Categories: 4 1/2 stars

3 Sep 2010, Comments (0)

Jason All-Natural Liquid Satin Soap

Author: Healthnuttxo

Here we go- a natural NON food review! And this time? It’s about soap! =)

Jason sent me some coupons to get $1.00 off a product, so I ended up using them on some all natural soaps. I prefer to use soaps from a pump or container rather than a bar of soap when it comes to handwashing, so I thought these would be pretty good. As a bonus, they were all natural, AND could be used on the face!

According to the website, here’s some notes about the Lavender, and Mango & Papaya soap I chose to  buy.

“No Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates
Concentrated & Moisturizing
Never Dries your Skin
Natural Ingredients”.

I also chose the Cranberry scent, but those particular facts were not listed below the product on the website.

Anyway- onto the review!

Mango & Papaya- this one was thick and orange in color, with a light mango smell. It left my hands feeling soft, and left a very light scent on my skin. 4 stars

Lavender- this one had a stronger smell than the Mango & Papaya, but was actually quite refreshing! I loved the smooth and silky texture- a great soap! 4 stars

Cranberry- this one was my favorite of the 3. It had a very crisp, fresh and fruity smell. It sort of reminded me of fall and Thanksgiving time. I loved the sweet and fruity scent, and how it was gentle, and very clean feeling. 4 1/2 stars

Overall, I really like these soaps! I especially love that they can be used on the hands and the face- very convenient! They were a tad expensive though, I think it was about $8.99 for one at Whole Foods, so I was happy I  had a $1.00 off coupon. Another person tried this soap who has sensitive skin, and she liked it as well! Bravo, Jason! =)

23 Aug 2010, Comments (2)

Nana’s Cookie Company No Refined Sugar Fruit Juice Sweetened Double Chocolate Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

I’ve tried a cookie by Nana’s Cookie Company before, and thought it was great! Well, they also sent me the Double Chocolate Cookie to try, and I was equally as excited.

According to the package, this cookie has no “eggs, no dairy, no refined sugar” and is “fruit juice sweetened”! That sounds like my kinda cookie! =)

This cookie, is BIG. In fact, One cookie has 2 servings, one serving being 50 grams or half of a cookie. It is a dark brown in color, with pieces of walnuts. I’ll be honest- this cookie was REALLY good. I didn’t miss the eggs or the dairy a bit! =) It was soft, rich, and buttery tasting. I loved how it had a rich chocolate flavor, and was fudgy too. The perfect amount of smeetness! The addition of walnuts also added a really nice touch, and I enjoyed them.

Overall,  4 1/2 stars. The only problem in my eyes, is half of a cookie is 210 calories and 10 grams of fat, with only 1 gram of fiber. Something as tasty as this- it’s easy for me to eat half if not the whole thing! Good thing it’s a rather large cookie =) !

Have you ever tried Nana’s Cookie Company products? If so which ones and which ones are your favorite? *If you’d like to answer, please leave a comment below!*

1/2 cookie (50 grams) is 210 calories, 10 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein.

Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Fruit Juice (pear, apple, grape), Rice Dextrins (a natural and unmodified starch), Expeller Pressed Canola Oil (GMO Free), Chocolate Chips (whole grain malted barley and corn, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin added as an emulsifier, and pure vanilla), Dutched Cocoa, Walnuts, Baking Powder (non- aluminum), Baking Soda, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt.

22 Aug 2010, Comments (1)

Nature’s Path Organic Whole O’s

Author: Healthnuttxo

Nature’s Path is a brand that really has never let me down. I think they make delicious and healthy products, and have a LOT to choose from!

I was sent a box of the Whole O’s to try from Nature’s Path. Along with being organic,  this cereal is gluten free. I wasn’t really sure what to make of this cereal (before I tried it). There was only 4 grams of sugar per serving, so I wasn’t expecting a sweet cereal, and gluten-free products have sort of been a hit or miss for me.

Anyway-

So, according to the box, these were “Crunchy O’s of Organic Corn & Whole Grain Rice”. I opened up the box and saw little brown pieces of cereal, in the shapes of circles.  I tried a few by themselves and thought, WOW! I certainly agree that they are “crunchy”! I wasn’t really expecting them to be so crispy and crunchy! They had sort of a toasted flavor to them, and tasted like brown crispy rice cereal. They were airy and had just a bit of sweetness at the end. I tried them in milk next, and was still impressed. I chopped up a granny smith apple and had this cereal with some almond milk and was very happy.

