Categories: gluten free

8 May 2012, Comments (8)

Earth Balance Crunchy Coconut & Peanut Spread

Author: Healthnuttxo

Something new!!!!

Browsing for a new peanut butter to buy at Whole Foods ( at 2 jars a week, I’m getting a little bored of my usuals you could say…) I saw this gem on the bottom shelf. WHY it was hiding all the way down there is beyond me, but a good eye can spot it. Earth Balance Crunchy Coconut & Peanut Spread. At first I wasn’t going to buy it, afraid the coconut would be, well, weird with peanut butter. But then I thought why not, and it was an average price for peanut butter (don’t remember the exact $$, but a little more than a usual plain jar I believe).

I opened up the jar and did a tiny stir. Mmm.

It’s really quite good! A thick peanut butter with tons of crunchy chopped peanuts. It’s sweet yet salty, and you can definitely taste the coconut. The coconut wasn’t too overpowering, but definitely provided a good amount of flavor.

I would say the peanut butter part reminded me of what Skippy or Jif peanut butter tasted like, as it was sweeter and saltier than I am used to. However, only 2 grams of sugar and 95 mg of sodium per serving, so really not that bad at all!

I also really liked how crunchy the chopped peanuts were. They tasted very fresh, and added a really good texture to the peanut butter. While there is a lot going on, crunchy peanuts and coconut flavor, all in all, it’s a good combination. It did say “no stir” on the top, and I did have a tiny bit of oil separation but not too bad at all. This spread is also gluten free and vegan. Yay!

Overall, 4 1/2 stars. A must try!

18 Apr 2012, Comments (2)

Enjoy Life Foods Plentils Crunchy Lentil Chips Margherita Pizza

Author: Healthnuttxo

Something new- Plentils by Enjoy Life Foods! But what exactly is a plentil? They are crunchy lentil chips! Wait but where did the “P” come from.

Um….

Not sure. Moving on.

I got a few free bags of the chips from Enjoy Life Foods to try for free. First one up for review, Margherita Pizza. Why? Because it was 11pm, I wanted pizza, but did NOT feel like leaving the house. I was hoping these chips would suffice a pizza craving, as well as be delicious on their own!

First of all, these chips are soooo crunchy! I really liked that, as nothing’s worse than when a chip is more oily than crunch (you know what I’m talking about!) or the chip falls apart the second it hits your mouth (also not cool…). Nope! These were light and crisp, not oily at all, and almost had a toasty-crunchy feel to them.

They were very yummy and flavorful, and surprisingly, did remind me of pizza! The pentils had a saucy and cheesy flavor to them, with undertones of basil, garlic and onion. They also had a salty flavor that was really quite good.

Overall, I like these! Don’t forget these are gluten free as well! 4 stars


5 Apr 2012, Comments (11)

Truwhip the Natural Whipped Topping

Author: Healthnuttxo

Um………confession time.

I am a Cool-Whip addict. But seriously.

I KNOW, it’s full of not-so-good for you ingredients, I think I’ve even seen the really evil ones like HFCS or trans fats, and I KNOW it practically has no nutritional value and I KNOW why don’t I just eat natural whipped cream?

Well, I can’t explain it. Something about cool-whip. Good enough for me to eat straight from the container. (Don’t judge me…)

SO, in hopes to find a healthier alternative, I saw Truwhip the Natural Whipped Topping at Whole Foods. YES I thought, FINALLY a healthier alternative. This one was made with natural ingredients, was gluten free, trans fat free, and gave me a bit more piece of mind. It was also around the same price, at 3 dollars a container.

Notice the dent I made…. :D

So how was it? It was fluffy and light, just like Cool-Whip. But it certainly had a different, odd, taste. Almost like a fake vanilla marshmallow? Odd. It was sweet, and melted in my mouth, and did not have that oily feel to it but a very natural one which was a plus. BUT, if definitely had some weird flavor to it I really couldn’t not think of how to describe!

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t horrible at all, it was different! It had a pleasant sweetness, and was almost vanilla/tapioca in flavor. It was good, but not amazing. One thing I noticed though was that it didn’t have that chemically aftertaste I get with Cool-Whip (sorry Cool-Whip…you’re amazing and all but that aftertaste has to GO!!). So that was definitely a plus.

Although the question is, buy Cool Whip, love the flavor, and dislike the aftertaste? Or buy Truwhip, better ingredients, not crazy about the flavor, but good aftertaste? Decisions, decisions.

