I Tried Moon Juice’s Cosmic Provisions Activated Snacks to See If It Could Kick My Cravings

I'm not always the healthiest snacker. When I find myself a little hungry, I often turn to chips, ice cream or cookies, and I wind up indulging more than I really wanted to in the first place.

I try to keep nutritious snacks around, but they always seem to disappear quickly, or they have a short shelf life and I forget about them before I get a chance to truly enjoy them. So when I recently rediscovered Moon Juice, whose Moon Dusts we've covered in the past, and stumbled across their collection of organic, raw and activated snacks, I was eager to try them ASAP.

I reached out to the company, who generously sent me their Cosmic Provisions Collection containing all 10 of their unique snacks, so I could try them each for myself.

The Products

Each item in the Cosmic Provisions Collection is designed to fill you up and satisfy your cravings with great flavors and nutrient-rich ingredients. Everything is organic and raw, and many of them are activated. This process includes soaking nuts or seeds in a saltwater solution before dehydrating them, which is said to make them easier to digest. Ever feel overly full and heavy after eating a lot of raw nuts? That might be because of certain enzymes in the nuts—which are removed through the activation process.

According to Moon Juice, this collection of sweet and savory snacks, from nuts and seeds to dried fruit and crunchy crisps, is full of live enzymes, plus lots of minerals and antioxidants, to do your body good even when you have a snack attack. The whole collection costs $56, which is a bit more cost effective than buying all of the individual pieces at $63.

The Experience

When I opened my box of Moon Juice snacks, I was delighted by the collection of unusual foods contained inside. I set out to try one new snack every morning for a couple of weeks, so I could come in with a clean palate every time, to find out which ones would be worth snacking on again in the future. Here's how each one fared.

Activated Dulse & Vinegar Almonds

As soon as I opened this little baggie of almonds, I was hit with the pungent but not unpleasant smell of vinegar. When I popped one in my mouth, I was immediately met with a hint of sweetness before a strong, vinegary tang set in. They were slightly salty, with an aroma that reminded me of the sea—which made way more sense when I googled "dulse" and discovered it was a form of seaweed. They were also super crunchy, and as I finished the small pack of nuts I found that I never tired of the refreshingly sour taste.

 

Green Fermented Seed Crisps

This was definitely the oddest-looking snack in the bunch, but after having a good experience with my first snack, I worked up the courage to try it. Coworkers likened it to beautiful green paper you might by from a specialty craft shop, which didn't exactly make me feel confident about how they might taste.

I wasn't even sure what kinds of flavors to expect until I opened the plastic wrap and sensed a slightly fermented aroma. The pieces were in thin rectangular strips. When I picked them up, they held their shape, and when I bit in, it had just the right amount of crispy snap to the texture. They tasted sour, as I expected from the smell, and every bite was packed with flavor. Occasionally, I would get a hint of jalapeño heat. The green strips also had segments that were lighter in color and more papery in texture, and while they added a little more crunch, I don't think those sections tasted any different from the rest of the treat.

Though the appearance of the snack was a little intimidating, I ended up really enjoying the flavor. I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone, but I have plans to try them again in the future (even if a pack costs $6). Perhaps it was the strong flavor, but when I was done, I felt like I'd consumed a pretty large snack. Despite this, the entire package was only 70 calories. It made me feel like I cheated the system.

Rainbow Juice & Seed Crisps

These crisps were without a doubt the prettiest items in the snack box, and the flavor didn't disappoint, either. Each one had an amazing crunch, but was never hard to bite through with nutty bits of seeds and pepitas peppering each piece. And the vibrant red, yellow and green colors weren't just for show, either. The red was super earthy, thanks to the inclusion of beets, while the yellow tasted of carrots with a hint of ginger. The green one was flavored with spinach, making it the most neutral of the flavors, but I enjoyed it as well. If you're looking for variety, this might be the snack for you.

Schisandra Cacao Papaya

I was super excited to try this treat out from the get-go, and the fruit's slightly chocolatey scent made me even more excited to dig in when I smelled it. The papaya itself was tender, juicy and sweet, but the cacao coating made it slightly bitter, and the schisandra (also known as the five-flavor berry) added a hint of pungency and spice. Despite my interest in the snack, it didn't wind up being for me because of the bitter aftertaste and slightly chalky feeling it left in my mouth. Still, I anticipate that it will have a lot of fans in people who aren't quite as picky as me.

 

Activated Maca Mesquite Walnuts

The word "mesquite" made me expect something barbecue-like from this nut snack, but instead, it was a slightly sweet and fruity treat with a flavor closer to toffee. The walnuts stuck together like hunks of soft brittle, and it had a sticky texture on top of the crumbly walnuts, which got stuck to my teeth. As I continued to snack, I tasted more of the banana in the treat, as well as the malt-y maca flavor. I expected to like this one more than I actually did, though I found the snack so filling that it took me the entire day to get through it.

 

Activated Hazelnut, Mulberry & Cacao Crunchies

After I wasn't the biggest fan of Moon Juice's walnut snack, I was a little unsure about whether I would enjoy this hazelnut one. It turns out that I had nothing to worry about. I enjoyed the rich crunch of the hazelnuts, compared to the soft bite of the walnuts, and they were delicious when coated with a coconutty, caramel-like brittle. I also thoroughly enjoyed the hint of sea salt also brought out in the flavor of the nuts.

 

 

Herb & Cheese Crisps

This snack had the most appealing name in the Cosmic Provisions box, and it didn't disappoint. The thin bars had the same crisp snap that I got used to by sampling the other similar snacks in the collection, but it had my most favored flavors out of the batch. Each bite began with a powerful dose of cheese, which gave way to herbs and garlic and ended with a fermented tang. That strong combination of flavors left an impression, and I was sad when I'd finished them.

Cumin & Shard Crisps

Like the herb and cheese crisps, I found these delicious. Right out of the bag, they gave off a sharp, tomatoey smell. They had a delightfully crunchy texture and a vinegary sourness, with a little extra zing from the herbs of tomato. I found the snack to be crisp and refreshing, and with the warmth from the cumin, it was another winner all around.

Activated Turmeric, Coconut & Lime Pepitas

I'm a big fan of pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds), so I expected to love this snack—and I did. The turmeric lent the blend an almost gingery mustard flavor, and it melded wonderfully with the taste of lime zest and coconut. The best-tasting bits were the ones that stuck together in large chunks, and at first, it didn't taste too spicy, but the more I ate, the more the heat added up. With the coconut flavor, they reminded me of a delicious Thai curry, making this another snack I would definitely have again.

Chile & Lime Mango

I saved this treat for last because it was the one I thought I'd enjoy the most, and I wasn't wrong. It was absolutely the best sweet offering in the box, created with juicy mango and a spicy chile coating, with just enough lime flavor to add tartness and complexity. It reminded me of a delicious mango chile lollipop, but tasted much better because it's not at all artificial.

 

Bottom Line

In my opinion, Moon Juice's box of unique treats does exactly what it sets out to do. Though there were a couple of items that weren't my favorites, each one offered strong flavors in the form of a rich and nutrient-packed snack that always managed to fill me up and make me forget about the junk I was craving. If anything would prevent me from buying the boxes on the regular, it'd be that a pack of 10 snacks costs $56. If you love healthy foods with interesting flavor combinations and are willing to pay for quality, chances are you'll fall in love with the Cosmic Provisions Collection.

 

To discover even more about the company's innovative offerings, click HERE for our review of Moon Juice's Moon Dusts.