This post is sponsored by Paleonola. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for your support of My Healthyish Life!
If this isn’t your first time visiting my blog you already know I’m not an RD or a health professional. If this IS your first time here, thanks for stopping by, please know that I’m not a RD or health professional. However, I am someone who has high-standards when it comes to taste and nutrition of food, particularly packaged foods because they are everywhere, convenient and often unhealthy. In a quest to live my best (aka healthyish) life I have experimented with different brands of packaged foods to find what works for me. Actually, it was my celiac diagnosis (now eight years ago) that started me on this path.
Fact: Many of the gluten-free products available are filled with additives and sugar to make up for the lack of gluten. Unfortunate, but true. There is a time and a place for those products, but they don’t fit my bill for an everyday snack. The “gluten-free” label is such a selling point for some people that the ingredients in the product are often overlooked. In fact, other healthy-sounding labels like “all-natural” and “whole grain” tend to have a similar effect. If I’ve learned anything it’s that you need to take your health into your own hands and judge a product for yourself. Don’t buy blindly.
That being said, I do eat packaged foods because, hello, some are damn good….like Paleonola.
I was introduced to Paleonola last year and it immediately became a staple smoothie-bowl topping. As the name sounds, Paleonola is a Paleo version of granola. Unlike traditional granola, it is grain-free and made only with nuts, seeds and dried fruit. It still has the rich, hearty feel of granola but without the sugars or carbohydrate crash. Plus, it tastes freaking incredible.
For the reasons listed below, Paleonola is a brand I choose when selecting a packaged food.
Not trying to sound preachy (kick me off my high-horse, please) but I think this can be a helpful reminder to find what’s important to you when choosing a product and spending your money.
Ingredients, ingredients, ingredients
You know the “location, location, location” saying? That’s how I feel about ingredients. The ingredient list is the first (and sometimes only) thing I look for on a product. The shorter, the better. The more I can pronounce and already know, the better. I don’t want to eat something I’ve never heard of, especially considering I have a history of stomach issues and sensitivities.
The ingredients in Paleonola’s Original Granola: Almonds, pecans, pepitas, honey, walnuts, coconut oil, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sweetened dried cranberries (cranberries, apple juice concentrate, sunflower oil), dried coconut, vanilla extract, cinnamon.
To me, this is a good balance of nutrient-dense ingredients, healthy fats and natural sweeteners.
Smaller companies with health-focused mission statements
This is a random point but something that is important to me. Very rarely do I buy products from big food companies, we’re talking the most popular boxes that dominate the aisles. It’s not that I don’t always like their products, but I prefer to support smaller, start-up brands found at local speciality and health food stores. I have found that smaller companies, like Paleonola, have specific and customer-focused mission statements with a purpose other than making money.
Paleonola’s mission: PALEONOLA is determined to provide the highest quality grain-free snacks to our consumers using simple, all-natural ingredients. As our business continues to grow and expand we promise to never compromise our quality and to always provide a product that uses only what Mother Nature has given us.
We are constantly striving to be better in all aspects of our lives and Paleonola helps us do just that. While we’re not perfect and will never claim to be, we believe that honesty and simplicity are the keys to meeting the challenges of everyday life. That’s why we created a simple snack that we believe will help encourage you to live a healthier life. You’ll be amazed at how the smallest changes can have the biggest impact. We want you to know that we promise to deliver the best we have to offer every time.
That last paragraph…gold. I like knowing that a company has my best interests in mind and genuinely wants to offer a healthy, delicious product. Plus, Paleonola is based in Rhode Island and most of my extended family lives there. I have a soft-spot for RI companies.
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Nutrition facts
While calories are important in a general sense, they aren’t something I personally look at immediately. Depending on your health goals, or lack of goals in my case, what you look at will obviously diff. If we’re talking about nutrition facts though, I look for a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats in my OVERALL diet. That being said, I don’t count calories or macros and I couldn’t tell you the specifics of what I ate yesterday. This is just what works for me now. You do you.
I do know that how I feel after eating is important to me, and Paleonola gives the nutrition and energy I need for running, blogging, living, breathing, or whatever -ing I’m doing that day without a crash and burn. I’d 100% rather choose a food typically higher in calories, like granola, that’s filled with good, wholesome ingredients than a low-cal snack bar for no reason other than the calorie count. Not my style.
Flavor options + taste
To state the obvious, I’m not going to buy something that doesn’t taste good…even if it’s super healthy. Paleonola exceeds my requirements for taste AND offers myriad flavors. I want as many flavor choices as moods I have. I know that’s asking for a lot (I can’t even count the moods) so I generally take at least three or four options from brands. Paleonola has six different flavors, enough for every day of the week plus a combo of all six on Sunday.
Paleonola flavors: Original, Chocolate Fix, Maple Pancake, Pina Colada, Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie.
My (current) favorites are Maple Pancake and Pumpkin Pie. Depending on your smoothie or snack preference, you have an array of flavor options to choose from.
