All about: the arrival of Forage & Graze

A lot of people I know who have made a few attempts over the year to eat ‘well’ and failed dismally have complained to me that it’s usually because snack time is when they are hit hard the most. When 3pm rolls around and the healthy salad lunch just isn’t making its presence felt anymore… and they are straight into the cookie jar, chip packet or vending machine! I have the luxury of freelancing so come prepared if I’m off site and have a well-stocked pantry for when I’m on, leading to virtuous snacking decisions all round.

Well all that has begun to change of late with the arrival of ‘clean’ treats that taste great as well being good for you hit the shelves, the latest being the Gluten free and Paleo friendly Forange & Graze range.

A year in the making, Forage & Graze came to life after creator Cara struggled to find Gluten free and Paleo friendly snack food options - like many other people I know. She says that she was “sick of processed ‘non food’ items cluttering store shelves and masquerading as ‘healthy’, I embarked on a journey to develop a range of snack foods that is nothing more than unrefined, nutrient-dense whole foods packed full of pure goodness for today's busy lifestyle”.

Based on the Paleo principle of whole food ingredients, all Forage & Graze products are free from grains, refined sugar and dairy.  There is nothing processed or artificial in any of their goodies, “and you certainly won't see numbers or ingredients you can't pronounce in our food labels. All you'll find is whole foods that your body instinctively knows how to process,” says Cara.

Thus far the range is made up of the most heavenly granola (you have NO idea how good it is), biltong, trail mix and a unique product they have created called Wild Mix - a blend of New Zealand grass fed biltong, raw nuts and organic dried fruit. The granola comes in two flavours - Berry Good and Maple Pecan Perfection - and I’ve been making breakfast with it and carrying it as a snack, and apparently it’s great in baking too.

Available in Original & Chilli, their biltong is naturally seasoned and completely Gluten free, whilst their Wild Mix is available in their flavours: Mac n Mango, Supercharged Superfruit and Cheeky Chilli & Mango.

All in all, totally delicious and seriously impressive - long may their product offering grow!

Forage & Graze products are currently available online at www.forageandgraze.co.nz, with retail distribution coming soon.