About ten years ago, I noticed a Betty Lou’s Almond Butter Ball in a health food store and I tried it. Then, I tried the Spirulina Ginseng Nut Butter Ball which is still a favorite of mine. In my head, back then, this was “kooky” health food. Well, times have changed! When I was doing my elimination diet this summer, I came across Betty Lou’s Fruit Bars. I decided to try one, because it was gluten and dairy free, and it was a small portion with good nutrition for a treat. Well, it was just delicious!
I emailed Betty Lou’s and was surprised to receive a call from John Sizemore, their VP of Sales – and Betty Lou’s son! John explained that they have been in business making healthy, good for you snacks since 1979! His mom started out of her own kitchen. Betty Lou’s has been making healthy, delicious “alternative” snacks for over 30 years. They use NO refined sugars, artificial ingredients or GMOs. All products are also gluten-free. They also have a helpful menu on the side of their site to browse by diet if you have food allergies or restrictions.
On their site, they say:
Have you ever tried a “health” food snack and thought, ‘man that tasted like cardboard’?… me too. But when you try Betty Lou’s snacks you will be hooked from the first bite. Delicious, healthy food! Food that not only tastes good, but makes you feel good. That’s the Betty Lou’s promise. Reinvigorate your body with any of our healthy snacks: high-protein shakes, low calorie cookies, nut butter balls, fruit bars, organic-certified bars and more! Make the right choice in taste and health and enjoy Betty Lou’s – the Northwest’s homegrown health shop.
ALL PRODUCTS CONTAIN ABSOLUTELY NO: Wheat, Refined Sugars, Hydrogenated Oils (No Trans Fat), Genetically Modified Ingredients (Non-GMO)
When I spoke to John, I explained that I was an avid runner and had lots of friends who participated in endurance sports. He told me he would send me a bunch of products so that I could try them and share them with lots of friends. He was not kidding! He sent me a HUGE box.
I made a little chart and highlighted my favorites!
They sent me:
As I said, I loved the Fruit Bars. I had tried Cherry. Then I had Apple and Blueberry. It was tough to pick a favorite! Molly agreed. She “loved the fruit bars. They are way better than a Fig Newton or nutrigrain bar.” Deb said that the Strawberry Fruit Bar was, “really good — liked the texture and ratio of “crust” to “filling” — not as sweet as I expected (but not sure if that is a pro or con!).” Another friend said, “So I’ve never been a big cherry person. It’s not my thing. These were pretty good though – lots of fruit filling. I imagine if you can’t eat gluten, you would be very happy having one of these for dessert.” Annabelle tried one to fuel her morning swim workout and gave it two thumbs up. She cannot have any gluten, so she was pretty overjoyed with this as suggested. Jeff texted me “I just had the Betty Lou’s Cherry Fruit Bar – it’s like cherry pie! I would like more of those!” Cliff liked the Cherry Fruit Bar, too. He thought that the pastry and cherry filling were “very tasty, not too “whole-grainy” in texture, the cherry filling had a very natural flavor and it was a good portion size – not too much.” He also said, “If someone just handed me the bar, I wouldn’t be able to tell it was gluten free.” Fruit bars are a clear winner for me and my friends! I am still steering mostly clear of gluten and these are now a go-to treat (and are less than 200 calories, too!)
I also love the Just Great Stuff Fruit Bars– especially the Just Great Stuff Chocolate Dream Greens. I loved the cocoa taste and it felt like a healthy AND decadent treat. Amanda said it best, “Mmmm. It tastes like a wonderful, not overly sugary, mid-morning brownie snack. I’ll take another, please! (This is my favorite of Betty Lou’s stuff) Amanda like the Just Great Stuff Superberry + Acai bar, too. She said, “It’s gluten free & vegan. That’s important to a lot of people… me? Not so much. I go for ingredients, taste and portability (otherwise known as runner- meets grad student life). This fruit and nut bar made me happy. It is a little high on the sugar side, but its “real” ingredients and smooth texture made it a perfect accompaniment to my lunchtime, haphazardly thrown together “salad.”
The Peanut Butter Nut Butter Balls and Coconut Macadamia have whey protein, but the Spirulina Ginger does not, so I tried that one again and shared the others. As I mentioned, I like the Spirulina balls alot. I forgot about the alarming green color – Stacy reminded me. She liked them, too, once she got beyond that. Jen tried the Peanut Butter and Spirulina and liked the Peanut Butter the best. She said, “Thanks for sharing your Betty Lou’s treats. I really like them. The peanut butter was of course my favorite, but all were really good. I liked that they felt more like a treat than eating an energy bar. They also seemed like real food, and good, wholesome snacks!” Amanda and her friends tried the Coconut High Protein Balls. She said, “I have never been a huge protein bar person. Let’s be honest, they tend to taste like crap. I was pleasantly surprised by this one’s milk-y coconut taste. I shared with fellow grad students, Allison and Michelle, during a break from class. They both loved it. Allison said she loved the not-greasy texture that many protein bars fall into while Michelle loved the taste and how filling it was! Two thumbs up from the girls.” Stacy expected them to be sweeter, but thought they were good and were “little power balls” for an afternoon pick me up! Regarding the Peanut Butter, Maureen said, “I really appreciate that it is a source of protein and b-complex vitamins since I need those as a vegetarian. It had a mild flavor, that was nice.”
I stopped eating dairy, so I did not try the Protein Shakes. Christine offered to try them for her kid’s smoothies that they have been making. She said, “The kids LOVED them. All of them. The chocolate, vanilla and orange. I added flax seed, bananas, berries and other fruits all depending on what I had in the house. I felt good that the kids were getting off to school with good protein, and they were happy because it was delicious for them. For me, I don’t like anything with sugar substitutes (even “natural” ones), and whether it was subconscious because I knew that or not, I felt they tasted a bit artificial. If Betty Lou’s had a version with natural sugar, I would love to try it.” Getting the kids to eat protein and healthier smoothies – definitely a win! These are low glycemic as well for people who are watching sugar.
The Angell Bars were somewhat controversial; I think everyone expected straight chocolate bars. Sapna and I liked the dark chocolate bar. It was more like a chocolaty breakfast bar with oats and almonds – I was told that by Amanda in advance. Sapna said, “The first bite I noticed how the dark chocolate wasn’t that sweet. The next few bites where I was able to taste the almond part in the center, I kept wondering if this tasted more on par with a protein bar. But, toward the last two bites, the bar had grown on me and I actually liked it and could see how it was really a candy bar. So, it was sort of an evolution.” Amanda pointed out that it is “Low in sugar (9g). Inside has almonds and oats so maybe like a chocolate cookie for gluten free people?” It grew on her, too. She said, “The first bite thinking it was a candy bar and not getting candy bar was a bit of a surprise. But it’s not bad – it is sort of like an oatie brownie. I really actually like the big almond pieces. Nice touch.” Maureen loved the milk and dark Angell Bars, she said, “hello, deliciousness!”
For more information, you can check out Betty Lou’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for product news and deals!
All in all, as you can see, we were big fans of this mother lode of treats! You don’t have to take our words for it, Betty Lou’s has offered to send this generous gift basket for one lucky winner!
Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Valid for US entrants, 18 and over only and void where prohibited. The giveaway will close on 12/12 and winner will be notified on 12/13.
The website has a store finder – if you see some Betty Lou’s at your local store, check them out. You’ll be glad you did!
Please note: I was not compensated for this review. All products were provided to me at no charge in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and those of my friends.
PS. There is still time to win in my Giving Tuesday Giveaway, my FB Page Skechers Giveaway and a December double stuff gift from Yumvelope (I won November!!)