Those clusters though…
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Whether you are filling your shopping cart online or in a grocery store, I hope you take the time to choose a snack that suits your taste and lifestyle preferences, whatever they may be at the moment.
For me? It’s healthyish all the way.
Woah I think I need to try this granola! Those chunks are massive <3
rachel @ athleticavocado recently posted…5 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars {Vegan, GF + DF}
The chunks have my heart <3
How have I not tried this?! Holy crap I need to go order some right now. You know I’m all about the paleo and ingredients ingredients ingredients are so important to me too. The maple pancake sounds amazing! I always love hearing about new (to me) products and snack suggestions so thanks for doing this!
Margaret @ youngandrungry recently posted…Guide to Run Recovery Tools
You haven’t tried?! OMG you will be obsessed. Obsessed.
This sounds wonderful! Putting maple pancake or pina coloda flavored Paleonola on my yogurt in the morning would probably make me hate breakfast a little less.
Sam @ See Sam Run recently posted…To Race Shirt or Not to Race Shirt & 13.1 Recovery
Right?! Like a mini trip to the beach with the Pina Colada ;)
i agree – there is a time and place for the crazy ingredients, and that is not for everyday snacks! i will definitely check this brand out, thanks for sharing!
kristen recently posted…A-Z of Australia
I hope you do try it! Hasn’t disappointed anyone in my house :)
You totally got me with those flavors — oh my, they sound absolutely amazing!! The ingredients are always the thing I look at when I am purchasing something new and something packaged since that gives me much more insight into the product than the nutrition facts.
Brie @ Lean, Clean, & Brie recently posted…Cinnamon Cookie Baked Oatmeal & Hamilton Beach GIVEAWAY
These flavors are EXACTLY what I need. Plus they are fall-ish and I love fall food :)
I’ve never tried this brand before! It looks delicious! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Finding new (healthy) food products is always fun :) Hope you get to try some!
Paleonola is my favvvv! The Pumpkin Pie one is out of this world!
Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple recently posted…Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bake
Every flavor is spot on! So good no matter what/how you eat it.
I also go straight to the ingredients list, and for that reason since my own diagnosis I haven’t made a habit of buying many GF products (other than flours, quinoa/oat flakes, etc). I do like the Van’s GF waffles as an occasional treat, and when I go out to breakfast if they have Udi’s toast I might have a slice, but otherwise since I’m actually going mostly grain free there aren’t many packaged foods I can even choose, since I also have a tree nut allergy. If there were a peanut-only Paleonola, I’d be all over it!
Alyssa @ renaissancerunnergirl recently posted…Third Time’s the Charm at the NYC Half Marathon
Having a tree nut allergy (and being GF!) must really limit your packaged snack options. In a way that’s good (all whole foods, I guess) but it must get annoying at times.
If I see added-sugar in the ingredients… I put the product down and move on. It takes me quite some time to grocery shop, lol, because I am always scouring labels!
Same here. Just not worth it for me!
These look so good! I also have recently started paying more attention to the ingredient list and nutrition label. I feel like simply being aware of it is really important. I love finding out about new healthy snacks so I’ll definitely check these out!
Amanda @ ExploringLifeAndThings recently posted…BBG weeks 9-10 + something I miss
I agree, it’s so important to know what you are actually eating because those wrappers can be blinding with “healthy” labels.
I’m all about those clusters! I think I could live on purely granola, it’s just that good.
Megan recently posted…Chocolate bounty slice
It’s just the best snack and smoothie topping. Eaten by the handful regularly!
I’ve never tried or heard of Paleonola until now but I’m intrigued! It looks and sounds so delicious. Going to keep an eye out for it at the store now! Where do you typically buy yours?
Liv @ Healthy Liv recently posted…Dark Chocolate Coconut Brownie Energy Bites
If you have a really good Whole Foods, maybe there. But I always order online :)
Totally agree with everything you said about your criteria for choosing products. I’ll also choose local over a product that was made somewhere else almost every time. I need to try this granola!! It sounds amazing.
You would love it! Perfect running fuel/re-fuel. I feel better about spending my money on local products, even if they are more expensive.
im too with you about actually reading the ingredient list more than label. label is important too but its the ingredient list that gives a better picture of what the product actually contains! i have never heard of this brand, thanks for sharing :)
I agree! I can probably guess what the nutrition facts would be just by looking at the ingredients.
Wow, I’ve never heard of this, but this looks DELICIOUS. I love the chunk factor. And the ingredients list is a lot more important to me than the label too! :)
Emily recently posted…When You Walk Through Darkness
The whole bag is hearty, delicious granola chunks. Easy for snacking on the go too!
We definitely look for the same things in packaged food! My first question is always “Can I eat this?” (ie: is it gluten free and free from my other allergies/intolerances) and “Is this something I want to eat?” (ie: is it filled with additives or real food!)
Kristy @ Southern In Law recently posted…Recipe: Healthy Potato Crusted Egg Bakes
Yes and yes. I look for “can I eat this” first and then assess if it’s worth eating. So many of the options aren’t appealing to me!