Tasty Health Food ♥

IAteAPie.net Guest Post!

2010-01-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!!!

One quick update before I get back to studying for midterms D:

I'm doing a guest post on IAteaPie.net tomorrow @ 12:30 PM! They are a healthy diet food review site. Some of you may want to check it out. ;)

I promise I'll be back with some new posts sometime soon, but test's are getting crazy during this time of year. I probably won't have any followers by the time I'm done studying for Chem (yes, in ninth grade, what's wrong with my school?).

Love you all! <3

Beautiful Blogger Award ♥

2009-12-31T15:33:00.001-08:00

Hey guys! Today is going to be an irregular post, perfect for the first day of 2O1O. I got tagged by the lovely and artistic Vanilla Swirl AKA Eliane!

If you want to check out her blog, click here. :) I highly recommend it, her posts are so unique and filled with cute graphics and yummy eats! ^^

How was 2OO9 for you? It could have been better for me. :( I spent my 14th birthday in Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth, but I was miserable. Why? You can thank ED for that one.

Throughout the entire plane ride there and back, I was up because it hurt to sit down on my bones for so long. My hair was thin and brittle and I always wore a sweatshirt because I was ashamed of my body. People could still tell, though, and I had to deal with horrified stares everyday. I was 79 pounds at 5' 8", a deadly weight with a BMI of 12.

All I wanted was to look healthy, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. It was living hell, as I'm sure many of you can relate with. My family didn't understand me, and to this day think I lied to them about food because I wanted to. They don't feel that it's a MENTAL disorder, something I wish I could get them to understand. Ah, well, there's always something to work on.

So, on to the award!

7 Random Facts about Me:

1. I was almost named Arielle after the Little Mermaid, but that became my middle name instead.

2. I desperately am trying to teach myself guitar, unsuccessfully.

3. I am half Chinese, half Irish.

4. When I was little, I had bright red hair (COUGH Irish COUGH)

5. I have an obsession with reading; there are three bookshelves in my room!

6. My favorite band is Escape the Fate.

7. I'm only a freshman in high school!

So that's it! I've never done this before, but here's a question for you to answer in the comments. :) This is a "different" post to say the least!

Question: What's your New Year's Resolution? (very original, I know...)

EDIT: Ha, I forgot to tag people. :P

Here are my seven:

1. Jenny: Peanut Butter & Jenny

2. Karina: Like Some Cat From Japan

3. Maya: Pistachios and Rainbows

4. Eliza: Nourishing Mornings

5. Kris: Vivez Riez Aimez

6. Lisa: Healthy Product Reviews

7. Nattie: Eating to Live

There we go! If you've already been tagged, please let me know so I can tag someone else. :P Thanks!

Giveaways:

Krittie's Daves Killer Bread Giveaway!

Sharkies Organic Fruit Chews

2009-12-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

So we all try to eat healthily as much as possible, but sometimes we just can't do it. I know I have a love/hate relationship with the sight of those Welch's Fruit Snacks in the vending machine. They're just full of sugar, preservatives, artificial junk... you name it. Still, we all have to have something sweet once in a while! Introducing... Sharkies Organic Fruit Chews!

The Sharkies company has products for both adults and kids, but you guys know me, I had to try the kid version! A lot of people have been criticizing these chews as mere candy, but they most definitely aren't. First off, they're not made with refined sugars. Secondly, half the product is brown rice syrup, which gives the chews complex carbohydrates for that extra energy boost. And last, but not least, unlike candy, there is no high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or other artificial sweetener.

I love the fact that I can just pop a bag in my tote and go. There's no mess! I also love the fact that there's no gelatin, which truly freaks me out. Have you heard what they say about that stuff?

Click if you dare.

Gelatin is Made Out of What???

What about the taste? Well... these things are delish. I do have some cons about them though. Even though they look, and at first bite taste, like real chewies, they... kind of aren't. They're less sticky but get stuck in your teeth for a while. They have a non-rubbery texture and aren't too sweet or too tart. I wouldn't, however, eat this everyday. They're a treat! I know I usually do separate reviews for the flavors (Tropical Splash and Berry Blast), but they both taste similar.

The nutrition facts include what I stated before, but Sharkies are also gluten, nut, gelatin, wheat, and fat free. They're also kosher and vegetarian!

I know at this point you're probably wondering, "Where can I buy these lovely things?". Well, you can find them at Whole Foods or Target, but Target is significantly cheaper, as always, at $3.50 a box. Still expensive, but like I said, they're a treat!

Calories: 140 per bag

Price: $3.50 per box

Fage 0% Greek Yogurt

2009-12-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

This has to be one of the creamiest, thickest Greek yogurts I've ever had, and it's fat-free! How great is that? I absolutely love Fage 0%. I just tried it for the first time a few days ago, but I know it's going to be a staple in my fridge already.

Now, it wouldn't be an honest review if I said I ate this yogurt straight up. I always add a packet of Truvia. I don't really like plain yogurt by itself, but I love the texture, so... Problem solved! In my opinion, why would you have a full fat yogurt with more calories if this is just as good? I love you, Fage. :)

One thing I do have to note about this Greek yogurt is that it isn't as tangy as most. I actually don't taste the tang if I add sweetener. Definitely buy this yogurt TODAY!

I know most of you are like me with the whole "I-don't-really-like-plain-yogurt-but-I-love-yogurt-itself" thing. So here's a list of things you can add to your yogurt for a delicious twist!

1. Honey - just a drizzle will do to add that desired sweetness

2. Fruit - get your daily serving of it as well as a delicious kick to your yogurt

3. Cereal - a nice crunch to go with the creaminess

4. Jam/ fruit spreads - it'll even color the yogurt!

5. Granola - need I explain more? Thought not. ;)

So there you have it. If you're a yogurt fan, go buy Fage. If you're not a yogurt fan... go buy Fage!

Here are the nutrition stats:

Definitely my new yogurt of choice, I don't know about you! I just have one issue... Sometimes the calorie count for the 0% is 80 and sometimes it's 90. Why is that?

Price: $1.99 per container at Whole Foods

Calories: 80 or 90 per container

Celestial Seasonings Holiday Tea

2009-12-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hey girls. :) I know I took a short hiatus without telling you, but it was much needed, believe me. I'm so sorry I keep leaving out of nowhere! I'll try to be on the blog more often. I'm really grateful for all of the wonderful, heartwarming comments I keep receiving. They keep me going and make my day. I love you guys!

It's finally December, just that much closer to Christmas. With that in mind, I decided to try some of Celestial Seasonings' Holiday Teas to keep with the spirit of the season. I love tea, so we'll see how this review goes. ;)

The first flavor, if you can't read the title, is Candy Cane Lane. This one is nice and minty, but the taste isn't really strong. The scent is more delicious than the actual drink. It's like green tea with a peppermint kick.

This one is Gingerbread Spice. The name itself makes me want to just eat the box! It has a mild spice with some cinnamon in it. Also not strong, but soothing and complex with the mix of flavors.

