Hey guys! 

August is almost half-way done and it's been a whirlwind of a month! My partner-in-crime, and co-blogger at PlantMeetsPaleo.com, Alexis, will be joining me on this review. 

We originally found Paleonola at Erewhon Natural Foods in Hollywood, CA (if you live anywhere near there, we HIGHLY recommend visiting!) After searching for different paleo-friendly foods, Alexis's dad (head honcho at the store) recommended we try Paleonola. Considering our justifiable fear of a gluten-free granola, we were a little hesitant at first. And boy, were we SHOCKED by how good it was!

Paleonola is not only delicious and healthy, but it fits within BOTH a Paleo and plant-based diet. 

Paleonola's statement on their website explains it best: "At Paleonola, we understand that things in life are not always perfect. Things change, meals get skipped or maybe sometimes you just need something to hold you over and give you that extra bit of energy to make it to the next meal. That’s why we worked with nature to create a delicious, flavor-packed, Grain-Free snack. Loaded with nutrient-dense nuts and topped with unsweetened, shredded coconut, our products not only taste delicious, but give you the energy you need to stay healthy and active. No grains, no junk. Just uber-goodness!"


Paleonola Granola is: ALL NATURAL! Meaning: NO wheat, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial colors, cholesterol, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, soy OR dairy. It's gluten-free & vegan friendly.


The flavors come in: The Original, Chocolate Fix, Maple Pancake. Apple Pie & Pumpkin Pie.


So, how did we like Paleonola?

....LOVED IT. As in, all our sample packs were GONE within a week. We ate it right out of the bag on the go, threw it into our salads, and mixed it into our yogurt! We even did some drool-worthy things like mix it with peanut better and spread it on top of a sweet potato. 


Crista's Favorite: Even though I legitimately loved them all, the Maple Pancake flavor won my heart. I ate it most often on top of a sweet potato and mixed with a little bit of almond butter. Absolutely delicious. The Apple Pie flavor was really good on top of a sweet potato, too. The Chocolate Fix was DELICIOUS mixed in with strawberry yogurt. 

           Ingredients of "Maple Pancake": Almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, honey, maple              syrup, raisins, almond meal, coconut oil, walnuts, flax meal, sunflower seeds,                    unsweetened shredded coconut, pure vanilla extract & cinnamon.

Alexis's Favorite: While all the flavors were absolutely fantabulous and amazing, I have to say the flavor I liked the best was The Original. It was simple, yet out of this world delicious. Normal granola is full of artificial sweeteners, sugar, and TONS of calories. Paleonola is natural, naturally sweetened, and doesn't give you a case of the 'what did I just eats?' I found myself eating Paleonola after workouts, for dessert, and just as a quick pick-me-up when I needed a little boost. I honestly don't think I could've been more satisfied with a guilt-free snack, let alone granola that's actually good for you!

          Ingredients of "The Original": Almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, honey, dried                   cranberries, almond meal, coconut oil, walnuts, flax meal, sunflower seeds,                       unsweeted shredded coconut, pure vanilla extract & cinnamon.

Just so you all understand how HEALTHY Paleonola is compared to other granola, here are the ingredients for other brands of granola. And remember, ingredients are listed in the order in which they are most used. Meaning, in the ingredients below, the majority is made up of whole grain rolled oats, sugar, and canola oil.

           Nature Valley's Honey N' Oats Granola: Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Sugar, Canola              Oil, Crisp Rice With Soy Protein (Rice Flour, Soy Protein Concentrate, Sugar, Malt,              Salt), Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Soy Lecithin,                    Baking Soda, Natural Flavor, Peanut Flour, Almond Flour, Hazelnut Flour, Walnut              Flour, Pecan Flour.

....Yikes. Nature Valley markets itself as being a "healthy" granola, but after taking one glance at the ingredients, it's clear that it is anything but!

We decided to do something fun with Paleonola, so we created...drum roll please...Paleo-nola Bites! This recipe will also be our first on our sister site, PlantMeetsPaleo.com (hence the photo tag). Please check it out for more paleo and plant-friendly recipes/ reviews!


Ingredients

Paleonola (obviously) - we mixed Chocolate Fix and Apple Pie - what a surprisingly good combo
Honey
Chia seeds
Flaxseed
Almond butter
Dried cranberry
Raisins


We'd give you an exact recipe, but we kind of just threw things in a bowl, mixed it up and rolled the ingredients into golf ball sized bits. They were to DIE for. We'll recreate the recipe and keep note of how much of everything we used and share in the future for your enjoyment :) Until then, try experimenting in your own until you get the desired consistency!


Info About The Giveaway:




Alexis and I also are heading a Facebook group called Ultra Health & Wellness: Fitness Challenges. We decided that this month, it would be really fun to have the pull-up challenge with a prize at the end for the winner.

Here are the rules:

You must do as many pull-ups, in a row, as possible. They key part is that you have to have it on VIDEO (the only way to prove people are being truthful). So either set up a camera somewhere or have a friend record it for you. Winners for each gender will be selected. 

We also request that the winners of each gender "like" Paleonola on Facebook! Simple and easy!

The final pull-up contest videos should be posted to the Facebook group wall by the 31st.

Good luck and enjoy!