Funky Monkey Snacks--Review and Giveaway!

I was contacted by Shannon of Funky Monkey Snacks to do a review of their product, and jumped at the chance! They are freeze dried fruit that is gluten-free, wheat-free, and dairy free, as well as all natural with no added sugar, preservatives, colors or flavors. They are also organic and kosher. I got to try four flavors:

• Bananamon – Freeze-dried banana and organic cinnamon
• Carnaval Mix – Freeze-dried banana, organic pineapple, apple, papaya, and raisins
• Jivealime – Freeze dried organic pineapple and organic lime juice
• Purple Funk – Freeze-dried organic banana and organic acai

The Review

What did the girls think? We eagerly tore into these when they arrived, then tried to space them out so they weren't gone all at once! Not easy with 4 kids all wanting a snack! :-) G didn't like the Carnaval Mix or the Jivealime, saying they got stuck in her teeth. H, M and F all loved them, though, so they appreciated eating G's share! When we broke out the Purple Funk, though, G changed her tune. She loved it! The Bananamon went over big as well. I guess she prefers freeze-dried bananas.

What did I think? These reminded me a little of my childhood, when my mom would make dehydrated fruit. I never liked the banana chips my mom made (sorry!), but I liked the Funky Monkey freeze-dried kind! They had a different texture and crunch to them, and they didn't stick in my teeth too much. The Carnaval Mix was too sweet and overpowering for me, the Jivealime was really good, but it did stick in my teeth a little bit more. The acai and cinnamon added just the right sweetness to the Purple Funk and the Bananamon. The Bananamon was my favorite. I had to MAKE myself stop eating them and save some for the kids! Maybe if my mom had sprinkled the banana chips with cinnamon, I would have liked them better, but honestly, I think I like the freeze-dried crunch better than the dehydrated texture. I like that they are a shelf-stable healthy snack option, something that would be easy to keep in the car or a diaper bag for an emergency snack (like for when you've been at the doctor's office for over an hour and the kids are about to eat their arms off--not that I'd know that personally, I'm just saying. . .)

Would you like to try some for yourself?

Funky Monkey will send a prize pack of 4 individual pouches of snacks – one of each flavor, to one winner. This contest is open to residents of the US and Canada.

• To enter please leave a comment saying which flavor sounds the most intriguing to you. Make sure you leave your email or some way to contact you if you are the winner.
  

For additional entries, leave a comment for each of the following:

• If you are a subscriber via email or RSS reader, leave a comment with how you subscribe.
• If you are a follower with Google Friend Connect (the little pictures on my right sidebar), leave a comment.
• If you have added my button to your blog or my blog name to your blogroll, leave me a comment with your blog's address.
  

So everyone has up to four ways to enter! I will choose a winner by Random.org on October 27th and post the winner by the end of the month.