This was the first Holiday Tea I bought. It smells exactly like freshly baked cookies. I literally sat there for an entire minute just inhaling the mug. As with all of the other teas, the flavor is VERY mild. Still delicious though. :D

~~~

There are two other teas I haven't tried yet. I was thinking maybe adding a packet of sweetener would help enhance them, but I haven't tried that so far. The aromas set such high expectations for the flavors, but it's a little bit disappointing. Oh, well. I'll still buy these if I see them in the store.

The nutrition facts are the same as any other tea! Don't be too surprised on that one. xD All natural, caffeine-free, and zero calories. Yum!

You can get these at Shop-Rite, Kings, Whole Foods, even online... basically anywhere that sells tea. Go get some riiight now. Now. :)

Price: $2.79 per 20 bag box

Calories: o

VitaBrownies

2009-11-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

Ahh... Gone again. :/ I keep disappearing on you guys! I'm actually having a little bit of a difficult time struggling with ED... I feel uncomfortable just like I did before I was anorexic. Sigh. I just want to lose the weight again, but I know I can't. Any ideas? So sorry if this is triggering to any of you, but I'm really at a strange point right now.

On to more important things. :) VitaBrownies! I absolutely love these little things, almost as much as I love the VitaMuffins. I still haven't found any VitaTops though, which I find a bit weird. I can't find the most popular item in the Vitalicious company.

So... At first I was a little disappointed that there were only two VitaBrownie flavors at my store, but then I realized there are only two. I got a box each of Dark Chocolate Pomegranate and Deep & Velvety Chocolate. Both sooo good!

Deep & Velvety Chocolate: Imagine a brownie; delicious, warm and melted (from the microwave, shh...), decadent... Now imagine it healthy and GOOD FOR YOU! Sounds impossible? Not anymore. Vitalicious has achieved what we all thought to be fantasy. This brownie has a sprinkling of crunchy walnuts on the top, a con for me, but a pro for some. I'm not really a nut person. The brownie tastes great, but the texture is more crumbly than a normal brownie. I love the petite portion because it kicks my sweet tooth craving. Perfect!

Dark Chocolate Pomegranate: For some reason, I didn't like this flavor as much as the Deep & Velvety Chocolate. It was a little bit more tart than it was pomegranate-y. It's still an amazing snack that I love the taste of, but I just like the other flavor better, although I pick off the nuts. :P

A little bit more than a sprinkling there...

Now, time for the nutrition label. The brownies are almost identical to the muffins. I really think they ARE the same, just in a different mold! :D Still fun to be able to eat a healthy brownie though.

Lovely! One of the best labels I've seen in a while. :) Beware, they are PRICEY. I think these are sadly going to be a once in a while treat. :(

Price: $4.49 per box of four

Calories: 100 per brownie

Trader Joe's Cereal Bars

2009-11-19T11:54:00.001-08:00

So I'm pretty sure ALL of you have been to a Trader Joe's before. It's kind of a food blogger rite of passage. No joke.

Anyway... A new one just opened up near me and I went with my mom to take a look. Kind of small, and there's a lot of space that isn't utilized, but still awesome. Especially the food!

I picked up these little boxes of love last week. I think they're one of my favorite bars ever! And don't you just love the title? This "Insert Fruit Here" Walks into a Bar. <3

I tried three flavors, fig, strawberry, and apple. All delicious by the way, but I loved fig the best. It tastes exactly like a healthy Fig Newton!

Fig: Nice and sweet, with that trademark fig crunch in the filling. I love those little seeds. :) I swear this one tastes exactly like a Fig Newton. I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference during a blind taste test.

Apple: Not as apple tasting as the Kashi bars, but still really good. The flavor just isn't as strong, which is good for some people. I found this one to be less sweet than the Fig for some reason. Buy this bar if you want a milder cereal bar.

Strawberry: I used to love the taste of strawberry a while ago, but now it's moved down on my list of fav fruits. I don't really know why... But anyway. This strawberry bar is definitely true to the fruit. It tastes like a squished up strawberry in a bar! I don't usually say that about bars because there's generally that fake fruit taste, but not this one.

The nutrition stats on these bars are pretty good, considering they're the cereal kind. With either 120 or 140 calories per bar, they can be an easy on-the-go snack. There are also around 2 or 2.5 grams of fat, 24-28 grams of carbs, 1 or 2 grams of dietary fiber and protein, and finally, around 17 grams of sugar. A little bit high on the sugar side, but nice for a treat once in a while.

Nutrition Facts for "This Fig Walked into a Bar..."

Serving Size: 1 Bar

Amount per Serving

Calories 120

Calories from Fat 20

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 2g

Saturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 75mg

Total Carbohydrate 24g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 13g

Protein 1g

Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	2%
Iron	2%
Thiamin (B1)	10%
Riboflavin (B2)	10%
Niacin (B3)	10%
Vitamin B6	10%
Folic Acid (Folate)	10%
Vitamin B12	10%

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat 15.0% Carbs 80.0%

Protein 3.3%

So there you have it! I really like Trader Joe's. I hadn't been to one in a long time, and it was a good experience. :)

Ooh! And I want some ideas on what else to incorporate into my blog... Any ideas? What do you guys think?

Price: $1.99 per 6 bar box

Calories: 120-140 depending on the flavor

2 Oz. VitaMuffin

2009-11-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me so long to post. You all know how life gets. ;) If freshman year has this much homework, what am I going to do in tenth grade?!

Anyway... I'm doing a post on three flavors of the two ounce VitaMuffins. There were more at my Shop Rite, but I just got these to try them out. I know how you foodie bloggers love these muffins, but I'll do a little explaining for those of you who don't.

The VitaLicious company makes VitaBrownies, VitaMuffins, VitaTops, VitaCakes, even VitaCoffee! Their goal is to make healthy and delicious baked goods that are full of essential vitamins and minerals. Sounds impossible? I can tell you that it's not! These muffins actually taste good.

Sugar-Free Velvety Chocolate: I had to get this sugar-free flavor because it was the only chocolate one, and I really wanted to review one of those for you. :) Don't worry though, there's no Splenda or aspartame. Just erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol. This flavor did taste a little bit more fake than the others, but still rich and chocolatey. I love the mini chips in it! When you microwave it, it goes all warm and melty.

Blue-Bran: Ergh... Unfortunately, I didn't really like this one. There was a little bit too much "bran" and not enough "blue". :D It kind of tasted a bit like soft cardboard. I know that sounds disgusting, but it wasn't that bad. I just wouldn't buy it again.

Golden Corn: My favorite flavor so far! It has all the makings of a regular corn muffin. You can't even tell that it's healthy for you! I can eat this one room temp or microwaved. I highly recommend this one!

Besides the vitamins, what else is in the nutrition label? Let's take a look.

Sugar-Free Chocolate

Not bad, not bad at all... :) I especially love the fiber.

I can only find these at Shop Rite, but some Whole Foods have them. I do have to warn you, they're a bit expensive!

Price: $4.25 per four muffin box

Calories: 80-100 per two-ounce muffin

LesserEvil Kettle Corn

2009-11-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you remember, but I did a review in August or something on the LesserEvil Krinkle Sticks. I really like their company because they offer a healthy alternative to the junk food most of us love! I know the picture to the left shows four different Kettle Corn flavors, but I've only seen the Classic and the Black & White. The website itself doesn't even show the other two flavors... :/ Who knows?

I really like this snack... It's not what I would call a daily staple or anything, but it's great for a quick sweet treat once in a while. And I DO mean sweet. There is definitely a strong sweetness to this popcorn, but maybe it's just me.

The Black & White flavor is basically the same pieces of the Classic Kettle Corn mixed with chocolate-y pieces. When there's a choice at the store of either flavor, I just get the one with chocolate in it because I can get two tastes for the price of one! ^^

This Kettle Corn has a strange texture... I kind of like it. It's more like Cracker Jack than regular popcorn. I would even say it's a little bit more crunchy than Cracker Jack. I love how they are sweetened with evaporated cane juice and brown rice syrup rather than sugar. There are also no artificial flavors or colors, it's low fat, gluten-free, and made from whole grains. In addition, there is no trans-fat, preservatives, or corn syrup. There are only 110 calories per serving!

I found bags of these lovely little things at both Wegman's and Whole Foods, at the same price for both. Finally, WF isn't the most expensive!

Price: $2.79 per bag

Calories: 110 per 1.1 ounce serving (about 1 cup)

My Favorite Peanut Butter!

2009-11-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know I usually do a review of all the flavors for a company, but I had to make an exception for this one. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl is the best peanut butter I've had so far! Unfortunately, this was the only flavor my Shop Rite had today, but the guy at the store said they were getting ALL of the other flavors in tomorrow. :) Yay for me! I really want to try the Maple one and the Dark Chocolate one. But even if I only had this flavor, it would still be awesome.

How is Peanut Butter & Co. different from other peanut butter companies? Well, to start with, it's all natural, with no trans fats or cholesterol. It's gluten free and vegan, and there is no hydrogenated oil or added sugars in any of their products. Yum!

They have a restaurant in NYC... I really, really want to go! They have all different types of peanut butter sandwiches, and even other treats like grilled cheese. Wash it down with a cold glass of milk, or my favorite, sparkling apple cider. ^^

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl: Blended with cinnamon and raisins, this peanut butter is perfection! The raisins aren't too big, but they're plentiful throughout the jar, though not so much in the beginning. That can easily be changed with a little bit of mixing. Some say that the raisins are too hard, but that just makes them taste more like candy to me!

I think I need to invest in this cookbook.

