justin's review

Disclaimer: I received a sampling of Justin's products to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! All opinions and thoughts are honest and my own.

I honestly had never heard of Justin's until the gang at BibRave told us that they were partnering up with them. The friendly folks at Justin's had graciously offered to send some packets to all of the Pros.

What a shock when I received the package. It was fairly heavy, and when I opened it up, I knew why – they had sent me 6 boxes of the 1.15oz packets! That's 60 packets of what sounded like delicious treats. There were 2 boxes of each of the following flavors – Classic Almond Nut Butter, Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend, and Maple Almond Butter.

I first tried the Classic Almond after my 23 mile run a few weeks back. It was quite a tasty treat afterwards (and gave me something to look forward to at the finish), though I had trouble eating the whole packet at once.

Using Justin's Almond Butter for a sandwich.

Next, I brought the Classic Almond to work to put on my usual lunch, which is PB&J, but instead of crunchy PB, I used the Classic Almond Butter. It was fantastic. My next trial was the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend. It was AMAZING. My favorite by far. After opening for a quick taste, I decided to spread it on one of my all-time favorite snacks, an All-In Almond Picky Bar. It was fantastic. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter spread on
an All-In Almond Picky Bar.

The final taste test was the Maple Almond Butter. I decided to put this on one of my top breakfast foods - an English Muffin. It was a delight! It was a touch sweet, but not over the top. I think it was a perfect combination of maple and almond butter. Yum.

English Muffin + Justin's Maple Almond Butter = delightful.

I've also caught my husband sneaking packets from their boxes and using them to make sandwiches for work. He loves all the flavors, but I think the Chocolate Hazelnut was his favorite. I know he's tried them all on bread for sandwiches, and has also tried them on bagels. He hasn't found a bad combination yet.


I really want to get my hands on their Peanut Butter Cups (um, they have white chocolate ones! Can you say amazing?!) and the Vanilla Almond Butter. They also sell 80 calorie squeeze packs, which I think might be the perfect size for carrying on a run or hike, as well as being an easier amount to eat on the go. I love the 1.15 oz packs for travel and bringing to work to make sandwiches.

Another thing I like is that they are all-natural, and that I can pronounce all of the ingredients in each product, which generally isn't a very long list. 

A breakdown for each of the 3 flavors I received can be found below:

Justin's Classic Almond Butter
$11.99 for case of 10 packets
Ingredients: Dry Roasted Almonds, Palm Fruit Oil*.
*Sustainably sourced palm fruit oil
7g Protein, 2g Sugar, Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil, 0g Trans Fat, Vegan, 3g Fiber, Gluten Free, Kosher

Nutritional Facts for Classic Almond

Justin's Maple Almond Butter
$11.99 for a case of 10 packets
Ingredients: Dry Roasted Almonds, Maple Sugar, Palm Fruit Oil*, Sea Salt
*Sustainably sourced palm fruit oil
6g Protein, 3g Sugar, Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil, 0g Trans Fat, Vegan, 3g Fiber, Gluten Free, Kosher

Nutritional Facts for Maple Almond

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend
$11.99 for a case of 10 packets
Ingredients: Dry Roasted Hazelnuts, Dry Roasted Almonds, Organic Cane Sugar,
Organic Cocoa, Organic Cocoa Butter, Palm Fruit Oil*, Natural Vanilla, Sea Salt.
* Sustainably sourced palm fruit oil
4g Protein, 8g Sugar, Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil, 0g Trans Fat, Vegan, 3g Fiber, Gluten Free

Nutritional Facts for Chocolate Hazelnut

One other great thing is that they share recipes on their website for some of the most amazing sounding things ever! Check them out here. I hope to find some time in the near future to make a few things, including Maple Almond Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts, Justin's Giant Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies. Jenn made some delicious looking Almond Butter Banana Bread Muffins – check out here recipe here.

A little bit more about Justin's from their website:

Making the foods we love extraordinary, with an uncompromised spirit of innovation, sustainability and community.

Our products are made with common sense. A sense that cooking in small batches ensures higher quality. That selectively choosing fine, all-natural ingredients will make it taste better. And that no matter their size, companies should always be grateful to their customers, employees and community.

At Justin's, we all feel an acute need to give back to the community in the most impactful manner possible with the understanding we are a small, growing company. Being a healthy and optimal food source for impoverished communities, Justin's has chosen to reach out and support a local organization whose impact is far reaching. Our answer is The Conscious Alliance. 

Sounds like a great company to me. You can find out more on their website.

So, where can you buy Justin's? Good news for me is that I just spotted some jars at our local Jewel, so you might want to look at your local grocery store as well. You can also purchase online at their website. You can also search for locations using their locator.

Connect with Justin's:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

What the other Pros have to say:
Jeremy | Amy

week in review; april 21–27

This was a bit of a lazy week... I'm a bit embarrassed!

Monday, April 21
rest day
I spent the day at work and then lounged on the couch, our busy weekend and 9.5 mile run on Sunday had worn me out.

