My name is Gena, and you can call me the reluctant superfoodie.
Ever since I first began writing this blog, I’ve shared openly my skepticism about panaceas, health “gurus”, and superfoods. This is not to say that I’ve never enjoyed those foods—maca, spirulina, chlorella, goji berries, lucuma, yacon, acai—that are often given the label of “super.” It simply means I’ve always wondered what the difference between these and other nutrient dense foods is, aside from a hefty price tag.
This summer, however, my skepticism was tempered by my discovery of my friend Julie’s book Superfood Cuisine, which inspired me to reevaluate the unique properties of many “superfoods,” and to appreciate their tastes. Now, a small love affair with superfoods is being fueled by some recent gifts from my friends at Navitas Naturals, who wanted to share a few of their new products with me:
That’s yacon syrup, mesquite (a favorite of mine!!), and two of their new portable snacks:
These remind me of “chunks of energy,” which many of you have probably tried at health food stores, but they’re less dense and (frankly) dry. The citrus chia flavor is very bright and tasty, though if unsoaked chia bothers you, you’ll want to try the goji cacao instead. Both are totally delicious, and I’ve been enjoying these little bursts of superfood goodness as both daytime snacks and desserts.
My favorite new Navitas offering, however, is their “superseed blend,” which is an Omega 3 and 6 rich blend of flax, chia, and brown rice.
I usually alter between chia and flax in my cooking: in my juice pulp crackers, for example, I’ve used both flax and chia as binders and bases. In the end, I like them for different reasons: flax makes my crackers crunchier, and chia makes them a little more neutral tasting (for more of a side-by-side comparison, check out this post). With this new blend, I don’t have to choose! The texture ends up someplace in between, and it’s a perfect happy medium for me. Brown rice, meanwhile, adds a little heft and nutritional density.
It’s often the case that foods compliment each other nutritionally: I think we all know the famous example of rice and beans pairing up to offer the full spectrum of essential amino acids. I like that Navitas is thinking synergistically lately: in this case, the combination of raw, sprouted and organic chia and flax makes for a fairly ideal EFA balance.
So far, I’ve used this blend in smoothies, in some raw tomato flatbread, and even as a salad topper. But my favorite application is obviously this:
Those broccoli/carrot/beet/cucumber pulp crackers came out of the dehydrator only moments ago, and I absolutely can’t wait to pack them up for school tomorrow!
If you’re looking for a very easy way to incorporate more EFAs (essential fatty acids) into your diet, if you’d like a binding agent that’s someplace in between chia and flax, or if you simply want a break from the usual flaxseed in your morning oats, I highly recommend this new blend! You can look for it in Whole Foods, or check out the Navitas website for more info.
Tomorrow, I return, with yet another raw nori roll to die for!
xo
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I love superfoods too. I usually buy from Sunfood, though. They have lots of different types of amazing products. Has anyone heard of them?
Yup. They’re good!
I use super foods sparingly.
Thank you for this review.
I’ve always wondered about the credibility of “superfoods” but since I’m just a high school student, I don’t really want to ask for them or ask my parents to. I bet I’ll live without all of them anyway! ๐ Still, it’s interesting!
Those bites sound awesome! I’m a fan of Navitas products but I just wish they’d stock them better in the UK! I was so surprised when I went home for the summer (to the Middle East) and found a much wider range of their products available than in London.
Sounds good..err..super! I am totally going to try one of your flatbreads sooner than later! Do you get nervous though, leaving the oven on for all that time?
Great review! I wasn’t a fan of the citrus bites, the chia in my teeth was gag worthy! Lol! The cacao flavor was yummy though! ๐
The Cheapest Superfoods… Gena, did you do a post on this at one point? Your favorite non-“super” superfoods? I thought that was great!
Can I just make a half-serious prediction: I think that dried plums are going to be the next “it” superfood. Why? A study in the British Journal of Nutrition (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21736808 for the abstract, May 2011) was just published showing consumption of prunes SIGNIFICANTLY improved bone health in the participants.
Got prunes?
These new blends sound delish. Wish I wasn’t allergic to nuts and most seeds. Can someone wave a magic superfood wand my way?
Wonderful post and what a great superseed blend. I know both chia seeds and flax are fabulous foods, but I sometimes struggle to keep them in my diet regularly. This looks like a perfect addition to smoothies!
Oooh, lucky lady!
I really like Navitas. Great cacao nibs! I think it’s kind of ridiculous to find a bag of maca going for $23.99 at Whole Foods…but maybe I wouldn’t be so bitter if I hadn’t shelled out for it ;-). Not for full price though, thank goodness. I was much happier with the mesquite I’ve tried.
The problem I find with superfoods, which isn’t the fault of the superfoods themselves, is how they get commercialized and turned into media sensations, like goji berries and acai. Organic wild blueberries just aren’t as smexy? I think it allows for a lot of price gouging and whatnot. I don’t argue against capitalism and I admire Whole Foods for their generous return policy, but it’s kind of eye rolling to see something being sold as rocket fuel when it’s just a snazzy root powder.
I have to hand it to Navitas for making their raw products probably more accessible that many other brands, I see them more often than others and more affordablely priced as well. I wish I could get a goodie basket from them, any chance of a giveaway???
Neat! I am no big fan of super foods either (mostly due to my very limited student budget) but those crackers look AWESOME! Lucky ducky you are that they just send you stuff!
Changed. Not hanged!!
Im so jealous of your loot! You introduced me to chia seeds and it hanged my breakfasts forever…. And ive even gotten a few “hippie food” sketptics hooked too! Have you tried to make a chia pudding with the blend? Would it work?? I love the idea of the blend but if i cant make it into pudding thats a deal breaker for me…. Thanks!
Gena,
Can I just piggyback on Katie’s comment…if you have any comments about dehydrators, I would love to read them too.
Thanks,
Michelle
My apologies if you’ve already covered this in a previous post, but do you have a recommendation for a dehydrator, if I was going to buy my very first one? Thanks!
Wow, Gena! You are so fortunate to have received these for complimentary review. Lucky ducky. I would love to try these! Thanks for the great info, per usual.
Stay lovely,
Heather
I’ve always been a skeptic of “foods that make health claims” as Micahel Pollan put it, and I thought of these superfoods in that category. I do think that industry pushes foods like acai for their supposed weight loss benefit, and I don’t necessarily believe that’s what’s meant by the term “superfood”, and after reading your posts I would like to get my hands on Julie’s book and take a look for myself. For now, perhaps I’ll give some of these products a shot (with my LivingSocial WF gift card!). Thanks for the honesty, as always!
I received the Power Snack cubes. The citrus was so usual and unique (different than the typical chocolate-based flavors) and I loved the chocolate, too. And yes, very similar to Chunks of Energy but I did notice all the little chia seeds (in my teeth..lol) that were more pronounced.
Thanks for your reviews and product thoughts!
I’ve seen a lot of Navitas products at stores I frequent, but I’ve never seen that yacon syrup before! I’ve tried their dried yacon slices, but syrup sounds great. I’m so jealous of your loot! Navitas makes an acai powder that I really want to try. Great company!
You are one lucky girl! I wish I could try all of their products – especially that mesquite. I have purchased the superseed before and totally agree with you – it’s a great product.