CLEAN.FIT Box Fitness Subscription Review + Coupon – October 2018

CLEAN.FIT Box is a monthly delivery of natural, healthy fitness snacks and supplements. The products will never contain artificial ingredients (preservatives, flavors, colors, or sweeteners). Choose from a gluten-free, original, or lacto-ovo vegetarian box.

This is a review of the Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian, $34.95 a month, box.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.) 

About This Box

The Subscription Box: CLEAN.FIT Box

The Cost:  $34.95/month + free US shipping

The Products: Sample and full-size snacks and supplements without any GMOs or artificial ingredients; boxes are available for vegetarians and for those who need to eat gluten-free.

Ships to: US for free, Internationally for $25

CLEAN.FIT Box October 2018 Review

This box is relatively new for me so I didn’t know what to expect. But I just want to say right now, I went into it with a positive attitude. I have wanted, like since I first learned about subscription boxes, a box with snacks for vegetarians that was not vegan (I have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 25 years as of August and sometimes I just want honey or dairy or something, you know?) and this is the first one I have ever come across:

There was an information booklet with more information on the brands and products in the box. There some product literature, too, and this month they also included a workout.

Ace Bar in Brownie Batter (2.12 oz x 2) – Total Retail Value $5.38 ($2.69 each)

This is one of the stickiest protein bars I’ve come across when it comes to getting it out of the wrapper. I cut one in half to share with my husband and it stuck to the plate, too. But, I have to admit, it was pretty tasty, and actually didn’t stick too badly to my teeth, and in addition to having 19 grams of protein, it also has 12 grams of fiber (which is 43% of what you need in a day on a 2000 calorie diet so don’t eat too many of these at once). And it’s low in sugar.

Bioterra Herbs Boing Energy (60 capsules) – Retail Value $19.99

These are vegetarian capsules and they do not contain caffeine, which is nice because too many products in this category include stimulants. This has Asian ginseng (pretty common and safe enough in my experience, but you’ll have to judge effectiveness for yourself), astragalus (people promote this for so many different uses that it’s hard to tell what it really does; avoid if you have an autoimmune disease or are on immune-suppressing drugs), ophiopogon (this one is hard to find information on regarding use as a supplement but may have antioxidant effects), schisandra (may actually be effective for increasing concentration and endurance; avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding), and grass-leaf sweetflag (which is not really well-studied at all but which may protect neurons from beta-amyloid, a substance associated with Alzheimer’s disease).

I am just not sure about this from the product page, though:

By replenishing the qi of the body and improving absorption of nutrients, this formula boosts energy in a harmonious and complete way.

(I do understand the reference to “qi” but this is not really something I can get behind. When I have my scientist hat on I tend to put things like this in the same category as crystals and essential oils.)

Also, the reviews on the product page are suspect (most seem to be in exchange for a free bottle). These herbs are all from traditional Chinese (and other Asian) medicine systems and there really isn’t as much information out there about drug interactions, so use with caution. I need to see more information about the effects on blood pressure before I would feel comfortable taking this.

Sorry this section is so long but I am not a proponent of popping pills without thoroughly investigating them first.

Bouchees Savory Snack Mix – Buy 2 Bags for $16.90

This is a Paleo-friendly non-grain “granola” with savory seasonings and spices and it is actually pretty tasty. There are a lot of nuts as well as bits of coconut (but the coconut is coated with flavoring so it works here). This is kind of salty but honestly one of the better non-grain granolas I’ve received in a food subscription box purely from a flavor perspective. And of course the amount is generous; the bag is full-sized.

Humming Hemp Hemp Hearts (1 oz) – Buy 12 oz for $12.99 (found here for $10.99)

If you have ever had hemp seeds from another source (say, Manitoba Harvest or Bob’s Red Mill), these will be pretty familiar to you. I do like the price on these as hemp seeds can be expensive, and the quality is fine. (I put these in smoothies for a boost of fiber and healthful fats.) This is probably the item I’m most likely to buy again, from this box.

Vive Soft-Baked Granola Bites in Vanilla Almond Coconut (1.6 oz) – Retail Value $3

One serving has 6 grams of sugar, which is kind of high for what you get. Anyway, these were rather like eating small cookies (which is not necessarily a bad thing). These have only 8 ingredients (GF oats, coconut oil, coconut sugar, water, almonds, flax meal, vanilla extract, and Himalayan pink salt). They have a little potassium, calcium, and iron, which is nice, and there’s a little protein.

Bakebars in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip – Buy a 10-Bar Kit for $24.99 (found here for $19.99)

I am not sure how many bars this kit was supposed to make because it is not in the standard packaging, but one nice thing is that you can choose the size you want to cut them into (so if you don’t want a 200 calorie bar or something, you can make a smaller one). At first, I was rather alarmed that no directions seemed to be included, but much later I realized the instructions were inside the bag. These come with all the ingredients you need except for water (or you can customize a bit by using milk or almond milk or switching out the sweetener or adding nuts). I had my husband make them while I was busy with something else so there are no photos of the process. I do think they tasted good (and you don’t absolutely have to bake them, they can be frozen and eaten raw) but the cost is still something like $2 per bar, which is pretty average for packaged protein bars and so you have to judge for yourself whether avoiding processed ingredients is worth the extra effort of mixing everything up.

Verdict: The October CLEAN.FIT Box had 7 items, which makes the average cost per item about $4.99. However, there are some large package sizes here including the Bakebars, the Bouchees “granola,” and the supplement, and I think those more than balance out the smaller and sample-sized items. Although I am not totally sold on the supplement, overall I am happy with the box because I had not tried a single one of these brands or items before; they were all new to me, and it is rare these days that I can say that about a food box of any kind.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today?  From clean.fit box:

We ship on the 15th of every month. Orders must be placed by the 15th of the month to receive that month’s clean.fit box; otherwise we’ll send your box the following month (on the 15th).

Coupon – Use code MSA10 to save $5 off your first box!

Value Breakdown: At $34.95 for this box, you are paying about $4.99 per item.

Check out all of our clean.fit box reviews and the Fitness Subscription Box Directory for more great health and fitness subscriptions.

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