Yes, this is a product review. BUT, before you click away, consider this:
- There is something in it for you: a gift bag filled with naturSources’ best-sellers to be won by one lucky reader.
- It’s a local company: naturSource is Montreal-based. And they’ve been around for 30 years.
- It’s all good stuff: Their nuts, trail mixes and granolas are healthy, flavourful and contain only natural ingredients we can actually pronounce.
Still with me? Thought so.
The six varieties I tried - some addictive, all good for you.
A personal touch
From my first contact with Mitch Oberfield, whose parents founded the company in 1980, it was the personal approach, passion and conviction that drew me in. From the email exchanges, to the “About Us” page on their website, to the interaction with their fans on Facebook, to packaging signed “Yours truly, Garry & Judi Oberfield”, I could tell this was a very proudly-run family business. And with good reason. Mitch says his parents were “hippies following their belief that people should eat natural, healthy food”. Given that all forms of refined sugar were banned from my house as a kid – to the point that I got carob cake in lieu of chocolate for my first birthday – I can certainly relate! And today, I can also appreciate the philosophy and its benefits.
Now that I’ve given you some “colour” on the company and its values, let’s talk business. Do they walk the talk? I was quite eager to find out.
Quality stuff
From a regular consumer’s perspective (that’s me!), I could see the six varieties I was sent all contained lots of cashews and almonds and high-end fruit like dates, cherries and blueberries. When I looked to the back of the bags, I was surprised at how short and simple the lists of ingredients were. Digging a little deeper, I also found out that naturSource is certified MK Kosher, QAI for organic products (they have an organic line that I haven’t tried yet) and their baking process is certified by the Almond Board of California, allowing them to bring in non-pasteurized almonds (which might otherwise be treated with chemicals). These products have no trans fats, no sulphites, no preservatives, no colouring and no artificial flavours. naturSource also takes care to source their raw materials form sustainable producers with higher operating standards. For instance, they get their cashews from Brazil, not Vietnam. And when possible, they buy local – like the Quebec cranberries in their So Smart granola. All things I like to hear.
Taste test
Quality food is great, but only if I actually enjoy eating it! And that was certainly the case here. The flavour combinations were original and in some cases, downright addictive.
Luxure - An addictive treat for snackers with a sweet tooth. My favourite.
Let’s start with my faves: Oh Rosemary and Luxure. These are treats you don’t have to feel too guilty about eating. Luxure is essentially cashews covered in a salty-sweet and crunchy mixture of evaporated cane juice, sesame seeds and sea salt. Although they are billed as “the ultimate combination of sweet and savoury”, this mix is more likely to please snackers with a sweet tooth. As you can imagine, they were my #1 choice. 
Oh Rosemary - The perfect salty snack for munchers who prefer savoury treats. Bold rosemary taste.
Oh Rosemary is what salty snackers will crave. The mix features cashews, almonds and pecans heavily flavoured with rosemary, salt and spices. Given Mat is the biggest fan of rosemary I have ever met, these were a hit with him too.
Tamari Almonds was another bag we gravitated towards. Tamari sauce has a smoother, smokier taste than soy. It adds just the right brightness to almonds, which I’ve always loved snacking on pre-yoga or mid-afternoon at work.
Now, I’m not a big trail mix kind of gal… However, I did finish the bag of Voyageur Ultra in only two days… Chock-full of interesting dried fruit – like apples, dates and currants - sunflower and pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds and brazil nuts, it was super filling and evidently super delicious. The Light trail mix has all the classic ingredients plus cranberries.
So Smart - the snack with identity crisis. Is it granola or is it trail mix? Who knows. Either way, it's an interesting mix.
Finally So Smart. I have a hard time wrapping my brain around this one. Is it trail mix or granola? It contains raisins, berries, nuts, seeds but also large clusters of oats and cocoa bean and powder… Everything in there tastes good, I’m just unsure about the combination.
Availability and price
Apparently, a nifty store finder should be up on naturSource’s website shortly. In the meantime you can generally find their products at IGA in the fruit and veggie section, at smaller health food stores and at Winners Homesense. Prices tend to range between $3.99 and $4.99 per 165 g bag. That’s pretty fair considering the quality you’re getting!
Giveaway
I am very excited to hold my first giveaway! The folks at naturSource are offering a gift bag filled with their best sellers including: Tamari Almonds, Oh Rosemary, Luxure, So Smart, Fantasia and Sunburst. The two last items are organic granola I am looking forward to trying out for myself.
Giftbag and goodies courtesy of naturSource.
To enter in the draw, simply comment on this post and tell me how important healthy eating is to you. What are your tips and tricks for maintaining a healthy diet? For me, it’s all about balance. I try to be extra good during the week and let myself indulge on weekends.
Rules: One entry per person. Commenting closes at 5 p.m. EST Friday, February 17. Comments are accepted in French or English. Please note that due to shipping, this giveaway is only open to Montreal residents. One winner will be drawn at random.
Full disclosure: naturSource sent me their products free of charge and asked me provide my fair and honest opinion (rest assured, I would never have it any other way!). They are also providing the gift bag and will be taking care of shipping it to the winner.
For more on naturSource: visit their website www.natursource.com or Facebook page.
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Tags: giveaway, Granola, Healthy, Montreal, natural, naturSource, nuts, trail mix
After 10 years of writing corporate speak as a communications specialist for large companies in Montreal, I’ve finally given into my self-indulgent desire to write my way and share my love for food. Writing and cooking are my creative outlets. When I do them right, they help me relax and comfort me...
Great job on the product review…sounds like my kind of snacks!