Overall, I wasn’t expecting to like these as much as I did. The ONLY thing I was really disappointed about was that a serving size is 2/3 of a cup, and I wish it was a bit bigger, as I like to eat a lot of cereal : )  Otherwise, a winner in my eyes, and really good nutrition facts, too!  4 1/2 stars

2/3 cup is 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Corn Flour, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt.

20 Aug 2010, Comments (5)

Marie Callender’s Low Fat All-Purpose Biscuit Mix

Author: Healthnuttxo

Oh, yea. BISCUITS!

The people over at Marie Callender’s offered me to try some of their new mixes, like the All-Purpose Biscuit Mix. And the verdict? I’m sure glad I got to try them!

First off, these were really easy preparation. All I needed was a bowl, a spoon, the mix, and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of water (and a pan with some non-stick spray to bake them on!).

The mix was beige and crumbly in color. After adding the water, I ended up adding just a little bit more to make it easier to stir. I noticed these sort of lumps that were there, sort of like flakes, that I had to stir a little extra to get smoother. The dough became very sticky and pasty, and sort of reminded me of the cheese in a mozzarella cheese stick how it was sort of gooey when I transferred the batter from the spoon to the pan.

Here’s what they looked like after I scooped them on the pan.

While cooking, they smelled DELICIOUS. The bottom of the mix bag says “Restaurant Style” and I thought the same from the smell- I felt like I was sitting in a restaurant!

Here’s what they looked like after baking!

So what about the taste? DELICIOUS!! Even as is, with nothing on them! Fluffy and doughy, slightly salty, and just like a biscuit should taste. The back of the bag said to “serve warm with butter, honey or preserves”, so since I was having these with my dinner, I opted for a little butter. Divine!

Overall? These get 4 1/2 stars! I love how the mix makes 8 biscuits- I think that’s perfect for a family dinner! I also love that 1 biscuit (1/4 cup dry mix)  is only 100 calories! I was a little disappointed that there was no fiber per serving, but these were really good. I would certainly eat them again- I’m tempted to maybe add cinnamon and sugar if I ever make them again! 

Do you like biscuits? What’s your favorite way to eat them? (and does anyone else spell biscuit with a q like bisquit? It was so hard for me to write this because I kept writing bisquit the whole time!!) If you’d like to answer, please leave a comment below! =)

ANNNNND… as a special bonus, here is a COUPON CODE for a purchase! By using the code HNBlog820  you can recieve 10% off your next purchase! Woo-hoo! (can’t be combined with other coupons, and expires SEPTEMBER 9th, 2010)!

1/4 cup dry mix (25g) is 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour (niacin, iron, thiamin, mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid), Palm Oil, Canola Oil (ascorbic acid and rosemary added to preserve freshness), Dextrose, Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate/leavinging), Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (leavening), Sea Salt, Buttermilk Powder, Natural Flavor, Monocalcium Phosphate (leavening).

19 Aug 2010, Comments (1)

Betty Lou’s Just Great Stuff Organic Superberry Acai and Organic Fruit & Veggie Bars

Author: Healthnuttxo

BettyLou’s makes Just Great Stuff Bars that come in four flavors, Organic Superberry Acai Bar, Organic Chocolate Dream Greens Bar, Organic Cocoa Acai Bar, and Organic Fruit & Veggie Bar. The nice folks over at BettyLou’s sent me them to try, and today I’m reviewing the Organic Superberry Acai Bar and Organic Fruit & Veggie Bar.

Both of these bars are rather sort of gummy and chewy in texture, and certainly remind me of fruit bars or fruity type snacks. According to the package, they both are organic, vegan, and gluten free.