Overall, I would give it 3.5 stars. Would I buy it again? Maybe. Only if Cool Whip wasn’t available…. ;’)

good thing I just got a manicure! :)

27 Jan 2012, Comments (0)

Smart-meal snx FRUITMANIA Mixed Berry Fruit Drink

Author: Healthnuttxo

How many fruits and veggies do you REALLY eat daily? No, I don’t personally count the 3 pieces of freeze-dried fruit in your cereal or the bag of potato chips you had as a fruit or vegetable serving, although some may. I try to eat as many fruits and veggies as possible, but understandable, sometimes it is hard to reach that quota of a daily reccomended serving.

SO, I was excited to try Fruitmania Fruit Drink, a free sample I got that also came with Smart-meal snx PROGEL, which I shall review at a later date. According to the box, this is a drink that has “12 fruits and vegetables and essential nutrients”, “No artificial sweeteners, no artificial coloring, no preservatives” is dairy, fat, lactose, gluten, wheat, yeast and cholesterol free AND has “no aspartame”. To top it all off…the letters on the box say “over 2 lbs. of fruits and vegetables packed into every bottle!”

Hmm. I was skeptical. I’m always skeptical. Even if there are this many fruits/veggies, how would it taste?! Bitter? Overly sweet? Like spinach juice? Here’s a closeup of what it looked like.

Not exactly appealing…however, it smelled kind of like a cherry/strawberry fruit-roll up I used to eat as a kid. But how did it taste?

Not bad, but not exactly fantastic. It had a strawberry-cherry flavor, and was sweet yet toned down at the same time. It left an after-taste in my mouth, kind of like when I drink an artificially flavored/sweetened fruit drink or something like that, although it stated it had no fake sweeteners on the box. It had the texture of an almond milk, where it was smooth but had a little bit more thickness than water.

It was only a 2.5 oz bottle, so I think if I had this again I don’t need to sip on it slowly, and can just drink it rather quickly, or maybe add it to a smoothie. It didn’t taste bad at all, but didn’t taste as “natural” as I thought it would.

After reading over the ingredients, I saw it had Stevia in it, which I would account for that less-than-just-fruit-juice flavor. However, it really isn’t bad, and if given in the future I would drink it as a pre or post gym pick-me-up. I also read the fine print- which said “1 Bottle is infused with: 12 concentrated fruits and vegetables and 5 grams of prebiotic fiber”. So, the mini bottle is basically just fruit/veggie concentrates, with a few other ingredients, which doesn’t give me the same satisfaction as actually eating the whole fruit or veggie, but still isn’t bad.

So overall, 3 stars.

How many fruits and/or veggies do you eat every day? I’d say most days I get 2 servings of fruit, 4-6 servings of veggies. Not bad if I don’t say so myself!

16 Jan 2012, Comments (4)

Perdue Short Cuts Grilled Italian Style Carved Chicken Breast

Author: Healthnuttxo

These things are a staple in my fridge. Any given time of any given day, they will be in there. And….I never tried them. Until now of course. After a quick scan of ingredients and nutritional information accompanying a growling stomach after a workout, I decided the Short Cuts Grilled Italian Style Carved Chicken Breast would fit the bill.

Here’s a close up-

I’m not even a big meat/poultry eater- no pork or beef whatsoever, and turkey/chicken maybe 1 or 2 times a week tops. I prefer eggs and peanut butter for my protein sources, along with occasional beans/tofu. However, these looked good. And I was craving something that would keep me full and fuel my muscles post kickboxing workout.

So, I tried these two ways. Cold and straight from the fridge, and then heated up in the microwave. Since it was seasoned, I tried it as is, with no toppings/sauces or sides.

The chicken itself was chewy, and some pieces were a bit too chewy which turned me off a bit. However, the chunks were relatively fresh tasting. It certainly was very salty, which I expected since it’s a prepared and flavored product. I tasted parsley and herbs, as well as onion and garlic flavors. It actually was rather flavorful and I enjoyed it by itself. There was also just a hint of lemon.

Then I heated up the rest of the chicken, and I think it was much better this way. The flavors came out even more, and it took on almost a chicken parmesan flavor. I think it would be really good with some (low sodium) tomato sauce and some shredded cheese on top, like a take on chicken parmesan, but without the breading and frying in oil.

What I liked about these is that they were also MSG free, low in fat, and gluten free. However, the sodium was really quite high, and it even tasted too salty which is a turnoff for me. ESPECIALLY for the person who buys this in my house all the time and eats it frequently, that’s a lot of sodium. (But hey, thanks by the way for letting me eat some ;’) ) SO, overall, I would give this 3.5 stars. I don’t know if I would buy it in the future, but if it was laying around in my fridge (which it will be, no doubt…) I might eat it again.

