Categories: organic

10 Feb 2018, Comments (0)

Explore Cuisine Plant Based Protein Pasta/Spaghetti

Author: Healthnuttxo

Pasta is definitely a fan favorite- versatile, comforting, and well…delicious. However, as we all know, pasta is not diabetic friendly, figure friendly or macro friendly for that matter, as it is loaded with carbs and lacks in the  protein and fiber department (unless you get whole grain). For that reason, I tend to stay away from pasta entirely. It wreaks havoc on my blood sugars for hours. However, the nice people over at Explore Cuisine sent me some plant-based protein filled pastas made with black bean, edamame, red lentil and chick pea.

Each pasta ranges from 180-200 calories per 2 oz serving (a box has 4 servings), with 1-3.5g of fat, 19-35g of carbs, 3-13 grams of fiber, and 11-25 grams of protein.

 

Let’s Start!

The Red Lentil pasta was super mild in flavor. Relatively easy to cook, however, of the 4 I cooked this one seemed to absorb a ton of water and I actually ended up burning the bottom of my pot, so make sure to keep a close eye on it and add extra water. It was bland in flavor, but smelled great while cooking. The texture was identical to al dente spaghetti. I served it with ground turkey, broccoli, and (unpictured) tomato sauce.

The good thing about this one is it looks almost identical to flour based pasta…you could probably try to fool your friends 🙂  — granted they are not allergic to any of the ingredients!!!

 

Next up, BLACK BEAN pasta.

This one is a little weird…and you’ll definitely get some looks when you eat it. I had someone ask me if I was eating squid… but it’s worth it!

I served it with grilled chicken and some butter and I actually really enjoyed this one. It’s not my favorite to eat plain, and definitely requires some flavor. It was a little more chewy than the other varieties, but it still relatively mild in flavor and went well with chicken. This one was highest in protein and fiber and I found I needed no insulin to eat! In fact, both times I took insulin for this dish, my blood sugar tanked. I had a mild rise after I ate and then went back to baseline so I decided this one was definitely a hit for me and my blood sugars!

 

Next up, CHICK PEA  pasta

I loved this one! I added some turkey gravy to it and it was just a tad more chewy than al dente flour based pasta, with a hint of chick pea flavor. Again, super mild in flavor so very versatile and you can probably pair it with anything.  I found the chick pea pasta to be more filling than the other varieties.

 

Lastly, the EDAMAME based pasta.

This one was probably my least favorite of the 4, but still pretty good. It had a sweet undertone to it, and was softer in consistency than the other varieties. It had more of a dominant flavor than the other varieties, but again, still pretty mild. I think it paired well with chicken and some butter and salt.

 

Overall, these are a hit and I will definitely be buying them when I see them in store. Each box had 4 servings, but I stretched it out to 6 because I added vegetables and protein to each, and still had a decent serving. All of them had minimal affect on my blood sugars, which was a big bonus for me. ALL flavors are GLUTEN FREE and VEGAN as well, making them friendly to our pasta lovers who cannot tolerate flour based products. Overall, 4 1/2 stars from me.

 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS AN UNBIASED REVIEW. I RECEIVED THESE PRODUCTS TO TRY FOR FREE FROM THE COMPANY.

 

24 Jun 2016, Comments (0)

Heavenly Organics Chocolate Honey Patties

Author: Healthnuttxo

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Hi!

I got some awesome goodies from Heavenly Organics. They created these chocolate honey patties in a few varieties, with minimal and sustainable ingredients.  The chocolate shell is made from 100% cocoa and raw Himalayan honey. They are gluten, dairy, and soy free, with no additional sugar added (aside from using the honey).  The honey is 100% organic, obtained from free roaming beehives.  The bees are in areas that are not near pesticides or pollutants, which is awesome, because then that stuff won’t get into YOUR body!