For some reason, two tablespoons have only 160 calories instead of the usual 190 or even 210. That's a pretty good deal for me! In addition to that, there are 11g of healthy fats, 6g of protein, 2g of dietary fiber, and 9g of sugar. Go buy this PB right now!

I bought this jar of loveliness at Shop Rite, but I've seen it at Whole Foods. It's just so expensive there (by more than a few dollars), so I got it at Shop Rite instead.

Price: $3.49 per jar

Calories: 160 per two tablespoons

Three Sisters Cereal

2009-10-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been gone for so long! School is just insane. I'm only a freshman, but we get divided into different categories of classes based on our abilities. I'm in Accelerated for all my classes, and... I'm kind of worried about how hard sophomore year is going to be. :/ Anyway... Onto the review. In light of Halloween, I've decided to do a sweet, candy-like cereal review! I never ate candy when I was little, but we always had these organic treats at my house during Trick-Or-Treating time. :) This cereal has to be the best sweet thing out there! It's made by the Three Sisters Cereal company, and is currently only available at select Whole Foods locations. If you can't tell from the pic, the cereal doesn't come in a box, it comes in a freshness saver bag. With less packaging, there's less waste.

Here's an excerpt from the back of the bag:

"Each year, there are about 2.5 billion cereal boxes sold in the United States. If even half of those boxes were bags, we'd save 90,000 tons of paperboard. The energy saved could power over 11,000 homes for a year. It would eliminate 170 million gallons of waste water and avoid 1,800 garbage trucks of solid waste."

Not to mention the cereal itself is made with wind-generated electricity! But what about the taste? Well, I've only personally tried the Marshmallow Oaties and the Cinnamon Sweets, but I asked for opinions from people who've tried the other ones.

Marshmallow Oaties: Yum! This cereal is definitely what I imagine Lucky Charms would taste like. The cereal part tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios while the actual marshmallow circles are crunchy, yet melt in your mouth. So far my favorite!

Cinnamon Sweets: I've actually had Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and it tastes exactly like this. Seriously, maybe even sweeter. I couldn't eat more than a few squares of this cereal because of the overwhelming amount of sugar, but my brother could. He's the type who inhales bags of food at a time. >.<

Sweet Wheat: My little cousin tried this one because she loves Mini Wheats. She said these tasted pretty similar, but were crunchier for some reason. I told her it's because of the "organic-ness". *shrug*

Graham Crackerz: Apparently this cereal isn't quite as sweet as the others, but still sweet enough. Kind of like a real graham cracker in cereal form, but not as thick.

Honey'n Oats: This cereal is the only one with flakes in it. There are also sweet oat clusters in it. My mom liked the clusters, but not so much the flakes. She said they were too bland.

Honey Oaties: I think it's even more obvious that these are supposed to be Honey Nut Cheerios. :) I clearly didn't get a chance to try this one, but the picture on the internet looks yummy.

Here are the nutrition facts for the Marshmallow Oaties:

There is corn syrup and gelatin derived from animals (><) in this cereal, but hey, you've got to live a LITTLE, especially on Halloween. :D I hope you enjoyed this review girls! And I'm going to assume, like many food bloggers do, that my readers, or most of them, are girls. Let me know if you're not and I'll be sure to include that in my next post. ;)

Price: On sale at Whole Foods for $3.49 per 12.5 ounce bag

Calories: 120-130 per 30g serving for every cereal except Sweet Wheat, which has 210 calories per 55g serving

Popchips

2009-10-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure we've all had our fair share of Popchips, but I couldn't resist doing a review of the greatest chips known to (wo)man. I haven't tried or seen all of them, but of the ones I have, they're all delicious!

So... how are Popchips different than other chips? Well, for starters, they're not baked or fried. They're popped! (I'm seeing where the name came from...) And what is "popping"? Start with potatoes, add a little heat and pressure, and there you have it. Apparently, they have rice and corn chips as well, but I've never seen those.

All of the chips have a texture very similar to a regular potato chip. Popchips have a nice crunch, but no grease on the outside. You know how some chips leave you feeling "heavy"? Not with these. All in all, a very innocent snack.

I'll just list all of the potato flavors, in no particular order. :) I love them all.

Cheddar: Okay, I lied. So my favorite is going first. This flavor is just... awesome. It kind of tastes like someone baked really tangy mac cheese into the chip. It's kind of like the chip was dipped in a powdered form of mac cheese. <3

Salt and Vinegar: This flavor is definitely tangy! If you like that burst of vinegar flavor, go for these. I know some kinds of vinegar chips have a subtler taste, but this one is like WHAM!

Sour Cream and Onion: This flavor is somewhat milder than the other ones, but still very good. If you haven't noticed by now, I really like strong flavors. This chip would be perfect if it was more dominant over the potato taste.

Original: Like your regular old Lays chip, just healthier! I actually love this flavor when I need something a little bit calm in the taste bud zone. They are really salty though, and I like that.

Barbeque: There's somewhat of a spice to this chip... I do like the fact that it has an authentic barbeque taste, but it's kind of hot! Some of the people I've asked don't think so though, so maybe it's just me.

Parmesan Garlic: Never tried or seen! I wish I could find this flavor, it sounds great.

Salt and Pepper: I do see this flavor often, but I'm not a big pepper fan, so I just get the original.

Sounding good, right? But how healthy are these chips? Well, they have 120 calories for every flavor, but the chip amount ranges from 19-22. That's quite a lot! They have around 4g of fat per serving, and around 20g of carbs. No saturated or trans fat, so that's good. There is also no cholesterol, preservatives, or artificial stuff. Yum!

Where can you get these? Lots of grocery stores actually have them, not just health food stores. I buy them at Whole Foods, Target, and sometimes ShopRite.

Price: Around $2.99 per bag.

Calories: 120 per serving

I'm feeling giveaway deprived... Got to win one soon. :)

Candid RD's Giveaway ends Friday, October 23rd

Mary's Hush Hush Book Giveaway ends Friday, October 23rd

Audrey: Susie Q Pumpkin Giveaway ends Friday, October 23rd

I Made Dinner's Blogiversary Giveaway ends Sunday, October 25th

Tri 2 Cook's Giveaway ends Monday, October 26th

Julie Go Lean's Nature's Path Giveaway ends Tuesday, October 27th

Audrey: TyeJ Painting Giveaway ends Friday, October 30th

Run to the Finish's Good Mood Giveaway ends next week

Sensible Foods: Dried Fruit Snacks

2009-10-09T12:31:00.003-07:00

It can sometimes be hard to get in your fruits and veggies on a daily basis. We don't buy produce because we don't eat it in time, it's too messy (peaches! <3),>Unfortunately, I've never tried the vegetable snacks from Sensible Foods, but I have tried all of the fruit ones. :) My mom went on this crazy QVC spree and bought an assortment box of, like... 40 or something. It was insane, yet strangely awesome to witness. Our neighbors actually asked what was in the huge box on our porch. I replied dried fruit. They stared. Hm.

Again, in order from favorite to least favorite:

Tropical Blend: A delicious mix of apples, pineapples, bananas, and mangoes. The only reason that this one beat the Orchard Blend was because the bananas are so delicious. They're not like dried banana chips, they're much softer and more like... puffed, I guess?

Orchard Blend: This one is a mix of apples, peaches, and apricots. The peach bits are very good, but the apricots that I had in my bag were slightly sour. It may be just that one bag, because my mom had one as well and she thought the whole thing was sweet.

Cherry Berry: Ah, this one has apple, cherries, blueberries, and strawberries. The strawberries are definitely sour in this one, everyone in my family agreed on that. The blueberries are hit or miss, depending on the size really. The big ones tend to be sweeter. I kind of thought the cherries were kind of scarce in my bag, but it really varies.

Apple Harvest: Eh. Still good but... Apples are one of my least favorite fruits. I love the flavor, don't actually like the fruit itself. These are incredibly crunchy and flat, unlike the puffed up cubes of peach, pineapple, mango, etc...

I do believe there is a marketing strategy to having apples in every bag. Simply put, apple are much cheaper than any of the other fruits they use, and trust me, there are way more apples than the other bits. Oh, well. If you like apples, it's good for you!

The flavors range from 70 (Orchard Blend), 80 (Tropical Blend and Apple Harvest), and 84 (Cherry Berry). The Apple Harvest is the only organic fruit flavor. It's all fat free, and each bag is equal to 1/2 cup of fruit, or one daily serving. The sugars and carbs are quite reasonable considering it's fruit! Check the website here for full nutritional info.

So that's it, lovies. Another yummy review. Anything special you've seen lately at the grocery store, but haven't tried because you don't know if it's good? Leave me a comment and I'll try picking it up and reviewing it for you. ;) Yes, yes, it will be very hard work.

Price: I'm not sure how much my mom got them for, but an individual bag is $1.69 on their site.

Calories: 70-84 per bag

Dun dun dun dun! *fanfare* Giveaway time!

Lisa's Zevia Giveaway

Clif Kid Organic Z Bars

2009-10-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'd bet that all you foodie bloggers out there have probably tried at least one of these bars. Again, they're aimed toward kids, but I say that just makes for a better portion size. :) These bars were definitely not what I expected, and in a good way too. For some reason, I had always thought that these were cereal bars like the Kashi ones, but they're a totally different category! I don't even know what to call them. They're not like Larabars, Luna bar, granolas bars, or really anything except Clif bars. ^^

I've tried every flavor except the elusive Spooky S'mores, which I've never even seen in stores. Here are my favorites, from the one I like the best to the one I like the least. For all of the bars, the texture is soft and chewy, like a freshly baked cookie. Yum!

Chocolate Chip: This bar is perfection! It actually doesn't even taste "healthy". The Clif site even describes this bar as, "All the thick, chewy, goodness of a chocolate chip cookie - gone healthy!". There's a good amount of chocolate chips in the bar, and a generous drizzle of chocolate on the top.

