Food, drinks and a very hydrating giveaway

ByAshley Hours
Comments 105 Comments

It’s all about food and hydration today. And one lucky winner of the giveaway below will get a heaping helping of healthy and tasty products, so read on for more.

Last week, I received a huge box of goodness to my door compliments of the folks at Coco Libre. When they said they had a new product combining protein and coconut water, I was sure I needed to try it out. And boy am I pleased with what I’ve sampled so far.

You see, if you’ve been reading A Lady Goes West for any length of time, then you know that I love to drink coconut water to power me through some of the tough group fitness classes that I teach. And you also know, that I’m a big fan of drinking a protein shake directly after my workouts. Well guess what, Coco Libre offers something to satisfy both of these needs through the company’s organic coconut water, as well as its brand new line of protein coconut water called Coco Libre Protein. 

Coco Libre productsA look at some of the good stuff that I’ve been enjoying from Coco Libre.

But you may be wondering, what’s so great about coconut water and why should you drink it …

When and why should you drink coconut water?

Because of the added electrolytes and potassium, coconut water is extra efficient at hydrating your body and is better than water alone. Here are some great times to enjoy it …

  • With your afternoon snack as a hydrating pick-me-up
  • When you’re at the beach and getting very hot and sweaty
  • Before, during and after a hot yoga class, which involves a lot of sweating
  • During any physical activity or workout lasting longer than an hour, when you need more than water to replenish what you’re sweating out
  • In place of any sugary sports drink that you may have previously enjoyed 
  • In place of water in a smoothie to add some flavor and vitamins
  • If you’ve had a few too many adult-beverages the night before and are feeling headachey and dehydrated

To me, outside of its nutritional value, coconut water is just plain tasty and a great addition to my daily liquid intake. I’ve introduced many friends to the benefits of this healthy beverage. And I always tell them, the taste is mild, but slightly fruity and very refreshing.

And now, let’s get to the specifics of Coco Libre’s line …

What are the best things about Coco Libre’s line of products?

  • Fair Trade Certified
  • The company is committed to sustainable agriculture
  • Products are made from organic green young coconuts grown in the South Pacific 
  • USDA Organic
  • The new line “Coco Libre Protein” combines the best of what you need for both hydration and muscle recovery by packing 20 grams of protein and more than 22 vitamins and minerals in each 11-ounce bottle

Coco Libre ProteinThe three flavors available include Almond, Vanilla and Chocolate. 

Here’s what I’ve tried:

  • Original Coconut Water — Contains more potassium than a banana, five beneficial electrolytes and only 60 calories per 11-ounce bottle. Not to mention has a fresh and yummy taste. Perhaps one of the best tasting coconut waters I’ve ever had. 
  • Pineapple Coconut Water — Made from pineapples and has only 75 calories per small 11-ounce bottle, no added sugar and five beneficial electrolytes.
  • Chocolate Protein Coconut Water — Made from Dutch cocoa and grass-fed milk protein, with 20 grams of protein and 130 calories per 11-ounce bottle. Also has more potassium than a banana and as much fiber as a cup of oatmeal. 
  • Vanilla Protein Coconut Water – Made from Madagascar, Tahitian and Indonesian Vanilla and grass-fed milk protein, with 20 grams of protein and 130 calories per 11-ounce bottle. Also has as much magnesium as two cups of broccoli. Very creamy.
  • Almond Protein Coconut Water – Made from natural almond and vanilla flavors and grass-fed milk protein, with 20 grams of protein and 130 calories per 11-ounce bottle. Also has as much calcium as two cups of milk. Now officially my favorite protein beverage ever.

The protein coconut water products only have a slight taste of coconut water. In fact, they taste like fresher and healthier versions of regular protein shakes, yet they don’t leave a bad after-taste. 

Coco Libre products = good stuff. I’m definitely glad that my pantry is stocked with these for a while, but I’ll probably move through them quickly.

If you want to try these products out for yourself, you can enter the giveaway below, or look for Coco Libre in Whole Foods, Costco, Sprouts, Kroger or on Amazon. Just check the store locator to find out what’s available near you.

