The Keto Box November 2018 Review
There were some tasty new discoveries in last month’s The Keto Box, so I was looking forward to opening this one. This keto subscription sometimes includes a couple of surprises, but you can generally expect a mix of sweet and salty keto snacks alongside some pantry items or other unique low carb products. I was curious to see what this month would offer!
Before we get to what was inside, a quick refresher: The Keto Box is a monthly subscription that describes itself as a “low carb care package for your body.” For $39.99/month, subscribers receive a box full of 5-8 keto snacks and other products delivered to their doorstep.
You can view my reviews of previous months of The Keto Box here.
Now on to the November 2018 The Keto Box:
This arrived on a chilly day, so I went for the hot drinks first:
1x sample pack Vahdam Teas (value: about $5.00)
I had never heard of this tea brand before, so it was nice to get a variety to try. This sampler pack includes one bag each of: Earl Grey Citrus (Green), Maharaja Breakfast (Black), Mint Melody (Green), Turmeric Spiced (Herbal), and Vanilla Spiced Chai (Black) tea. There was also some additional information about the origins and sourcing of the brand, and their charitable efforts.
With those details out of the way, let me just say that I loved these teas! My favorites were the Turmeric and Vanilla Spiced, but they were all smooth, flavorful, and obviously high quality teas. Definitely an interesting (and appreciated) inclusion, especially with the cooling weather. (I couldn’t find this exact sampler pack available online, so it may have been a TKB exclusive).
1x bar KetoWatt, Peanut Butter (value: $3.00)
This is a product I’ve tried before. Here are some notes from a past review:
I would describe the taste as similar to a peanut butter cookie although a bit drier and with more “nutty” notes from the other ingredients like cashew butter, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc. It was pretty tasty overall, and very filling considering the size of the bar.
1x 2oz bag Manuvo Harvest Organic Dried Coconut (value: about $5.00)
Coconut oil, coconut flour, coconut milk…coconut tends to be keto friendly in all of its forms, and these dried coconut chips are no exception. I generally prefer coconut chips that are a bit crispier, while these have a bit more chew to them. Even so, they are a good topping for low carb yogurt or ingredient in low carb cereal/granola. They aren’t sweetened or flavored: just 100% coconut.
1x serving Nush Cake, Carrot Spice (value: $3.00)
I like these little cakes, and this carrot spice version is easily among my favorite flavor options. They are soft and moist, rather than being dry like a lot of low carb baked goods. This one has a nice carrot cake flavor, and is especially nice when slightly warmed and topped with butter or cream cheese.
1x bar Neoh Bar, Chocolate Crunch (value: about $2.00)
This is described as a “cross bar” on the packaging, which is supposed to imply a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. It has 8g of protein but just 1g of sugar, which is definitely an improvement over the majority of candy bars out there. It’s pretty tasty, with a chocolate coating and a crispy filling. I’m not a huge fan of the inclusion of maltitol in the sweetener (2.5g per bar) though, and while it would satisfy a sweet tooth, I didn’t think it was super filling compared to other “protein bars.”
1x box The Gilded Nut Pistachios, Sea Salt and Pepper (value: about $4.00)
Pistachios aren’t my favorite nut to snack on, although they are growing on me thanks in part to this brand. They make these cute little boxes of perfectly roasted pistachios in various flavors, and this was my first time trying this variety. It’s more basic than their other flavors, but that just means the pistachios get to shine even more. I thought they had just the right amount of salt and pepper.
1x 4oz bag Front Porch Pecans, Sea Salt (value: $5.99)
These nuts are a big favorite of mine. Here are some notes from a past review:
I could eat these all day! This is one of those products that I was introduced to via keto subscription boxes and have absolutely fallen in love with since. I went from being pretty neutral on pecans (I didn’t dislike them, but also didn’t go out of my way to buy them) to being a pretty big fan! These nuts are perfectly roasted with just the right amount of salt and a delightfully buttery texture.
1x pack Brami Lupini Snack, Sea Salt (value: about $1.99)
This snack is made from a high protein, low carb bean called lupini. I thought it would be a crispy dried snack based on the packaging, but they are actually lightly pickled and, for lack of a better word, wet. They have a nice mild flavor, but the texture isn’t my favorite for a snack (similar to why I don’t eat olives, etc.). However, I think these good be a fantastic low carb bean option to use in recipes.
1x package Skinny Pasta Konjac Rice (value: about $3.50)
Skinny Pasta makes shirataki/konjac based pasta and this “rice.” Here are some notes from a past review:
Having tried it, I think I’d say it’s much easier to prep than something like cauliflower rice but it doesn’t have quite the same “bite” to it. I think it would be a decent substitute for a meal with rice as one of several ingredients (like a soup or even risotto), especially if you aren’t a cauliflower fan or don’t like the hassle, but it probably wouldn’t be as convincing in a pure “rice” dish like fried rice.
1x bottle Hello Water, Cucumber Lime (value: about $2.00)
I tried a different flavor of this “fiber infused water” in the past, but this was my first experience with this flavor. It’s sweetened with erythritol and stevia, and has 5g of soluble fiber for satiety and gut health. The cucumber flavor really shines, especially when served cold, and there’s no weird aftertaste or mouthfeel from the fiber/sweeteners. I really enjoyed it, especially for a naturally sweetened drink.
1x 4.23oz package Nekstella Coffee Creamer (value: $6.49)
I’ve tried most of Nekstella’s product lineup at this point, but this was my first experience with this coffee creamer from them. It’s just powdered cream, with no added sugar, fillers, or other junk. I could see it being a good option, but personally I’ve never been a fan of powdered creamers. I just find that I get a much creamier, smoother coffee when I use liquid cream instead. Since it’s unsweetened and unflavored, I’ve been adding it to soups and other recipes instead of coffee.
In addition to the items in the November The Keto Box, subscribers also received the following discounts:
- 10% off Front Porch Pecans
- 15% off Nekstella
- 15% off KetoWatt
- 25% off Hello Water
- 15% off Brami Snacks
- 15% off Manuvo
- 20% off Vahdam Teas
- 15% off Neoh
- 15% off The Gilded Nut
- 20% off Nush Foods
Overall Thoughts
This box was pretty representative of what I’ve come to expect from The Keto Box: some savoury snacks like the nuts, some sweets like the Neoh and Nush, some pantry items like the shirataki rice and coffee creamer, and then the sort of unique products like the tea. The tea was my favorite new discovery, while the pecans were my favorite repeat item.
With 11 items, this month of The Keto Box also had good value. The retail value of the products add up to $42+ before factoring in shipping costs or the included discounts. It should be noted that there can be flavor variations in The Keto Box, so the exact variety of Hello Water, Nush cake, Brami, etc. might be different in your box.
Want to sign up for next month? Use the code TRYKETOWITHME to save 15% and get FREE SHIPPING ($15.99 shipping to Canada) on your order!