Chocolate Brownie: If you're a chocolate lover, this bar is for you. It's super rich, and almost tastes like dark chocolate. It's like a brownie/cookie. This bar would probably be my favorite if I liked chocolate a little bit more than I do.

Apple Cinnamon: This bar kind of tastes like an apple pie in bar or cookie form, if that makes sense. It's also really moist, much more than the other "cookie" flavors are. It's like someone baked a cinnamon apple and put in a bar case!

Honey Graham: True to its name, this bar tastes like a graham cracker cookie. It was a close tie between this one and the Apple Cinnamon for third place, but I had to go with the apple flavor because I love fruit too much. Sorry, Honey Graham!

Blueberry: There are actual blueberries in this bar, not just the flavor! I really like that fact, but blueberries are one of my least favorite fruits.

Peanut Butter: I only sometimes like the peanut butter taste in bars. I feel like the flavor was very subtle, almost too subtle. It does go really well with the chocolate topping, however, and the only reason this bar is last is because I like the other flavors a teensy bit better. I still love them all!

So, all in all, I love these bars. They're perfect for on-the-go, and I wish I could find Spooky S'mores. Anyone tried them? I've heard it tastes exactly like the Chocolate Chip, but still... Leave me a comment!

Chocolate Brownie <3

The nutritional facts for Clif Z Bars are all relatively similar. Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, and Chocolate Brownie all have 120 calories. Honey Graham, Spooky S'mores, and Chocolate Chip have 130 calories, and Peanut Butter has 140 calories. Each bar has between 2 to 5 grams of fat, and 2 or 3 grams of protein. All of the bars have 3 grams of dietary fiber and between 20 to 26 grams of carbs. These bars are low-fat, contain 12 essential vitamins and minerals, and are made with whole grains.

I actually find these at Target for cheaper than Whole Foods, unless they're on sale. And, seriously, someone find me the Spooky S'mores! :D

Price: $3.49 per box at Target

Calories: 120-140 per bar depending on flavor

Unique Splits Extra Dark Pretzels

2009-10-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I've ever told you guys this, but pretzels are my favorite food (except I only like the hard kind). Yes, not even just my favorite snack. :) I am always on the hunt for new pretzels. I went through a ton of brands, but this one is definitely one of my favorites.

The "Splits" name comes from the top of the pretzel having a crack down the middle. Who knows? But these pretzels are deelish! They're so dark, they're almost burnt, but in a good way. You've got to like that sort of smoky flavor though.

The Unique Pretzel Bakery in Reading, Pennsyvania creates many different flavors of these Splits. My favorite are the Extra Dark, but I've also had the Cheddar, and Sprouted Multigrain as well. There are even flavors I haven't tried, such as Extra Salt, Jalapeno, Garlic & Onion, and Unsalted versions of each.

All of the pretzels are made using fresh ingredients. Most of the flavors have 110 calories per three pretzels about the size of your palm (or, well, my palm!). The Extra Dark pretzels have 1g of fiber, 3g of protein, and only 2 of fat. Yum!

I love these pretzels, and they're a great change from the regular Rold Gold ones. Pick these up at your local Whole Foods. :D

Price: $3.49 per bag at Whole Foods

Calories: 110 per three pretzels

Giveaways!!! Okay, remember how I was telling you about how I only win Zevia ones? Yup. Happened again. I was a runner-up for the giveaway I posted last time. I don't know whether to be happy or freaked out. Hm.

Julie Go Lean's Candilicious Giveaway ends Thursday, October 8th

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-09-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! This is my first award you guys! I have the lovely Kris from Vivez Riez Aimez to thank for this. Now, I've seen a ton of different variations for how to... accept this award, I guess? :D I'll just do it how Kris did it, so... Here goes!

7 Things About Me

1. I was born in New York City, then I moved to New Jersey, then I moved to Hawaii, and now I'm back in Jersey! It feels like my life has come in full circle. ^^ And I'm only fourteen, ha.

2. I'm half Chinese and half Irish, which makes for a very interesting mix. It's really weird because my brother looks totally Chinese and I look totally Irish. Hm. Genes confuse me.

3. I have a natural instinct to get up at 5:45 exactly every day ever since I started high school. I'm not kidding. EXACTLY. It's freakin' me out (and makes for unpleasant weekends).

4. I'm a neat person to the point of OCD. It's so annoying sometimes! Have you ever seen Monk? Yeah, kind of like that, but not as bad.

5. Pretzels are my favorite snack ever. That's pretty self explanatory! I love Rold Gold, even though they have artificial flavors. :/

6. I love winter. It's been my favorite season since I was little.

7. Reading and writing are my two favorite hobbies. I'm really excited to take two English electives this year! Awesome.

So my seven nominees are! Drumroll, please. Are you doing it? Oh, I hope I don't nominate someone who's already received this award, but if I have... Then you have two! :)

My 7 Nominees

1. Now is Now: You're trying so hard to fight ED and you're winning! Keep it up, girlie. We're all here for you!

2. Nattie Tan from Eating to Live: Nattie, I love your bar supply. :D I wish I lived in Australia so I could get the ones that they don't sell here!

3. Lisa from Healthy Product Reviews: I feel like we have a connection... Not sure why though? ^^ Love your reviews!

4. Stephanie from The Skinny Plate: I've loved your blog even before I started my own. Big inspiration right here!

5. Lisa from This Girl's Life: Lisa, you've been fighting ED for so long now, longer than most bloggers. I truly feel like you've made so much progress. Hope every thing's good with Baby!

6. Karina from Like Some Cat From Japan: I absolutely love your blog. It's been a while since you've posted, but I know that you have already helped other girls through the blogging world.

7. Eliane from Vanilla Swirl: I've saved this bloggette for last because her blog no longer exists as of today, I believe. The last post was from her sister saying she went to the hospital. I am so worried and scared for her, so this award is in honor of Eliane. Please come back to us!

That's all! Thank you very much for this award, Kris. :D And please pray for Eliane tonight. We may never hear from her again through the blog world but I just hope she actually is okay.

Yogi Granola Crisps

2009-09-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

How many of us love granola, but avoid eating it because it's so calorie dense? Sure, it's good for a treat once in a while, but what if you want it more than that? That's where Yogi Granola Crisps come in. These crisps are like crunchy granola flakes instead of clusters. Imagine a thicker frosted flake in... granola form! :)

The three flavors that these come in are: Baked Cinnamon Raisin (favorite!), Mountain Blueberry Flax (third!), and Fresh Strawberry Crunch (second!). I liked the Baked Cinnamon Raisin because it has a very subtle, almost maple/chai taste to it. Perfection for the beginning months of fall! Strawberry and Blueberry taste similar, but Strawberry has more of a sweet flavor. All the flavors are excellent though!

These crisps are not only calorically good for you (110 for Blueberry and 120 for the other two), they contain whole grains. They are also low in fat (2.5 g) and have 3g of protein and 2g of dietary fiber.

Yogi Granola Crisps are great to eat right out of the bag (like I do!) or in a bowl with milk (haven't tried yet). Let me know if you can think of any other creative ways to eat them. I tried dipping the Baked Cinnamon Raisin ones in cream cheese for a "bagel" type thing. :D Sort of worked!

Price: $3.99 at Stop and Shop

Calories: 110-120 per 1/2 cup serving

Kashi TLC Cereal Bars

2009-09-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

Ah, how I love my bars. I think all foodie bloggers do. It's just a way of life for us. My only gripe with them is finding actually healthy ones. There are bars like Fiber One out there that claim to be good for you, but are filled with chemicals. Kashi, of course, is a great pick for a bar if you're looking for an alternative that's good for you.

So, what do these little thingies taste like? Heaven! No, I'm serious. :) I've tried all three flavors, which are, in order from most favorite to least favorite, Baked Apple Spice, Ripe Strawberry, and Blackberry Graham.

Baked Apple Spice: My absolute favorite of the three! It tastes so unlike that fake apple flavor that you often find in bars like this. It has a genuine... "apple-ness". The outside is so soft and chewy, but the inside has a great fruit filling.

Ripe Strawberry: I think that I like this one less than Baked Apple Spice because the strawberry flavor is kind of generic. Still good though, don't get me wrong! Just like preserves or jams.

Blackberry Graham: Definitely not one of my favorites... The flavor of the filling is a little bit bland. It doesn't really taste like any one fruit, it's sort of a "mixed berry".

All in all, I love these bars! I will continuously buy the Baked Apple Spice bars. It's perfectly chewy on the outside and jam-filled on the inside.

Each bar has 110 calories, no matter which flavor you get. They have 7 Whole Grains, 3g of fiber, and 2g of protein. The filling is made out of real fruit. There are only 9g of sugar, but there are 3g of fat. Still delicious and healthy, however!

Price: $2.88 on sale at Target

Calories: 110 per bar

Is it weird that the only giveaways I've ever won have been for Zevia? It's true. :D Maybe I'll win these ones too!

Glitterful Felt Stories' Necklace Giveaway ends Saturday, September 26th

Mom's Best Bets' Tote Giveaway ends Saturday, September 26th

Beth B's Purse Giveaway ends Sunday, September 27th

PD & PB's Carolina Pad Giveaway ends Sunday, September 27th

Brown Couch Events' Seventh Ink Giveaway ends Sunday, September 27th

Krittie's Zevia Giveaway ends Monday, September 28th

Brown Couch Events' SpellQuizzer Giveaway ends Wednesday, October 7th

MoraPiggy's Apron Giveaway ends Thursday, October 8th

Stonyfield Farm YoKids Squeezers

2009-09-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, you guys! It's been way too long, and I'm really sorry about the delay in posts. School has just been crazy! It's literally insane. My teachers hardly explain anything. :/ Oh, well, I'll learn! On to the review!

So... lunch boxes inevitably come along with school. We all love them, don't even lie! But sometimes it can be hard to find small, portable snacks for on the go. These Stonyfield Farm YoKids Squeezers solve that problem.

They're just like GoGurts, except without all of the artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. These Squeezers come in three flavors, Berry Blitz, Chillin' Cherry, and Screamin' Strawberry. There are eight tubes in each box of Strawberry, but Berry and Cherry come together, so there are four tubes of each. Stonyfield Farm basically pumped organic, low fat yogurt into a portable tube for kids (and grown-ups!). Doesn't get any better than that.

