As you all know – I have been trying to shape my diet to have more veggies and fruits to replace meat. One of the harder things that I have run into while changing my eating around is my snacking.
Now, I didn’t snack on meats but I do have smaller meals or meals that will leave me slightly less full. I keep drinking water but sometimes you just need to nosh. I mentioned in my post about Asbury Fresh that I had met Shelly at her booth titled “She’s Got Balls”. I saw her again this past weekend and we got to chatting a bit! She is super nice and had even more to offer this time around, so I picked up the *Coco Mint Treat.
A picture with the ingredients listed on the back – just for everyone who is curious.
First of all…this is DELICIOUS! It definitely tastes minty, which is one of my favorite flavors. I will admit though, mint is something that can be hit or miss with me. For instance I love mint ice cream but I am not a huge fan of York Peppermint Patties. Weird right? The green coloring in the patty comes from avocado, which was used as a stand in when she was baking. All of her treats are vegan, so I am not totally sure how substitutes work when baking but this was a great success.** I don’t taste an avocado flavor, but I do get the smoothness and nice texture when I take a bite. The chocolate is perfect. It says on the packaging that it is a semi-sweet chocolate, and the flavor works very well with the sea salt and coconut that’s included as well.
You can find Shelly’s NEW website over here.
* DISCLAIMER: I wanted to take some really great “food porn” shots of this little guy…but once I started eating it I couldn’t stop. That’s just how delicious it was!! I will probably have to go back and get some more then next time I visit Asbury Fresh.
** JEN’S NOTE: If readers are curious, there is a great guide on Fork and Beans about egg substitutes, dairy substitutes, and fat substitutes.
The other snack I want to talk about can be found at Freshicas in Fair Haven NJ. The company is 2 Armadillos – and the treat is a little bag of “Spicy Cayenne Crispy Chickpeas”.
Probably one of the cutest labels I have ever seen.
My friend Keith told me about these from the last time he visited Freshicas. It’s a small little juice bar inside a deli down the street from work. Whenever I go in there it smells delicious because they are juicing different fruits and veggies all day long. On my own previous visit I saw the bag on the counter and decided to give them a chance.
The texture is not what I expected. I know the bag says that they are crispy, but I for some reason suspected that there would be a slight softness in the middle. These babies are crispy on outside AND inside. It’s not bad, but I think it distracts from the flavor, just a smidge. All in all, these are great for in between meals. They gave me a sense of fullness and I didn’t even eat the entire bag. And they have the right amount of kick that I like from spicy food.
Front and back again – just for the curious reader.
The company of 2 Armadillos was started by Jimmy and Greg, who had decided that they wanted to create a health conscious and delicious snack while working their busy day jobs. The first batch of crispy chickpeas was made in Greg’s apartment in an old oven that barely worked. Once he brought them to work with him and realized that they were a hit with his co-workers, he knew he had something special. He and Jimmy were definitely right! These are delicious, filling, and a great alternative to something out of the vending machine.
You can order from 2 Armadillos and learn more about their process here. I highly recommend them and I will certainly be picking these up if I go into Freshicas again soon.
