Sharkies Organic Fruit Chews (Fruit Snacks) + Giveaway

I realize that it's been awhile since I've featured any snacky goodness here, and quite frankly, this particular review is slightly overdue! Sharkies Organic Fruit Chews recently hooked me up with an absolutely wonderful selection of their organic fruit snack products to try out and there were so many great items to sample that it took about a month to finish up everything! Before I get to the review, let me tell you a little about the background of Sharkies (from the Sharkies website):

"Sharkies Inc. was founded in 2003 by Dwight and Kelly Sinclair. As triathletes, swimmers, and parents of three very active kids, Dwight and Kelly wanted to create an all-natural organic snack that was portable, organic and tasted great. With over 20 years in the food business and a passion for sports, the outdoors and healthy living, Dwight and Kelly created the Sharkies adult organic fruit chews. After four years of success with the Sharkies adult product, Sharkies for kids was born in 2007."

Organic Fruit Chews in Fruit Splash and Berry Bites (vegan, gluten free):

These fruit chews are amazing! The texture is similar to that of a traditional gummy but slightly less chewy and a bit softer, slightly akin to a dense jelly/gelatin (note: this product contains no gelatin). The other members of my household are big on gummies and they all loved these fruit snacks! The fruit flavors are fruity and vibrant with a lovely variety of flavors in each bag. The snacks also look lovely with their fun shark shapes, slight shine and bright, kid friendly colors! Definitely an excellent snack for both kids and adults.

Kids Sport Chews in Tropical Splash (vegan, gluten free):

The texture of the sport chews are similar to that of the gelatin free gummy bears you find in the bulk section of the grocery store... slightly dense and chewy, but a little more sticky than a traditional gelatin based gummy (kind of like a gum drop). The flavors are great and very kid friendly though I would say that they taste slightly less fruity than the fruit chews. The sugar coating gives the snacks a wonderful texture that is slightly crunchy, but not gritty or overwhelmingly sweet.

Sharkies Energy Sport Chews in Watermelon, Fruit Splash, Berry Blast (vegan, gluten free):

The energy sports chews are geared toward adults and they definitely have a slightly more "adult" flavor. Compared to the other Sharkies offerings, the taste of the sports chews is slightly less sweet and a subtle, but not unpleasant, rice syrup aroma and flavor is also present. The fruit flavors are mild & clean (the watermelon was my favorite) and the chews are very sticky. These snacks definitely satisfied my sweet tooth and provided me with a "sugar boost" during my midday slump.

Smart Twists in Tropical Wave & Berry Surf (not vegan or vegetarian, but gluten free):To my knowledge, these are the only non-vegetarian friendly offering from Sharkies. The twists contain fish oil from sardines and anchovy, though the snacks contain no detectable fish flavor. In fact, the other members of my household seemed to think that of all the Sharkies snacks these had the most vibrant fruit flavors of all! The snacks are similar in flavor to a fruit leather but are a little softer and less chewy. The flavors are very fruity and appealing, but the snacks also provide 4% of the daily recommended value of fiber, 100% DV Vitamin C and a nice helping of omega-3 fatty acids.

Sharkies snacks can be purchased direct from the Sharkies website or at major retailers such as Target, Whole Foods & Toys R Us. Sharkies is also giving you the opportunity to win some here!

Sharkies is generously providing a mixed case of Fruit Splash & Berry Bites Organic Fruit Chews & a Sharkies visor (fits all ages) to one lucky reader!

To enter all you need to do is visit the Sharkies website and leave a comment with something you learned about their company or products.

For one extra entry each you can:
* Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS or via email (post your email address)
* Follow The Wide World Of via Twitter + tweet about the giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day)
* Post this giveaway in your blog and leave a link to your post

Please leave a separate comment for each entry! Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end on September 26, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: Shannon

**I was provided with the products mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. Others experiences with these products may differ from mine. **