They come in a bunch of flavors. I got the Ginger Chocolate Honey Pattie, Mint Chocolate Honey Pattie, Almond Chocolate Honey Pattie, DOUBLE Dark Chocolate Honey Pattie, Pomegranate Chocolate Honey Pattie, and the Peanut Chocolate Honey Pattie!  Here’s what they looked like up close. IMG_3064

bitten into, of course!

The chocolate shells all taste the same. The chocolate is relatively bitter, not that smooth, but the honey flavor definitely shines through. I am not a huge fan of the chocolate, as it breaks like a shell would on ice cream (that hard chocolate shell you put on and it freezes), but I also prefer a smooth milk chocolate over a dark chocolate. The shell reminds me more of a bitter dark chocolate.

Each pattie has an inside filling. The Pomegranate is super sweet and supple, tasted like pure, silky honey with the sweetness of pomegranate juice. The Double Chocolate is exactly what it sounds like, more of a dark chocolate flavor, with honey. It is creamy and sweet, but again, the outside shell ruined it a bit for me. The Peanut Chocolate pattie inside is very good. Reminds me of a traditional peanut butter cup, but with a nice honey twist. I loved the inside, wanted to eat it by itself. The Mint Chocolate honey pattie is the dark chocolate shell, with honey completely oozing out the middle. There is a hint of mint as well. I didn’t really care for this one, as the chocolate is very bitter and the mint made it more bitter. However, the honey is excellent, and incredibly smooth and creamy. The Almond Chocolate Honey Pattie is pretty good, it has that almond joy type of almond flavor, like almond extract or a toasted almond, alongside the chocolate and honey. It goes well with the honey flavor in my opinion. Lastly, the Ginger Chocolate Honey Pattie. I actually really liked this one, but you have to enjoy ginger. I used to eat ginger chews as a kid, so I love candied, dry ginger. It mellows out the bitterness of the chocolate, and goes wonderfully with the honey.

My favorites were the Ginger, Pomegranate, and Peanut patties. But as a whole, these are pretty good, but you have to be a fan of bitter/dark chocolate. I wish they had a milk chocolate version 8)

Each patties is roughly 50 calories, which isn’t too shabby! Especially when you need a luxurious sweet treat.

Overall, 3 1/2 stars.

31 Jan 2016, Comments (0)

Telula Organic Juice

Author: Healthnuttxo

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I got some samples from a company I have not heard of before, called Telula. They make organic, NON-GMO, and not from concentrate juices made from fruits and vegetables. They are cold pressed and also are free of added sugar.

They sent me some fun flavored samples to try, in Spicy Lemon, Green Zing, and Coconut Citrus.

Let’s start with Spicy Lemon, which has 3 lemons, 6.5 peppers, and 5 teaspoons of honey in each bottle. Honey is technically sugar, so if they add that to juice, I am a little confused how they can claim no added sugar. Perhaps they meant no CANE sugar, but honey is glucose…aka sugar.
Anyway, this bottle had 70 calories a serving, 17 carbs, 16 sugars, and 0’s across the board for fat, fiber and protein.

This one was actually really good! It is like a tangy lemonade, with the slightest bit of heat, but also sweet. It is very clean and refreshing tasting. I was definitely afraid of this because of the name…I think a more appropriate name would be Zesty Lemonade or something along those lines, because I certainly wouldn’t pick this up in store based off the name alone. However, the taste is delicious! The heat from the peppers leaves a little lingering flavor on your tongue as well. 4 stars.

Next up, Green Zing. This one has 5 spinach bunches, 1.5 cucumbers, 2.5 ginger roots, 1 apple, 2 heads of kale, 1/2 a lemon, and 2.5 celery stalks in one bottle. Dang!! It has 90 calories per 8 ounce serving, with 23 carbs/20 grams of sugar.

