All-Natural SNacking With Green Plate Foods

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

In my home, snacking can turn into an all-out war. I am on one side, and my sweets-addicted husband is on the other. You see, when it comes to snacks, I tend to be very mindful about what I allow the kids to have. I try and steer clear of products that are full of nasty artificial ingredients and processed junk. My husband, on the other hand, has no problem at all handing Twinkies and Ho-Ho's and other (bad) conventional treats to our kids. This is a serious bone of contention, since I don't feel my children benefit from his version of snacking. We argue over this. Literally. When I catch him sneaking junk to the kids, I get very annoyed, and I definitely shoot him an evil look or two.

Luckily, we recently discovered a compromise that everyone can live with. Dan can give the kiddos cookies, muffins, and even chewy fruit snacks, and I can rest easy knowing that the snacks they're eating are free of refined sugars, artificial ingredients, and those scary additives that no one but scientists can ever pronounce. In fact, the snacks from Green Plate Foods are actually packed full of nutrition, but you'd never know it by tasting them! These products are made from all-natural, clean ingredients. They actually use pureed fruits and veggies in all of their products to minimize unnecessary fats, oils, and sugars. The results? Crave-worthy snacks that actually have nutritional value. Who says you have to sacrifice flavor to make healthier dietary choices?! 

We received a very nice assortment of snacks from the folks at Green Plate Foods. This included cookies, muffins, and even some raw, vegan fruit snacks called Nubblers. I was so excited to see the flavors of all of these treats. Almond Butter & Strawberry Mini Muffins....Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies...Blueberry Pistachio Nubblers... And these are just a few of their offerings. Are you drooling yet? 

 In my neighborhood, I am the "cool mom", and it seems that during the summer months, I always have kids coming and going. We have younger kids that come to play with Sophie and Xander, and my teenager, Kyle, has friends that come and hang out, too. 

Since I always have kids around, I decided to put Green Plate Foods to the ultimate test. I didn't tell any of the kids that they were about to eat nutritious, all-natural snacks. I simply set out a couple platters loaded with goodies and popped in a movie. And then I simply sat back, waiting to see what the kids' reaction would be to this new kind of snack food. 

Of course hungry kids don't ask a ton of questions; they just eat. Almost as soon as I set the platters down, the kids ran over and asked if they could try some. I told them to go ahead and dig in! 

Of course the first thing the kids went for were the muffins and cookies. They really loved all of them, but the Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and the Super Brownie Mini Muffins were the first to get devoured. Then they branched out a bit and tried the Almond Butter Cookies and the other 2 muffin varieties. The kids had nothing but good things to say about every single product. They loved the flavor, and said that the chewiness of the cookies was just right. 

The Nubblers were a bit intimidating to the kids....at first. Since these are definitely a very different kind of fruit snack, they didn't know what to make of them. In fact, most of the kids thought these were itty-bitty pieces of brownie! I had to tell them that they were a special kind of fruit snack and I told them about the flavors. This made them feel much more at ease, and pretty soon, the Nubblers were gone, too! The Cherry Chocolate were the clear favorite, but the kids had no complaints about the Blueberry Pistachio or Apricot Chutney, either. 

Once we got done with our snacking, I asked the kids what they thought of their treats. They were all incredibly enthusiastic and told me I need to teach their moms how to make them all. They seriously thought that these snacks were homemade. So I went ahead and let them in on my little secret and told them about Green Plate Foods. I explained to them that everything they had just eaten is made in a way that's kinder to their bodies, and that every ingredient was natural and clean. I even told them that many of these products had veggies in them! (They didn't believe me till I broke out the packaging.) This lead to a fun conversation about making healthier eating choices and how food that's good for you can be delicious, too! 

Overall, I am definitely pleased with my Green Plate Foods experience. These snacks have a home-baked feel, and amazing flavor. The cookies, muffins and Nubblers were nice and moist, making everyone want to go back for seconds and sometimes thirds. But most of all, I love that I can offer my kids the kinds of snacks they crave without any of the "Mommy Guilt". If you're looking for a more nutritious alternative to traditional snack foods, I would definitely recommend giving Green Plate Foods a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. After all, if they passed a blind taste test with a group of 9 kids with flying colors, you KNOW they've got to be good! 

How to connect :

You can check out the awesomeness that is Green Plate Foods on their website. 

To find a retailer near you, you can check out their retail locator. 

You can also connect with them on Facebook, on twitter, on Pinterest and on Instagram to stay on top of their latest goodies and promotions! (Yep, these folks are social!)