Automating as many things as possible in my life is the key to how I do less and get more. This lets me truly relish my down time without worrying about all the things left on my to-do list.

Here are just some of the things I’ve automated:

• Credit Card & Bill Payments
• Investing, Saving, & Taxes
• Clothes Shopping (StitchFix ROCKS!)
• Groceries (Boston Organics)
• Grassfed & Pastured Meat each month (Chestnut Farms)
• Supplements on Amazon Subscribe & Save, like Magnesium
• Coffee & MCT Oil

These services either pull automatically from my accounts or show up on my doorstep without my continual attention and energy, freeing up brain power for me to focus on other things.

So when Cave Cravings, a healthy Paleo snack box subscription service, reached out and asked if I’d review a box, of course I said YES! I am not an affiliate of Cave Cravings, but they did send me a box at no charge. As usual, I was super-excited to get a goodie in the mail and this did not disappoint.

Here is the box I received and what I found inside:

I’m fairly sure our box contained (but not certain because my husband, a.k.a. “The Kitchen Sink,” inhaled half the box before I could blink):

• 2 packs of grassfed, gluten-free beef jerky
• 2 gluten-free, nut-free, vegan friendly energy bars
• 4 gluten-free, vegan energy bites
• 5 almond raisin cookies
• 2 packages of mini Coco-roons (macaroons)

Asking for an honest review tells me Cave Cravings has integrity and desires to provide the best service possible. That’s already a win-win in my book as far as ethics go.

My husband and I dug into everything and judged for quality, taste, and nutrient density. Let’s start with the bad and finish with the good.

Thumbs Down

Low Overall Nutrient Density

–High Sugar: Not surprising, but a bit disappointing, was the amount of “Paleo” desserts in the box. Most items’ first or second ingredient was some type of sugar (albeit better quality sugars, from honey, coconut, dates, etc.).

– Low Protein: The quality protein (i.e., from something that runs/swims/flies) was zilch (not counting the jerky, a standalone item). If I’m going to eat 20-30g of carbohydrates, I’d like at least 10g of protein to go along with it.

To be clear: Dessert isn’t bad, but it’s dessert… a treat.

My desire for a box like this is to provide quick, on-the-go, nutrient dense snacks… better than the standard on-the-go options. As is, most items in this box provided the same carbohydrate overload from slightly better quality ingredient options.

How would I use this box?  These would be desserts I’d eat 1-2x per week or in a “Stash Drawer” at the office for a treat.

In a way, calling this a healthy Paleo box encapsulates all that’s wrong with the Paleo community. Replacing the Standard American Diet with grain-free, sugar-laden substitutes misses the entire point of this movement – to nourish our bodies with high quality, nutrient dense foods that create health instead of disease.

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How could it improve? I’d rather see more raw nuts, seeds, jerky, and even kale chips and fewer cookies. Also, the large energy bars were okay, but the protein was super-low in conjunction with the carbohydrates, so they wouldn’t be a great meal replacement, but maybe better for post-workout (Could you use these Rxbars instead or in addition to?).

3 out of 5 on Taste

If I’m going to eat dessert, I want it to knock my socks off. Yes, I’m picky. While some items in the box DID knock my socks off, the rest were just okay. They were okay enough for my husband to eat them but not “worth it” to me.

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How could it improve? Allowing customers to customize their boxes each month would eliminate this issue as they could simply choose what they like. At the very least, allowing the option to “Never put _____ in my box” would help.

Thumbs Up

Convenience

Enjoying more time is always a WIN. Getting a box like this in the mail each month would free up time spent shopping, scouring ingredients labels (no small feat), and fighting traffic. We already get our veggies delivered to our doorstep each week and our meat once a month, so why not snacks too?

Actually, if the right things were in the box, it could cut grocery trips down to 1-2x per month, adding 2-4 hours in the process. Convenience rocks.

Peace of Mind

Everything in the box was made with the highest quality ingredients and supported small businesses.

Sugar content aside, all the ingredients were organic, gluten-free, and/or grass-fed. Scouring ingredients labels takes time, energy, and resources, so peace of mind with a company I trust is always a win. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve invested good money into a product I “thought” was okay, only to get home and discover an ingredient I missed (usually some form of gluten) and then not eat the product. It’s so frustrating!

I appreciate that Cave Cravings sources products that can be trusted.

Variety, Amount, & Price

There were a far amount of goodies in this box to whet every whistle. I was impressed with the overall number of items and felt the $29/month price tag is a fair price for the service + products + shipping. All of these items in a Whole Foods or other natural food store would definitely come out to $30 or more.

I also appreciated the variety, both in products and in including different flavors of the same product. Two packages of jerky, two different flavors of energy bars, energy bites, and Cocoroons, and one flavor of cookie.

Perfect Portion Size

The small size of each product and the individual wrapping made them an easy choice for a quick snack or bite. If there’s cake in the office and you’re about to cave (even though you don’t want to), there’s nothing to guilt over with anything in this box. They are the perfect portion size and pack a large satisfying punch in a small package.

Taste

I couldn’t get over how tender the jerky tasted. It was delicious, nutritious, and the perfect size to eat the whole thing and toss the trash. Not too spicy, not too bland. Loved this jerky.

The Lemon Pie Cocoroons were the most delicious thing I’ve tasted from a package in ages. I’m not much of a lemon person. I don’t choose lemon in desserts, but these blew me away. I also loved the small size of each bite. I’d eat 7 bags of these if I had the opportunity.

The Chocolate Maca Energy Bite was also AMAZING. Amazing.

The Low Down: Should I sign up for Cave Cravings?

It depends on:

A) your goals, and

B) for what reason you want a box like this.

If fat loss is your top priority, you’re a Paleo newbie, and/or you have wild crazy cravings for sugar, I’d forgo this service until you’ve worked the system for several months, consistently nourish your body, and get a handle on your cravings.

Also, if you’re looking for healthy meal replacements, I’d forgo a Cave Cravings box in favor of other Paleo bars on the market.

If you want goodies on hand (just in case), are maintaining your healthy weight, and have no issues with indulging/cravings/sugar, then go for it. You can’t beat the convenience of getting a variety of goodies delivered to your doorstep each month. Click here to visit their website.

Have you tried Cave Cravings or a similar service? What’s your experience? Share it in the Comments Section below. Can’t wait to read about it.

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A version of this review first published on paleomadesimple.net.