My New Favorite Online Store

First off, you know you have a problem with shopping online when the employees of the mail room:

1) know you by name and know your mailbox number too
2) immediately ask when you walk in the door, “How many packages today?”
and 3) stare in amazement when you walk out with only 2 boxes

So yes, that’s me!

Well, two weekends was no different than usual.  I will remind everyone that I live overseas, in a remote area, no shopping mall, small BX, and a mail plane that only comes once a week.  Therefore all packages are put out mostly on the same day (sometimes Saturday and Sunday will be some packages).  Let me also remind everyone that not every package we get is from something we ordered.  I think of this experience like summer camp and I get “CARE) packages from friends and family.

So here was what arrived that weekend.
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That was 6 packages.  Well, I admit to ordering 2 pairs of shoes from DSW.  One of these was also the last of Ryan’s Christmas presents.  It was a vest from LL Bean and it was on back order.  I think one was a CD from Ryan’s college that contained a recorded class.  One was a stack of magazines from my mom.  They just keep coming and coming, but I like Conde Nast Traveler and Self, but the more gossipy ones that I like to read at the gym.  Then there was my first package ever from Nuts Online.

My sister had ordered from there before.  I know, I know, there are probably tons of companies out there that sell the same stuff, but I took my sister’s recommendation and scoped out the site.  Within  minutes I was hooked.  (I will mention now that I am not in any way paid or sponsored by this company, I am just really pleased) They have nuts, dried fruit, snack mixes, flours and then candy too.  I was more concerned with the flours and dried fruits.

When my package arrived I opened it and was greeted with this:
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My eyes grew wide and my tummy grumbled and I smiled a little.  Want to know why I smiled?  The packaging.  I live in the world’s most humid location.  Everything here grows mold.  Cardboard food boxes grow mold.  Everything in my kitchen needs to go in plastic bags and even then some moisture gets in.  This packaging had me so excited because this means my food will last and not grow mold in my kitchen.  These are some quality bags.  They reseal easily and keep the products fresh.

Check out what I ordered:

Chickpea flour and almond flour: There is no way I could find these in the Azores at all. 
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I love dried fruit!  These are strawberries and kiwis.  We have already finished the kiwis.  I love fresh kiwis, but I will admit, I love them so much, that I enjoy the dried ones too. 
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If you are curious about price, just like anywhere, they range.  Some products, like the kiwis at only $3.99/lb, are below what I would expect.  That was great.  There are other products that are pricey, but I must say they prices were not any different from what I would expect to pay in a store for the same items.  For example the organic dried fruits and some of the more exotic and unique berries.  Another confession, since I live overseas and they ship APO and I can’t get some of these things anywhere around here, I don’t mind paying a little extra just to have them, maybe just once.

Next up are fava beans and whole wheat shell pasta.  I plan to make some mac and cheese next week with these shells. 
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These are their veggie chips.  Loved them!  Finished them!
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I also love mushrooms.  So when I saw the dried mushrooms, I got really excited and had to order these.
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Treats like this are sold in a 2 oz container, and some others I saw I think were 3 oz containers.  The nuts and fruits came in 1 pound and then larger, like 5 pounds.  I also see that you can order by the case.
Well, that is it for my first purchase.  Does it surprise you any that I have ordered more? My sister even ordered yesterday and so did my mom.

I also have a funny story about when I picked up my package.  The woman behind me saw my package and said to me that they love Nuts Online and asked what I ordered.  I started by saying whole wheat shells, fava beans, chick pea flour, dried kiwis and she laughed and said “Oh, that is so not what we order” and she was laughing.  She continued to say they ordered candy, so I quickly replied, “Maybe I should start off by saying I’m a dietitian and a vegetarian” and while both laughing she agreed that made way more sense.  I did confess to her that I like candy too.

QUESTIONS:  Have you ever heard of Nuts Online?  Where do you buy dried fruits/nuts?  Specialty products, like almond flour?

9 comments:

Andrea@WellnessNotes said...

Nuts Online sounds great! Glad you got some great products!

I buy dried fruit and nuts at Farmers' Markets, Trader Joe's, and sometimes at Whole Foods. Yes, I know I'm very lucky to have access to great products in several places...

Unknown said...

haha, love the name :) I live near Wegmans so I am set for all my nut needs - LOL!!

Emily said...

Interesting about the climate and mold. That would be a super tough thing to deal with.

I've never heard of nuts online, but it's interesting that they have a lot of other products besides nuts!

Gina; The Candid RD said...

I have not heard of nuts online, but I should look into it because of my granola project! They are probably nice and cheap :) Also, those are the same veggie chips we sell in bulk at the store. I LOVE them!! Yum, so tasty.

Mary Bergfeld said...

It is always wonderful to find a place to order things you love to eat but can't buy locally. It is always good for a dietitian to have a sense of humor and quick wit :-). I hope you have a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

Ameena said...

My parents live by the ocean and they have similar issues with mold - my mom has to package everything up and seal it really tight.

I rarely get packages...maybe from Amazon and that's about it. I need to try things on because I have sizing issues!! But 6 packages at once is a whole lot!

Kristen (swanky dietitian) said...

I haven't heard of that site. I will definitely check it out. It sounds like you got a lot of yummy goodies (well yummy by RD standards, haha). I think I would have to do a bit of online shopping if I were you as well if I lived overseas. I am sure it is always a lot of fun to get care packages.

Melissa said...

I love getting stuff in the mail. Even if it's something I ordered and I knew it was coming, delivery day is still very exciting.

I think I've heard of Nuts Online. But I don't usually order food products, mostly just clothes or shoes. :)

Anonymous said...

You can find different natural food stores in Argentina. Near my hotel downtown Buenos Aires I used to buy granola for breakfast.

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