Raw Organic Coconut Water by Harmless Harvest

Photo by ThatSillyGirl

During my recent visit to Whole Foods there was a nice lady handing out samples of Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Coconut Water.  I am no stranger to drinking green coconut water right out of the coconut.  I was pleasantly surprised at how this coconut water had that SAME taste.  You may find that many of the different brands of coconut waters are very sweet.  If you have not had fresh green coconut water then you may not realize there is a BIG difference in the taste.  After tasting this coconut water I was sold and grabbed a couple bottles.

This product is from young, fresh, coconuts that are grown on small organic farms in Thailand.  The coconut trees grow over 100 feet high.  A harvester will climb up a ladder and lower the coconuts down with a rope to a canal.  A gatherer will load the clusters of coconuts into a small boat and deliver them to a truck which in turn takes them for processing. 

Photo by ThatSillyGirl

During processing thousands of pounds of pressure is applied to the product.  This process is used to kill harmful bacteria without the need for heat.  This end product is 100% organic coconut water with only 56 calories per bottle.  Coconut water has electrolytes, magnesium, potassium and calcium and is a great way to get rehydrated. 

I highly recommend Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Coconut Water.  I believe it is the best tasting coconut water that you can buy.

Pineapple Cucumber drink by It Tastes RAAW

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When I stumble upon a cucumber drink I had to try it.  I purchased It Tastes RAAW's Pineapple Cucumber drink for $2.99 at my local South Florida Whole Foods.  It Tastes RAAW strives to create unique fruit and vegetable juice blends.  The ingredients that make up this drink are pineapple juice, cucumber puree and apple juice.  The drink is 100% natural and no water, sugar or preservatives are added. 

Photo by ThatSillyGirl

I expected the drink to be much sweeter than it actually was.  Upon first sip I tasted more of the apple juice than the pineapple juice.  I could certaintly taste the cucumber puree as well.  This product has the right blend to give it the refreshing cucumber flavor I would expect from a drink like this.

It Tastes RAAW's Pineapple Cucumber drink has 120 calories and there are about 1 and 1/2 servings per bottle. Although the bottle reads "very perishable" I found that this keeps longer than other natural juices I have tried. Also, just a side note that this product is gluten free, kosher and vegan friendly as well.  

It Tastes RAAW has other unique juices such as Cranberry Ginger and Raspberry Lemongrass.  You will find a complete list of their other flavors here.

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Kennesaw 100% Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

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Kennesaw Orange Juice is 100% fresh squeezed, but does it really have that "fresh squeezed" taste?  What makes it different from other brands of orange juice? I purchased a 16oz bottle from Whole Foods.  There are two servings per bottle with 120 calories per serving. It has the taste that I would expect from fresh squeezed orange juice.  This juice has a high pulp content with no preservatives, no fillers and is not overly acidic.  Kennesaw uses oranges from their own groves which are hand sorted.  The juice is cold processed to ensure a fresh squeezed flavor. Other brands use a standard pasteurization which means a longer shelf life, but the juice looses the fresh squeezed flavor.  Kennesaw advises that there will always be a variation of flavor with the juices.  They use Florida oranges year round with some California oranges added at certain times of the year to maintain sweetness.  Be sure to check the expiration date on these because they expire quickly, 17 days from extraction to be exact.  A sign of fresh squeezed juice is the natural separation of juice and pulp.  Shake well and enjoy.    

Rob's Really Good Swirling Cucumber Drink

I picked up a couple bottles of Rob's Really Good which were on sale for $1.00 at Whole Foods.  There were several flavors including teas to choose from and the Swirling Cucumber peaked my interest.  The color of the drink was almost clear with a hint of light green. I flipped the bottle around and not only was there cucumber, but also pear juice, celery juice, sweet potato juice, carrot juice and spinach juice all in one bottle.  Wow, that is a lot of different combined flavors and what possibly could this drink taste like?

The answer...Swirling Cucumber is a light, not too sweet and refreshing drink.  I suggest you enjoy it very cold.  I could taste the cucumber and celery along with the sweetness of cane sugar and sweet potato juice.  It is 50 calories per serving totaling 100 calories per bottle.  Rob's Really Good is also fair trade certified.

I am going back to Whole Foods and grab a couple more flavors while these are still on sale.

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Zevia all natural soda sweetened with stevia

As I was browsing the isles of Whole Foods a new product commanded my attention.  Could it be?  No, this cannot be true!  It is a brand of zero calorie all natural soda called Zevia.  This soda is sweetened with stevia a plant based sweetener.  So you have not heard of the stevia craze yet?  Well let me fill you in.

Stevia is a plant that has been grown and used for centuries in South American countries. Stevia Rebaudiana is a shrub native to Paraguay and Brazil. In 2008 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the natural sweetener.  Since then more and more products with stevia are popping up in stores.  Studies have shown it can decrease blood sugar levels and does not affect blood glucose levels.  This means stevia can be used by both diabetics and hypoglycemics

Zevia

Stevia sweetener has been beneficial for me since I simply cannot stand the taste of artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame.  So, upon finding Zevia at my local Whole Foods I could not wait to get home and try it.  I bought the Mountain Zevia and Dr. Zevia to try.  The Mountain Zevia has the citrus flavor that you would expect, crisp and light.  It is sweet, but not overly sweet.  I instantly recognized the stevia taste because I have been drinking stevia sweetened products lately.  Zevia brand soda has many flavors to quench your thirst such as Dr. Zevia, cream soda, black cherry, cola, lemon lime, ginger root beer, strawberry and more! This all natural soda is has zero calories, zero sodium and zero gluten.    If you are like me and find artificial sweeteners disgusting then I encourage you to try Zevia.  Now I can drink soda again without the calories and the best part is that it is all natural.  Overall, I am satisfied with the product and cannot wait to head back to Whole Foods to try other flavors of Zevia brand soda.