Categories: vegan

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.

11 Aug 2010, Comments (2)

Nature’s Path Organic Peanut Butter Granola

Author: Healthnuttxo

Presenting… one of the BEST granolas I have ever tasted! Nature’s Path sent me a box of their Organic Peanut Butter Granola to try, and all I can say is this is the yummiest peanut butter granola I have ever had (and I LOVE peanut butter!!)

According to the box, this granola is vegan, organic, provides 7 grams of protein per serving (3/4 cup or 55 grams), and is whole grain. I was so excited to try this- peanut butter? Granola? Organic? Let me taste it, please!! : )

The granola itself is softer than what I am used to, but still crunchy. There are also little peanuts scattered throughout the box, which I found quite enjoyable. It really added to the overall DELICIOUS, rich, and just a tad bit sweet peanut butter flavor this granola provided.

What really made me fall in love was that I got some “peanut butter chunks” in my box- as in melt-in-my mouth, soft, peanut buttery GOODNESS! They were quite big, too, and absolutely delicious. I was actually upset that there were only a few in the box, it was the best part!

Overall, this granola gets 5 stars. Seriously- if you are a fan of peanut butter, I HIGHLY recommend giving this cereal a try. The only thing stopping me from eating this straight from the box all day is that 3/4 of a cup is 260 calories, with 11 grams of fat. A tad bit high for my preferences for that portion size. Otherwise, this granola ROCKS!!!! : )

3/4 cup (55 grams) is 260 calories, 11 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

Organic rolled oats, organic evaporated cane juice, organic soy oil, organic peanut butter, organic brown rice flour, organic roasted peanuts, organic oat syrup solids, sea salt, tocopherols (natural Vitamin E), organic molasses, organic rice bran extract.

30 Jul 2010, Comments (1)

Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Cake Mix

Author: Healthnuttxo

Who likes CAKE? I know I do! : )

Cake is great. For birthdays, bake sales, or even just to bake for fun (like I often do!). I was given a box of Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Cake Mix to try, and I was very excited. This cake mix was a bit different than ones I have used in the past- according to the front of the box, this cake mix was all natural, vegan, dairy free, peanut/nut free, and egg free!  I also thought the front of the box was adorable- it looked as if there were two cartoon children standing on top of a piece of chocolate cake, flying a “piece of chocolate cake kite”. Adorable!

What I noticed first after reading the instructions, was that this cake mix was made to make either 12 cupcakes or one 9-inch cake. I decided to use a pan instead of cupcakes, as I wanted to cut them into squares when I was finished. I also decided to swap 1/2 cup of applesauce for the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil that was called for. I sometimes do this when I bake breads or cakes- I can’t tell the difference!

I poured the cake mix, water, and applesauce in a bowl. The cake mix itself looked like a soft brown cocoa powder, and smelled absolutely delicious- just like a chocolate bar. I started mixing, and was puzzled at first. Why aren’t these bumps going away? Then- surprise! They were chocolate chips! I had no idea they were in the cake mix!

Then I poured the cake batter, which was a good consistency- easy to pour- into my pan and put it into the oven. When it was done cooking, it certainly puffed up! They were a deep chocolate brown, with “crispy-type” edges bordering the pan.

After letting them cool, I tasted a piece- these weren’t bad!  I tried another piece the day after, and noticed that they were much more like brownies than cake- as in they were quite “fudgy” in consistency and flavor! The chocolate chips added a nice touch too! Sweet enough as is, I didn’t even need to put frosting on my piece to enjoy it. I really liked the edges of the cake- they were slightly more chewy and crispy than the rest of the cake- but still yummy! Overall, this product gets 4  stars. Pretty good, and easy to make! : )

Unbleached flour [wheat, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], evaporated cane juice, non-dairy chocolate chips [sugar, chocolate liquor, dextrose, cocoa butter (no dairy derivatives), soy lecithin, pure vanilla extract], natural cocoa powder, all natural vanilla flavor, baking soda, sea salt.

8 Jul 2010, Comments (5)

Lightlife Smart Bacon

Author: Healthnuttxo

Are you a fan of…..bacon ? When I was younger, I never was much of a bacon eater, but I DID like turkey bacon. I remember always having it with french toast and maple syrup, or even on a BLT sandwich. Delicious!

However,  I don’t really eat meat anymore, so decided these would fit my craving for bacon.  I picked these up at the store with a coupon for a free product that I was sent from LightLife.

According to the website, “Whether nestled up against some scrambled eggs or topping off a burger, Smart Bacon® brings that hearty bacon taste into the veggie world. Plus, being low in saturated fat and naturally cholesterol-free, meat isn’t the only thing it’s missing.”
These are also vegan.

