Swanson Vitamins & More

If you’re a health & nutrition nut like myself, you know that vitamins and supplements can be a great appendage to your diet and exercise plans.  You also probably know that these items can get a bit costly at places like GNC and other drug stores.  When I heard about Swanson Vitamins online, I figured they were just like any other run-of-the-mill source for pills and thrills.  After checking out their site, there were a few things that I found to be drastically different than other sources I’ve found in the past:

1.  They’ve got a “Seven Leave Guarantee“

Basically, if you don’t like what you’ve ordered you get 100% money back guarantee.  They are SO sure of their products that you have nothing to lose when trying them.  Returns up to 1 year later, no questions asked.

2. They’ve got a ”Price Matching Policy“.  They’re not trying to scam you, marking up prices on products to increase profit for them.  They are all about the customer. 

3. They are incredibly resourceful. I know it can be scary jumping into a world of unfamiliar pills, but there’s actually an application on the site where you can chat with a representative about any questions you may have about some of the supplements. 

4.  They’ve got a HUGE variety of brands.  Organic foods, vitamins, supplements, teas, eco-friendly cleaners, natural beauty products, etc. Some of my favorites are NOW Foods, Nature’s Way, Jarrow Formulas, Inc., Twinlab, and Nutiva.   

5. They’ve got their own blog, too So check them out and leave some love on their posts!

Ben, from the company, kindly offered up a $25 coupon so I could pick and choose somethings to review for you guys! Thanks, Ben!

Here are the goodies I chose & my honest opinions of each:

This bottle is probably the best product I received from Swanson.  I loved the nutritional value of the amino acids and the fact that it was yummy just drizzled over broccoli slaw in place of soy sauce!

Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

“Derived from soybeans that feature 16 amino acids in naturally occurring amounts, Bragg Liquid Aminos is an all-purpose seasoning for all your favorite meals. Get taste you’ll love and nutrition you deserve with this certified non-GMO liquid protein concentrate.”

 

 

Speaks for itself, right?

Next, I got two Nutiva Hemp Bars to try.

“Flaxseed’s popularity has grown in recent years as more and more people have become aware of its excellent nutritional profile. It is a natural source of essential fatty acids (EFAs). Then Nutiva adds everyone’s favorite chocolate for a nourishing, satisfying treat. Tasty and nutritious. Outstanding Omega-3 content.”

The chocolate was pretty awesome and reminded me of a healthier version of cocoa krispies!  I love the crunch factor in these bars…not to mention the healthy fats.  The nutrition stats were about the same for each, so I only posted one label.

 Third, I tried this mix of dried fruit & nuts from Eden Organic.

Wild Berry Mix Nuts, Seeds, & Berries

Ingredients: Organic dry roasted almonds, organic dry roasted pumpkin seeds, organic raw sunflower seeds, organic raisins, organic cranberries (organic cranberries, organic apple juice concentrate, organic sunflower oil), organic wild blueberries (organic wild blueberries, organic apple juice concentrate, organic sunflower oil)

This stuff was delicious to eat by the handful, straight from the bag…I mean…perfectly portioned ontop of things like oatmeal & salad…   LOVED the pumpkin seeds & blueberries.  The salty/sweet combo is amazing, done right.

Speaking of oatmeal, I wanted to try a Muscle Milk N’ Oats Bowl, since I’m constantly on the run, I figured something convenient and portable for breakfast was a great idea!

SUPER easy to make.  You just peel back the paper flap covering the top of the bowl, fill it with hot water, or cold and then microwave, and enjoy!  I will NEVER complain about the 30g of protein, either   Maybe one of the creamiest protein oatmeal bowls I’ve ever had!

Other Ingredients: Whole Grain Rolled Oats (with Oat Bran), EvoPro™ (Micellar Alpha and Beta Caseins and Caseinates, Whey Concentrates Rich in Alpha-Lactalbumin, Whey Isolates, Whey Peptides, L-Glutamine, Taurine, Lactoferrin), Lean Lipids™ Trans Fat Free Lipid Complex (Canola Oil, Sunflower and/or Safflower Oil, Enzyme Engineered Polyunsaturated Long-Chain Vegetable Oils, MCTs, L-Carnitine),Fructose, Maltodextrin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Modified Food Starch, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Niacinamide, Vitamin A Palmitate, Cyanocobalamin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Soy lecithin

LOVE that it has casein & whey proteins in it, along with healthy fats too!

Now for the products I wasn’t too keen on…

Organic Cacao Nibs

In all fairness, I’m pretty sure I have no clue how I’m supposed to use these.  I’ve heard other bloggers talk about them before, so I wanted to try them out…they’re rather bitter, which I didn’t expect!

The description says it tastes like chocolate, but I beg to differ…

“Want the real antioxidant benefits from chocolate that you’ve heard so much about? Skip the chocolate candy bars at the store and pick up a bag or our Certified Organic Raw Cacao Nibs. Made from real cacao beans, this tasty snack is earthy, nutty in flavor with a hint of chocolaty sweetness. Experts agree that adding organic whole foods into your daily diet is one of the best ways to defend and preserve your health. So when it comes time to snack, be sure to have some healthy snacks on hand.”

 

If I’m going to eat chocolate for 130 calories & 6g of fat, I want it to TASTE like chocolate…

 

Another product that didn’t “wow” me, was the Arrowhead Mills Organic Puff Kamut Cereal.  I’m a HUGE cereal fan, but I should’ve known better

 

I mainly chose it because I’m a cereal monster, and the nutrition facts were stellar.  It was tolerable with some sugar-free maple syrup, fiber one cereal, and almond milk in the bowl with it, but to eat alone, I couldn’t do it. 

 

Only 50 calories in a 1 cup serving?  It was too good to be true, I guess.  This was the case where you have to sacrifice flavor for nutrition, I suppose. If you like plain cereal, you might like it, though? 

 

Lastly, the absolute grossest thing that I tried was the Planetary Herbals Stevia Liquid Concentrate.

 

First off, I have tried other Stevia products before…even ones in eye drop looking containers like these.  Never, have I ever seen a Stevia concentrate that was black colored…Every version I have ever tried was clear…

It freaked me out a bit, but I kept an open mind.   I first tried it in coffee, but was not a fan.  I realize that Stevia is a “different” taste, but this stuff was downright yucky.  I think I poured the rest of my java down the drain after this contaminated it.  The site says you can use it in cooking, too…so I tried…to no avail.  I’m sorry, but I cannot recommend this to anyone.  In fact, I may ask Ben if I could possibly try a different brand because I have had Stevia that I liked before!

 

A HUGE thank you to Swanson for helping me find some new and fabulous products to try out!  Like I said before, shopping with Swanson, you can’t go wrong, so get to their site and fill up a cart!  It will only cost you $4.99 for all shipping!