Rice Snax -- organic, healthy snacks

You guys have been with me on my journey to good health and I've talked a lot about new foods I've been trying on my journey to eating more healthy. I've talked about using almond flour in place of white flour, I've talked about Edward & Sons' delicious, organic fruits and more. Right now, I want to talk about the tasty Rice Snax, which is my latest Edward & Sons favorite.

As someone who loves snack foods like chips, but wants to eat healthier (and without hours of cooking required), I adore these Rice Snax from Edward & Sons. They're easy snacks that are perfect for on-the-go, especially for someone like me who stays busy and tends to snack throughout the day rather than sit down for big meals. The only problem with this kind of eating is that it's usually unhealthy stuff. So I went looking for foods that would be way healthier than the processed, chemical-laden junk and something healthier. It took some time and talking to friends before I learned about Edward & Sons. I had wanted to try several of their products & knew that their Rice Snax would be something I really loved. Was I right? I was right!

The Rice Snax come in 4 different flavors -- garlic and onion, lightly salted, Bar-B-Q and Salt & Vinegar. All of those are flavors I have always loved for chips, but the garlic/onion and the lightly salted sounded just perfect for my taste buds. So these are the two I've tried... and loved!

The Onion Garlic Rice Snax are my absolute favorite! I love the lightly salted ones, too, but when you're craving a whole lotta flavor, the Garlic/Onion flavor is amazing.

The best thing about these Rice Snax is they are made of whole grain brown rice, which is healthy and much, much better for you than the refined flours in most chip and snack products. Another great thing is the flavor isn't the artificial junk, it's the real deal! The Garlic/Onion Rice Snax have a nice, tasty flavor instead of only having a hint of flavor. You can actually tell that it's real garlic flavoring, too.

The Rice Snax are crunchy, but not as hard as a tortilla chip, which I like because those tend to hurt my teeth. The Rice Snax are quite filling too!  Where I can keep eating an entire can of something like Pringles on and off throughout the day, I'll eat a handful of the Rice Snax and feel satisfied far before I reach the bottom of the bag. In fact, I think the boxes (2.5 servings per box) stretched a bit longer than just 2.5 servings. I guess real food actually does the trick and satisfies you better than junk food. Who woulda' known?

The Rice Snax are a low-calorie, low-fat snack, so you can basically enjoy the delicious taste without reaping the consequences like you would eating a bag of potato chips. In fact, they contain 0 grams trans and saturated fat.


Ingredients in the Garlic & Onion Rice Snax:

 Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour, Expeller-Pressed Palm Oil, Maltodextrin (from tapioca), Garlic Powder, Sea Salt, Onion Powder, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Yeast Extract.

*Note, instead of using harmful table salt, Edward & Sons uses sea salt! That's just awesome, in my opinion. Sea salt is such a better alternative health-wise to regular table salt. Plus, sea salt actually has health benefits. Rice Snax are baked, not fried and are topped with natural seasonings.



Nutrition Facts:

Servings per container: 2.5
Serving size: 30 grams.
Calories: 130
Calories from fat: 15
Saturated fat: 0 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 150 milligrams
Total carbohydrates: 23 grams
Dietary fiber: 1 gram
Sugars: 0 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Iron: 4%

The Lightly Salted Rice Snax are very similar to the Garlic & Onion flavored ones, only without the flavoring. These remind me a little bit of those baked regular chips, which are delicious, making the Rice Snax a perfect alternative.

Ingredients in Lightly Salted Rice Snax:
 Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour, Expeller-Pressed Palm Oil, Maltodextrin (from tapioca), Sea Salt.

Lightly Salted Rice Snax Nutrition Facts:
The nutrition facts are exactly the same as the ones I listed for the Garlic & Onion Rice Snax except for just a couple of things : Instead of 150 milligrams sodium, the Lightly Salted Snax contain slightly less -- 120 milligrams. Also, the total fat for the Lightly Salted ones is 1.5 grams, and calories: 120 (15 from fat) per serving.

