Foods Alive – Life Giving and Mineral-Rich Artisan Crafted Organic Raw Living Foods In business since 2002
I am choosing to quote info from the company and their website, as they explain about the products very well and I wanted to make sure I give them credit for it. I am simply giving my reviews of the products based on tasting and using them to create delicious recipes which you can watch me make on my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/TheRawsomeVeganGal
First some history of my connection with this family-owned company. I met them at Expo West in Anaheim, CA in the early days of their company (can’t remember exactly what year) and right away took a liking to them, first as people and then for their products. They had a booth at the show and I tried their products. We stayed in touch and the next year, I had the pleasure to stay with them when they came to Anaheim for the trade show. Over the years I had tried some of their flax products, specifically, their crackers as they were in the process of expanding and started to make their golden flax seed oils and dressings. Recently, I received some emails from them about their products and decided to contact them to review their products. Thanks Michael, Ellen, Matt and Tammy for all that you do and what you stand for. You are all great examples for sustainability and healthy living, yourselves and through your products, as well.
From Foods Alive website: http://www.foodsalive.com/?Click=827
We source the highest quality and best tasting super foods from across the globe to bring you and your family the most mineral rich and nutrient dense foods available. Super Foods are a great source of Anti-oxidants, Amino Acids (proteins), Dietary Fiber and many other hard to find essential vitamins and minerals that are necessary for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Flax Seed Products
Organic Golden Flax Crackers
Quoted from an email sent to me by Foods Alive:
Here at Foods Alive we make the best tasting flax crackers around!
We start with organic golden flaxseeds, grown in mineral rich soil to deliver the best taste. Soaking the flax to begin the germination (sprouting) process unlocks a plethora of nutrients and decreases the enzyme inhibitors and tannins. This essentially turns the flax seeds into life giving super foods. The next phase is adding just the right amount of herbs and spices until the taste is perfect.
To preserve all the vital nutrients and ensure the best possible product a custom built dehydrator dries the crackers at a low temp until they are perfectly crisp. How low you ask? Well you can plant our crackers and they will continue to sprout and grow. Now that’s a living superfood!
Our super crackers come in 6 scrumptious flavors: Original, Onion Garlic (instead of garlic bread), Mexican Harvest (croutons for taco salad), Italian Zest (great to snack on), Hemp (great for dips and spreads) and last but certainly not least, Maple & Cinnamon (great smeared with nut butter or crumbled on your oatmeal).
We are currently working on 3 new flavors: Zen, Ginger Snap, and Cheez (vegan of course) so check back regularly!
My review of the flax crackers and super sprinkles (made from the leftover crumbs of the flax crackers).
I received these flavors to try: Onion Garlic, Mexican Harvest and Italian Harvest. They are all very crunchy and have a light crisp taste. They are not like “bricks,” as I have tasted some flax crackers in the early days of them being produced by other companies and didn’t taste very good. My favorite one was the Italian flavor, as I like the herbs and spices used in them and it is mild tasting, yet flavorful. My next favorite was the Onion and Garlic and then finally the Mexican – it is a bit hot and spicy for me when I eat it by itself, but still it’s good.
I had samples of the Super Sprinkles in the same three varieties as the flax crackers. They are much easier to digest they eating the raw flax seeds out of the package. They can be used on green salads as croutons, on quinoa tabouli for an added crunch, in coleslaw, casseroles and even as a garnish for you gazpacho soup. I also like snacking on them right out of the bag and you can make a savory trail mix with dehydrated shredded shoestring vegetables and jungle peanuts.
Raw Flax Seed
From Foods Alive site: Foods Alive offers the cleanest and best tasting organic golden flax seed on the market. Flax contains high levels of dietary fiber including lignans, an abundance of micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids. Flax fibers are amongst the oldest fiber crops in the world. The use of flax for the production of linen goes back at least to ancient Egyptian times. To continue reading: http://www.foodsalive.com/Golden-Flax-Seed-Organic-14-oz-p/0050.htm?Click=827
My review of flax seeds: they are not digestible in their “raw” state like the crackers and sprinkles and need to be ground or soaked in order to use them. Then you can use them on you cooked oatmeal or other hot cereal, sprinkled on your salad, added to your dressing, sauce or made into a spread/butter.