This is so, so, SO good! I wish I could drink this all day. It is sweet,much sweeter than I expected, and you can very slightly taste the celery. It is super refreshing, which I think might be from the cucumbers, and tastes like apple juice a bit as well but not as “sugary” tasting and not as tart. This is the best juice I’ve ever had, and you cannot taste the vegetables! A great juice for kids who won’t eat veggies…just don’t tell them it’s in there! 5 stars

Lastly, Coconut Citrus + Chia.  This one has half a coconut, 2 carrots, 3/4 of an orange, 1 lemon, 1 apple, and 5 tsps. of Chia. This has 120 calories per 8 ounce serving, with 1.5 grams of fat, 23 carbs, 5 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein. This one was my least favorite. It was a little tangy, and thicker than any of the other juices. It had coconut flavor, but a bit of an over powering carrot flavor too. The lemon also definitely shines through here. I am not big on consistency in liquids…I don’t like pulp in my OJ and I do not like bubble tea…so the Chia seeds aren’t my favorite. I don’t like “chewing” my drinks.  This almost reminds me of a slightly fruiter V8 tomato juice. Not a huge fan. 3 stars

As a diabetic, I really do not drink juice unless my blood sugar is low. So I may buy a bottle to keep on hand in my fridge, but I will not be drinking on a regular basis. However, I really enjoyed these, ESPECIALLY the Green Zing one, so they are worth a shot!

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I received this product for free, this is an unbiased review.
18 Jan 2016, Comments (0)

New York Organic Smart Beer

Author: Healthnuttxo

SBEER

Picture from Smart Beer Company

Before we begin, please read only if over 21! It’s the rules for alcoholic beverages! 🙂

Smart BEER?! uh…what???

Smart Beer Company is the first organic beer company in New York.  It is made without GMO ingredients, and is certified organic. It is made with licorice root and orange peel, and claims to have “smooth flavor” and a “clean finish”.

The company is founded by Gabriel Heymann, who essentially wanted to create a beer that would allow him to feel a little less guilty to drink while socializing so it wouldn’t be detrimental to all his hard work in the fitness scene. You can read more about him here.

I like the concept, fresh ingredients, non-GMO, and since life is about balance, why not enjoy a beer responsibly, and in moderation, with ingredients that are organic and don’t have hidden additives, etc.?

Now let’s talk taste:

The beer is light, and crisp, and almost has a floral flavor to it. Generally, not a huge fan of floral tasting beers, but this one is actually pretty good. Two samples were sent to me, and both samples were enjoyed.

I think the name needs a little work- it’s a tad deceiving. I thought Smart Beer…hmm…is it hydrating? Does it lead to less of a hangover? etc.  But after reading about the company, it does make more sense. I just think it might appeal to more people if the name was tweaked. I had my brother try it and before he did, he said Smart Beer? and was a little confused. I initially had the same reaction.

Overall, worth a try! If you like a nice beer after a long day of work, or the occasional one for the weekend but don’t want the guilt of “un-doing” your fitness and diet regime, I think this is a good fit. Everything in moderation (responsibly, and legally too, of course!) 3 1/2 stars

 

What do you think…would you be interested in Smart Beer? Leave me a comment below!

 

I received this product for free. This is an unbiased review.
6 Jan 2016, Comments (0)

Seabuck Wonders Ultimate Hair, Skin and Nails supplement with Biotin and Omega-7

Author: Healthnuttxo

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Brittle hair, dry hair, thin hair…dry skin, flaky skin…weak nails, brittle nails….all SO not fun! Genetics, diet, medication, and the weather play a huge role on the condition of your hair, skin and nails. The people over at Seabuck Wonders offered me to try their Ultimate Hair, Skin and Nails supplement with Biotin and Omega-7 for free to see if it would help any battle I was facing!

I have dry hair from time to time, but it does get oily at the roots. My nails are in good condition, but I do get hangnails. My skin, however, gets very dry in the winter, and I moisturize constantly.

This supplement contains Omega-7, which according to the pamphlet Seabuck Wonders sent me, helps promote moisturized skin, a healthy GI tract, and helps support proper inflammatory responses. The Omega-7 comes from Sea Buckthorn, which has Omega 3, 6 and 9 as well, over 190 phytonutrients, 10x the Vitamin C content of oranges, 3x the Vitamin A content of carrots, highest Vitamin E levels among fruits, and much more. You can read more about this here.