9 Jan 2012, Comments (8)

Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Another nut butter to add to my addiction and to subtract money out of my wallet (*sigh*…that wallet never had a chance against any nut butters). Insert, Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter. One of the tastiest I have tried from Peanut Butter & Co., this one is also gluten free and vegan

SIDENOTE: How cute is that monkey?! With a barbell!

This was a thick peanut butter- not much stirring required, hardly any actually. Look here, didn’t even move as I turned my fork to the side. (WHHHHAAAAAT you don’t eat nut butter out of the jar with a fork, too?)

The peanut butter has a mild sweetness, but I can definitely taste both the maple and the peanut butter. It has a roasted peanut taste, and then a hint of maple flavor. Not too salty or too sweet, but just right. I ate this directly from the jar, like most of my nut butters, and I can’t get enough of it. This isn’t my first jar, and it will not be my last.

One thing different from other peanut butters is I can “taste” and detect the granules- like a very mild grittiness to the peanut butter. Not like sand, or like anything that would ruin the peanut butter, but it is not 100% smooth.

Overall, delicious and addictive. A made a significant dent in my jar the first night. I’m too ashamed to show you the picture and I also don’t want to think about possibly eating 3-4 servings in one sitting, so I’m going to pretend it never happened. (*What peanut butter??*) I get remarks all the time about how fast I can finish a jar of peanut butter, and quite frankly, it doesn’t bother me a bit. Heart healthy fats, protein, and hey, I can think of worse things to inhale on a 2-3 day basis (sad, yet true. Shelf life of a jar of peanut butter in my house is 3 days tops).

One thing, is these are a bit pricy, I’ve seen them as much as 6+ dollars for a jar. So, from me, this one gets 4.5 stars =)

What’s your favorite flavor/variety from Peanut Butter & Co. if you have tried it? Mine is this one here.

14 Nov 2011, Comments (10)

Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy Bars

Author: Healthnuttxo

Along with the Sunbutter Crunch bars I was sent to try for free from Enjoy Life, I was sent a few other flavors to try for free, including the Caramel Apple variety.

How can you really say no to something Caramel Apple flavored? An image of sticky, chewy, sweet and delicious comes to mind thinking of a caramel apple. And so fitting with the fall. Nothing like a crisp apple picked off a tree! (not that I get to experience that all that often given my current urban situation… -__- )

ANYWAY, insert Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy Bars. Gluten free, vegan goodness in bar form. Very small bar form, aka the size of my pointer finger small, but whatever. Good things come in small packages!

This bar was pretty good. It was dense and chewy, and had the little crispy rice sort of action going on like the Sunbutter Crunch variety had. I liked that it was sweet, but not I have to make a dentist appointment for the cavity I’m going to develop sweet. A good amount.

I could certainly taste the apple flavor, which was a plus. While I was eating it, I couldn’t help but notice how much it tasted like Quaker Apple Cinnamon instant oatmeal. I would know – I ate that oatmeal SO FREQUENTLY when I was younger. It seemed like every school breakfast I heard the teapot kettle whistle, poured the hot water in my instant oatmeal, ate and went on the school bus. *sigh* back to when life was simple!

So, as a whole for this bar, although it lacks sustainability, as in I’d be hungry still if I only ate this, it was pretty good, and a good snack bar/pre workout boost. I’d give it 4 stars.

What was your typical breakfast before school when you were younger? I alternated with instant oatmeal, and toasted english muffin with peanut butter! =)

6 Nov 2011, Comments (9)

EnjoyLife Sunbutter Crunch Chewy Bars

Author: Healthnuttxo

Yay for new products to try! I was sent a few boxes of EnjoyLife Chewy Bars to try to review for free. Of course I agreed, as I am always up to try new things. Plus….I eat granola bars like crazy! Even more…these bars are dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, fish free, egg free, soy free, and nut free!

I decided to try the Sunbutter Crunch bars first. Why? I don’t know. They called to me. They reminded me of baseball games when I was little where I was given sunflower seeds to munch on. At the time I didn’t know you supposed to take the shell off. I was literally chew-chew-chewing the seeds with the shell on. HA!

But anyway, I opened one up and took a look. The texture is quite weird. They feel almost rough to the touch and dry, and don’t bend well. If you bend the bar, it breaks off into pieces automatically.

These smell EXACTLY like sunflower seeds. Which I suppose they should…they are made from sunflower seed butter! I broke off a piece, and it seemed like a very dense and kind of dry bar. The only way to know for sure was to take a bite. I went for it, and…I can’t say I was a HUGE fan, but I can’t say I hated it either.

