Review/Giveaway: Mamma Chia Squeeze Vitality Gels

I wrote on Monday about skipping my long run this past weekend, but the other weekends, I’ve been hitting the multiuse paths around my apartment for some really gorgeous long runs. One thing I didn’t know before moving to Colorado (which has now become my go-to reason why people should move there) is that it’s the sunniest state of the country. How you measure whether a day is “sunny” varies, of course, but on average, we get about 135 completely clear days, and 300 days that are partly sunny. Win!

Living in Colorado has already made me more aware of eating healthier foods and living more naturally – with this past Sunday as an exception, my workouts there have usually been about skiing or going for a run outside instead of going to the gym. And this summer, I’m sure that I’m going to be hiking and biking up a storm! I have never ever thought of myself as a nature girl. In fact, as a kid, I used to dread going up to my family’s camp in the Adirondacks, and would usually lock myself in the car with my nose in a stack of books when I got there! (Hey, gotta avoid the mosquitoes somehow.) But now I’m finding myself embracing all these natural kind of things.

Which brings me to Mamma Chia. I’ve been a fan of chia seeds for a few years, usually choosing to put them in either oatmeal or in smoothies. I’ve tried making “chia pudding” with them, but I just find the consistency to be a bit off when I do so. I don’t mind the little clumps of crunchy chia seeds (in fact, I like that), but the texture as a whole ends up kind of gloppy instead of smooth with just the pearls of chia (like tapioca pudding). That said, I love chia seeds in my smoothies and oatmeal! When they’re not the only thickening agent, they provide an awesome texture, and I love the little crunch they add.

However, what I learned when trying the Mamma Chia Squeeze Vitality gels is that when someone else does the mixing, I like chia gel very much. The Mamma Chia Squeeze recipe had a fairly uniform texture (rather than gloppy like my own attempts to mix a gel or pudding), and the flavors of the packets were delicious. I felt extra healthy going for a long run and having a Mamma Chia Squeeze instead of something with chemicals, and the flavor was really delicious – not too sweet, and definitely not something that would upset your stomach. I was particularly worried about that with the Mango Coconut flavor, but it was actually delicious, and my favorite of the flavors that I tried

I also really liked that instead of having the rip the corner off a gel packet (which can sometimes be difficult with sweaty hands), each packet has a neat little spout at the top where you twist off the top and then suck out the gel through a straw, which makes it much less messy. I also found that I was easily able to get all the gel out of the packet without having to squeeze it like crazy, which was fantastic. More deliciousness in my stomach!

I would definitely recommend the Mamma Chia gel squeezes to any endurance athletes out there. The ingredients are really healthy, but they still provide the same energy boost as traditional gels. They are also sold for only $6 per four pack, which is slightly cheaper than most gels out there. Can’t go wrong with that!

Edited to add: just discovered this unique breakfast recipe with chia seeds, and I’m psyched to give it a try. I love savory things for breakfast!

Giveaway!

The Mamma Chia products definitely get my stamp of approval, so I’m really happy to be able to host a giveaway so that one of you can enjoy them as well. The winner will receive one week’s supply of Mamma Chia products (7 chia squeezes and 7 vouchers for the refrigerated beverages you can buy in a local store), a copy of CEO Janie Hoffman’s Chia Vitality book, and a Mamma Chia t-shirt. To enter, you’ll need to click through from your feed reader, and then use the Rafflecopter widget below. The contest will run through next Wednesday, May 21, and is open to all residents of the United States.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: Mamma Chia provided me with a gift package just like the winner of this giveaway will be receiving. Otherwise, I received no compensation for this post, and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.