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simbree cocoa almond cherry granola

The Simbree company, makers of the Simbree Bites I reviewed before, also make some good granola. One new flavor is Cocoa Almond Cherry Granola, which I am reviewing today.

I got really excited about this because two of my favorite treats in any sort of snack food are dried cherries and cacao nibs (which are like natural chocolate chips, but not really “chips,” and just plain better.)

As expected from a natural company such as Simbree, the granola is packed with healthy ingredients, which are listed below:

Organic buckwheat flakes, organic quinoa, organic agave, dried unsulfured cherries, almonds, cacao nibs, sunflower oil, pure vanilla extract, cocoa powder.

Judging by the natural ingredients, and the use of buckwheat and quinoa rather than wheat and oats, I’d say this granola is very low on the Glycemic Index. Even the agave sweetener is a low GI sweetener.

Another cool fact – this is made in the USA.

A 1/2 cup serving of granola gives you:

Calories 230
Total Fat 9g
Total Carbs 35g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugars 14g
Protein 5g

It’s also important what you’re not getting:

Sodium 0mg
Cholesterol 0mg
Trans Fat 0g

Overall, this is about as healthy as any cereal or snack food can be.

So let’s do a taste test of the Simbree Cocoa Almond Cherry Granola…

simbree granola

I remember my parents always growing buckwheat when I was growing up, and I think I even planted some of my own buckwheat. Unfortunately, I never liked the buckwheat pancakes my dad made. I still don’t like buckwheat stuff like that.

But the buckwheat flakes used in this granola are great! Both the buckwheat and quinoa provide their own unique, tasty flavors. I can’t say I prefer them over oats, but it’s a good change of pace.

And of course, I love the cherries and cacao nibs!

I can’t really compare this to anything else, as I’ve never had a cereal or granola based on buckwheat or quinoa. All I can say is that it has a unique taste, and it’s good.

I tried this with and without milk, and it was good both ways. It does not get soggy in milk.

(I didn’t try it in yogurt or as a hot cereal because it was so good plain that I finished the entire container rather quickly.)

There are only a couple downsides, but these apply to all high-quality snacks.

First, granola is calorie-dense and easy to overeat. One of these containers holds six 1/2 cup servings. I would consume it as one 3 cup serving! As healthy as it is, you could easily get fat if you buy this all the time and don’t ration it appropriately.

But I won’t be buying it all the time, because the second downside is the price. Amazon.com sells 3-packs of Simbree granola for about $20, which comes to about $0.85 per serving. (In the current economic climate, I have to give up certain luxuries like high-end granola to make sure I have fresh, high-end parts on my racing bike.)

Compared to Bear Naked, is the price outrageous? Not at all. It seems a little more expensive, but that’s probably because the ingredients used in this stuff are expensive. Plus, stores like Giant, Wegman’s, and Whole Foods carry plenty of other granola that is even more expensive than Simbree.

My final verdict is…

This is not your ordinary granola. If you are sick of regular cereal, or just want something unlike any granola you’ve ever had before, try this Simbree granola. I won’t be making it an everyday meal, but it’s good for an occasional snack (especially since it’s more natural than your average processed cereal).

Official website: www.Simbree.com

Product Review Details
Company: Simbree
Product: Simbree Cocoa Almond Cherry Granola
Reviewed by: Coach Levi
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Date last updated: 2009-07-02
Obtained Product: Free sample from company.
CoachLevi.com Advertiser: No.

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