It’s that time of year again, when we’ve packed our bellies full of turkey, dressing, cookies, pies, cakes and more and have now finally decided we’ve had enough. For many of us, the word that generally follows that sentence is the D-word: D-I-E-T. Ugh. But not this gal, not this year. I have two words: healthy lifestyle.
I’m not banishing super yummy baked goodies and decadent treats…but they are on an invitation only basis for sure. Still, I want to enjoy my food and my new healthy lifestyle. So what’s a girl to do?
Enter Awesome Bites Co. located in Houston, Texas and its Chief Officer of Awesome, Jennifer Thai.
After her child’s diagnosis of egg and peanut allergies, Jennifer had to reinvent the way she thought about food and what she fed her family. She embarked on a journey to make and serve food that was safe, delicious, and healthy. Jennifer spent more than a year perfecting her trade and became ServSafe Food Allergy Certified and a Certified Texas Food Handler so she could bake from her home under the Texas Cottage Law. From that…Awesome Bites Co. was born and is reinventing treats one muffin at a time.
Here’s how. Awesome Bites Co.’s boasts products that are non-GMO and vegan and contain no added sugar, no preservatives, no cholesterol, no dairy, no egg, no peanuts and no soy. Jennifer said the only tree nut contained in their products is coconut, which she vets from her suppliers is not cross-contaminated with any other tree nuts.
Some of the company’s products can be made gluten-free although they are produced in the same facility as gluten-filled treats. In terms of cross contamination, Jennifer vouches that most of her suppliers are exclusive for their products and have no shared manufacturing lines for allergens. For more on Awesome Bites Co.’s policies on ingredients, ingredient sourcing, food allergies, and cross contamination, click here.
“In a little over a month we’ve sold more than 2,000 muffins through the Memorial Villages Farmers Market,” said Jennifer. “More than 80% of my customers have no food allergies and just want healthy and delicious food.”
Currently, the Memorial Village Farmers Market in Houston is the only place you will find Awesome Bites Co. and that is on Saturdays only. However, there are limited delivery options available to Greater Houston for an additional fee.
What’s the top seller for the company? Their number one product is what Jennifer affectionately dubs the Super Muffin. She describes it as a healthy breakfast muffin but with flavors like these, they sound far too delicious to be healthy…
- Original Spice Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip
- Banana Sunflower
- Chocolate Banana
- Lemon Blueberry
- Lemon Chia Seed
- Oatmeal Raisin
- Sunflower Butter & Jam
Jennifer graciously sent over a couple of goodies for my family to try. To put the proof in the pudding so to speak, she sent four boxes of Super Muffins: Oatmeal Raisin, Signature Spice, Lemon Blueberry, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip.
Since the muffins were not gluten-free and some products can contain chickpeas (one of my son’s allergies), my son and I did not taste test. That left the two toughest taste testers around- my husband and daughter, neither of which are super fond of allergy-friendly and/or healthy treats.
I won’t lie…I was worried. Really worried. But you know what? They liked them! So much so, that they ate them, liked them, and kept eating them without me needing their taste testing skills anymore. My husband was extremely partial to the Oatmeal Raisin and Signature Spice but my daughter loved Pumpkin Chocolate Chip. It simply made my heart happy that both of them were getting 1/4 a serving of fruits/veggies with every super muffin they ate!
Still…to round out my survey group, I took the muffins to my workplace to have a few of the ladies do their own taste test. Oatmeal raisin and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip came out on top again. Signature Spice came in third. In full disclosure, although they said the Lemon Blueberry Muffins were good, they did admit to them tasting a little dry.
From time to time, Awesome Bites Co. will offer Beanie Brownies (a healthy version of a brownie) and gourmet hot chocolate on a limited basis. To find out more about what Jennifer is cooking, be sure to visit the company’s Facebook page.
Looking to start your year off on a healthier note? Stop by Awesome Bites Co. at Memorial Village Farmers Market in Houston and let us know what YOU think!
Cheers to happiness and health for you and yours in the new year!
Blessings,
Kimberly
The Food Allergy Mom 