Coconut Water! Goji Berries! Dragonfruit! Oh My!

Before I get into tonight's review post of a few Nativas Naturals superfood products, I have an important announcement about everyone's favorite vegan snack box from Vegan Cuts! I've blogged about Vegan Cuts' monthly surprise box filled with vegan snacks before, but if you're not familiar here's some background. Anyway, if you order the June box by the 14th, you get a bonus $15 gift card to VeganChic.com (the place to go for vegan shoes and handbags). Click here to order.

Okay, now onto tonight's review. I've been a fan of Nativas Naturals products for years. Their raw Cacao Powder, Cacao Nibs, and Trail Mixes are amazing, so I was excited to try three of their new products. Sadly, I have mixed feelings about a few of them.

But let's start with the one I loved — Cacao Goji Superfood Power Snack.

I've long been a fan of Nativas Naturals Power Snacks, namely the Blueberry Hemp snacks. But these Cacao Goji bites may have blueberry beat. Each bite is about 100 calories and chock full of good-for-you stuff, like cacao, chia, sesame seeds, goji powder, maca powder, lucuma powder, macu-macu powder. You know, all the superfoods you've heard of but wouldn't be able to pick out of a lineup if you saw one. Who really knows what macu-macu looks like anyway? But we know it's good for us! I really love that these are made with a base of date paste, since dates are always the main ingredient in my homemade energy bars.

Next up is something I wanted to love — Chocolate Freeze-dried Coconut Water Powder.

I typically drink coconut water (or Vega Electrolytre Hydrator) after my runs to restore electrolytes lost during the workout. But coconut water is expensive. When I heard Nativas Naturals had a coconut water powder that could be added to water for an instant electrolyte beverage, I was pretty excited. It only takes one tablespoon per serving, and I thought this could be a less costly option than buying canned coconut water.

The directions say you're supposed to stir the powder into a glass of water. But much like cocoa powder, this stuff clumps in water. When stirring failed to break up the clumps, I put a lid on a mason jar and shook it up, martini-style. But even still, clumps.

Taste-wise, it's pretty good. I like the chocolate flavor, which comes from all-natural cacao powder. But sipping down a powder clump is no fun. I found that I could avoid the clumps by using a thin glass straw though. But I hope Nativas Naturals continues to perfect this product.

Finally, let's talk dragonfruit. Specifically, Nativas Naturals Sundried Dragonfruit Slices.

Yes, I ripped the bag up trying to get into these. I was so eager to try dragonfruit for the first time!

But guess what? I apparently don't like dragonfruit very much. This isn't Nativas Naturals fault, of course. This tropical superfruit tasted too savory for my liking. The hundreds of tiny seeds make for a crunchy texture, which I liked, but the taste of those seeds is nutty, almost flaxy. And the fruit itself isn't sweet enough to balance it out.

That being said, it's a source of protein, omega-3, and vitamin C. The texture of the dried fruit is a little like fruit leather, which makes it perfect for traveling or hiking or camping. If you're into not-so-sweet fruit, you might like this. So give it a try and decide for yourself.

Meanwhile, I'll be over here downing this whole delicious bag of Cacao Goji Power Snacks.