Tropical Snacks for Bargain Prices at Marshalls

Marshalls is one of my favorite stores, because I can buy quality products at a marked down price. In terms of merchandise, Marshalls is like Burlington Coat factory. It is very easy to get lost in the savings, because of their departments. Yesterday, I went to Marshalls to pick up shoes for my boys. I found shoes and left with Coconut Patties, Honey Roasted Macadamia Nuts and Double Chocolate Sea Salt Macaroons. These tropical snacks are hard to find at supermarkets. Although all three are available on Amazon, most vendors sell them at full price plus shipping and handling. There is a stigma that a healthy lifestyle is expensive. Honestly, it is true and false. It comes down to research and accepting that you might not like everything marketed toward a healthy lifestyle. Recently, I decided to give Marshalls’ gourmet snack aisle a chance.

Anastasia Coconut Patties

Initially, I was apprehensive about coconut patties. I love coconut. Sometimes, I make macaroons from shredded coconut. The yellow box immediately caught my eye. I thought, “Are these better than Mounds?” I grew up eating Almond Joys and Mounds. I decided to try these coconut patties, because the 10.6 oz box was $2. In the past, I have spent between $1 to $3 on a king size Hershey candy bar. For five patties, the price was reasonable.

Each creamy shredded coconut is dipped in dark chocolate. They are individually wrapped to preserve freshness and one serving is 170-calories. Since the patties rich and creamy, one is satisfying. So far, I only tried one flavor. The other flavors are Key lime, Pina Colada and Orange.

Tidbits Double Chocolate Sea Salt Macaroons

When it comes to food and satiation, I need ying and yang. Basically, I need something savory to counter sweetness. Tidbits Double Chocolate Sea Salt Macaroons meets both requirements. Although the 3.75-ounce package only comes with five, one serving is enough. The sea salt compliments the chocolate and coconut. In addition, Tidbit Macaroons are gluten and dairy free. However, this is another package that only came with five macaroons.

To be honest, I am capable of eating two of these at a time. In my opinion, they are not as filling as coconut patties. Those trying to use these macaroons to supplement dessert, may end up eating more than one. As a result, I usually top of my lunch with one of these macaroons.

Honey Roasted Macadamia Nuts

I was not skeptical about Mauna Loa Honey Roasted Macadamia Nuts, because I love Macadamias. In fact, White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut cookies are my favorite cookie. I used to buy Planters Assorted Honey Roasted nuts. I stopped buying it for a few reasons. Due to assorted nuts, the caloric value was inconsistent. The sugar overpowered the honey. An open can of nuts had a short shelf life. Since I like honey roasted nuts, I immediately grabbed the 4 oz container.

Mauna Loa coats the Macadamia nuts with golden Hawain honey. The sugar is clearly there, but it does not overpower the honey. The salt is very faint, which makes this a sweet treat. The serving size for each four-ounce canister is about 2.5. This snack is ideal for people trying to increase their protein intake throughout the day. By consuming small increments of protein between meals, the body is in a constant state of burning calories.

Pantry Staples

To be honest, Marshalls is the only reason I eat these snacks. It is much cheaper to buy them here than online. The only downside is availability. When it comes to Mauna Loa, I must buy these honey roasted nuts in bulk. Otherwise, I may not find any for a month or two. Of the three snacks, Anastasia Coconut Patties are the easiest to find. They come in different flavors and sizes.

What gourmet snacks do you buy at Marshalls?

Which one have you tried?