Reviews & Giveaway: Choffy, Brad’s Raw Chips, Krill Oil by Everest Nutrition and the Nourished App

Since we began Paleo Parents, we’ve been increasingly and routinely asked to review books and products by people in and adjacent to the paleo community. At this point, we get so many we are unable to actually do the reviews of the products in a timely manner! That’s why we recruited the Paleo Parents Review Team to fill in the gaps. 

This week, we have Kari reviewing Choffy, Brad’s Raw Chips, Krill Oil by Viva Labs and the iOS app Nourished. Stay tuned to the end of the post for a giveaway of all these products!

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I had the pleasure of reviewing so many wonderful things this month!

First up, Choffy! My first thought was, “Hmmm, Choffy? Sounds like chocolate coffee?  What is it?”  It’s best explained on the back of their bags:

“Choffy is a rich and delicious brewed chocolate drink made from premium roasted and ground cocão (cocoa).  Choffy contains no sugar, dairy, gluten, or chemicals.  So not only does Choffy taste great, it’s really good for you.”  

I was lucky enough to try all three varieties of Choffy – Ivory Coast, IC Dark, and La Española. The preferred method of brewing Choffy is in a French Press: add 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water, stir and let steep for 5 minutes, stir again, and press. Since I did not own a French Press at the time, I tried the coffee maker instructions (same measurements). I first tried the Ivory Coast. The taste was great but the beverage seemed watered down.

After my first cup of Choffy, I decided to buy a French Press to see if there was a difference in flavor or thickness. When the French Press arrived I brewed the Ivory Coast again. Wow, what a difference! The Choffy’s consistency was thicker, closer to coffee, and the flavor was excellent! It reminded me of a less bitter hot cocoa made with water. I tried both the IC Dark and the La Española next. The La Española has a great nutty taste with a smoother finish on the tongue.  But woah, the IC Dark is like the original Ivory Coast but turned up a notch! It is smooth and rich and tasty! It felt a lot more substantial on the tongue.

Sadly, the contents of the IC Dark bag disappeared quickly. On what I thought was my last brew, I realized I didn’t have enough to make a full batch. I mixed the IC Dark with the original Ivory Coast and realized I had made a wonderful creation! Mixing the IC and IC Dark, for me, is a little taste of heaven. The consistency is thinner than IC Dark alone and the taste is slightly earthy with a great aftertaste.

So, why try Choffy?

1)  It’s delicious!

2)  It’s full of antioxidants! “There are more antioxidants in an 8oz. cup of Choffy than almost two servings of blueberries!”

3)  It contains the stimulant Theobromine: “Theobromine provides you with a healthy, heart-friendly, non-addictive energy lift without the crash or jitters of caffeine.”

Choffy is not only delicious; it definitely made me feel perkier!  Much perkier than when I drink coffee!

Brad’s Raw Chips

Brad’s Raw Chips are flavored chips made from a mixture of veggies, flax, and buckwheat groats ,which is then dehydrated to make a crispy and crunchy snack. I tried 4 flavors: Red Bell Pepper, Cheddar, Sweet Potato, and Sun Dried Tomato. The Cheddar flavor contained a chickpea miso which made it Paleo unfriendly but the other flavors I tried were completely Paleo friendly. They have many flavors but some of them contain the chickpea miso so make sure you peruse the ingredient list before you give them a taste.

The Sweet Potato flavor was my absolute favorite! It was a delightfully sweet, crispy dessert! I ate the entire bag in one sitting (by accident but it wasn’t difficult)! The Sun Dried Tomato was a close second place for me. The chip has whole flax seeds which makes it substantial enough to use for dipping. The chip had a hint of sweet that only a tomato can provide. The Red Bell Pepper is great too; it really tasted like a red pepper!

I cannot wait to try some other flavors. I’m so happy to find a grab-and-go snack that I don’t have to make!

Krill Oil by Viva Labs

Ever since I started my real food journey in January of 2012, I have been taking a fermented cod liver oil (FCLO) capsule to help add more Omega 3 fatty acids to my diet. At the end of April, I began giving Viva Lab’s Krill Oil a try.

“Viva Lab’s Krill Oil is extracted from Krill living deep within the waters surrounding the Antarctic. Krill are very small, shrimp-like crustaceans found in open seas throughout the world. Research from the scientific and medical communities confirms the incredible effects this oil can have in promoting heart and joint health, lowered cholesterol, improved moods and comfort during menstruation.”

Following the instructions on the side of the bottle, I took two capsules after breakfast every day for the past month. I noticed that I did not experience any fishy aftertaste like I sometimes did with the FCLO. I also noticed that during my latest cycle I did not have as many or as intense cramps as I use to have. I feel like I have been forgetting less than normal (maybe it’s all in my head…). I am famous for walking into a room and asking, “what did I come in here for?”  That has occurred less and less over the past month. I believe I will keep giving the Krill Oil a go and see what else improves!

Nourished App

The Nourished App is a grain-free recipe app for Apple iOS devices. The app contains a collection of recipes from bloggers George Bryant (Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations), Cara Comini (Health, Home & Happiness), Sarah Fragoso (Everyday Paleo), Melissa Joulwan (The Clothes Make the Girl), Sarah Smith (Nourished and Nurtured), and Bill Staley and Hayley Mason (The Food Lovers Kitchen).

The app is very easy to use. You can look up recipes by course, season, and the time required to prepare the dish. You can also filter recipes if you’re looking for nut-free, egg-free, and other options. The app currently contains 77 recipes and I am happy to see that more are being added! Once you choose a recipe, you can add it to your Cooking Queue, check it off when you’ve cooked it, and select if you’ve loved it. You can also write whatever notes you have about the recipe right in the app. From the recipe’s page, you can pull the tab on the right hand side to reveal the prep time, total cooking time, season, course, and a description of the recipe. When you select the bottom tab, the ingredient list and recipe instructions are revealed.

I cooked 3 recipes from the app from different blogger’s collections. The recipes were complete and easy to follow, not to mention delectable! I’m definitely happy to have this app and can’t wait for more recipes!

EAGER TO TRY ALL THESE PRODUCTS – HERE IS YOUR CHANCE! 

Our giveaway includes:

• One bottle of Krill Oil dietary supplements
• A sample assortment of Choffy
• A sample assortment of Brad’s Raw Chips
• A code to download the Nourished iOS App

To enter:

• Leave a comment telling us which of these products you are most excited to try
• Leave a comment for liking the pages of Choffy, Brad’s Raw Chips, and the Nourished App
• Leave a comment with what social media you follow us on (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.)
• Leave a comment if you place a new review for our podcast, The Paleo View, in iTunes

Remember Matt’s rules of giveaways:

1. Please use a valid email address when entering. I cannot use my dowsing rods to attempt to find which bytes form your contact address!
2. Please follow all the rules so I don’t get frustrated by invalid entries. Nothing makes more of a sad panda than picking a winner who I have to disqualify.
3. Please respond within 48 hours or I will have to pick a new winner! I have a certain set of skills that make me a nightmare to people who don’t respond: the ability to randomly draw again.
4. Please be a US resident. My mana is too low to cast a Teleportation Spell!

Giveaway will end on Monday, June 10 at midnight – winner to be announced on Tuesday, June 11.