Let’s transition from drinks to food, and you’ll see below that I’ve made Coco Libre part of my routine this week …

A look at all of my food and drinks from yesterday

Because it’s Wednesday, I’d like to get to the usual topic at hand. 

What I Ate Wednesday via A Lady Goes West

Each week, I like to take pictures of all of my meals from one particular day and share them in a recap called “What I Ate Wednesday.” This post is designed to give you some meal and snack ideas and offer a glimpse at what a full day of eating can look like. Here we go … 

Breakfast at 8 a.m.

Breakfast 2.25.15A bowl of plain Greek yogurt, topped with a massive sliced-up banana and a dollop of local honey. Served alongside a mug of hot green tea, sweetened with stevia and cashew milk.

Snack at 10:30 a.m.

Liver Cleanse juiceI got this cold-pressed beet, carrot and apple juice at an event last week and thoroughly enjoyed drinking it as a snack. Apparently it cleanses the liver?

Lunch at 1:30 p.m.

Lunch 2.25A strange but tasty lunch, consisting of multi-grain crackers, topped with high-protein cottage cheese and cinnamon. Served alongside a mug of herbal tea, sweetened with stevia and cashew milk.

Snack at 4 p.m.

Nuts for a snack 2.25My go-to trail mix, which I made by combining raw almonds, whole cashews, goji berries and dried prunes. Both Dave and I have been eating this mixture every single day for the past month. I have some portion-control issues with it, that’s for sure, and I definitely had more than is shown in that little bowl.

Post-workout protein at 6:30 p.m.

Protein 2.25This creamy and delicious beverage filled me with plenty of protein and potassium to restore my energy levels after teaching BODYPUMP, and it was enough that I could get through a night-time stop at Target. 

Dinner at 8:30 p.m.

Dinner 2.25Another grilled delight prepared by Dave. This plate features grilled asparagus, a grilled turkey burger, wrapped in lettuce and topped with salsa, as well as a mixture of beets, parsnips and carrots. I would have wrapped my burger in a whole wheat bun, but we only had one left, so I gave it to the chef.

That concludes my meals for the day, outside of some water and milk, and I’d say it was a pretty good day of healthy eats.

Now for that giveaway …

GIVEAWAY: Win a Hydration Pack from Coco Libre

Do you want to try some of the healthy new coconut water products I gushed about above?

Here’s your chance. And the winner will receive all of the following in one awesome Hydration Pack:

  • 1 case of Coco Libre Original Coconut Water 
  • 1 case of Coco Libre Chocolate, Vanilla or Almond Protein Coconut Water (your choice!)
  • 1 Coco Libre t-shirt
  • 1 Coco Libre water bottle

Yes, you’ll be hydrated and decked out!

This giveaway will end on Sunday 3/1 at midnight, and I’ll announce the winner on Monday. And sorry, my international friends, but this giveaway is only open to those in the United States or Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That’s it for today, folks. After some work, I’m teaching an evening BODYATTACK class, and if all goes well, I may even fit in a yoga session too. Have a good one!

More daily eating recaps

Each week, “What I Ate Wednesday” is hosted by Peas and Crayons for bloggers to showcase their eats to the world. If you want to see more food recaps, check out some of my posts from the past here:

  1. A full day of eating in pictures
  2. Another full day of my eats and drinks
  3. Real food isn’t always pretty
  4. Do you have a balanced dining out strategy?
  5. What I ate and drank all day
  6. Three meals, two snacks and a shake
  7. Food trucks and rest-day eating
  8. Plenty of protein at every meal
  9. Colorful fuel for a day of training
  10. Long days of training require a lot of food
  11. Making do on “What I Ate Wednesday” 
  12. Healthy foods for a rest day
  13. Who doesn’t like pictures of food?
  14. A look at a full day of eating in pictures
  15. Snapshots from a day of delicious meals
  16. Pictures of food, because you like them
  17. Food pictures and the juice cleanse that wasn’t
  18. A look at what I really eat in a day
  19. What I ate in the Sunshine State
  20. My weekend eats and a little narrative
  21. Stories about food and yesterday’s meals
  22. A day of eating and some commentary
  23. Do you want to know what I ate yesterday?
  24. Healthy challenges and foods from my day
  25. Eating, napping and eating again
  26. Filling up on healthy food before the holiday
  27. A perfect birthday at home and my eats
  28. Top blog posts, reader stats and my food
  29. A different kind of training and my food
  30. Joining a healthy green movement and my eats
  31. Must-try veggie pasta tip and my eats
  32. Are you eating this sweet and satisfying fruit?
  33. What a difference a week makes and my eats
  34. On Wednesdays we look at pictures of food

**Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Coco Libre, however all of the thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Questions of the day

What’s your favorite beverage to drink outside of water? What’s the best thing you’ve eaten lately?

Ashley signature

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105 Comments

  1. Looks like a delicious healthy nourishing day of eats! I love coconut water, but my favourite beverage ever is definitely coffee and then milk. Yum! 🙂 ps I’m not sure if I said this in another comment to you but your new photos (like the one on your sidebar) are gorgeous!

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Jessica! You’re very sweet to say that. And I think a lot of people would agree with you that coffee is their favorite! Happy Wednesday! 🙂

      Reply

  5. I too have a major issue with portion control when it comes to trail mix! Thanks for the review on Coco Libre! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I win the giveaway, but in the meantime I’m definitely going to pick up the almond variety so I can try it ASAP!

    Reply

  8. I love drinking coconut water because it tastes good, but also because it is so hydrating! I buy a lot of it during the summer months and it is always in the fridge! I would love to try these by COCO Libre to see if I could start substituting these for my regular post workout protein shakes 🙂

    Reply

  11. A nice big glass of almond milk always works for me :). I did try a chocolate almond milk and WOW so good, it was like chocolate milk! Too expensive to have on a regular basis though… considering all the sugar.

    Home made trail-mix, I did that last month, and I agree, it’s quite challenging to eat a single portion. I put almonds, peanuts, dried cranberries, peanut butter chips, and coconut chips in mine- YUM!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jessie! I haven’t tried chocolate almond milk, but I guess I should. And trail mix is addicting — your combo sounds great!! Have an awesome Wednesday! 🙂

      Reply

  15. The protein ones sound scrumptious and would be great after a workout! Kind of wish one of them did actually taste coconutty though!

    Reply

  19. definitely before a workout to keep me hydrated and the small amount of sugar i need to get that boost of energy. It’s also good post workout because of the quick hydration.

    Reply

  24. I LOVE an ice cold coconut water after a nice sweaty run. That’s great that they have a little protein boost!!

    Reply

  28. I love coconut water after a long run. This protein is great for post workout pre-food! I tried the chocolate one from Bestowed and I liked it alot! I agree – less after taste than other protein shakes. Thx for the giveaway!

    Reply

  33. Nothing beats coconut water fresh from the coconut, but since I’m not hanging out on a beach, those look like a great alternative. I love them coconut water after a workout or when I just need a quick drink and already had tons of water.

    Reply

  36. Coconut water is pretty much one of my favorite things ever and one of the few things I’ll ever drink that actually has calories (I’m much more of a water/tea person otherwise). I’d happily have it at any time of the day! *-*

    Reply

  37. Coconut water is perfect during hot yoga or after/during an intense workout. I’ve never seen it infused with protein before, though! I’d love to win this!

    Reply

  42. My mouth was watering reading about the different CocoLibre products. Looking forward to trying them soon! We take coconut water for granted in California… so many brands and options. When I got to the Chicago O’Hare airport in September, my first thought was to rehydrate after the flight and I couldn’t find coconut water ANYWHERE. Californians are spoiled!

    Reply

  44. What a racist giveaway- Not open to Aussies 😉

    Just kidding. I am shocked. first you got rid of your cottage cheese snack and then you had sweet potatoes and eggs and now….gone again.

    That’s okay. You’re pretty cool.

    Reply

  45. I love drinking coconut water for rehydration after my workouts! I’ve never tried or heard of this brand and it sounds fabulous! Thank you!

    Reply
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