I've tried all over the flavors, and I have to say that Strawberry is my favorite, but that's just because I like that taste. Berry and Cherry are delicious, too! With these Squeezers, there are no "bad" flavors.

Each tube contains 60 calories and 1g of fat. Not bad for a yummy snack! There are also 2g of protein, 10g of sugar, and 11g of carbohydrates. It also has a small amount of sodium, only 40 mg, and potassium, 125 mg.

Pick these up at any of your local health food stores, especially Whole Foods. I've even seen them in regular grocery stores too! It all depends on where you look.

Price: $2.50 a box on sale at Whole Foods

Calories: 60 per tube

Got to have my giveaway section, girlies... Maybe I should give them their own special place! :P

I Made Dinner's Cheese Party Giveaway ends Sunday, September 20th.

Steph Chows' Custom Plate Giveaway ends Sunday, September 20th.

Run Faster's 100th Post Giveaway ends Sunday, September 20th.

Nature's Path Toaster Pastries

2009-09-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

I think we all remember eating Pop Tarts as kids, right? Unfortunately, each Pop Tart contains 200 calories, and honestly? No one ever leaves the second one in the wrapper. It's true. So that usually means you're devouring 400 calories of sugar, carbs, and artificial chemicals. How healthy. What's the alternative? Organic toaster tarts! I've tried all of the flavors of the toaster pastries by Nature's Path. Which one is the best? Scroll and read to find out, girlies, scroll and read. :)

Out of all three healthy alternatives, these toaster pastries are definitely the most similar to the regular Kellogg's kind. The box they come in is even just like the artificial ones! There are a ton of different flavors, too, and I've tried them all! The picture above is of the Blueberry flavor by the way. Yes, that is frosting you see there! Some of the flavors come in two versions, frosted and unfrosted. The flavors include: Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Brown Sugar Maple Cinnamon, Cherry Chocolate Stripes, Cherry Pomegran, Chocolate, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Wildberry Acai. A few of the frosted flavors, such as Cherry Pomegran, Raspberry, and Wildberry Acai even have sprinkles on them! I have to say that Nature's Path has got it right. I love these pastries even more than the Kellogg's kind! Unfortunately, the nutrition stats aren't that good. Although made with whole grain flour and real organic fruit fillings, the calories are about the same as the regular Pop Tarts. Though the flavors do make the nutritional info vary, the calories from fat are less by about 10, but that's still not much. Each toaster pastry is either 200 or 210 calories. The grams of fat are significantly less than Kellogg's by about 3.5, but the carbs are about the same, even a little bit higher. Still, there are no trans fats, no artificial preservatives, and no artificial colors or flavors. I would recommend these as a "sometimes" treat that's better than the version of Pop Tarts full of chemicals that we know and love!

My two favorite flavors!

Price: $1.99 per box at Whole Foods

Calories: 200-210 per pastry depending on the flavor

Palapa Azul Frozen Fruit Bars

2009-08-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I woke up the other morning to find myself completely shocked that it's almost September. Yes, September, the month all students dread. However... Summer's not over yet! And that means we all need to enjoy some more frozen treats before school starts again. I recently found a delicious brand of frozen fruit bars at my Whole Foods called Palapa Azul. They have six different flavors, not to mention a line of sorbet and ice cream as well. I decided to try two boxes of the lowest calorie flavors currently in stock, Strawberry and Watermelon, each at 50 calories. Palapa Azul does carry another flavor called Cucumber Chile that is only 40 calories, but the store didn't have it. A spicy frozen fruit bar? Sounds pretty interesting to me!

Both the Strawberry and Watermelon each had very distinct flavors. Strawberry was really sweet, while Watermelon had a milder, more authentic fruit flavor. It tasted kind of like Strawberry had added sugar while Watermelon was just blended fruit that was frozen on a stick, know what I mean? I love both flavors, but depending on how sweet you like your dessert, one flavor might be better for you. The Watermelon actually has white seeds frozen into the bar itself!

Even though Watermelon tasted much less sweet to me, it actually has 14g of sugar per bar while Strawberry has 10g. The calorie count, 50, is the same for both flavors. All the bars are all natural, made with fresh fruit, non-dairy, wheat-free, gluten-free, and sweetened with organic cane juice. They are also naturally fat-free. The ingredient list is nice and short, looking something like this:

Ingredients: watermelon/strawberries, filtered water, organic evaporated cane juice, guar gum, xanthan gum.

All in all, a very nice nutritional label. Palapa Azul bars are perfect for an anytime treat that doesn't leave your stomach feeling heavy or your mind feeling unhealthy!

Price: $4.39 per pack of 4 at Whole Foods

Calories: 40-80 depending on flavor

With the start of a new month comes... More giveaways!

Jackson's World's Yoga Mat Giveaway

Peanut Butter & Jenny's Kay's Naturals Giveaway

An Apple a Day's Nutridel Giveaway

Tay's Nature's Path Giveaway

The Eating Machine's Zevia Giveaway

The Food Snob's Simply Cookies Giveaway

Amy's Mexican Tamale Pie

2009-08-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm moving into a new house from across the country, so for the past three days, my life has looked a lot like this:

Wake up.

Drive to post office.

Pick up boxes.

Load car up.

Haul junk up various flights of stairs.

Unpack said boxes. Rinse and repeat.

So the fact that I am sharing a frozen meal with you today shouldn't really be a surprise. After the post office closed, I found myself starving (see beginning of post. As you can tell, lunch didn't fit itself into the plan.) I opened my brand new stainless steel fridge to find... not much. I only had time for a quick Whole Foods run yesterday, so there wasn't much to eat. I decided to make Amy's Mexican Tamale Pie since I wanted to try it to tell you guys about it anyway. The pie isn't really a pot pie per se, but it's similar. Instead of crust, there is a cornmeal topping, and the filling is just like chili with a little spice kick to it. I'm not a big fan of Mexican food to begin with, but even I enjoyed this pie. I don't think I'd buy it again just because my taste buds prefer other ethnic food groups, but if you're a Mexican food lover, this pie is definitely for you.

I popped this baby in the oven for 40 minutes only to find that the crust was splitting down the center and the filling was bubbling out. It was obviously done, but the crust still wasn't golden brown, so I turned the oven to broil for a few minutes and that solved the problem. My advice would be to broil the pie for the last few minutes of cooking to get the perfect crust!

This pie is only 150 calories! Yup, it's true, not like all of those other 400 or 500 calorie pot pies. It was quite filling too, and I wasn't even able to finish the whole thing (I did make a side of broccoli to go along with it though. Yes, it was frozen. Thank you, Whole Foods freezer section.) The pie has 4g of dietary fiber and only 3g of fat.

Price: $3.39 at Whole Foods

Calories: 150 per pie

LesserEvil Krinkle Sticks

2009-08-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad to see that you guys like the throw down post! Unfortunately, this one's going to be regular just because I can't find a similar snack to Krinkle Sticks! All I know is, they're delicious. The LesserEvil company is all about healthy snacks that are lower in fat and calories, and are all natural. The Krinkle Sticks in particular are supposed to be a twist on potato chips, but are baked in sunflower oil, not fried. This makes them contain 75% less fat than regular chips! The sticks are also free of trans-fat and saturated fat, cholesterol, artificial flavors and colors, and preservatives. If you can't eat gluten, don't worry, the sticks are gluten free as well.

The Krinkle Sticks come in four flavors: Classic Sea Salt, Veggie, Sour Cream & Onion, and Old School Bar-B-Que. I only had a chance to try the Classic Sea Salt, but I have to imagine that their other flavors are just as good! The stick was crunchy and crisp on the outside without being greasy, and the flavor was mildly like a potato puff. It was excellent, and I'm looking forward to trying the other flavors! Not to mention the twisty shape is so much fun to eat. It's kind of like an escalator, or a flight of stairs.

Okay, time to look at the back of the bag. The nutritional info for the Krinkle Sticks is definitely good! Only 110 calories per cup, which is around 40 generous sticks. There is only 2.5g of fat. That's even lower than Popchips! They even have 2g of dietary fiber per serving to keep you nice and full, and also 2g of protein.

Overall, these sticks are really yummy. If you're craving chips though, these aren't really an alternative seeing as how they're kind of like a cross between a veggie stick and a chip instead. Still, I prefer these to chips anyway, so... Go get these today! :)

Price: $2.99 per bag

Calories: 110 per 40 sticks

Yes! I am really looking forward to these giveaways, especially the bag one. I have to thank Stephanie over at The Skinny Plate for letting me know about that one. :D

Simply Bags' Zebra Print Lunch Bag Giveaway

Doodlers Anonymous' Chris Piascik Custom Print Giveaway

Ladies' Gadgets' NanoLite Giveaway

Throw Down: Annie's Homegrown Saltines VS. Late July Saltines

2009-08-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yup! It's my first throw down! I'm going to be comparing Annie's Organic Bunny Classics Saltine and Late July's Organic Classic Saltine Crackers. I'm not going to lie, both of these brands are very delicious, but who comes out on top overall? Let's find out.

Round 1: DESIGN

Annie's: These cute little snacks come in 5 different shapes: a heart, a running bunny, a bunny head, an X, and a circle. I love the bunny shapes! It's not plain like eating a regular saltine in the rectangle form. The box is pretty and appealing to kids with the different shapes shown in each corner.

Late July: Regular circle crackers here. Nothing wrong with that! These are kind of like Ritz crackers, I suppose. The box is beautiful though, in my opinion. It's got a vintage boardwalk feel with a softer blue than the Annie's box. Truly a work of art!

Winner: Annie's

Sorry, Late July! You have a beautiful box, but I just can't get over Annie's shapes. So adorable!

Round 2: TASTE/TEXTURE