Organic Fruit & Veggie Bar- This one was a dark brown/greenish in color with little pieces of what I believe are cashews scattered throughout the bar. It had a very mild sweetness, and I really couldn’t taste much of the “fruit” part of this bar, only really the “veggie”. It kind of reminded me of a wheatgrass flavored drink, and I could taste the spinach. I love the ingredients of this bar, but wasn’t too crazy about the flavor. 2 1/2 stars

Organic Superberry Acai- okay, now this one was TASTY! Great sweetness and great flavor. It was a dark red/raspberry color, again with scattered little pieces of cashews. I really enjoyed this one, and msotly had a raspberry flavor. Delicious!! 4 1/2 stars

Overall, not bad! I love the ingredients put into these bars, and love that they are organic, gluten free, and vegan! Although the Organic Fruit & Veggie Bar wasn’t a hit for me, if I ever see the Organic Superberry Acai Bar in stores by me, I would probably buy and eat it again! =)

Organic Fruit & Veggie Bar- 1 bar is 170 calories, 6 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Organic Dried Fruit Blend (organic raisins, organic dates, organic bananas [with organic rice flour]) Organic Raw Cashews, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Freeze-Dried Vegetable Blend (organic carrot juice, organic spinach leaf, organic broccoli sprouts organic kale), Organic Rice Protein, Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt.

Organic Superberry Acai Bar-1 bar is 180 calories, 7 grams of fat, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Organic Raw Cashews, Organic Berry Blend (organic dried cranberries [with organic apple juice concentrate and organic sunflower oil] organic goji berries, organic freeze-dried raspberries, organic freeze-dried acai [with organic lime juice and/or citric acid]) Organic Dates, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Rice Protein, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Raspberry Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Citric Acid.

16 Aug 2010, Comments (14)

HappyBaby and YoBaby review plus GIVEAWAY!

Author: Healthnuttxo

Today is a combined review( and GIVEAWAY!) of HappyBaby and YoBaby products. I was sent coupons to try free products from both companies.

HappyBaby- I chose the HappyBites Mac + Cheese Bites. When I purchased them from the store, they came in a pack of three Mac + Cheese Bites. However, the company recently updated the product to have 9 bites per box. I actually quite enjoyed them. They reminded me of homemade baked macaroni & cheese. A really good and “gooey” cheesey flavor, with little lumps or pieces of what I imagine was both butternut squash and noodles. I do wish it was a bit saltier tasting, as it tasted a bit bland. I simply put a grind of sea salt on top and voila! Instantly better. Tasty, too! 4 stars

Happy Baby-  I also tried their frozen fruit of Smarter Squash + Wiser Apple. While I haven’t tried the Smarter Squash yet, the Wiser Apple was quite tasty. I am a really big applesauce fan, so I thought I would like these. They came in little compartments, so I defrosted and had 3 of them for a serving. The texture was sort of slushy, but also smooth. It was really sweet, which I absolutely loved, and barely any tartness whatsoever. It sort of reminded me of a “candy” applesauce- but the ingredients were JUST organic apples. Nice!! 4 1/2 stars
I also found out from Helen Bernstein who provided me the coupons something about the frozen HappyBaby. “Since these are for baby, there is never any salt, sugar, coloring or preservatives added.  Babies certainly do not need it and additives only train their tastes to eat processed food high in sodium and sugar. ”

YoBaby- I picked up a pack of the apple and blueberry flavored multipack. They were small sized 4 oz yogurts.

That makes me feel good eating such a pure and great product! : )

The Apple flavor was very mild. It sort of tasted like a plain vanilla, with a slight bit of tartness and slight cinnamon flavor. I also thought I detected a bit fo lemon flavor. I did like that it was thick, but sort of wish it was sweeter. 2 1/2 stars

I liked the Blueberry flavor much more. Again, same awesome thickness, with a nice tang. Good blueberry flavor, and it also tasted like I was actually eating cream! Very rich and delicious. I do wish it was a bit sweeter, but overall, enjoyable. Too bad it was a smaller size than what I’m used to! 4 stars

Now, onto the giveaway!

There will be TWO winners, one for HAPPYBABY prize, one for YOBABY prize. each below. I was e-mailed the prizes that will be given from Ms. Bernstein, who said
“HAPPYBABY
2 free trial coupons for HAPPYBABY, HAPPYBELLIES, HAPPYBABYPUFFS, HAPPYMELTS, HAPPYBITES
1 FAQ on DHA & Probiotics
1 Infant & Toddler Nutrition Guide, co-authored by Dr. Sears
1 HAPPYFAMILY Recipes

YoBaby
2 free trials for YoBaby 6-packs or YoBaby Drinkables 4-packs
1 Eric Carle Growth Chart”

You can enter by (please leave a comment for EACH)
*MANDATORY*
1. Do you eat baby food products? If so, which ones are you’re favorite/which one’s do you buy? (if not, you’re entry can simply be “no”)

Optional:

2. Add me to your blogroll/reader
3. follow me on twitter/ tweet about this giveaway!
4. for TWO entries, blog about this giveaway! (please leave a comment with the link).