At first, it was kind of bland, and it was chewy and dense, with a puffed rice krispie texture thing going on as well. As I chewed, the bar became sweeter and sweeter. As expected, the bar was kind of dry, but not so bad where my mouth was calling water uncontrollably. These were actually kind of good! They had a mild sunflower seed taste, but tasted like peanut butter at times too (no worries- these are NUT free!!).

As I continued to eat the bar, I liked it more and more. A rather unique flavor, but really quite good! I liked it more than I thought I would, as I thought there would be an overpowering sunflower seed taste, but there wasn’t! My only complaint is these are TINY!. Here’s a pic of it in comparison with a pen. Blue ink only, guys. I’m biased and will only write in blue. ; )

See…tiny! But they are only 120 calories each, so I could eat one (or 1.5 of them!) before a workout as a snack and I feel like it would fuel me up just fine. Or pair one with a glass of milk! (unless you have milk allergies of course!) Overall, 3  stars. Recommended to try, especially if you like sunflower seeds!

Do you like sunflower seeds? flavored sunflower seeds? sunflower butter? Tell me! : )

12 Oct 2011, Comments (3)

Enjoy Life Not Nuts! Seed and Fruit Mix Mountain Mambo and Beach Bash

Author: Healthnuttxo

Who doesn’t love trail mix? Crunchy, sweet, salty, savory, and satisfying- all in one! I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a box on my front step from Enjoy Life, and inside was their  Not Nuts! Seed and Fruit Mix in Mountain Mambo and Beach Bash varieties.

Take a closer look. Here’s the Mountain Mambo

camera fail. blurrrrrry! :(

And heres the Beach Bash flavor

Alrighty, let’s get down to business. The first one I tried was the Mountain Mambo. It had apple pieces, raisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and more.

The apple pieces were so yummy! Soft and chewy, and perfect addition.

The raisins were a little off tasting. Not super sweet like I’m used to, and I was a bit disappointed. Especially since in the bag, there was a LOT of raisins. Seriously- I got a big blob of raisins right in the middle all stuck together!

The sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds were very fresh tasting and crunchy, and not really salty at all. However, not salty doesn’t mean they weren’t flavorful! :)

Then, I shook up bag a little and found…

Chocolate chips!

These were yummy! Smooth chocolate, and tasted like a milk chocolate would.

Another surprise was I found  VERY few cranberries. Only got like 2 in the bag ! However, the two or so I got were quite tasty, and not too tart. So for this variety….

3 ½ stars

Next up, the winner in my eyes, BEACH BASH variety.

Seriously, in a word,- yum.

There were sunflower seeds, pumpkin, apricots, pineapple, cranberries and more. On a brighter side, there were definitely more cranberries in this one and yummy too! Sweet, not tart and chewy!

The pineapple pieces were BEYOND delicious. Seriously- I want a bag of just the pineapple! It was soft, and sugar sweet! I may or may not have picked all the pineapple out of the bag the first day I got it….. oops ;)

The apricot pieces? eh. Kind of hard and dry and tart. Not  a fan. Would rather more pineapple…

Overall, 4 stars

Overall, yummy! Both are NUT FREE, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, peanut free! And yum-my! I like beach bash better. I would totally buy it!

What would you put in your ideal trail mix? Mine would be dried pineapple pieces from above, glazed pecans, cashews, reeses pieces, and pretzels!


30 Sep 2011, Comments (7)

Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte LARAbar

Author: Healthnuttxo

Look-ee what I got in the mail, as a complete surprise to me…

YEP- some Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte LARAbars! With a cute little bag, button, sticker and slice of information pie.

What a nice welcome surprise once I walked in the door and had a package waiting for me. Thanks, LARAbar!!!

Now, down to business. It looks like your standard LARAbar….

….but it’s not.

This one ROCKS!!!! I noticed the bar seemed softer than usual when I took a bite, but still had that sticky density we all know and (hopefully) love. As I kept chewing, I really loved this bar. It tastes like chocolate covered cherries!!

It was sweet and tart, with that classic date taste. But,  then you get a hint of  dark chocolate flavor and a teensy bit of crunch. I really felt like I was eating almost a cordial cherry, with chocolate covered coating. This is definitely one of my new favorite Larabars!! And, according to the wrapper, this baby is Gluten Free and gives 1/2 of a fruit serving. What’s not to love??

Overall, this gets 4 1/2 stars. Really delicious! I will definitely buy in the future!!

What’s your favorite food involving cherries? I cant say I would turn down a slice of cherry pie ;)

chipped nail polish. *sigh* forgive me??? ;)

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