Here’s what they look like. You are instructed to take 2 a day. IMG_8873

The pills are squishy/soft coated and easy to swallow. However, they repeated on me, and the taste was really unpleasant. I think it needs some sort of enteric coating to avoid that flavor…if you’ve every taken non-enteric coated fish oil pills, you know what I am talking about!

As for results? I didn’t see anything significant, but I also did not see any negative side effects. It did not hurt my sensitive stomach, make me break out, or anything like that. I can’t really say it helped my hair, skin, or nails, because it was only taken for a month. I think supplements need to be taken for longer periods of time to see real results.

So with that said, 3 stars. I think this product is promising, and I would have liked to keep using it. However, at $35 for a month supply, it is a bit steep for my budget.

Here are the ingredients below:

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I received this product for free. This is an unbiased review.

 

26 Sep 2015, Comments (0)

Eukonic Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil supplement

Author: Healthnuttxo

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The nice folks over at Eukonic  sent me their Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil supplement to give a try. According to the website, this supplement “Supports healthy cholesterol levels and weight loss By delivering the highest percentage of Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCTs) and Lauric Acid [and] supports heart health”.

I am at an average weight, five foot 1 around 110 lbs. My cholesterol levels are a tad high but in healthy ranges. I have days where I have good energy and days where I am definitely tired. I weight train a lot, as well as work and am a student. I am a good candidate for this supplement, so I gave it a try.

One bottle is roughly $14.95, with 120 softgels per bottle. There is 1000mg of Organic Coconut Oil per softball. You are instructed to take 1-2 daily, with a meal. They are easy to swallow and squishy. You can smell the coconut aroma once you open the jar.  I have a sensitive stomach, and I do recommend eating these with food as I got mild upset stomach (I had it before a meal).

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The first week, I had some gas and bloating from this supplement. I couldn’t figure out why at first, because I literally eat the same things every day, and the only new thing introduced into my diet was these pills. That subsided within a week, but if I forgot to take it for a day or two, mild bloating would come back.

My energy levels were about the same, but I definitely felt I got better workouts toward the second week of taking them. This may or may not have been from the supplement.

My weight actually did drop, and my appetite was lessened. Again, school just started with work, so TO BE FAIR, I cannot say that this was caused by the supplement, but it could have been possibly correlated. Remember, correlation, not causation without definitive proof.

However, the entire time on the pill my appetite is lower, and I dropped about 2 lbs, which is a decent amount for someone of my size.

I have not had my cholesterol levels checked, but I can report back once blood work is taken.

 

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Overall, definitely worth a try. If not, coconut oil I’m sure offers a lot of healthy stuff. People cook it and take it straight up with a spoon all the time for the health benefits. This at least makes it easier and more palatable if you do not like the taste. 3 1/2 stars

 

14 Aug 2015, Comments (6)

Essentia Natural Memory Foam Pillow

Author: Healthnuttxo


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Here’s a fun review today! I received a pillow from Essential, a Natural Memory Foam pillow! According to the website, the pillow is made out of Hevea MILK, and is a latex-based foam. It is also the only one on the market that is entirely natural. You can read about it here.

The outer design is also made of Zebrano Fabric, which is both unbleached and organic cotton.

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So I got this rather heavy package in the mail, puzzled as to what it was…turns out it was this pillow! It was rather large, I would say it is a little over two feet in length and about an inch and a half or so thick.

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The pillow is very dense and like I said, heavy. The outer fabric feels kind of like a terrycloth bath towel. I like to sleep with silk pillow case (keeps my hair from getting messy, and I like cool pillows) so this was a change in itself for me. However, I do normally sleep on a memory foam pillow, so I was excited for a change.

I took this baby to bed and noticed my head didn’t really sink in. Hmm. It kind of caused a bit of neck strain since my head just would not “mesh” and “mold” in with the pillow. It was almost TOO dense, and it prevented my head from resting comfortably. I ended up falling asleep, but woke up in the middle of the night with my neck hurting me. I resorted back to my old pillow for there rest of the night.

