NurturMe Review + $55 Gift Set GIVEAWAY

It's Freebie Friday again (that has a good ring to it doesn't it?)  Fridays are the the day where I get to review different products and share my honest thoughts on them with you.  Most of these reviews also come with a giveaway so that you have a chance to try out the products yourself for free!  Let me give you a little heads up on this week.  Whether you have young kids, older kids or no kids at all- you are going to LOVE this week's featured company... I just know it.

[Disclaimer:  I have received free product from NurtureMe for review.  All opinions are  my own and I am not required to write a positive review.  Products for the giveaway are a gift from NurturMe and in no way shape my opinion or review of the product/company.]

NurturMe

Let me start by saying that I try very hard to feed my son healthy foods.  That being said, I personally am the biggest junk and snack-aholic you will ever meet.  I eat a pan of brownies before it even thinks about going bad and some of my favorite candies are the ones that are made purely of sugar.  Oh, and if I didn't have a family I would seriously eat pizza rolls every.single.day.  I'm trying to change because I want my son to be better than me and I know for that to happen I need to be better as well.  So please keep that in mind while reading this review.  You don't need to be a health nut to choose these easy healthy snack options or to care about what goes into your family's body.

{One of my favorite photos ever.  He's got his NurturMe Quinoa Squares and sippy cup and is just strolling around like he owns the place.  Okay... he really does.}

Okay, so here's the skinny on this company:
- Their products are made from all organic, gluten-free, non-GMO and Kosher ingredients.
- Foods are freeze & drum dried.  This helps keep nutrients in and flavors better!
- And my personal favorite:  NO PRESERVATIVES!  Seriously, no salt, no sugar, nothing.  Just honest to goodness fruits and vegetables.

{Check out this short video to see co-founders Caroline Freedman and Lauren McCullough on why they do what they do}

{Yes, this is really the ingredient list.  That's it... really.}

This is the very image that sold me on this company (It's from the back of the Yum-A-Roo's package.)  With the exception of snacking on straight fruits and vegetables (and even then you have your  worries- make sure you keep a list handy of the "Dirty Dozen" next time you go grocery shopping) it is nearly impossible to find snacks that aren't laced full of preservatives and other junk.  Even the brands known for being "healthy" snack options for kids still have either salt or sugar (or both) in them.  I'm not saying that we don't eat sugar.  I love sugar and my son is starting to learn about how yummy it is.  I'm just saying that it's really nice to know that there are options available for healthy snacking on the go without grabbing yet-another sugar filled children's snack.

And they are yummy too.  Bet you didn't see that one coming.

 {Look at the excitement on that face!  Having a little snack while waiting on grandma to finish up in a meeting. Kept him occupied and happy... which makes this mama happy too!}

Yum-A-Roo's

These are the first ones we tried and are my son's favorite.  He has had the banana+apple+broccoli as well as the banana+mango+pineapple but I would imagine he would love each of those combinations.  As you saw in the ingredients photo above, they are made from ONLY dried organic fruits and vegetables.  That's it.  So simple and my son goes crazy for them.

They also come in a resealable bag so they are super easy to just toss into your bag and take with you.  Mama loves stuff that makes life easier!

Need more proof that these snacks haven't been processed beyond resemblance?  I was amazed the first time I actually laid out the pieces and looked at them.  That's an actual broccoli stalk and chunk of banana... I mean, come on- they look just like if he were eating them fresh (just a little crunchier!)  They also still taste  like the fruits & veggies that they are.  Trust me... I'm a big fan of apple and not so much of banana and I kept stealing his snacks and *accidentally* grabbing bananas instead of apple.  I was easily able to identify that I had not grabbed the piece I wanted because it tasted just like a banana!  Luckily, my son was more than happy to eat them all for me. ha!

You're little one (or big one.. or you) are going to love these.  My son participated in an Easter egg hunt this year that resulted in candy that he just couldn't eat yet (choking hazards...) so me and my husband ate the candy and filled his eggs with Yum-A-Roo's instead.  He not only didn't mind but it was the first time that day he had a smile on his face (he woke up a little early and was not amused by the egg hunt initially).  I'm not kidding when I say that he is crazy about these.

Quinoa Squares

I actually thought these would be my son's favorite because he loves quinoa.  We tried the sweet potato+apple+cinnamon as well as the pineapple+spinach (which I knew he would like because he likes when I put pineapple in his quinoa at home!) and although the Yum-A-Roo's were his favorite, he was a big fan of these as well.

These are shaped more like a puff cracker and are a little more flaky.  The only problem we had with them is that my son would sometimes crush them up (all over the floor, carseat, his lap, my lap...) because well, he could. He does the same with Ritz crackers.  The Quinoa Squares are made with organic fruits, vegetables, and cheeses with apple juice and coconut oil for sweetness.  Plus of course, quinoa which is a SUPER food! (If you don't eat quinoa, give it a try!  It's so good and so good for you.)

{See the green powdery looking stuff on top?  That's the spinach!}

When I first opened a package I didn't think there were very many in there but they must be filling because they seemed to satisfy my snack-loving son with only one bag (or sometimes less).  This certainly helps show the importance of real and healthy ingredients vs. filler because it would have taken a lot more of some other snacks we have tried in the past.

{Look at that one that is COVERED in the spinach/pineapple!  Love it!}

They come in individual serving sized bags which are easy for even the littlest babes to hold and easy for you to just grab and toss into your bag to have on hand for later.

Are you as sold on these as I am?  If so, you can buy the products I mentioned plus more (check out their website for snacks, NurturMeals, eco-pouch snacks and baby cereals) on their website or at several local stores such as Meijer, Whole Foods, Amazon and even Babies R Us (plus a whole slew of other places).  Check out this page to find a store near you that sells them.

Or... you could totally win them too.  NurturMe is giving away a HUGE starter package so that you can try all the different products.  Whoever wins will have to let me know what they think of the products I haven't tried yet.  I am definitely getting that quinoa baby cereal if we ever have another little one!

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Just a little more information about the company & other products:
NurturMe is the first and only family of certified-organic, dried fruit and veggie meals and snacks created to nourish healthy growth and overall wellness in little ones. Bursting with vital nutrients and fresh organic flavor, NuturMe’s Quinoa infant cereals, dried NurturMeals baby food and Yum-a-Roo’s toddler snacks help parents feed their children better from first bites to first steps, and everywhere in between.

NurturMe provides innovative and sustainable options for busy, modern parents to help ensure their children are getting the nutrition they need to live a yummy life – including the first 100% pure quinoa alternative to traditional rice cereals, dry pouch infant meals that can be mixed with breast milk or formula for added nutrients, and healthy toddler snacks that deliver 1.5 servings of fruit AND veggies in each pouch.

Made from specially selected super fruits and veggies that are quick-dried in order to preserve freshness, flavor and vital nutrients, NurturMe baby and toddler foods are certified organic, gluten-free, non-GMO and kosher, with no added preservatives, sugars or salts. Good for baby and Mother Earth, NurturMe’s dried fruit and veggie foods are super lightweight and made in the USA, leaving a smaller carbon footprint on our planet than the other options found in the baby aisle. Additionally, every 3-pack box of NurturMe Eco-Pouches keeps more than 45 plastic baby food squeeze pouches out of our landfills.

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann