Hello peanuts,
I know what you're thinking, and no, this is not a sponsored post. I wish it were a sponsored post. Seriously, Audible and Naturebox and Warby Parker can sponsor everyone else but they can't sponsor me? Well, anyway I generally resist the attempts of all such brands to brainwash me by advertising with every youtuber and podcast that I follow but I was intrigued enough by Naturebox to take advantage of the offer floating around for 50% your first box. I figured that I spend the same amount for my ipsy glam bag every month so it couldn't hurt to try out this subscription service which sends you snacks instead of makeup and skincare.
So what was the process like? Well, unlike some terrible websites, you can take a look at their snacks before you sign up for the service. Naturebox offers a wide range of snacks but they all fit into one general category or another. You have salty, sweet, and spicy. Dried fruit, granola, and chip-like snacks. In spite of the variety, you may not find something that appeals to you so definitely take a good look at the snack section before signing up.
Once you have signed up, you'll have access to other features of the site. You will be able to add snacks to your pantry as you browse. Now, don't panic. Just because you add something to your pantry, it doesn't mean that you're locked in to purchase it. Instead, depending on the plan you signed up for, the first few snacks in your pantry are the ones that will be sent to you in your next Naturebox. You can go to your pantry in the dashboard and reorganize the list of snacks to your liking until you're satisfied. Just be sure to check the information on the righthand side of the page which will keep you informed of how long you have to play around with the order of snacks in your pantry before your next Naturebox is sent out. You will also get an email with a link to allow you to track your package as you wait for it to arrive.
I ordered the smallest available package which sends you five snacks every month. They arrived in the large cardboard box you can see in the photo below. These are my immediate impressions: I liked the size of the snacks. Each snack comes packaged in a resealable bag that's a little bigger that a bag of chips that you'd get from a vending machine but not a giant Costco-sized economy bag either. It's enough to give you an impression of the snack you've ordered that should still last you through the month. Speaking of the packaging, it really is well designed. The bags are shaped in a way that allows them to stand up on their own and there is a clear panel in the front that allows you to see the snacks inside. The naturebox branding information is prominent and all the nutrition information on the back is very clearly printed. Props to whoever designed these snack packs. What I found disappointing was that all of the snacks that I chose seem to be rather high in calories and they also have other worrisome nutrition facts like high fat, sugar, and/or sodium content. Now, granted most packaged snacks and processed foods are not that great for you but Naturebox brands itself as a healthy, natural brand so I was disappointed when I read through the nutrition facts and some of the ingredient lists.
Poppy Seed Sticks
These were my favorite item from my first Naturebox. I would rate them as highly snackable. There was nothing offputting or offensive about them that would thwart snacking but they were still flavorful. I could definitely taste the sesame and poppy seed immediately. I developed a taste for poppy seed buns on a recent vacation and these poppy seed sticks definitely help assuage that poppy seed craving without my having to ingest calorically expensive poppy seed bagels, buns, or those wonderful buttery, flaky things from Breads Bakery here in NYC. I would call this a very accessible snack. It's basically a toasted sesame cracker with poppy seeds and that's what it tastes like.
Unfortunately, a whole bag of these poppy seed sticks is 720 calories with 9 grams of fat and 230 mg of sodium in each serving so for me, this is more of a snack for assuaging a craving than something like homemade popcorn which you snack on as you watch a movie or something you can pack a handful of in your kids' lunch box. I would get them again though because I love poppy seeds and sesame.
Toasted Cheddar Stix
This was my second favorite item in the box. They take a little getting used to but they taste kind of like mini pretzels. I got the sesame flavor and salt immediately but I couldn't really identify the sharp, sour flavor that makes this snack a little offputting. I guess maybe it's the cheddar but it's an acquired taste and not what I was expecting from these toasted cheddar stix. The sharpness of that sour note is either going to curb your cravings quickly or really inspire your snacking if you love it but it's not a snack that you can eat mindlessly.
An entire bag contains 640 calories while each serving contains 11 grams of fat, 510 grams of sodium, and 2 grams of sugar. I didn't hate these, but I wouldn't get them again.
I know what you're thinking, and no, this is not a sponsored post. I wish it were a sponsored post. Seriously, Audible and Naturebox and Warby Parker can sponsor everyone else but they can't sponsor me? Well, anyway I generally resist the attempts of all such brands to brainwash me by advertising with every youtuber and podcast that I follow but I was intrigued enough by Naturebox to take advantage of the offer floating around for 50% your first box. I figured that I spend the same amount for my ipsy glam bag every month so it couldn't hurt to try out this subscription service which sends you snacks instead of makeup and skincare.
So what was the process like? Well, unlike some terrible websites, you can take a look at their snacks before you sign up for the service. Naturebox offers a wide range of snacks but they all fit into one general category or another. You have salty, sweet, and spicy. Dried fruit, granola, and chip-like snacks. In spite of the variety, you may not find something that appeals to you so definitely take a good look at the snack section before signing up.
Once you have signed up, you'll have access to other features of the site. You will be able to add snacks to your pantry as you browse. Now, don't panic. Just because you add something to your pantry, it doesn't mean that you're locked in to purchase it. Instead, depending on the plan you signed up for, the first few snacks in your pantry are the ones that will be sent to you in your next Naturebox. You can go to your pantry in the dashboard and reorganize the list of snacks to your liking until you're satisfied. Just be sure to check the information on the righthand side of the page which will keep you informed of how long you have to play around with the order of snacks in your pantry before your next Naturebox is sent out. You will also get an email with a link to allow you to track your package as you wait for it to arrive.
Poppy Seed Sticks
These were my favorite item from my first Naturebox. I would rate them as highly snackable. There was nothing offputting or offensive about them that would thwart snacking but they were still flavorful. I could definitely taste the sesame and poppy seed immediately. I developed a taste for poppy seed buns on a recent vacation and these poppy seed sticks definitely help assuage that poppy seed craving without my having to ingest calorically expensive poppy seed bagels, buns, or those wonderful buttery, flaky things from Breads Bakery here in NYC. I would call this a very accessible snack. It's basically a toasted sesame cracker with poppy seeds and that's what it tastes like.
Unfortunately, a whole bag of these poppy seed sticks is 720 calories with 9 grams of fat and 230 mg of sodium in each serving so for me, this is more of a snack for assuaging a craving than something like homemade popcorn which you snack on as you watch a movie or something you can pack a handful of in your kids' lunch box. I would get them again though because I love poppy seeds and sesame.
This was my second favorite item in the box. They take a little getting used to but they taste kind of like mini pretzels. I got the sesame flavor and salt immediately but I couldn't really identify the sharp, sour flavor that makes this snack a little offputting. I guess maybe it's the cheddar but it's an acquired taste and not what I was expecting from these toasted cheddar stix. The sharpness of that sour note is either going to curb your cravings quickly or really inspire your snacking if you love it but it's not a snack that you can eat mindlessly.