A little about the company:

Edward & Sons Trading Co was founded in 1978 and is  family-owned and run. Their motto is very fitting: " "Convenience without Compromise" ®

I mentioned that their products were all organic, vegetarian and suitable for vegans. Edward & Sons do not tolerate  artificial ingredients in packaged foods so Edward & Sons™ products will never contain artificial flavors or colors, chemical preservatives or hydrogenated fats.

Their  product family encompasses several brands, including Edward & Sons ™, Native Forest®, Let's Do...Organic®, The Wizard's®, Premier Japan®, Let's Do...® and Road's End Organics®

Organic Pineapple and Mangosteen and the health benefits

       Organic Pineapple Chunks (in Organic Pineapple Juice)

The Organic Pineapple Chunks, distributed by Edward & Sons are 100% organic and are USDA Certified, and certified organic by QAI. And to put the icing on the cake, they're also Certified Kosher by Kehilla Kosher.  They're gluten-free and vegan.  All this information is right on the label. It also has a description of the pineapples and says they are a product of Vietnam.

                                    Here's the description on the label:

" Native Forest Organic Pineapples are conscientiously grown and packed according to principles of organic agriculture. Our mission is to offer you the most delicious and healthful natural fruits, while renewing the fertility of the soil using time-tested, organic methods. We believe organic practices make sense for the land, the people and the product.


We hand select ripe organic pineapples and pack the fruits in their own juice at the peak of freshness. You and your family will love the great flavor of Native Forest Organic Pineapples:

Consistently sweet, tender and delicious. The quality that you taste is only a hint of the care and expertise behind every Native Forest product. Enjoy!" 

The label also recommends chilling before serving, and refrigerating unused portions in a covered glass or plastic container. Use within four days. 

Serving suggestions: The ideal lunchbox snack, Organic Pineapple Chunks are also perfect in fruit cocktails and smoothies.There's 400 grams per can.

Edward & Sons' Native Forest pineapple chunks are Rich in Vitamin C.

Benefits of organic pineapple: 

Organic pineapple is a low-calorie, gluten-free, filling addition to a snack, smoothie (or other drink) as well as with a meal. They also contain 0 trans fat, 0 saturated fat. In other words, they contain no fat.

Besides that, it's also a really healthy fruit, especially since they are organic, so they aren't lacking the nutritional value that fruits usually lack due to pesticides, other chemicals and being processed. The Pineapple Chunks from Edward & Son's (Native Forest brand) is a much healthier & better tasting alternative to the typical chemical-filled pineapples.

Pineapples are very healthy, but not when they're laden with chemicals and stuff. As you've probably been told or read hundreds of times,  chemicals and pesticides and all that take away the nutritional value in foods that we were meant to have and benefit from. I'll shut up about that, though and talk about the benefits we could be getting from pineapple (organic, of course.)

Pineapples have been featured as one of the "world's healthiest foods" on whfoods.com. Pineapples contain Vitamin C, Manganese, fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, Copper and Folate.  It has been suggested that Pineapple may have anti-inflammatory and digestive health benefits, which is really amazing because most of the problems we suffer from, tend to be related to inflammation, and sometimes health conditions can be caused from inflammation. Anyways, another reason I say that's amazing is because I tend to have quite a lot of digestive issues, which I've came a really long way with, but it's great to know that the foods you are eating (and those you love) are beneficial there.

The Bromelain in pineapples has been researched (you can read in-depth about this by doing a search on it. Very interesting stuff!). Anyways, Bromelain, in a nut-shell, is helpful for the digestive system and intestinal tract. Bromelain has a lot of health benefits.

Pineapples also contain antioxidants, which fight free radicals (those are the things known to cause cancer.) and promote immune support. Pineapple  also offers protection against macular degeneration.