I passed the pillow along to my Father, who likes his mattress/pillows a bit more stiff. Plus, I figured maybe I had a small frame, and the pillow was too thick for me, but would work well with someone else. He attempted to sleep with it, and then ended up just using it for a back support. He said it was too stiff to sleep with, but it was great to sit up in bed with and rest against the wall/the head rest behind the bed.

The pillow was then passed along to my mother to try. She had the same issue, she began to have neck pain while sleeping and ended up using it as a pillow for her to put in-between her knees while she was sleeping on her side. This took strain off of her hips.

Overall, it’s hard for me to give a rating for this because it is good for back and body support, but rather awful to sleep on (from 3 people, we all had the same issues). I love that is is made with organic and unbleached cotton, as well as all natural memory foam. I think it’s great that we are using stuff we find in nature to make products rather than commercial, chemical filled products. HOWEVER, this pillow is downright stinky when it comes to a traditional style sleeping pillow for your head. No pillow should cause a stiff neck/ neck pain! But, it molds well with the body to sleep with in between your legs while laying on your side, or your back while sitting up.

With that being said, 2 stars.

 

This product was given to me for free. This is an unbiased review.
6 Aug 2015, Comments (0)

Growing Naturals Organic Rice Protein in Strawberry Burst

Author: Healthnuttxo


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Alrighty! So, I do not drink a ton of protein powder- not my style, I am much more of a food eater, but it definitely has a place in my diet. I tend to stick to low carb whey proteins, and use them when I need calories post workout and do not feel hungry or for convenience in the morning.

I received Growing Naturals Organic Rice Protein in Strawberry Burst to try. I have never had rice protein before. This one in particular is:

Organic
Vegan
Allergy friendly
Made with brown rice protein (raw),
Has 3 grams of carbs (1 sugar), 24 grams of protein
&& is NON GMO certified

There is a complete panel of the Amino Acid profile of the rice protein on the BPA free plastic, which is definitely a plus (see below). There is even an explanation of what an essential amino acid is, which essentially (hehe) are a few of the 20 or so amino acids that your body cannot produce on it’s own and you NEED to eat.

SO, I opened the tub and saw brown powder. I was a little shocked and expected to see pink…since strawberry…but I have to remember this is BROWN rice protein, and there are no added artificial colors. It smells like a mixture of strawberries and well…protein powder. It’s hard to describe what protein powder smells like since it is so unique, but for anyone who has ever tried it, knows it has an odor.

It’s kind of hard to mix…I added it to milk and tried mixing for a few minutes. The powder just did not seem to want to assimilate. I would suggest doing it with a shaker cup or blender.

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I took a sip and….

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meh.

I do not like it. I added half a scoop to roughly 4-5 ounces of 2% milk. The strawberry flavor is muted by the overpowering stevia flavor. The stevia is really bitter and tastes like the extract, and is very strong. This stevia and strawberry flavor put together makes the strawberry flavor taste like a fake flavor, not like natural, fresh picked strawberries but more like a stevia sweetened strawberry flavored milk you’d purchase at a store.

There is a residue left on your tongue, powdery and piece-y. I kind of expected that, since a lot of rice products I’ve had before in the past always had off consistencies. There is an aftertaste as well, but I still would think this is from the stevia.

Overall….huge let down. I was excited by this protein, looking at the label and reading about it. I had another person try this with peanut butter and milk in a blended shake and he wasn’t a huge fan of it, and agreed there was an aftertaste. Perhaps if you mixed it with a banana and used a lot of ice to dilute the flavor, it is doable.

It’s a pass from me. 1  1/2 stars

 

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I received these samples for FREE. This is an unbiased review.
13 Jul 2015, Comments (17)

Go Macro Macrobar Mini review & Giveaway!