Annie's: These crackers definitely have a crunch to them! The cracker is crisp and fresh tasting. I love how they have a light buttery taste without being too rich. Saltines are supposed to be very crisp, sort of like oyster crackers, and, of course, salty. I think Annie's has achieved the perfect balance! The salt is a little bit much though, depending on your taste buds.

Late July: The first cracker I tried was very buttery, but the rest were lighter in taste. There is less of a crunch to Late July and more of a silky taste. These crackers are less salty than the Annie's crackers, which works with the buttery taste.

Winner: Annie's

I love the crunch of Annie's crackers. Late July is a little too buttery to be a saltine.

Final Round: NUTRITION

Annie's: At 70 calories for 13 crackers (15g), Annie's is definitely a hit in the calorie section! A serving is filling too. There's 1.5g of fat per serving, but no saturated or trans fat. There are 11g of carbs and 160 mg of sodium. These are also vegetarian with no cholesterol.

Late July: These crackers are lower in calorie than Annie's according to grams because they're bigger, but they come in at 60 calories per 4 crackers (14g). They are a bit higher in fat than Annie's, at 2.5 g, 0.5 of which are saturated fat. There are 10g of carbs and 120 mg of sodium.

Winner: Tie

Annie's are higher in calories, carbs, and sodium, but Late July is higher in fat and contains saturated fat. I say a draw here!

OVERALL...

The winner is Annie's Homegrown!

I absolutely love these saltines. They're yummy and healthy.

Price varies, so I decided to not include that in the contest. I purchased Annie's on sale for $3.69 a box and Late July not on sale for $3.49 a box.

Yay for more giveaways! I am determined to win one of these... :D

Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm's Catching Fire Contest

K's Cookbook Giveaway

EnviroKidz Organic Crispy Rice Bar

2009-08-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves snacking on Kellog's Rice Krispie treats, but though they may be relatively low in calories, they're full of artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and gelatin (Who honestly knows what's in that stuff?). Luckily, a healthy, delicious alternative has arrived! The EnviroKidz Organic Crispy Rice Bars come in five different flavors, Cheetah Berry, Koala Chocolate, Panda Peanut Butter, Lemur Peanut Choco Drizzle, and Penguin Fruity Blast.

I couldn't possibly choose a favorite because they're all equally delicious. The Cheetah Berry and the Penguin Fruity Blast flavors have bits of freeze dried fruit in it, which I think is an added plus! I love these bars though because they're gelatin free but still taste great.

For sweet crispy rice treats, these bars have a pretty nice set of nutrition facts. Except for the Lemur Peanut Choco Drizzle which has 120 calories, all of the bars have 110 calories. They are also gluten free and low in fat and sugar. Some of the flavors, such as Cheetah Berry, even have some dietary fiber packed in there for you. What are you waiting for? Go grab a box of these!

Price: $3.99 for box of 6 at local health food store

Calories: 110-120 per bar

Giveaway time, my dear readers... I'm becoming obsessed with them. :D

Iowa Girl Eats' Food Should Taste Good Giveaway

Nikes and Ponytails Giveaway

She Is Too Fond of Books' Giveaway

The Book Muncher's Fade to Blue Giveaway

Bloody Bookaholic's Mega Palooza Contest

GreenBeanTeenQueen's End of Summer Contest

Heather Bakes' 100,000th Hit Giveaway

Alexia Foods Oven Fries & Oven Reds

2009-08-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

French fries are delicious, but, let's face it: they're usually incredibly unhealthy. Alexia changes all that! They are a company that produces 100% all-natural and trans-fat free oven fries. Did I mention that they taste even better than the greasy restaurant kind? It's true! The fries don't even need ketchup. Just pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes and enjoy your crispy, guilt-free fries.

Alexia has many different styles of fries, ranging from crinkle cut to julienne to oven wedges. I've tried all the different styles except for the sweet potato, simply because I've never been a fan. I also haven't been able to find their waffle fries, but I'd like to try those! Aside from the different styles, Alexia has flavors such as Olive Oil, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pesto or Olive Oil, Parmesan and Garlic. All the fries I've tried have been equally yummy. I vouch for any of the Alexia fries!

Nutritionally, these fries have a lot going for them considering they're potatoes. Each 3 ounce serving of fries contains around 80-150 calories depending on the cut. You get quite a few fries per serving, and there's even 2 or 3g of protein per serving. I love these fries. I think I could eat them everyday. :)

Their fries are currently on sale at my NY Whole Foods, but I'm not sure about any others. Make sure to check the frozen aisle next time you go grocery shopping to stock up and take advantage of the low price!

Price: $2.19 at Whole Foods

Calories: 80-150 per serving

Zevia: The All-Natural Diet Soda

2009-08-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

A beverage review? I haven't done one of these since Sobe Lifewater review, but I like Zevia so much better. For starters, it's carbonated! Who doesn't like fizzy drinks, honestly? They're awesome, especially when they're calorie-free, or at least less than 5 calories per serving. Unfortunately, healthy diet drinks were almost impossible to find, until Zevia! These delicious beverages are sweetened with all natural stevia and erythritol. New studies are now showing that stevia actually helps with dental hygiene and has other herbal benefits. Zevia has no calories, carbs, or fat.

Zevia comes in six flavors: Cola, Root Beer, Orange, Twist (lemon-lime), Black Cherry, and Ginger Ale. I've tried all of the flavors except root beer, which I don't like. Cola is my favorite! It's so good, but I've never had real Coca-Cola (yes, ever!) so I can't say if it compares or not. I just know that the Zevia Cola tastes sort of gingery. Twist is good too! Very citrusy and refreshing. I'm not a big fan of Black Cherry or Orange, but everyone has a personal favorite. I recommend trying them all and seeing what you like! None of them are bad, just not as good as the others.

I give Zevia two thumbs up! I don't know about you, but I hate the aftertaste of Splenda, and who wants all those chemicals in their bodies? Luckily, Zevia doesn't have an aftertaste and is the perfect alternative to that Diet Coke sitting in your fridge. Pick these up today! They've been at every Whole Foods I've been to so far, so it shouldn't be too hard, but you can also order it off of the Zevia website.

Price: $0.99 a can at Whole Foods

Calories: 0 according to the label

Can't forget about the giveaways this post, can we? Here's hoping one of us wins!

Rosey Rebecca's Saratoga Salsa & Spice Co. Giveaway

An Apple a Day's Late July Cookies Giveaway

Running Around Normal's Larabar Giveaway

Run to the Finish's Birthday Giveaway

GG Scandinavian Bran Crispbread

2009-08-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

These are officially one of my new favorite snacks! This bran crispbread is super high in fiber, and actually tastes great, in my opinion. Most people will find this cracker too dry, but I love to eat it plain. If you're one of the people who finds it dry, you can always top it like in the picture to the left. They're great with fresh fruit, cream cheese, fruit spreads, jams, jellies, peanut butter, you name it. The cracker is sturdy enough to hold anything you might want to put on it, so get creative! Deli meat could go between two crackers and make a nice, crunchy sandwich. Any other ideas?

These crispbreads are really filling because bran contains so much fiber. They are 85% unprocessed wheat bran, the only bread product to contain this amount. The crispbread will keep you full by absorbing moisture and satisfying your appetite. They are the lowest in calories and net carbs than any other bread product out there! The magic calorie number? 12 per slice! And, for your carb counters, there are only 7 carbs, and 5 of those come from dietary fiber, so only 2 net carbs. Dieticians and nutritionists recommend these products to patients, but anyone and everyone can eat them.

I love these crackers because they're so low calorie and filling, but they have many other health benefits. Best of all, they actually keep me full! The bran takes a while to chew, so each 12 calorie crispbread lasts. Beat that, Wasa!

Price: $2.99 per package at Whole Foods

Calories: 12 per crispbread

Here's a few giveaways for you guys! Guess what? I was a runner up for Mom on the Run's Zevia giveaway! Yay!

Missy's Gluten Free Dessert Mix Giveaway

An Apple a Day's Musselman Applesauce Giveaway

The Skinny Plate's Musselman Applesauce Giveaway

Discount Vera Bradley's Microfiber Tote Giveaway

Mum-Mum Rice Rusks

2009-07-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

Why does it seem like I keep reviewing products marketed toward babies? Oh, well. They all tend to be tasty, nutritious, and low in calories! Take Mum-Mum products, for example. They sell rice rusks and crackers in a variety of flavors such as Original, Vegetable, and Strawberry. There are two different versions of Mum-Mum, Baby and Toddler. I've tried both, and both are delicious! They're pretty much the same thing in different shapes. The Baby rice rusks are long and stretched out, as you can see in the picture to the left, while the Toddler crackers are perfectly round crackers, sort of like a Ritz. They both taste the same to me, but the Strawberry Toddler flavor that I tried had frosting on it! It was so good, and you would never know that it's not junk food. The Baby rice rusk has only two flavors, Original and Vegetable. The Original is slightly sweet while the Vegetable tastes kind of like veggie sticks. I prefer Original, but my family likes the Vegetable. My favorite is still Strawberry! Must be the frosting. :)

Let's look at the label. The unfrosted rice rusks have only four ingredients, japonica rice, sugar, skim milk powder, and salt. The frosted ones have gelatin in them. The rice rusks come individually wrapped with two crackers per package. Built in portion control! The best part is that each pack of Baby rice rusks (4.2g) have 15 calories while the Toddler rice crackers (5g) have 20 calories each. Forget 100 calorie packs! Go for these.

Here is what the frosted box looks like.

Price: $1.49 for a box with 12 packs

Calories: 15 or 20 per 2 crackers

Applegate Farms Organic Hot Dogs

2009-07-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