Raw Chia Seed
From Foods Alive website: One ounce of Chia seed contains as much omega-3 as 8-ounces of salmon, as much calcium as a cup of milk, as much fiber as 1/3 cup of bran, as much iron as 1/3 cup of spinach leaves, as much vitamin C as 2 oranges, and as much potassium as half a banana….to read more: http://www.foodsalive.com/Organic-Chia-Seeds-Raw-p/0025.htm?Click=827
My review: Most of us remember chia from the commercial years ago on TV for the Chia Pet. You water it and it grows chia sprouts all around the pet. Now chia has come back into popularity and the benefit, is that you can use it without grinding and is digestible. It is great for making puddings, sprinkled on salads oatmeal, quinoa added to smoothies and homemade jams to thicken them. It has great versatility and is a much better alternative for making jello then is the chemically filled gelatin sold in supermarkets.
Raw Hulled Hemp Seed
From Foods Alive website: Hulled hemp seeds provide all the nutritional benefits of whole seeds without the crunchy hull. They taste similar to that of a pine nut or sunflower seed and can be eaten as a snack or added to your favorite soups, sauces or dips.. Packed with Omega-3 & 6 EFA’s Hemp seeds are one of nature’s best sources for plant-based protein, containing all of the essential amino acids the body needs. To read more info: http://www.foodsalive.com/Hulled-Hemp-Seeds-Organic-8-oz-p/0038.htm?Click=827
My review: I have always liked hemp seeds and they are loaded with EFA’s and so versatile. You can grind up and make your own fresh nut butter and then you can take that and add water to make hemp milk. You can leave it whole and sprinkle on your salads, grain dishes, sprinkle as a garnish on your soup, or grind to make a spread, dip, sauce or dressing. They are soft, taste very creamy and are digestible without the need to grind them.
Raw Black Sesame Seed
From Foods Alive website: Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for mitigating premature gray hair, and to nourish and fortify the liver and kidneys. These nutrient-dense seeds are also said to help blurred vision, tinnitus, and dizziness. An extremely good source of calcium, fiber, protein, phosphorous, iron, magnesium and more. To read more: http://www.foodsalive.com/Black-Sesame-Seed-Organic-14-oz-p/0049.htm?Click=827
My review: I remember using black sesame seeds when I studied macrobiotics, as they have medicinal properties in ancient medicine. We sometimes made gomashio (sesame salt – sesame seeds dry roasted with salt and then grinded in a mortar and pestle for a condiment) using the black instead of the brown sesame seeds. I like to grind and make a spread or dressing with them. They have a rich nutty flavor. Just like the brown seeds are used, these can be used to make nut butter/tahini. I have also added them to desserts. They are high in calcium that is a digestible form, as opposed to cow’s milk that the human body can not break down to use.
Raw Jungle Peanuts
From Foods Alive website: Jungle Peanuts are beautiful heirloom nuts, wild crafted by the Ashuar tribe of the Amazon. These amazing heirloom peanuts are quite likely the original ancestors to all the commercial nuts grown today. Beautiful to behold, they’re long and lean, with a deep chocolate-colored stripe. Aflatoxin Free! To read more: http://www.foodsalive.com/Jungle-Peanuts-Organic-8-oz-p/0026.htm?Click=827
My review: I first found these at my local health food store and had not eaten peanuts in a very long time, as I heard that they were not recommended because of their toxicity. These peanuts have a taste like nothing else. First you can eat the skins, they taste quite sweet and best of all don’t have the dreaded aflatoxin! I can snack on them all day! You can eat them right out of the bag, make a trail mix with them or grind into the healthiest fresh peanut butter. Most importantly, you are supporting an indigenous culture in the Amazon rainforest that harvest these heirloom peanuts and is working to gain legal title to their ancestral lands.
Raw Goji Berry
From Foods Alive website: Goji berries have been traditionally regarded as a longevity, strength-building, and potency food of the highest order. They contain 500 times the amount of vitamin C, by weight, of oranges, plus 18 amino acids, and are jam packed with a combination of polysaccharides, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. To read more: http://www.foodsalive.com/Goji-Berries-Organic-8-oz-p/0028.htm?Click=827
My review: I became familiar with goji berry when I started eating raw food. It is shaped like a raisin, but a bit less plump and a bit longer. It is different then most other dried fruit, because is a “superfood” and have the highest ORAC antioxidant value then any other food. They are very sweet and tasty. You can eat them straight from the bag, use to make a trail mix, soak and blend with other fruit for a smoothie, sweet sauce or dressing and you can also sprinkle it on your green salad. Ypu can also use to make desserts adding them to your cookies, muffins, etc. I usually snack on them out of the back for a quick “energy boost.”