Author: Healthnuttxo



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The nice peeps over at Go Macro sent me a variety box filled of their Macrobar mini bars! They are also kind enough to offer a free box to one of you lucky readers 🙂

These bars are organic, soy free, vegan, and kosher. Each bar that I tried was also macrobiotic and gluten free as well. Each of the mini bars is roughly 100-130 calories, and some of them have a nice bit of protein (4 grams or so), making them the perfect little snack, or pre workout boost.

So…let’s get started! Each bar is roughly the length of a pack of Trident gum and a little wider.

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Sesame and Dates

I kind of like it…it has that strong aftertaste that sesame provides, but the dates mellow it out. I feel like it might have went better with raisins, but dates are good. The bar is coated with little sesame seeds, is chewy, and not too sweet other than the bites with date, which are scattered throughout. It’s not bad, I can dig it. 3 stars

 

Banana almond butter

Chewy, can taste banana flavor. It is kind of bland tho…needs a little sweetness. I can taste some type of spice…cinnamon or nutmeg. I do like the flavor combo, it reminds me of a banana walnut ish muffin type of flavor. However, I wish it was a tad sweeter, but not bad! 3 stars

Pb chocolate chip

I like this one. Again, a muted sweetness. Tastes like a granola bar but not as sweet as commercial brands. You can taste the brown rice syrup used to sweeten the bar, which also gives it a chewy texture. The peanut butter flavor is yummy, but not overpowering, and mild. The chocolate chips are scarce, but on the larger side, and are mild in sweetness but add a nice touch. There are also tiny peanuts in the bar for a little baby crunch. I like this bar. 4 stars

 

Here’s nutritional information for one of the bars- they are “roughly” the same for the other bars, but not exact.

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GIVEAWAY!!!!

You can win a case of Macrobar minis!! Open to US AND Canada only (yay!!!!).
HOW TO ENTER:

1. Leave me a comment below stating your favorite bar!
2. [optional, but extra entry ]Tweet about this giveaway with the link, and mention me “ @ liisa_tee”
3. [optional, but extra entry]Follow me on instagram for reviews! @lisa_liftsx

PLEASE leave me a comment for EACH thing you do, as each is 1 entry! More entries= more chances to win

Giveaway CLOSES on July 17th, 12 pm.

 

16 Apr 2015, Comments (9)

Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Petite Creme Belle Blueberry

Author: Healthnuttxo

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So whilst purchasing my weekly dosage (yes, dosage) of greek yogurts, I spotted this new gem on the shelf. I used to be absolutely obsessed with regular Stonyfield Farm yogurts for years…it was my go snack. I since then moved onto greek yogurt, but Stonyfield Farm will always have a  place in my heart. So I saw this Stonyfield Organic yogurt on the shelf and decided to give it a try.

It’s made with “sweet fresh cheese” which can be off-putting I think as a label to people who don’t eat a lot of cheese or yogurt, but, yogurt lovers can appreciate it.

Anywho, this baby has 10 grams of protein per serving, which is sub par for a greek yogurt,  but, this never actually SAYS greek yogurt on it…but it is conveniently placed next to the greek yogurts at the store, probably due to the container. So, I’ll blame Stop n Shop for this one, and myself for not actually reading the container. (What do you want from me? Sunday night grocery shopping with my best friend isn’t exactly productive…)

Here’s what it looks like:

IMG_0838The consistency is halfway between a thick greek yogurt and a more runny regular yogurt, a hybrid if you will. The Belle Blueberry in flavor, however, is quite exquisite. A gentle, “real” blueberry flavor, and mild sweetness, but a beautiful cream flavor pervades the yogurt. Only 2.5 grams of fat too, which is entirely from the cream, but totally worth it. The flavor is delicious with the blueberry, and gives a blueberry and cream-eqsue feel.

Perfect.

Will definitely buy again. I’ll shush my sub-conscious screaming “HEY but this doesn’t have 13-14g of protein!!!” by telling it I will up the egg whites at lunch later on. Problem solved, protein quota hit.

4 1/2 stars.

Follow me on my new INSTAGRAM for shorter reviews and more! lisa_liftsx 

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