Contest Ends FRIDAY, August 20th, 2010 12 PM. Open to US residents only.

15 Aug 2010, Comments (1)

Garlic Gold Sea Salt Nuggets, Parmesan Nuggets, and Italian Herb Nuggets

Author: Healthnuttxo

I’m all for flavor. Just because something’s healthy, doesn’t mean it has to lack flavor, right? : )

Garlic Gold makes which I think are great products to add flavors in a healthy way. They sent me some of their products to try, including the Sea Salt Nuggets, Parmesan Nuggets, and Italian Herb Nuggets, and I was actually quite pleased with them.

I decided to try them on my steamed broccoli that I was having with my dinner. I sprinkled a little of the Garlic Gold Sea Salt Nuggets on first. These were mostly brown in color, with little pieces of visible salt. They had a GREAT garlic flavor that I absolutely loved. It wasn’t so strong where it was overppowering or bitter, but just right. It also was blended perfectly with the sea salt. The nuggets themselves had a bit of a bite to them, and were a combination of being chewy/crunchy.  Yummy! 4 1/2 stars

I tried the Italian Herb nuggets next. These didn’t have quite as a strong garlic flavor, and were mostly the “Italian Herbs”. They weren’t too salty either. I think these would be better with a saucy dish, like as addition to homemade tomato sauce, rather than on stemed broccoli like I had it. 3 stars

Lastly, I tried the Garlic Gold Parmesan Nuggets. I noticed these had a little bit of tang, and a mild parmsean cheese flavor. They had a sort of bread-crumb consistency, and were kind of a bit chewy. I think I would have liked this flavor better if it was a bit saltier, because I LOVE parmsean cheese (especially on eggs and broccoli!). 2 1/2 stars

Overall, these were good. I also noticed that a little goes a long way, so even though 1/2 of a tsp. was 4 calories for the Garlic Gold Sea Salt Nuggets and Garlic Gold Italian Herb Nuggets varieties and 10 calories for 1 tsp for the Garlic Gold Parmesan Nuggets, and while that can add up fast, I really did not need a lot. I also loved that these were organic!! :)

For more information about Garlic Gold products, you can visit here.

11 Aug 2010, Comments (0)

Simply Scrumptous Fat Free Chocolate Covered Donut and Fat Free Mom’s Apple Pie Muffin

Author: Healthnuttxo

Simply Scrumptous had sent me some samples from their line of Fit & Flavorful Fat Free products. I have reviewed some of their other products they sent me already, but 2 of my favorites that I was sent are the Fat Free Chocolate Covered Donut and Fat Free Mom’s Apple Pie Muffin.

Fat Free Chocolate Covered Donut- I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first. I didn’t expect a fat free product to be as moist and delicious as this was. A good sized donut, it had a fluffy base, with a nice vanilla flavor. It was very sweet and absolutely delicious.  The chocolate icing was the best part- chocolately, smooth and actually a decent amount. De-LISH! :D 4 1/2 stars

Fat Free Mom’s Apple Pie Muffin- WOW! I really liked this! Although it was a tad bit small, it was very sweet,  moist and really did remind me of “Mom’s Apple Pie”! I especially loved the nice cinnamon flavor, and the chunks of apple that were in the muffin. It was sticky, sweet and delicious! 4 1/2 stars

Of the products I’ve tried, I seem to really enjoy Simply Scrumptous’ Fit & Flavorful Fat Free line of products. And, these two are just amazing! :)

For more information about nutrition and ingredients, you can click here!

7 Aug 2010, Comments (1)

Bora Bora Organic Foods bars

Author: Healthnuttxo

Bora Bora Organic Foods- doesn’t the name just make you feel like you are on vacation? I know it did for me! Bora Bora Organic Foods sent me some of their bars to try (along with a cute mug and t-shirt- thanks, guys!! =) ), and I must say they were quite unlike anything I have tried before. These bars come in a variety of flavors, and, according to the website, fall under 3  categories- “SUPERFOOD”, “ENERGY”, and “ANTIOXIDANT”. I tried the Tribal Cinnamon Oatmeal and Tiki Blueberry Flax bars.

