Bear Naked Granola is an all-natural blend of whole grains and other natural ingredients and its premise is that it gives a person the energy to do anything. To that end, the company has begun a Facebook campaign for people to share videos of fun, wild and “totally ridiculous” sports activities. Sports teams or individuals are able to upload their videos.

But being that we review food products on here, we also asked for samples to check out. I’m not sure that I would do anything wild and crazy upon eating this granola, but it’s damn tasty. We tried the Bear Naked Peak Protein Original flavor and it’s not quite crunchy–but more “soft crunchy” if you can imagine that. Put it this way, it won’t cut your gums like some granolas do. It’s not overly sweet either. We also tried the Bear Naked “Fit” Vanilla Almond Crunch, and this one is a bit crunchier and has a maple-y undertone. It has just 4 grams of sugar, but because of that, doesn’t taste as good as the original flavor. But as for that original flavor, I might just eat the whole bag right now.

For more on Bear Naked’s video promotion and how you can get involved, please visit their website.

It sure is nice when companies send samples of new food and drink products to review! Here are a few more we tried recently:

Unwind (TM) Low Calorie Relaxation Beverage–This is the opposite of Red Bull. In fact, it’s the polar opposite of those high caffeine drinks. Unwind contains a natural blend of melatonin, valerian root, rose hips and passion flower, and comes in Goji Grape, Pom Berry and Citrus Orange flavors. I tried them all, but not all at the same time. Let me tell you, this stuff works. I would advise that you drink it in the evening or before bed, because it relaxed me to the point of making me extremely sleepy. Not only that, this stuff, despite being low in calories, is delicious. The citrus is a tad bitter but the grape and berry flavors are awesome. Now I need to find more of it. If you’d like to, check out the Unwind website. Happy relaxing!

Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager–Yes, I was sent beer to sample. How cool is that? I moved to Wisconsin recently, and the beers here are among some of the best I’ve ever had. So I’ve become somewhat of a beer snob. But this Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager passed my discerning palate test with flying colors. It’s a European style Pilsner and the double hops give it a rich, deep flavor without being too dark or hearty. It’s smooth and is the type of beer you could just keep drinking on a hot summer day (so long as you are at home or can hand your keys to someone else).
Check out Black Star’s website for more info.

Utz La Primera Tortilla Chips--The fine folks at Utz don’t just make pretzels and chips and snack mixes. Their new La Primera Tortilla chips are really awesome–the extra thin Taqueria style chips in Regular, Limon and Southwest flavors are authentic Mexican restaurant type chips, mainly because they are so thin. The Regular style are a good complement with salsa, and the Limon stand up on their own with a nice lime and salt kick. The Southwest style is like Doritos Taco flavor, but not as processed tasting, and with some nice heat. There is also the Original Stone Ground Tortilla Chips, which are thicker and therefore better for cheese dips and guacamole..and these are also delicious and authentic tasting.

Lucky us, we get to review new food products that are sent to us! Here are a few awesome new ones that we recently received:

Utz Pub Fries/Cheddar Cheese Flavor--Leave it to the folks at Utz to take a product that someone else is making and make it better. I remember the Andy Capp’s “Fries” as a kid and these are like an upscale version. There is a strong onion undertone but the burst of real cheese flavor makes up for it.

Utz Pub Fries/Red Hot Flavor–These are super crunchy and the heat is almost instant. The heat also pleasantly lingers. While there is no cheese in this one, there is a tomato-y flavor that blends nicely with the heat. These are awesome

Dean’s Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip–The fine folks at Dean’s have always made a killer chip dip. Well now they are here with a new product, Pretzel Dip. The honey mustard is delicious and somehow not too frou-frou. The first ingredient is mustard and honey is not far down the list, making this a naturally good snack as well. And there is just 1.5 grams of fat per serving. Not that you’re watching your weight or anything.

Dean’s Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Dip–This one is also excellent, with a subtle yet nice cheese flavor in a creamy dip. It’s made with real cheese, and isn’t runny or chalky like other cheese dips, making it perfect for pretzels.

Mr and Mrs T Bloody Mary Mix (improved formula)–If you’ve ever had Mr and Mrs T Bloody Mary Mix, you know it’s distinctive, snappy and slightly sweet. Now, just in time for tailgating season, they have re-introduced the mixer with more tomato juice and sea salt to reduce sodium. This was always a good mix, but you can’t go wrong by adding more real juice to something, and that’s what they have done here. And why wouldn’t you want to make sure what you mix with lots of vodka is healthier?

We recently reviewed Utz Pretzels and talked about how generally awesome they are.

But Utz, like most snack companies, is constantly trying to improve their brand and to compete with other snack makers. So for this summer, Utz introduced, among other new snacks, these pretzel pieces in three flavors–Cheddar, Buttermilk Ranch, and Honey Mustard and Onion.