Tuesday, April 22
rest day
I woke up with a migraine, so decided to sleep in instead of go for a run. I knew it was going to be a bit of a stressful day, with Walt Disney World Marathon weekend going on sale at 12 EST. I had decided to register for the Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon in four consecutive days). I was a bit nervous to take the plunge, but I did! It was pricey, but I'm hoping worth it. I know that with the proper training, I can accomplish this goal, and cross the challenge off of my bucket list. It's going to be a lot of hard work, and very time consuming, but I'm ready for it. I also know it's going to take a lot of time away from my family and friends, but they are supportive and understanding. I am nervous about going for my first full marathon (though I am in the process of looking for a fall to compete in as a warm-up/trial), but I just have to believe that if I put in the work, I can do it. And as has been the recent trend, most of the events sold out within hours. What's left currently is Goofy and a Half Challenge and the full marathon. Anyway, after work, I headed up to trivia, as usual.

Wednesday, April 23
strength training - arms and abs

Thursday, April 24
2.1 miles on the treadmill

Friday, April 25
rest day
I woke up feeling pretty crappy. I could feel a new sinus infection was working its way in, so I tried to get as much rest, water, and vitamins as possible for the day.

Saturday, April 26
rest day (though it wasn't very restful at all!)
Saturday was spent outside standing for about 12 hours straight. My husband and I (along with some friends) had scored tickets to Dark Lord Day. A little bit about DLD: Dark Lord Day is the only day of the year to buy Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout. It is a festival where participants can meet other beer enthusiasts, sample beers from all over the world, buy Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout, enjoy good food, listen to live music and generally have a great time. It was a really fun day, where we made new friends and got to taste a lot of different beers that we would never have the opportunity to try otherwise, including one from Belgium. Unfortunately, it was freezing! Before I left the house, it seemed warm out, and I was worried I had over-dressed. On the contrary. It was SO windy, that even with the sun out, I was practically shivering. It would warm up for a minute, when the wind had died down, but then it would start back up again. Because we were so cold, we never stopped to think about the fact that the sun was out and we were getting burnt. The next day, I woke up with a pretty bad burn on my entire face (minus where my sunglasses were), and poor DH had it all on his neck and face. My neck was protected by my jacket collar being pulled up all day, thankfully. Anyway, there's our lesson. We didn't get home till late, even though I thought for sure I'd have time to get in a long run either when we got home, or have the energy to run before all of my events for the day Sunday.

Sunday, April 27
rest day
No long run, like I had hoped. I was very tired and sore from standing/walking around all day, and slept in, thinking I'd squeeze one in at night. I should have known better. I met a friend from college for lunch and then headed out to a four year olds birthday party for most of the day. When I got home around 6, I did some laundry, watched tv and went to bed at 9. The sinus infection felt a bit better today, but I am still trying to stay hydrated and get lots of rest. I have a half marathon in a week, and would like to do well and feel good while running it.

Overall, not a great week for me (running wise), but glad I was able to register for Dopey without much hassle (though lots of stress. If you've registered for runDisney events recently, you know what I'm taking about). I'll definitely have to be MUCH better at getting in my runs once that training plan begins in July. I'm not really following anything at the moment, which I think is my downfall. 

How was your week? Did you race or have a long run? Are you a beer enthusiast?

week in review; march 10–16

Well folks, not much to report for the week of March 10–16. On Monday, I started to get that pesky cold that seemed to be going around and by Wednesday, it was a full-fledged sinus infection (it started with my sinuses feeling pressure and clogged, and then progressed to the more extreme post nasal drip, coughing/sore throat and chest congestion, which made breathing very difficult... I don't think having asthma helped the situation). I'm used to sinus infections, as I unfortunately get them frequently, but this was bit too much to handle. Usually, with the help of NyQuill, drinking a lot of water, and lots of sleep and rest, I can kick it, but not this time. I could barely get any sleep, as I was coughing the entire night, and by the morning my back and neck would be sore from my attempt at sleeping sitting upright. My good friend NyQuill had let me down.

I decided it wasn't going to go away with over-the-counter medication any time soon, so tried to make an appointment to see my doctor - - there were no openings for the next few days (what?!). I ended up making an appointment (online! very convenient) for a Walgreen's Healthcare Clinic to get some antibiotics. They accept walk-ins, but I figured better to have an appointment and hopefully get seen on time. Thank goodness for that, because when I went in, they were no longer accepting walk-ins for the day. Phew. I think I might have cried if I went as a walk-in and couldn't be seen. Anyway, the meds have started to work, and I am feeling a bit better.

With my sickness, I was unable to run at all, which was such a disappointment, since I was starting to get back into a groove (and was even waking up early in the morning to run before work). I was also supposed to run a St. Patrick's Day themed 7k on Saturday morning with my mom, but had to skip it :( There was no way I would have survived. I could barely make it up the stairs without being tired and winded, let alone get through nearly 4.5 miles, even if I walked leisurely. I was hoping to be able to have a nice race recap on the blog... oh well. Turns out skipping was the right thing to do, since I was up all night Friday coughing, which led to having very little voice left on Saturday. I had no energy to leave the house, let alone go to a race.