Foods that just seem to go hand in hand with summer are burgers and hot dogs. Now, everyone knows about Boca and Morningstar burgers, but what about hot dogs? There aren't too many healthy choices out there! My absolute favorite hot dogs are Applegate Farms. I've never tried their beef or pork because the only meats I eat are chicken, turkey, and fish, but luckily, they have chicken and turkey hot dogs in their product line. To be fair, I've never had a "real" hot dog, but Applegate Farms' turkey hot dogs are amazing! They taste just how I imagine a beef hot dog would taste. The outer casing gets nice and crisp if you fry it up, but it surprisingly tastes great when you put it in the microwave for around 30 seconds. I can actually eat these hot dogs by themselves or in a bun, that's how yummy they are. For a lower calorie choice, you can wrap the dog in a slice of light bread instead.

I love how these hot dogs don't have any preservatives and are all natural and organic. The livestock are raised on vegetarian diets and are never given antibiotics or growth hormones. Even though hot dogs are processed, Applegates Farms uses minimal processing.

Of course, we have to have some nutritional info here. A turkey hot dog is either 40 or 50 calories (depends on if it's organic or not), while the chicken and beef ones range from 70-110 calories. Pretty good! Applegate Farms also sells other products, like cold cuts, burgers, cheese, turkey bacon, etc... Every product I've tried from them has been excellent, so there's my seal of approval!

Price: $4.29 at Wegman's

Calories: 40-110 depending on meat and if it's organic or not

Giveaways! I hope I win something in one of these, or at least that one of you guys does!

Julie Go Lean's Crofter's Giveaway

Erica's Fuel Belt Giveaway

Faith in Food's Navita Giveaway

Mom on the Run's Zevia Giveaway

Run to the Finish's Gluten Free Baked Goods Giveaway

The Happy Runner's MojaMix Giveaway

MegaNerdRun's Chobani Giveaway

Jacksons World's See Jane Work Giveaway

Livin' Lovely & Healthy's Entertaining in the Raw Giveaway

Joe and Betsy's Gap Jeans Giveaway

HappyBaby Puffs

2009-07-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I need a little more flavor to my cereal than my kamut puffs, so I turn to these puffs instead! Before you say anything, yes, I do realize that these are marketed toward babies, but they're just like cereal. HappyBaby's organic puffs taste kind of like a lighter, fluffier version of a cheerio with a hint of flavor. Not to mention the little container that they come in is absolutely adorable and can be reused in a ton of different ways. I only bought apple and banana, but they also come in a "greens" flavor, which is just a vegetable puff basically. Neither of the fruity flavors actually taste like the fruit they're supposed to, but it's just a light sweetness that tastes very yummy.

These puffs are 100% natural, have the 1/2 the sugar of other baby puffs like the ones from Gerber, and have no artificial colors or flavors. A plus to being "baby" snacks is that they're packed with vitamins and minerals.

Even though these puffs have a fruity flavor, I don't have to compromise the calorie count of my kamut puffs! These have 25 calories per 1/2 cup, just like kamut's 50 calories for 1 cup. I used a mix of kamut and HappyBaby puffs for a very low calorie bowl of cereal a few minutes ago to tide my hunger over until dinner. These whole grain puffs are terrific!

Price: $3.89 per container

Calories: 25 per 1/2 cup

Yup, more giveaways! Come on, you know you love them. :D

Missy Maintains Musselman's Applesauce Giveaway

Soap & Chocolate's Holey Donuts Giveaway

Fruits.Veggies.Life. 100th Post Giveaway

Mom On the Run's Can Do Kid Bar Giveaway

Arctic Zero Frozen Dessert

2009-07-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's funny how quickly my life has changed in a matter of a few hours. Why, you ask? This. Ice cream. Is. Amazing. That's all I have to say. When I woke up this morning, I had no idea that I'd end up eating an entire pint of guilt-free ice cream. Yup, the entire pint. Here's my story. I asked my local health food store if they could get a case of these for me a few weeks ago and ended up completely forgetting about them. But I got a call this morning saying that the shipment had come in and decided to go pick it up. I got three of each flavor, but I've only tried Chocolate Peanut Butter so far. The other flavors are Vanilla (with a hint of maple), Chocolate, and Strawberry-Banana. I was SO excited to try it because of all of the reviews I've been seeing on the internet. It was amazing! The flavor was a perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter without being too much like a Reese's cup. The texture was even better than ice cream, softer in a way, which is how I like it. The best part about these pints? The nutritional info.

Depending on the flavor you get, the pints range in calorie count from 128 to 136. And that's for the whole pint! Each 1/2 cup serving is either 32 calories (Chocolate and Chocolate Peanut Butter) or 34 calories (Vanilla and Strawberry-Banana). I thought for sure that the chocolate flavors would have the higher calories, but who knows? Anyway, it gets better. Each 1/2 cup serving has either 4 or 5 grams of protein and no fat. It's the ultimate super dessert! After reading the nutritional label, I realized that I already had stuck my spoon into the pint, and thought "Why not?". I finished it all. :D You have no idea how much fun it is to eat an entire pint of ice cream. Now you can too!

This frozen dessert (they don't consider themselves ice cream, but I do!) is packed with a high protein whey concentrate that apparently feeds your muscles and starves your fat. It's all natural, low carb, fat free, gluten free, and lactose-intolerant friendly. See? Super dessert!

My yummy chocolate peanut butter!

UPDATE: I had no idea Hungry Girl reviewed these just yesterday! I'm sorry! I seriously didn't even remember about Arctic Zero until this morning. :( Sorry, guys.

Price: $3.89 a pint

Calories: 128 or 136 per pint depending on flavor

Yay for giveaways! Let's see what we've got this week...

Friend's Giveaway

Danica's Daily Annie's Giveaway

Yogiclarebear's Nutters for Futters Giveaway

Lauren's Blogerversary Giveaway

Emma's 50th Giveaway

Sobe "Zero Calorie" Lifewater

2009-07-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Let's start this post off right...

Sobe "Zero Calorie" Lifewater is NOT 0 calories!

No drink is zero calories, except for water. Even tea and coffee has trace calories, so small that they are negligible. Here's the deal on diet sodas and drinks. If a product has less than 5 calories per serving, the company is allowed to print 0 calories on their label. Yes, I agree, it's unfair. That Diet Pepsi you always thought was 0 calories? Actually 1.2 per serving. That doesn't sound bad, but the calories can add up if you're guzzling diet drinks like they are 0 calories. We can look at this with either a glass half full or glass half empty mentality here. At least the calories are still low, right? Some people will still choose to not count diet soda calories because they feel it isn't necessary, but if you want to be truly accurate, you'll unfortunately have to.

Now on to the product review! Sobe Lifewater is delicious, but all three of their "zero" calorie flavors are incredibly sweet, which may be a turn off for some people. My favorite flavor is Fuji Apple Pear, followed by Black and Blue Berry, and then Yumberry Pomegranate. Two new "zero" calorie flavors are coming out soon, Acai Fruit Punch and Mango Melon. I've never seen these new ones in stores, but maybe I will soon. All three of these flavors taste exactly like their name suggests. I don't know how to describe it. The Fuji Apple Pear is light and refreshing, but tastes very much like a pear. The Black and Blue Berry tastes just like a blueberry, and there really isn't any essence of blackberry. The Yumberry Pomegranate tastes like a very sweet fruit salad, kind of like a mixed berry flavor.

Sobe has two different types of Lifewater. The "zero" calorie line is sweetened with PureVia, which is made from stevia, and includes the three flavors I talked about before. The other Lifewaters contain many more calories, about 100 per bottle, and come in a much wider variety of flavors. It can be hard to tell which flavors are which, so make sure you check the bottle's flavor! There are no high calorie versions of the "zero" calorie flavors and no low calorie versions of the regular Lifewater. Just stick with Fuji Apple Pear, Black and Blue Berry, and Yumberry Pomegranate and you'll be good!

So let's find out the actual calories in "Zero" Calorie Lifewater. There are 5 calories per bottle in the Fuji Apple Pear and Black and Berry flavors, while the Yumberry Pomegranate, Acai Fruit Punch, and Mango Melon have 10 calories per bottle. Each bottle is 20 ounces, and will quench your thirst for a while!

The two new flavors, Acai Fruit Punch and Mango Melon

Price: $0.99 per bottle on sale, $1.99 regular

Calories: 5-10 per bottle depending on flavor

FrütStix Chunky Strawberry Frozen Fruit Bar

2009-07-12T01:54:00.001-07:00

It's finally summer! Unfortunately, that can also mean boiling hot days driving you to reach for unhealthy ice creams. What's the solution? These frozen fruit bars from FrutStix. They combine chunks of real fruit and authentic fruit flavors to create a yummy treat. All of FrutStix products are 100% all natural and contain no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. They're also completely fat free (except for the chocolate dipped ones, which are 99% fat free)! These bars can't be any healthier.

My favorite is the Chunky Strawberry flavor, also FrutStix's lowest calorie option. I would never be able to tell the difference between this fruit bar and a much higher calorie one, such as Edy's or Dreyer's. The strawberry chunks are plentiful throughout the entire bar, and the flavor is so good.

FrutStix has a product line of Fruit & Juice Bars, Creamy Fruit Bars, Organic Fruit Bars, Chocolate Covered Fruit Bars, and Creamy Fudge Bars. I love the Organic Chunky Strawberry flavor, but there are many other options to choose from. The lowest calorie bar is the Chunky Strawberry one, at 45 calories while their highest calorie bar is the Dark Chocolate Almond Covered Creamy Coconut at 220 calories. The Creamy Fudge Bars are 90 calories, still less than those "diet" fudge bars floating around at 100 calories! You can see the entire product line at their website.

Price: $4.99 for a box of 4 at Whole Food's

Calories: 45-220 depending on flavor

It's giveaway time! Click on any of the following giveaways to try to win some delicious healthy food. Good luck!

Fearless, Fabulous, Full of Life HOUSE-WARMING GIVEAWAY

Whit's Getting Fit Birthday Giveaway

An Apple A Day Crofter's Superfruit Spread Giveaway

Nikes and Ponytails Ginormous July Giveaway

Fitnessista Giveaway

Mission to a(nother) Marathon Giveaway

Brothers All-Natural Crisps

2009-07-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows the old saying about an apple a day, but the truth is that most Americans don't get the servings of fruits and vegetables that they should. With these crisps, no one has an excuse not to! For starters, they're delicious, enough said, but they're also made with 100% all-natural fruits and potatoes and are just freeze dried with no added sugar or preservatives. The fruit crisps come in 7 different flavors with the following info:

Fuji Apple: 1 1/2 apples per 39 calorie bag

Asian Pear: 1 1/2 pears per 40 calorie bag

Strawberry-Banana: 1 banana and 4 strawberries per 45 calorie bag

White & Yellow Peach: 1 1/2 peaches per 39 calorie bag

Pineapple: 40% of a pineapple per 60 calorie bag

Strawberry: 8-12 strawberries per 30 calorie bag

Banana: 1 1/2 bananas per 66 calorie bag

But Brothers All-Natural doesn't stop there! They've come out with potato crisps as well, which are just like potato chips except at a much lower calorie count of 45 per bag! These come in four flavors, Original with Sea Salt, Black Pepper & Sea Salt, Fresh Onion & Garlic, and Szechuan Pepper & Fresh Chives. I've only had the original so far, but it tastes just like a chip. I can't wait to try the other flavors.

Besides the regular fruit and potato crisps, Brothers All-Natural has a partnership with Disney for Disney character fruit crisps. I haven't seen these anywhere, but I'll keep an eye out for them. They come in Mickey Mouse Apple, Donald Duck Pear, Pluto Peach, and Goofy Strawberry-Banana. I don't know how they're any different from the other fruit crisps, but they're Disney, so they've got to be awesome.

Where can you get these yummy snacks? I got them at Costco, but you can get them at any of the following locations:

https://www.brothersallnatural.com/content/StoreFinder.htm

Price: Varies at all locations

Calories: 30-66 depending on flavor

ZSweet® Natural

2009-07-07T23:07:00.000-07:00

No matter how much you try to smile and down your plain yogurts and cereals in the morning, it isn't much fun to eat foods without flavor. Unfortunately, flavor usually comes hand in hand with calories. This is where Zsweet comes in. It's a zero calorie sweetener that is sugar-free, all natural, kosher, and vegan. For me, the big seller with this sweetener is that it's honestly zero calories. Splenda, for example, has calories, but there is an FDA law stating that the nutritional information is allowed to say 0 calories if it's less than 5. Those calories can add up if you use more than one packet, each of which has 4 calories. Zsweet contains carbs that aren't turned into calories by the body. Erythritol, a naturally occurring sweetener found in common foods like fruit, is the main ingredient.

The version I bought came in a canister that has a dual-top spout for easy usage. It looks exactly like regular white sugar, except the granules are a little smaller. I dipped my finger in the top and tasted it plain, and I could mistake it for sugar. I mixed some in with my yogurt and cereal this morning, and it was delicious! You can even use Zsweet in baking and cooking.

There are 4 carbs in Zsweet, but they come from the erythritol, which isn't turned into calories. Other than the carbs, the nutritional panel is blank, which is always a good sight to see. :)

Price: $7.19 at local health food store

Calories: 0

Unsweetened Original Almond Milk

2009-07-04T19:49:00.001-07:00

So you've got your low calorie puffed cereal, but milk can add a lot of unwanted calories. Solution? Pacific's unsweetened original almond milk. It has a nutty taste perfect for the kamut puffs! They go perfectly together, but this milk is great with any cereal. There are so many different recipes that you can use this in. I recently made a batch of cookies with this milk, and I really couldn't taste a difference between those and the regular ones. Then again, my taste buds aren't so refined! The only thing I have to point out is that you may not enjoy this milk if you don't like almonds, obviously. It doesn't taste too much like almonds, but it has that all around nut taste. You could always add a zero calorie sweetener to the milk like Zsweet or liquid stevia, but I love it just the way it is.

Time to flip the box and read the label! Looking at the nutritional info, we've got 2.5 g of fat, 180 mg of sodium, 2g of carbs, no sugar, and 1 g of protein. Not too bad! But the calories have to be the best. 35 for 1 cup! And honestly, who needs a whole cup of milk for cereal? I prefer my cereal drier, so this is even better for me! Delish.

Price: $3.39 at Whole Food's

Calories: 35 in 1 cup

Nature's Hollow Sugar-Free Ketchup

2009-07-01T04:14:00.000-07:00

Yup, another post! I wasn't planning on doing another one until a few days from now, but I had to let someone know about this amazing product. It tastes even better than regular ketchup because it's not as sweet and has a tangier tomato taste. I would definitely choose it over any other company without even knowing about the nutritional benefits.

This ketchup in particular is sweetened with xylitol, an all natural sweetener. Xylitol has even been said to be good for your teeth, and has a low glycemic index which is great for diabetics. Xylitol also has absolutely no aftertaste. I can always taste it in Splenda products, but this ketchup? Nothing!

Nature's Hollow is a family owned company that also produces sugar free jams and preserves. I feel great buying their products because of the nutritional info, but also because I'm supporting a down to earth company that creates great products.

This ketchup contains no calories! Must be the xylitol. :) There are 130 mg of sodium and 6 g of carbs. There are very few ingredients, only tomato puree, apple cider vinegar, xylitol, spices, salt, and arrowroot. With regular ketchup, the calories begin to add up very quickly. Now you can enjoy it again, guilt free!

EDIT: I just received an e-mail from the company telling me there was a misprint on their labels and there are actually 14 calories per tablespoon. :( Still lower than the rest, but...

Price: $6.19

Calories: 14 in 1 tablespoon

Greek Gods Nonfat Plain Yogurt

2009-06-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

We all love yogurt, I know I do! Not only does it taste yummy, but yogurt contains a ton of healthy cultures and probiotics, as well as protein and fiber. Usually, the only downside of yogurt is that it's very high in fat and calories for a very small serving of yogurt. The Greek Gods Nonfat Plain Yogurt changes all that!

This yogurt tastes very tangy because of the plain flavor, but pour a couple tablespoons of sugar free, calorie free syrup and you're good to go. The texture is slightly thicker than that of regular yogurt, but thinner than other greek yogurts because of the lack of fat. All in all, this yogurt is a delicious, healthy find. The best part is how you can customize this yogurt. Add berries, honey, anything you want! I've even heard of someone sticking some of this yogurt in the freezer for a while to get a decadent frozen treat.

A 6 ounce (170g) serving of this yogurt, which is a regular container, has only 60 calories. Compare that to the other greek yogurts:

Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt (151g) : 80 calories

Oikos Plain Greek Yogurt (164g): 90 calories

Chobani Yogurt Plain (170g): 100 calories

And the Greek Gods yogurt container is bigger than the Fage and Oikos ones! You can't beat it (yet!).

Price: $1.79 at my local health food store

Calories: 60 per 6 ounce container

Quorn Chik'n Tenders

2009-06-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

Vegetarian or not, Quorn Chik'n Tenders are delicious meat substitutes. What are they exactly? They're not really tenders as the name suggests, but actually little cubes of "meat" made out of mycoprotein, a type of fungi, but trust me, it does not taste like a mushroom at all. You can use them in stir fries, kabobs, casseroles... Anything really! I actually like to grill them plain and then dip them in sauce. They are delicious, and taste just like grilled chicken. Another perk is that they don't need to be thawed from the freezer before cooking, jusstick them in a pan and you're good to go. The funny part is I gave a piece to my mom and asked her what she thought it was and she gave me a strange look and said, "Chicken... obviously." :) Hee hee. I'm so bad.

So what do these tenders have going for them nutritionally? Let's take a look. In the calorie department, a cup is 80 calories. And trust me, a cup of small cubes is HUGE! Besides the calories, a cup contains 10g of protein and 4g of fiber, making these filling and energizing. The only downside to these tenders for me are the price! At my local Whole Food's, it's around $7 a bag.

Look at them grilling! Yum.

Price: $7.39

Calories: 80 in 1 cup

Arrowhead Mills Puffed Kamut Cereal

2009-06-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

I am a huge cereal fan, but most of the brands that you see on grocery store shelves are full of sugar, and calories as well. Meet puffed kamut cereal! A few brands make kamut cereals, but he best in my opinion is Arrowhead Mills. Kamut has a slightly nutty, sweet taste to it that can satisfy your sugar craving without messing up your health. When paired with unsweetened almond milk, the flavor is even better. This cereal has become a staple to get me going in the morning. Puffed cereal comes in a variety of flavors, but kamut is my favorite! Arrowhead Mills makes puffed cereals of corn, millet, rice, and wheat. Now, this is probably all sounding good to you, but how does this cereal stack up nutritionally?

1 cup of this cereal is only 50 calories! Yes, that's right, only 50 calories. The corn puffs are a little higher at 60 calories, but that's okay because the kamut taste better anyway. Aside from the low calories, this cereal has a few other nutritional benefits, like 4g of protein and 2g of fiber, which will keep you nice and full. I prefer my cereal drier, so I just use 1/4 cup milk to every 1 cup cereal. 1/4 cup of my favorite almond milk is around 10 calories! So 60 calories for a huge bowl of cereal. What more could you ask for?! Did I mention that these cereals come in eco packs? You no longer have to reuse or recycle the boxes, and the lack of a box means the cereal is cheaper too.

Price: $2.19 at Whole Food's

Calories: 50 for 1 cup

My First Post

2009-06-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

Hi! This is my first post on Tasty Health Food. I want my blog to showcase the best food out there that is as good for you as it tastes. How many times have you said that you're going to start a nutritious lifestyle only to find yourself completely overwhelmed by all of the products out there? Luckily for me, I get to go out there and be your guinea pig! :) I'm making it my goal to review and rate food that isn't just good for you and your waistline; it has to be delicious as well.

It isn't as diet-friendly as it seems to go to your local Whole Food's and pick up a few frozen meals. Many "good for you" foods out there are packed with hidden calories, fat, and other nasty stuff. This blog is going to change the way you look at a nutritional info label, I guarantee it!

In the posts to follow, you'll find alternatives to your favorite junk food, new products that you'll learn to love, and an inside look at the products you see on store shelves. What are you waiting for? Here's to a slim, healthy lifestyle!