Now, these aren’t like regular pretzels that are crispy and malty and salty and awesome. The flavored pieces are more like a different kind of snack altogether, with the pretzel being a vehicle for the flavor of choice. And Utz brings the flavor in a big way, in some cases a bit too much. Here is how we sum up these pretzel pieces:

Cheddar–Okay, scratch what I just said about not being like regular pretzels. Because one thing you notice here is that these are Utz Pretzels, which are in a different class than most pretzel brands. Then you get the big cheddar flavor, which is sharp and bold and holds up to the palate of this Wisconsin based cheese snob.

Buttermilk Ranch–Well, this one wasn’t as pleasant. The ranch flavor is quite processed, like they took the pretzels and shook them in a bag of Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix. It also had an unpleasant onion-y aftertaste.

Honey Mustard & Onion–Unlike the ranch and cheddar, this flavor wasn’t as potent, but subtle enough to where you keep tasting the different flavors coming together as one. And with that, you want to keep eating them. Or at least I did. These are actually NOT too onion-y, and the sweet mustard flavor is awesome.

We received samples of all of the new Utz Snacks, so we’ll be reviewing more in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, if you try these pretzel pieces, feel free to leave your own comment in the space below. Thanks for reading and munching with me!

I have what is probably considered an unhealthy affinity for Pringles. Sure, they’re not real potato chips, just chopped and formed potato crisps with lots of chemical enhancements. But it’s not like most junk foods don’t already fit that description.

Anyway, being that I love spicy food and I know many of you do, I was bowled over last week in the grocery store when I encountered Pringles Extreme, a variety pack with three new flavors of mini-Pringles. The flavors are Smokin’ Hot Ranch, Torchin’ Tamale and Buffalo Wing. And well, they are awesome…for the most part. Here is our take:

Smokin’ Hot Ranch–these tasted like a cross between ranch flavor Doritos and old-school barbecue potato chips. But they have a pleasant spicy kick that hits you in the back of the throat on a time-delay.

Torchin’ Tamale–these were my least favorite of the bunch. There is a salsa flavor with red pepper-y heat. But the onion aftertaste is pretty strong, kind of overwhelming in fact.

Buffalo Wing–nothing sucks about anything that tastes like Buffalo wings. And that’s true of these crisps, which have a nice salty kick akin to real deal wing sauce. These also have a somewhat weird aftertaste, but a pleasant one, keeping that nice authentic wing taste with you.

Overall, this product is highly recommended if you like Pringles or spicy food or both. Go check ‘em out!

Let’s face it guys….chocolate is usually the kind of treat reserved for the palates of women. That doesn’t mean we don’t like it, but we don’t crave it like we do, say, beer, or chicken wings. Mmmm, I’m getting hungry again!

Anyway, we were intrigued enough by a press release promoting Pure Dark, a brand of chocolate that is available both online as well as in retail locations in New York City, including the new distribution channel of Food Emporium stores.

Pure Dark is made from cocoa beans with a supposed “intense flavor profile.” I’m not sure how they choose them, but they are very right in that assessment. The flavor is bold and powerful, and almost has a coffee-like background flavor. This isn’t the kind of thing you can eat mass quantities of, but you could do far worse in choosing a snack.

We tried the raspberry acai rounds, which are dark chocolate discs that are coated in a raspberry/acai natural flavors. The chocolate balances with the bright flavor of the fruit in a big way, but this is one of those things that is clearly geared more toward women, because I’m not a fan of mixing fruit with chocolate.

I did, however, love the chocolate covered almonds, which were among some of the best I’ve ever had.

The caramelized nibs were a bit different, basically cocoa beans that were roasted and chopped. The flavor of these is more intense than any of the other Pure Dark products we tried, but a good intense.

If you’re a fan of chocolate, you need to find this stuff online…..especially if you want to impress your significant other!

For more information, please visit www.puredark.com

With all of the processed foods out there that have an ingredient list as long as a phone book, it’s refreshing that there are companies going in the opposite direction. One such company is Fresherized Foods, which has brought us the Wholly Brand of guacamole and salsa for a while now.

Well, now they have taken snacking to a whole new level, with the introduction of Wholly Queso dips. Wholly Queso is made with real cheese and vegetables, and you have to refrigerate it, which is always a good sign when you’re trying to put less junk in your body.

The fine folks at Bow Wow Consulting sent us an awesome cooler filled with these dips, as well as a few other Wholly Brand products and chips to try them with to boot! And the verdict is this….the queso is simply awesome and you should go find it now. Seriously! Here are some more detailed thoughts:

Wholly Queso Classic–This was the more orange tinged queso, and instantly you can tell this is restaurant quality stuff, not the kind of queso you find in a jar near the Doritos. The taste is fresh and has both a sharp cheddar bite and nice chili pepper undertone.

