Feel Good Food: Kaia Product Review

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to receive a very generous sampler pack from Kaia Foods, and let me tell you: each and every product was thoroughly a joy to taste and review.   Kaia’s products are all raw, vegan, and made with top-quality organic ingredients.

From their website:

Kaia Foods was founded with the belief that our health is best supported by eating an abundance of minimally processed whole foods. We sprout, mix and dehydrate our organic foods at low temperatures so that they remain ‘raw.’ No baking, frying, bleaching, or weird processing steps! Keep it simple. That’s our philosophy towards food and our philosophy towards life. Eat whole foods for great health. Exercise daily. Laugh and smile often. Hug everyone. Be mindful of your choices and their impact on the earth. The keys to health and happiness are really that simple. kaia foods was born in the summer of 2006 when I was hiking in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado with my friends Nina and Billy. Somewhere just below the tree line on a sun-drenched day, inspiration struck. I decided to leave behind the world of finance and follow my dream to make minimally processed, truly healthy food more readily available to everyone and have fun doing it. Fifteen seconds later I passed a horseshoe on the trail (no joke!) and I interpreted it to be a good sign for the journey ahead.

Raisin Cinnamon Buckwheat Granola

My review: I like how it takes a long time to chew, and it’s chewy with just the right amounts of crunch. I love the sweet spices and the texture of the buckwheat surrounding raisins.  It really does have satisfying “granola” taste. This is my favorite flavor of the cereals.

Ari’s review: Somewhat bland yet satisfying, hits a homerun with classic raisin cinnamon. Although I don’t find it particularly delicious,  I think I could eat it three times a week.  Knowing it’s healthy makes me happy. Don’t expect this writer to be going raw anytime soon… That cheeseburger I had last night is still a happy memory.

Cocoa Bliss Buckwheat Granola

My review: It’s not sweet and sugary like “other” chocolate-flavored cereals. Perfect blend of sweet fruit, sprouted grains and cocoa spice. Sweetens up a bit when mixed with yogurt.

Dates & Spices Buckwheat Granola

My review:  This granola is made up of big pitted dates covered with nuts and seeds. Reminds me of chai or a gingerbread cookie! I like that its very chewy, takes longer to eat so you can enjoy it leisurely. Can be a little too hard at times, but overall I really like the texture.

Lime Ginger Fruit Leather

My review:  It tastes tropical! Almost like pineapple. Not too sweet and a little tart. A bit bitter upon chewing.

Vanilla Pear Fruit Leather

My review:  This was pleasantly sweet. Can taste the banana. Subtle vanilla flavor. Really like it! Like this more than lime ginger. My favorite flavor of fruit leather.

Goji Orange Fruit Leather

My review: Sweet like honey, subtle goji flavor. A little bitter; I think like the lime ginger, citrus makes it a little strong.

Sweet Curry Sunflower Seeds

We all got in on this one!

My review:  Smells and tastes amazing. I want to bathe in this!

Mom’s (blind) review: Tasty! A little sweet, mildly spicy, texture of walnut. Would sprinkle on cereal, bran muffin, also salty, great as bar snack.

Dad’s (blind) review:  I like the salty sweet nuttiness, almost meaty. Complex layers of flavor that end with a little “zing!” At the roof of your mouth.

Will’s (blind) review: Smells like it might be kind of spicy. Kind of curry-like. Little too sweet, sweet without adding much flavor if it was a little more subtle, I’d like it a lot more.

Josh’s (blind) review: It’s good.

Christine’s (blind) review: Seasoned but sweet.

Ilana’s (blind) review: Salty and sweet. Not bad, but I don’t love it.

Garlic & Sea Salt Sunflower Seeds

My review: I definitely taste the garlic! Tastes like the pickles Ari subsists on. Would like more salt and less garlic.

Cocoa Mole Sunflower Seeds

My review: Nice, palate-cleansing treat!  Not too sweet, and has a nice little kick! at the end.

Teriyaki Sunflower Seeds

My review: Sweet and savory! Tastes just like good-quality teriyaki sauce.  Watch out, though- it’s highly addicting!

I would buy each and every one of these products.  The flavors are fresh and interesting, and I felt good about putting these foods into my body.  And the best part? Kaia invests 1% of all sales in the fight against hunger.  They donate to both The Hunger Project and the United Nations World Food Project.

Thank you again, Kaia, for your generosity and contribution to stocking our health food stores with wholesome, healthy foods!