Anyway, my week consisted of moving from the bed to the couch and back to bed. Other than going to see the doctor, I didn't leave the house for five days. I watched a lot of tv. Isn't it funny how when you are busy, all you want to do is sit on the couch and watch tv/movies, but when you are sick and that's all you can do, you have the urge to clean, organize and do all the things you don't have the energy to do? Mentally, it was hard to just lay around and do nothing - I was making running lists of things that needed to be done. Physically, all I could do was lay around and get rest.

Seeing everyone's great race results from their races over the weekend really made me want to kick off the blankets and get outside! Hopefully by the end of this week, this sinus infection will be gone and I can get back to it! I was also pretty bummed that I had to miss all of the fun St. Patrick's Day celebrations happening over the weekend :( Hope everyone else had a great time!

I hope you all had a great weekend! If you were someone that had a great race, or were even able to complete a race, over the weekend - - congrats! I was very inspired by all of the PRs and stories that were being shared :)

week in review; march 3–9

Monday, March 3
rest day
I failed to wake up early and I just had to watch "The Bachelor: Women Tell All" when I got home from work. I normally don't watch "reality" tv, but this show is just too funny not to watch. It's a guilty pleasure, I admit. After "The Bachelor", I watched "How I Met Your Mother"... is anyone else worried about how this show might be ending?! I sure hope it's happier than they are making it out to be.

Tuesday, March 4
rest day 
On Tuesdays I play trivia at an Irish Pub in the area with my brother and some friends. The questions and categories are mostly Greek to me, but I was able to answer 5 questions correctly (ones that no one else knew). This was my best week yet. I usually have some other answers, but if other people know them, I don't count it as a personal victory. It's always nice, however, to be able to back-up the answer if there's any doubt.

Wednesday, March 5
evening run; 3.25 miles with an average pace of 12:57
Remember when I told you I was a slow runner? Well, an average pace of 12:57 is fast for me. Yep, you heard me right. My average pace from all of my runs logged on Nike+ (starting in May of 2011) is at 14:47. I know, that's basically walking speed. Yikes. My goal of increasing my speed this year is going well so far. I hope it continues to improve, and that I can incorporate it into my races.

Thursday, March 6
morning run; 3.22 miles with an average pace of 13:19
Yes, I was able to crawl out of bed in the morning to complete a run before work. Go me! I knew I wouldn't be able to run after work because I had plans to meet up with friends for a wine tasting and have dinner, so I reminded myself of those plans before hitting the snooze and going back to bed for an hour. I had some knee pain at mile 2, so did a little more walking to alleviate the pain. After a few minutes I got back to run/walking, and the pain had subsided, so I was happy about that. 

Friday, March 7
rest day
So very happy it was Friday, and the near 40 degree temps really helped to improve the mood of everyone today. I had a great hour-long lunch break with a friend I've made in the office across the hall. I almost never take lunch breaks, but it felt so nice to get out of the office after spending most of the winter pent up. Sometimes you just need a break. My evening consisted of catching up on a backlog of "Grimm" episodes, eating dinner, all while enjoying a glass of wine before hitting the pillow at 10:30. 

Saturday, March 8
rest day
DH and I went to lunch with my mom early Saturday afternoon. We went to an Irish pub/restaurant and got some corned beef (delicious) in honor of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day... and some pizza, too. I spent rest of the day cleaning the house. At night, we went to a friends house for a birthday party and we played a game of Apples to Apples with about 20 people - hilarious fun.

Sunday, March 9
6.03 miles with an average pace of 13:21
Late night out plus daylight savings equals a later wake-up time than I had planned. Oh well. I had scheduled Sunday as my long run day, because it was supposed to be warmer outside. Unfortunately, it was still a bit too cold/windy, so I decided to hit the treadmill and continue re-watching Lost (I'm on Season One for the third or fourth time... pretty sure I clue in on something new (to me) each time). It was really about 6.5 miles at about 13:10 pace, but I was having some issues with my watch — it had decided to pause (or maybe I accidentally paused it when taking off my sweatshirt), and then didn't pause while I tried adjusting my sports bra — in any case, it had me at over a 20 minute mile pace. I decided to just stop and start over, to ease my frustration and start fresh. That evening, ee met up with some friends we haven't seen in a long time for dinner at an alehouse, and then went to see their new house. At the alehouse I had a "Not Your Fathers Root Beer" by Small Town Brewery, and it was amaaaazing! I didn't really believe it would taste just like root beer, as it claimed, but it REALLY did! I need to find this in stores immediately to stock up the fridge. It was 10% ABV, which could be quite dangerous, since you can barely taste the alcohol. Fingers crossed I can find it somewhere.

And now, it's time for a new week! Those weekends sure do fly by, huh?

How was everyone else's weeks? Anything fun to report?