Personally, I don't like the syrupy taste of pineapples that are not organic. The added sugar/syrupy stuff added to the can leaves a taste that is nothing like what actual pineapples taste like. Plus, while I love the taste of pineapple, I hated that the canned ones (that are not organic) don't taste the best & they never fail to give me stomach problems! So, this is one of my big reasons for wanting to go with the organic pineapples from Edward & Son's. I've been wanting to add more natural foods into my diet for health reasons and all, and being a fruit lover, the options available from Edward & Son's was perfect. I've tried the organic pineapples & also their organic mangosteen! I've also tried two different flavors of their awesome rice snax, all of which I'll talk about here.



Ingredients: Organic Pineapple, Organic Pineapple Juice.
As you'll see, there's no artificial flavors, colors or other chemical ingredients that are found in the canned fruit you get find at grocery store.

Nutrition Facts:
3 servings per can. Calories per serving: 60.

 Dietary fiber: 1 gram
Sugars : 13 grams
Sodium : 10 milligrams
Iron : 2%
Vitamin C : 25%

                        Organic  Magosteen

This is the awesome Organic Mangosteen, also from Edward & Son's. I've wanted to try mangosteen for a very long time, so it was exciting to have found that Edward & Son's has it in organic. It's awful that there's even an option other than organic -- IMO, all food products should be organic, but that's another story.


P.S. Edward & Sons has a page dedicated to recipes and they look delicious! If you're interested, here's a recipe for Organic Mangosteen Ambrosia. 

Mangosteen is a delicious, filling snack that's great for those who like fruit, have a sweet-tooth or are looking to improve their diet and obtain better health. I like mangosteen because it's sweet and I love sweets, but don't like the bad health that comes with tons of cookies. Mangosteen is a really great alternative, especially since it has 0 fat, no artificial flavors and junky additives. Mangosteen is a really good fruit to eat on a regular basis for a little energy boost, fiber and free-radical fighting.

Ingredients:
  Water, Organic Mangosteen, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Citric Acid.

Notice the ingredients -- no added sugars and all that crap that makes you feel icky and is bad for your health. That's a plus. 


                                        Mangosteen Nutrition Facts:

140 grams

Serving size: 1/2 cup
Calories per serving : 90
Total fat: o grams
Saturated fat: 0 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol : 0 milligrams
Sodium: 10 milligrams
Total carboyhydrates: 23 grams
Dietary fiber: 1 gram
Sugars 22 grams
Vitamin B1: 4%
Vitamin B4: 4%

In these photos, you can see the organic mangosteen fruit. It's white-ish in color and most of them are full mangosteen pieces, not little bits floating around. To me, mangosteen tastes like a mix between pears and peaches. I think it's the texture that makes me think of pears. They taste great and the syrup is organic light syrup, so it doesn't taste funky and thick like most canned fruits' syrup tastes. It has a pretty watery taste to it. You could use the juice in a recipe or drink it, but I didn't do that. The organic pineapple juice, though, is delicious in so many drinks! I used it in a pina-colada drink I made using coconut water.

Inside some of the little pieces are seeds. They aren't hard, but they're soft and edible. You can spit them out, but I didn't mind eating them. They don't have a funky/bitter taste like say apple seeds.

                 Mangosteen's Health Benefits

Mangosteen contains polyphenols (Xanthones) and antioxidants. This is why mangosteen is known for its immune system-strengthening properties. It helps fight disease and infection as well as working wonders for inflammation in the body. Mangosteen is a natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, so it's great for your digestive system, especially for those suffering with problems like candidiasis. Mangosteen also promotes positive cardiovascular health. I read that research showed that mangosteen can promote healthy teeth and gums, too!

A little about the company:

Edward & Sons Trading Co was founded in 1978 and is  family-owned and run. Their motto is very fitting: " "Convenience without Compromise" ®

I mentioned that their products were all organic, vegetarian and suitable for vegans. Edward & Sons do not tolerate  artificial ingredients in packaged foods so Edward & Sons™ products will never contain artificial flavors or colors, chemical preservatives or hydrogenated fats.

Their  product family encompasses several brands, including Edward & Sons ™, Native Forest®, Let's Do...Organic®, The Wizard's®, Premier Japan®, Let's Do...® and Road's End Organics®