Wholly Queso Blanco–This one was my favorite. It was even more authentically Mexican and had more pepper flavor, and an even sharper cheese bite. Plus, it was spicier than the Classic, and spicier is always better.

Wholly Salsa–The salsa also comes in a refrigerated tub and is incredibly fresh tasting, just like the stuff you get in most Mexican restaurants. The tomatoes were abundant with just the right amount of onion and jalapenos, but the only thing that would have made it better was if there was some cilantro. Of course, you can always add your own.

Wholly Guacamole dip–If you don’t have time to make guacamole and are looking for something quick and easy yet healthy, this is the stuff. You cut open the pouch and squeeze it into a serving bowl and start dipping. It’s creamy and homemade tasting, and, like the salsa, it also doesn’t kill you with onions. The spicy version of the guacamole is even better, but only if you dig spicy food. If you don’t, you’ve probably stopped reading by now anyway.

Wholly Party Dip–This is the guacamole with a layer of spicy pico de gallo on top. The pico de gallo is really spicy, and again, not too onion-y. The combination of flavors is incredible and really works. And the best part is, all you do is open the container and start dipping!

So there you go. You can find Wholly Brand dips in most grocery stores and for more information, go to www.fresherizedfoods.com

It was a beautiful day at my house recently back when I received a package from Frito-Lay of snacks to try and review right here. I had already found their Doritos Burn Flavor chips locally and I’m craving them again as we speak. Anyway, I offered to review some other Frito-Lay snacks that I hadn’t tried. And here they are, in no particular order:

Funyun’s Flamin’ Hot Onion Flavored Rings–Another extension of the Frito-Lay “Flamin’ Hot” franchise, complete with the red glow that works its way onto your fingers as you eat them. I love Funyun’s, and I love spicy food, so this was a slam dunk for me. I could probably eat 10 bags of these right now.

Chee-tos Giant cheese puffs–If Eric Cartman were a real person, he would eat these. We’re talking balls that measure one inch (some more) around, that for some folks would require two bites. The novelty alone was worth trying them for, but it’s not like you’ll want to sit around and munch on these. They taste fine, but when you eat the smaller variety, you get more cheese flavor all around.

Chee-tos Mighty Zingers Sharp Cheddar & Salsa Picante–Unlike the Giant puffs, these are the “fried” variety of Chee-tos. The “sharp cheddar” flavor are indeed nicely cheesy with just a bit more sharp bite than regular Chee-tos. And the salsa picante ones, which are the same color as the Flamin’ Hot snacks, have a hint of cheese but a more prominent salsa flavor–and an authentic one at that, in which you can taste both tomato and a hint of onion and hot peppers. Together these two flavors in one bag go together like peanut butter and jelly. No joke!

Lay’s brand Kettle Cooked Jalapeno Flavor Chips–Well, I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of kettle cooked (i.e. extra crispy) potato chips. But hey, if I had a choice, I’d still rather eat a chip than a stalk of broccoli. So I dug in to these, and while they have a super crunch and a nice jalapeno spice, there is too much onion powder in these chips that overpowers them. Not only that, after eating a nice handful, I had onion breath and dry mouth for the rest of the day.

Doritos Late Night Tacos at Midnight Tortilla Chips–If you, like me, are old enough to remember when Doritos first came out, this one will take you back. Back then (I think maybe in the ’70′s?), they had plain corn, taco flavor and nacho cheese. And my favorite by far was the taco flavor, which they stopped making after a while, brought back and then stopped making again. Now it’s back disguised as this “Late Night” version, which is every bit as good as the original Taco flavor and then some. In fact, you can almost close your eyes here and feel like you’re eating a fast food taco. And we all know how great those taste after a few beers, so the “Late Night” tag on these is an arrow through the hearts and taste buds of those who troll the convenience store aisles late at night. Seriously though, these chips are just awesome, even in the middle of the day.

I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did eating and writing. But I don’t know how that’s possible, so go try some!

Does the idea of caffeinated beef jerky scare you? Or does it literally get your blood pumping? Well, one taste of Perky Jerky, a new beef jerky coated with caffeine, and it should do the latter without doing the former anymore. Seriously, this stuff not only gives you a bit of a jolt via Guarana (1 oz. of jerky has about as much caffeine as a can of Red Bull), but it tastes delicious. The second ingredient after beef is soy sauce, so as you can imagine you get a really nice flavor similar to that of teriyaki. And really, do you know anyone that doesn’t like the taste of soy sauce or teriyaki? So let’s review…Perky jerky tastes good, gives you a lift, and also gives you some protein to fill you up so you won’t feast on chips or cheese puffs when you’re hungry. Sounds like Grub For Guys heaven, doesn’t it? And no, it’s not too good to be true. Go try it for yourself!

Note: the press materials say that Perky Jerky may not be available yet where you buy jerky, so visit www.perkyjerky.com for more info and be sure to ask your local convenience store to carry it.