Raw Cacao Nibs (Indonesian)
From Foods Alive website: The original chocolate chip…our truly raw cacao nibs from Bali, Indonesia are a treasure of vitamins and minerals, a delight for the senses and food for the mind. ‘Food of the Gods’, is the literal translation of the name given to everyone’s favorite food! Organic Raw Chocolate has never been so good! To read more: http://www.foodsalive.com/Cacao-Nibs-Indonesian-Organic-8-oz-p/0055.htm?Click=827
My review: Cacao came on the raw food scene with somewhat of an explosive affect. I tried some from other companies, but was not impressed. They tasted very dry and bitter. I stopped using it completely and then, unbeknownst to me, I was sent the cacao products from Foods Alive (as I did not request them for review). I felt that I ought to try them again to see what I think. These ccacao nibs did not taste bitter like those I previously ate and were actually tasty. I prefer to eat them as a trail mix with jungle peanuts and goji berries. You can grind them for truffles, too.
Raw Cacao Powder (Dominican)
From Foods Alive website: This cacao is grown on the small island of the Dominican Republic under a dense forest canopy basking in the shade of tropical fruit trees and Caribbean sun. ‘Food of the Gods’, is the literal translation of the name given to everyone’s favorite food! Organic Raw Chocolate has never been so good!
For more info: http://www.foodsalive.com/Cacao-Powder-Dominican-Organic-8-oz-p/0056.htm?Click=827
My review: When I opened this cacao powder, there was a sweet smell coming out of the bag, as if I was back in my childhood when I have Nestle Quik and made chocolate milk (although I don’t remember that it smelled as good, or if it did was probably because of the chemicals in the ingredients). It has such a warm aroma and I is probably because of how it is grown. This is a very versatile product packed with antioxidants. You can make “healthy” chocolate milk, smoothies, truffles, fudge, sauce, add to cookies and other desserts.
Raw Carob Powder
From Foods Alive website: Often used as an alternative to chocolate, Carob tree cultivation dates back to historic times. An evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean, it is part of the legume family. The tree produces an edible seeded fruit pod that the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans are said to have eaten raw for natural sweetness. For more info: http://www.foodsalive.com/Carob-Powder-Organic-8-oz-p/0045.htm?Click=827
My review: I have always been a “fan” of carob and carob powder since my childhood. We would sometimes get it in the pod and I would suck on it and soften the skin and eat it. Others think it is dry and tasteless. My Mom used to make grated apple with some carob on top to help with “bathroom” issues. I always liked it, even if it was a remedy. I have tasted other raw carob powders, but this one, first has a light blond color and also smells naturally sweet. If you are concernd about stimulants like caffeine and theobromine in chocolate, then this is a great alternative. I have used it to make truffles, added to a seed spread, used to make a sauce, smoothies and endless types of desserts.
Raw Maca Powder
From Foods Alive website: Maca is a superfood herb with an outstanding ability to increase energy, endurance and strength. To Andean Indians, organic maca is a highly valuable commodity. Maca is also a favorite of raw-foodists, vegetarians, adventurers, extreme athletes, dessert chefs and food alchemists. For more info: http://www.foodsalive.com/Maca-Powder-Organic-8-oz-p/0029.htm?Click=827
My review: This is one of my favorite superfoods. It comes from Peru and is an adaptogenic root that grows high up in the mountains. I can say it is “YUM!” It has such a nice naturally sweet taste and is strengthening to the body. I like to use this for my smoothies, desserts, nut milks and sweet sauces. I could probably put some on a spoon and eat it like that because it is so good!
This company offers so many great raw organic super foods to nourish and help you to achieve vibrant health. If you have not tried any as yet, now you have more information to do so. You can check out their website: http://www.foodsalive.com/?Click=827 to purchase direct or find which stores carry their products.
Disclaimer: I was not sponsored to write this, but I did receive a sample of the product(s). These are strictly my opinions. I only review products that I, myself would use and purchase.
My r-Awesome Life 