Review/Giveaway: Wholesome Goodness

When it comes to feeding your family, I think it's safe to say that we're all walking a tightrope trying to balance nutrition with finances.  Organics are the current "thing", but they're also really expensive.  I know for some people, it's an expense they're willing to work for, and for others it's not at the top of the budget priority list.

That's why I was excited to check out the new Wholesome Goodness line, which made its way into Walmart stores in our area February 20th (they picked my birthday! way to go, guys!).

Wholesome Goodness is poised to be a go-between for families looking to balance eating healthy with not breaking the bank.  According to Supermarket News, this line rolls out at about 30% less than market-leading alternatives, and the brand is free of several big "no-nos", including:
-No High Fructose Corn Syrup OR Artificial Sweetners
-No Trans Fat
-No Preservatives
-No Modified Food Starch
-No Artificial Colors or Flavors
-No MSG

All the products are also promised to be high nutritional density, low sodium, and whole grain.

Wholesome Goodness is a dry-goods company, so everything is shelf-stable.  They produce nut milks, juices, sauces, dressings, chips, granola bars, salsas, trail mixes and more.  We were able to sample several of their products

 Our box contained "o" shaped cereal, dark chocolate trail mix, bbq sauce, oatmeal, chocolate almond drink, mild salsa, three kinds of chips, and apple cinnamon granola bars.  My kids were THRILLED because I very rarely keep chips in the house, so they thought this was the Best.Day.Ever.  (Plus, any day where a box comes in the mail is a good day, right?)

The first thing the kids broke into was the whole grain crisps and salsa.  We thought the whole grain crisps were a lot like, ahem, "Solar" chips, but thinner.  We really loved them!! The kids ate that entire jar of mild salsa in one sitting, too, so I'm assuming it was good- but I didn't get to try it.  My kids are salsa fiends, and when I took the chips away, they moved on to dipping celery in it!  We were also big fans of the tortilla chips, which have multiple grains and flax seeds.  They are toasty and delicious!  The "low sodium" aspect is definitely noticeable if you're a salt-a-holic like me, but once you adjust, they're quite satisfying, and I know they're better for my family, especially my husband, who comes from a long line of high blood pressure!

Also a huge hit was the bbq sauce, which we used on some grilled chicken tenders.  The trail mix was for mommy, and I loved the size, the mix of salty and sweet, and that the chocolate was dark, so it wasn't too sweet.  The chocolate almond drink is not as thick as the dark chocolate almond milk we typically buy for our daughter, and I wasn't a huge fan because of the texture difference, but my four year old thought it was delicious and easier to drink from her sippy cup (yes, I love my carpet, don't judge me), so she is now a huge fan.  We weren't huge fans of the roasted veggie tortilla chips, they had kind of a burned flavor to us, but the cereal was yummy, and all in all we enjoyed the box of trial items.  We haven't opened the oatmeal yet, but the next cold day we get, since it's snowing in March and all, we'll pop it open.  Or, if it doesn't get cold again, we'll make cookies with it.  :)

I really liked our trial of the Wholesome Goodness line overall.  I also appreciate their goal of providing a healthier option for your family without breaking the bank.  I would definitely recommend trying them, and will be picking up more flax-seed chips and chocolate almond drink for my daughter.
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Want to win your own box from Wholesome Goodness and "try before you buy"? You can enter to win your own trial box in two ways!
1- Visit the Wholesome Goodness Facebook page and give them a like.  Then come back and leave us a note that you did!  Please note your entry is made by leaving a note on this website.  Facebook rules prohibit "liking" as a condition for winning.

2- Visit the Wholesome Goodness Website and let me know in a comment below what item you'd most like to try.

3- Tweet this giveaway and leave a note with your tweet and time stamp.

You may enter up to 3 times for this contest, 1 time each way listed above.  This contest will end on Saturday, March 10th at 12 noon, with the winner announced the afternoon of March 10th.
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Disclosure Statement: Wholesome Goodness provided PwcMoms with free samples of their product and will be sending a reader similar materials.  While items were provided for free, all opinions represented here are my own.