How exciting! Well, I try to eat healthily to show the right example for the kids and also because I’m breastfeeding. When I eat poorly I see a difference, I’m tired, edgy, I have no patience and even baby is fussy. But I eat treats on weekends to stay sane.
I am definitely into healthy eating. I stick with it by having strict policies against almost anything processed in a box, bag or can. I don’t eat anything that has any kind of sugar added (which is EVERYTHING these days!) and stick mainly with whole foods like fruits and veggies, low fat dairy and whole grains. I allow myself one 100 calorie treat a day, which could be some dark chocolate or ice cream, maybe some marshmallows or a doughnut hole, even!
I love, love the idea of these nuts and they will come in really handy, especially with a daughter that comes in from a day at College and right back out for dance lessons and no time for supper… that’ll keep her going until she has time to sit down for a descent meal. Thanks for all the great suggestions Jess xoxo.
Great post! Nuts are a great source of protein and they make a healthy alternative choice for those who do not like to eat meats. My favorite nuts are almonds and pecans!
Nuts also make great snacks to stash in kid’s lunches, as long as of course they are not allergic.
Great post and what a nice idea… Well, I eat healthy six times (days) out of seven (one cheat day per week)!
To successfully live an active, healthy, balanced lifestyle, I try to focus on mid-term goals and avoid short term fads. To sustain that lifestyle, I’ve noticed that I need serious quantities of will power and will power being scarce over time, I strive to improve my odds by avoiding the three biggest obstacles to eating well which are in my opinion: (1) skipping breakfast, (2) eating late (I try not to eat after 7:30 PM), and (3) running low on fuel.
During the day, whether at work or at play, I make sure to graze and avoid running low on energy by snacking smart on yogurt, cheese and my favorites, nuts – in descending order of preference, large salt grain pistachios, salted cashews, sour lemon-flavored almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and yes, I even appreciate a fistful of the poor underrated deprecated roasted peanut that rarely gets picked and which everyone fears and flees due to allergy scares!!!
Eating healthy is so important to me. Right now I’m just trying to incorporate as many whole foods into my diet as possible. I have a smoothie every morning with almond milk, almond butter, flax seed, bananas, kale, and avocado. For lunch I usually have a giant salad with arugula, kale, beets, and sunflower seeds. The rest of the day is up for grabs but I think nutrition is the key to good health.
Moi voici mon secret pour une alimentation saine !!
Recette super simple pour un Super Smoothie Vert :
excellent pour déjeuner, pour la santé et l’énergie
PHASE A :
Lait d’amandes :
Trempage : 8 heures
Préparation : 5 minutes
Portions : 1
Ustensiles : mixeur et filtre à lait
Ingrédients :
1/3 tasse (50g) amandes non pelées
1 ½ tasses (375 ml) d’eau
1- Faire tremper les amandes non pelées 8 heures. Bien rincer et jeter l’eau de trempage.
2- Au mixeur, broyer les amandes dans l’eau pendant quelques minutes, jusqu’à l’obtention d’un liquide blanc crémeux.
3- Filtrer le lait obtenu (le filtre peut-être en métal, nylon ou coton). La pâte d’amande peut-être conserver et mélanger à du yogourt.
4- Se conserve trois ou quatre jours au réfrigérateur dans un contenant hermétique
PHASE B :
Super Smoothie Vert :
Préparation : 10 minutes
Portions : 2
Ustensiles : mixeur
Ingrédients :
Tout le lait d’amande de la préparation précédente
2 bananes
2 tasses d’épinard
¼ tasse de bette à cardes vertes
10 feuille de menthe poivré
2 dattes
1/8 c. à thé de piment de Cayenne moulu (pas plus)
1/8 c. à thé de sel de mer
¼ c. à thé d’essence de vanille
1- Tout mettre dans le mixeur
2- Mixer jusqu’à l’obtention d’un smoothie lisse
Se conserve deux jours au réfrigérateur dans un contenant hermétique
J’aime bien l’idée du mix de noix non-sucrées. J’en mange fréquemment dans la journée, et ça se conserve bien dans le tiroir du bureau. Way the go pour l’article
maintenant j’essaierai d’en faire moi-même à la maison!
Moi ! Moi ! Je veux gagner
Mon truc santé de filles toujours pressée : pour m’assurer de manger en masse de légumes pendant la semaine, je coupe/lave tous mes légumes d’avance durant le weekend: carottes, céleri, radis, etc. Je lave également ma lettue frisée rouge (ma préférée)… je laisse tout dans des pots et, le moment venu, je me prépare un plat de légumes ou une bonne salade en un rien de temps !
I owe my love for healthy eating to my mom. My favorite was when she would spread cottage cheese on the bottom of a plate and then decorate it as a face with fruits and veggies: cucumber and olives for the eyes, peach slices for the ears, a celery stick for the nose, a carrot for the mouth…you get the picture! But I do agree that feeling healthy is all a question of balance…and working your ass off at the gym!
Good review Jessica! To be honnest I didn’t know about this product line and I am a nuts lover. I always keep small portion of snacks at work and at home since i’m always on the go. It has to be fast and handy. Merci pour la découverte
Je veux gagner moi aussi! Je me suis inscrite au Défi santé 5/30 cette année, et depuis le début de l’année je tente de manger 5 fruits et légumes par jour…. Il faut diversifier sinon, on se tanne vite!
Les granolas et mélanges de noix sont sur ma liste également, parce qu’il faut manger des protéines pour équilibrer le tout! Alors j’aimerais bien découvrir ces produits!