Tribal Cinnamon Oatmeal- this one falls under the “ENERGY” category, and is also vegan and gluten free. I must say this one was certainly DELICIOUS! Chewy and sweet, it reminded me of an oatmeal cookie. I just loved the cinnamon flavor- absolutely delicious. There were also little crisp rice pieces throughout the bar, and chewy, sweet apple pieces. I also loved that this bar was only 5 grams of fat. Woo! 4 1/2 stars

Tiki Blueberry Flax- this one falls under the “ANTIOXIDANT” category, and is also vegan and gluten free. Not as sweet as the Tribal Cinnamon Oatmeal bar, but still pretty good. I liked te big, crunchy almonds, which balanced nicely with the chewy crisp rice. The raisins and the blueberries added the sweetness, although it was mild. I also tasted a little bit of flaxseed aftertaste, and a pumpkin seed flavor. 3 stars

Tribal Cinnamon Oatmeal- 1 bar is 170 calories, 5 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Tiki Blueberry Flax- 1 bar is 180 calories, 9 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

6 Aug 2010, Comments (3)

Goji Gourmet Goji Chocolate Chip and Goji Almond Oat Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

Goji Gourmet makes cookies that use… GOJI BERRIES! How cool is that! According to the package, “Goji berries are nutrient-rich fruits that are HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS and provide vitamins A, C, and B-complex. Among other benefits, goji berries are rich in iron, beta-carotene, selenium, geranium, and include 18 amino acids”. I never had a Goji Berry before eating these cookies,( and although I am stil unsure where exactly to find them at the supermarket!), I would like to eat them again!

Taken from the website, here is some interesting tidbits about these cookies.

“-No preservatives
-All-natural
-No refined sugar added
-High in antioxidants
-Delicious
-Low calorie
-Handmade
-Infused with Superfoods
-Energizing
-Great for kids
-Mostly organic ingredients ”

Cool! Well the folks over at Goji Gourmet sent me some of these cookies, including the Chocolate Chip and Almond Oat varieties. The first thing I noticed about these cookies was the size. They are rather small, about the size of a quarter in length, but much bigger in height. They almost are about the size of cotton balls! I actually thought they were quite adorable for cookies! : )

Chocolate Chip- first of all, these smell sooo yummy, just like homemade chocolate chip cookies, with a hint of a fruity smell! The goji berry pieces are quite large, and sort of resemble dried cranberries. The texture is a bit gritty, but in a good way, and also “soft and chewy”, just like the front of the package says. It was actually quite a bizarre taste- sort of a cross between an oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookie. The goji berries had an unexpected sweetness, sort of like a raisin in an oatmeal raisin cookie, but the cookie still had a rather rich and buttery taste, like a chocolate chip cookie. I actually really enjoyed it, and it was quite sweet, too! 4 stars

Goji Almond Oat- I noticed that these cookies had more height and more goji berries than the Goji Chocolate Chip flavor, but were still delicious. They were sweet, and almost had a brown sugar and vanilla taste to them. The almond flavor was actually really delicious- just the right amount, and they also added a little bit of crunch as well. I found these sweeter than the Goji Chocolate Chip, and actually liked them better. 4 1/2 stars

Overall, I really enjoyed these! I like that a serving ( 2 cookies ) is only 50 calories, and also provides 1 gram of fiber. I also love that they are quite unlike any other type of cookie I have eaten before. They are made with really good ingredients, and well, are just plain good! : )

*Have YOU ever had goji berries before? How do you eat them? (And where do you buy them?) If you’d like to answer, please leave a comment below! : )

Goji Chocolate Chip- 2 cookies is 50 calories, 2 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 4 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein.

Organic white whole wheat flour, organic goji berries, natural buckwheat honey, organic butter, raw turbinado sugar, organic 70% cacao dark chocolate (organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic ground vanilla bean), organic egg, raw wheat germ, pure vanilla extract, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, turmeric.

Goji Almond Oat- 2 cookies is 50 calories, 2 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Organic white whole wheat flour, organic goji berries, organic oats, natural buckwheat honey, natural almonds, organic butter, raw turbinado sugar, organic egg, raw wheat germ, pure almond extract (alcohol, natural oil of bitter almond, water), organic vanilla extract, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, turmeric.

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