machine clean and placed it back on my counter. I will definitely be using this all of the time! Some of the features that I really like are that it is a 4 in 1 baby food maker. It cooks, blends, reheats, and defrosts. Since it steams all of the food, it retains most of the vitamins and minerals, making it extremely nutritious and healthy. With one quick pour you can then blend the food into either a chunky puree for toddlers or a smooth puree for babies. The Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker is extremely versatile. The instruction manual has a cooking guide which tells you what level water to add for different foods and approximately how long it takes to cook each food. My only minor complaint on this product is I wish the instruction manual was a little more detailed. The first time I tried using the baby food maker I was kind of nervous about doing it right. I thought it was going to be more complicated than it actually was. After you make the food once, though, you see how easy it is and probably won’t even need to look at the manual again.

Overall, I was highly impressed with the Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker. I am anxious to use it not only on my baby who’s on the way, but also on my toddler to sneak in some veggies without him knowing. Freshfoods also offers other great products to help with making your own baby food including Stackable Cube containers to store the baby food and Freezer trays so you can easily freeze your baby food so it is ready when you need it. Their products are of high quality and are reasonabley priced. Go to this link for a $20 coupon off a Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker and $1 coupon off a Freshfoods accessory:

www.nuk-usa.com/promos/nuk-fresh-foods/blogger

To see all of their products go to their website:

www.Nukfreshfoods.com

Be sure to like them on Facebook:

facebook.com/nukUSA

To meet other moms working hard to keep their families healthy and living green check out:

www.greenmomsmeet.com

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PROBAR Review

Posted by Professor on March 28, 2013
in All Natural Products, Exercise, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews

The PROBAR Company’s goal is to change how the world thinks when it comes to real, whole food. PROBAR products are proof that a food maker can wholeheartedly commit to quality, sustainability—and sheer deliciousness. Part of the Simply Real® promise is sourcing the finest all-natural, 100% vegan organic ingredients from growers who believe in these things as well. As you check out their products, they all have one thing in common: they start with only the best raw ingredients.

There are 4 PROBAR products to choose from:

PROBAR Meal ~ This PROBAR weighs in at a solid three ounces of fruits, nuts and seeds with enough nutrition to make a fresh, tasty, satisfying meal replacement. It’s rich in raw ingredients and the right nutrient-dense calories for lasting energy and nourishment.

PROBAR Core ~ Looking for a protein bar that resembles nature rather than a science experiment? Good…because they have packed 20 grams of plant protein and plenty of real, recognizable ingredients into this bar. And it does more than build your strength – it boasts chia seeds for hydration and recovery too.

PROBAR Bolt ~ These organic chews step up your game right when you need it. They’re packed to power you from morning workouts to race days. Plus, they’re loaded with electrolytes, B vitamins, antioxidants and complex carbs for fast fuel-ups that last through the home stretch.

PROBAR Fuel ~ Go ahead, dig in and fuel up with this gluten-free bar’s superfruits, cashews and oats. It’s soft, chewy, and it’s a full serving of fruit – a scrumptious snack for action packed days. We balanced this blend with chia seeds to regulate hydration and raw oats for easy-to-digest energy.

PROBAR Halo ~ Satisfying your sweet tooth with zero grams of guilt. Introducing PROBAR Halo™, the delicious between meals treat that’s designed to do your body good. With natural whole food ingredients and heavenly taste, these bars have such big flavors they take on a personality all their own.

Our PROBAR Review:

We received the following products from PROBAR: PROBAR Meal (Superberry and Greens), PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter Chocolate), PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry).

These are VERY good bars. I enjoyed the flavor and quality of each type of bar.

PROBAR Meal (Superberry and greens)

This bar goes beyond what I thought it could do…it REALLY fills you up! When they say a meal replacement they mean meal replacement! I was surprised when I opened the package and saw how green the bar was…I was glad because I know I do not eat enough “greens” and this bar is packed full of vital nutrients! As for taste… I enjoyed the flavor of the bar… for some it might be an acquired taste if you have never had a meal replacement bar. But, if you have had meal replacement bars before this one stands out in quality and flavor. The texture and balance of the ingredients was very nice on the tongue! This product is NON-GMO product verified.

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Meal Replacement Superberry and Greens

PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter and Chocolate)

These are EXCELLENT! I am a chocolate lover… so I was pleased to see a protein bar in my favorite flavor! I have tried other protein bars before and these surpass the other brands in quality and taste. They are very flavorful and pack a punch of 20 grams of protein. I was not disappointed. This product is Gluten-Free!

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Core (Peanut Butter & Chocolate)

PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry)

This was a very nice alternative for fast fuel ups for workouts! I enjoyed this flavor immensely! These are not a bar but a “chew” reminiscent of a “gummy bear”. These are wonderful performance aides. Since I am not an avid runner or workout aficionado … I gave some samples to my brother who is a power lifter and he attested that they are a great way to boost a workout!

Check out the ingredients and nutritional information here: PROBAR Bolt (Raspberry)

OVERALL… I was delightfully surprised at the taste and texture of the products along with the nutritional values contained in the product. I do also have to add that the products are 100% Vegan ORGANIC … how wonderful!

To learn more about the PROBAR company and their products, please visit their website www.theprobar.com