When I first laid eyes on the Bodacious Banana Bread Walnuts made by Living Nutz in Bowdoinham, I thought yeah, right. Walnuts with some strange banana-like taste, I figured, or no actual banana flavor at all. (I’ve been tasting a lot of things lately that claim to contain natural flavorings, and I’m usually disappointed.) Then I tried the walnuts.

I’m happy to report that this product really does live up to its billing. Diving into a bag of these nuts is like eating really good banana bread without all the extra carbohydrates.

People who are into raw foods already know about Living Nutz, which boasts that its nuts are sprouted, unpasteurized, certified organic and dehydrated over several days instead of being roasted for 10 to 15 minutes like other brands – all in the name of better nutrition and digestion. The nuts are marinated before they’re dried, resulting in various flavors – from the banana bread to Absolute Chi Teriyaki Almonds, Celestial Cinna-Pecan (pecans that taste like cinnamon buns), Tahitian Vanilla Bean Coconut Creme Walnuts, and Mayan Chili Pistachios. The company also sells unflavored nuts and seeds. Most 3-ounce bags go for $6.49.

The Bodacious Banana Bread Walnuts are flavored with organic bananas, organic agave, Celtic sea salt and organic cinnamon. The sprouting and slow drying give them a nice crunch. The company suggests adding them to cereal, which does sound delicious, but I’d worry the flavor of the nuts, which are not cheap, would get lost. On the other hand, if you eat them on their own, you run the risk of downing the whole (small) bag, which clocks in at 480 calories, in one or two sittings. Eat just a handful at a time and you’ll be fine.

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