Last Updated on March 17, 2015 by Heather Hart, ACSM EP, CSCS
The following review is sponsored by Sverve on behalf of Love with Food. I was compensated for my time in providing this review, however all opinions, editorial comments, and suggestions are my own. Sponsored posts fuel adventures; as always, thank you for your support!
In my world, grocery shopping typically looks a little something like this: leave work/the gym at 9:25 pm. Rush to the grocery store before it closes at 10:00 pm. Run around and grab something for dinner, plus a handful of other items I may need the next day. Always reach for the standby, tried and true items, because there isn’t time to browse. Pay for foods. Eat foods. Repeat the next day or two days later. Needless to say, I don’t often branch out and try new brands or food items unless someone else presents them to me first. This is mostly because of time constraints, but if we are being honest, financial ones as well. I am hesitant to spend money on a full size product that I’m not entirely sure that my family or I will enjoy.
All of these reasons, and more, are why I absolutely love when I get my hands on sample sizes…and why I’m a huge fan of the new “subscription box” craze.
Monthly subscription boxes have become wildly popular over the last year or so. The idea is this: for a fee that ranges from nominal to bank breaking, you can receive a box that contains anything from random samples to full size items. Everything from food, to sports nutrition, to dog toys and treats, to professional business attire can be delivered to your door. I personally really enjoy the concept of these subscription boxes, specifically the ones that deliver quality food samples; they allow me to try new products without going out of my way to hunt them down.
Yesterday, this lovely little box arrived in my mail:
Love With Food delivers a variety of natural and organic snacks in their monthly subscription boxes. The immediate plus of this this subscription box is obvious: all natural, no junk food, snacks. Who doesn’t love snacks? But the best part is the fact that your purchase helps feed others: for every box or product you buy, Love With Food donates 1-2 meals to a food bank in America. This particular box here donated a meal to the Oregon Food Bank.
The March 2015 box contained a great sampling of snacks, some of which I’ve heard of, some of which I hadn’t heard of…
…and some of which I ate while writing this post.
Though not everything in the box was necessarily a “snack” (the box contained tea, and a package of spices, in addition to more traditional snacks) everything certainly fit the theme of all natural, organic, and healthy. And each item was more than just a small sample, it was a whole, satisfying snack or full serving of the product. I was most excited to find a package of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts. A product I’ve been meaning to try and find at the store, but kept forgetting (refer to the very first paragraph), hemp hearts provide 10 grams of plant based protein per three tablespoon serving. A gold mine for a vegetarian like me!
In addition to the actual food products, my Love with Food box came with a handful of coupons, as well as a number of valuable coupons for some of the products in the box.
Love with Food offers three different options for snack connoisseurs. The prices for each for box vary by a few dollars depending on what length subscription you sign up for.
There is a “Tasting box”, retailing for $10-$12, containing 8-10 snacks. Also available for those of you who REALLY love to snack, is the “Deluxe” version, which contains 16 -20 snacks per box, and retails for $17-$20. Lastly, a gluten free snack box option, retailing for $24.50-$29, and contains 8-12 gluten free snacks per month. This video gives a bit more detail on how the whole process works, as well as answers some frequently asked questions:
Subscription boxes can indeed be hit or miss, but based on my first impression of Love with Food, I would absolutely say it is worth the $10 per month as it provided unique, quality, wholesome snacks. My biggest concern at the moment is wondering if I should share the rest of the box or save the rest of the treats for myself (maybe the Deluxe box would be a better idea in our house!)
Interested in trying out Love with Food? Maybe on the fence? Love with Food has offered a great deal available to any of my readers interested in trying out the subscription box. Use THIS LINK to sign up for a free first month, and pay only $2.00 for shipping and handling. (Be sure to read the fine print, though you can cancel at any time, I believe the offer signs you up for a recurring subscription)
_________________________________________________________________________
READER INPUT: Have you ever tried a subscription box? What kind of products would you be interested in sampling?
_________________________________________________________________________
Heather Hart is an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), UESCA certified Ultrarunning Coach, RRCA certified Running Coach, co-founder of Hart Strength and Endurance Coaching, and creator of this site, Relentless Forward Commotion. She is a mom of two teen boys, and has been running and racing distances of 5K to 100+ miles for over a decade. Heather has been writing and encouraging others to find a love for fitness and movement since 2009.
June
I’m SO tempted to get the GF box… but I’m trying to cut back on snacks. What’s a girl to do?!?
Just kidding. I’m gonna subscribe.
I like food even more than makeup & when my Ipsy subscription comes in the mail every month, I get super excited!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner
The rice bites looks good and I am recently into the hemp hearts. I have had a few food boxes and they haven’t been my favorite. I am all over the pop sugar boxes though. Wow you get home late!
Geoff Hart
Chick Peas!!!!
Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC
Not A huge lover of subscription boxes but I also recently tried this one and LOVED it!! I also love the story behind the brand. 🙂
Pretty Little Grub
I’m a big fan of subscription boxes too although now there are so many of them its overwhelming to pick one. I’m like you though at the grocery store, I buy the same stuff all the time. I don’t really take the time to look at options so these are really great to try new things.
Betsy Moats (@WarriorBetsy)
Oooh! You know I love subscription boxes! I haven’t tried this one yet but it looks like a good one!
katemovingforward1234
I did a few a couple years ago and I liked them I just didn’t keep them up! I guess I just picked the snacks I liked and bought them at the store! Those Annie’s bunnies I would be hiding from my baby! YUM!
Nicole @ Fitful Focus
YUM!! Looks like a bunch of great goodies 🙂 – and a GF box! hooray!
Janice @ Fitness Cheerleader
I tried a sample box once and loved it! I discovered some great new products that I would not have otherwise tried. I love that your box included the Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts – I’ve been DYING to try them. I see them in my grocery store but like you have been hesitant to invest in a full sized package.
M.A. Donohue (@BrooklynFitChik)
Those snackslook so yummy! How were the chips?
Sue @ This Mama Runs For Cupcakes
I just got my box too and really liked it. i haven’t done a subscription box before!
Tricia
I’m currently using nature box but I’m always looking for new things to try. Thank you for this review!
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running
I’ve never done a subscription box because I’m always worried that I won’t like most of the stuff in it, and then I’ll feel like I’ve just wasted my money.
mkadens1
Looks pretty good. Honestly I’m so burnt out on boxes like these. I think the market is saturated.
FitMomma
I’ve never tried a subscription box…seems like something I’d be interested in trying…but I’m a little leary on the thought of “hit or miss”…I’m like you when it comes to trying new things…I absolutely HATE wasting my money. lol…will definitely pass this on though…
Patty @ Reach Your Peak
those rice square things look pretty good! I think that would make a good snack. I’ve gotten rice cakes before for snacks but they are so plain. Interesting monthly box idea!