Whether for fueling runs, hiking, or just for convenience, having packable food and beverage options is always helpful. It’s even better when these options are local! Read on for reviews of some items from Wild Friends (Portland) and STOKED STIX (Hood River).
Geli: Growing up in Germany, I never developed the love affair with peanut butter that American children seem to have. I do, however, appreciate the taste of a good nutbutter and jelly sandwich, and Portland based Wild Friends offers a variety of different nutbutters: Sunflower and almond butters in a variety of flavors are available alongside the traditional peanut butter. The ingredients are all natural and easy to understand. I recently received some samples of the new Almond Cashew Super Butter with Honey, Chia & FlaxAlmond Cashew Super Butter with Honey, Chia & Flax, which I was excited to try out. The single serve packets contain enough almond butter for two sandwiches. While I prefer a jar at home, the squeeze pack comes in handy when camping or backpacking, or as a post-run snack. The flavor is wonderful: The almond comes through great, and it is just lightly sweetened with honey. Wild Friends is available in the healthy/organic/specialty food section of local grocery stores.
Mindy: I am an avid peanut butter fan. I mean, even my wedding cake was chocolate peanut butter. A year ago, I tried Wild Friends brand of Honey Pretzel Peanut Butter, which was a real game changer in my household. My kids even like it on their pancakes. I also received some samples of their new Almond Cashew Super Butter with Honey, Chia & Flax. Given that I was already a fan of their peanut butters, I was very excited to try this out. I also received the single serve packets which are perfect for on the go. They do require some kneading before consumption, but it does not take long. The taste is amazing, and paired perfectly on its own, or with a banana (a favorite snack of mine). It has just the right amount of sweetness and the texture was great, as many almond butters I have tried have been too grainy for my liking. This new flavor has definitely persuaded me to switch to this flavor for my next purchase of nut butter.
Company: Wild Friends
Product: Almond Cashew Super Butter with Honey, Chia & Flax ($21.58 for 3 jars) – Amazon
More about Wild Friends:
One rainy day at the University of Oregon, we were in our college apartment, scraping the bottom of yet another empty jar of peanut butter. As hungry college students and athletes, we ate a lot of peanut butter, and on this occasion, neither of us felt like biking to the store in the rain to buy more. So, we decided to try making our own! That day, Wild Friends was born. Less than a year later, we left our college lives behind to pursue our peanut butter dreams. Since starting Wild Friends in 2011, we’ve launched dozens of new flavors of nut and seed butter that are sold in thousands of stores across the country. Through all these changes, one thing has stayed the same: Our passion for delicious products made with the healthiest wholesome ingredients we can find.
I can’t function without coffee. Each morning starts with a freshly ground cup to get me up and out the door. However, there are times where the situation arises where I just don’t have the time or can’t be at home to
STOKED STIX are individual packets of organic medium or dark roast coffee that are roasted in Hood River. I have tried both and think they stack up great with other more mainstreamed options. The taste is really solid and I love that they are made locally here in Oregon. I have a couple packets at work, some in my running bag, and I just recently put some in my camping pack. I’m all set with caffeine!
In addition to individual packets, STOKED also has coffee bags and offers subscriptions as well.
Company: STOKED Roasters (Facebook)
Products & Price:
- STOKED STIX ($9)
More about STOKED:
We pride ourselves on roasting high quality green beans on our custom built 25lb San Franciscan roaster. All of our beans are Certified Organic by the Oregon Department Of Agriculture, and we participate in Fair Trade as often as possible. We also strictly use water processed green beans for our decaffeinated blends.
*”More About” information taken from the company’s website. We like to let their own stories speak for themselves, because we review companies that have real personality and passion about what they do.
Thank you to Wildfriends and STOKED for providing us with samples. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