Each strip of Smart Bacon is a pale red/brown in color, thin, and about an inch wide, maybe 3 inches long. Each piece is only 20 calories each, and provides 2 grams of protein. I sprayed my pan with some non-stick cooking spray and cooked these strips over medium heat (and made french toast, on the side, of course!) until the edges got crispy. They didn’t really get ‘curly’ or ‘wavy’ like I remember bacon usually gets, but stayed rather flat. They did however get crispy edges, which I liked.

I took a bite, and was actually quite impressed! They actually really reminded me of turkey bacon! I felt like I was having a real treat on the side of my french toast and maple syrup, and my glass of orange juice- these Smart Bacon strips went just PERFECT! They were crispy, but still had a little bit of chew to them, and had a lot of flavor. They were, however, a bit on the salty side, but dunked in my maple syrup I certainly loved the salty sweet combination! :)

Overall, I give these Smart Bacon strips 4 1/2 stars. I can certainly see myself buying these in the future- they were enjoyable and tasted GOOD! I especially liked that each strip was only 20 calories- I could have FIVE Smart Bacon strips for only 100 calories, with 10 grams of protein! They are, however, a bit salty ( 140 mg per strip) but not too bad.

1 Smart Bacon strip is 20 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Water, soy protein isolate, wheat gluten, soybean oil, texured soy protein concentrate, textured wheat gluten, less than 2% of: natural smoke flavor, natural flavor (from vegetable sources), grill flavor (from sunflower oil), carageenan, evaporated cane juice, paprika oleoresin (for flavor and color), potassium chloride, sesame oil, fermented rice flour, tapioca dextrin, citric acid, salt.

1 Jul 2010, Comments (2)

Amazing Grass GREENSuperFood Lemon Lime Energy Drink Powder

Author: Healthnuttxo

Amazing Grass makes some pretty awesome products, ranging from energy bars to drink powders. According to the website, “To help people lead healthier more active lives by achieving their full potential through better nutrition. We strive to educate the world by spreading the word about the amazing benefits of cereal grasses. Amazing Grass will spare no resources or expense to produce nutritionally superior products with the highest quality organic cereal grasses available anywhere in the world.”  Awesome! :)

The kind folks over at Amazing Grass sent me the GREENSuperFood Lemon Lime Energy Drink Powder to try. I haven’t really tried many “energy” supplements before, as I feel that most of them have way too much caffeine. Here are some statements about this drink powder that I got straight from the container.

“-Infused with a kick of energy from yerba mate & matcha.
-A delicious drink powder to help you achieve your reccommended 5 to 9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
-Boost energy levels with natural stimulants
-Contains plant based caffeine
-Contains probiotics and enzymes to aid digestion and absorption
-Contains over 70% organic ingredients”

This stuff seemed pretty good!

I decided to give it a try. It reccommends mixing 1 scoop of the powder with juice, water or a smoothie. I chose water, because I wanted to get a feel for what it tasted like without being mixed with anything else. Upon opening the container, it smells like a lemon-lime soda, slightly tangy but still sweet. It was a sage green in color, with a “piecy” consistency once mixed with the water (which, by the way, the mixing process was very easy. I didn’t have to use a blender or anything- just a spoon). I took a sip of my drink, and it had a mild lemon/lime flavor. Slightly sweet, but more sweet than I had expected. By itself, I would give the taste 3 stars with water. I reccommend trying it with juice or a smoothie like Amazing Grass also reccommends, that way the taste can be even more enjoyable. However, as a product overall, I give it 4 stars. I love that it has natural ingredients, provides a little fiber and protein, and has 0 grams of sugar per serving.

1 scoop (7 grams), is 30 calories, 1 gram of fat, 4 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.

Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella (cracked cell-wall), Organic Broccoli, Organic Yerba Mate extract, Matcha Green Tea, Organic Acai Berry, Organic Maca Root, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Organic Pineapple, Acerola Cherry, Organic Flax Seed Powder, Apple Pectin Fiber, F.O.S. (from Chicory Root), L. Acidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulose, Stevia Leaf Extract, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Peppermint Leaf, Silica. 

  If you want to buy some awesome Amazing Grass products, you can click on this image below!

3 Jun 2010, Comments (0)

Suzanne’s Specialties Organic Maple Rice Nectar

Author: Healthnuttxo

We all know my love for maple and maple syrup- so you can BET I was excited when a jar of Suzanne’s Organic Rice Nectar in Maple variety landed on my doorstep, courtesy of Suzanne’s Specialities (thank—you!)

This sweetener is all natural, organic, gluten free, vegan, and has no refined sugars. According to the jar itself, “Organic Maple Rice Nectar is a rich, thick, absolutely delicious maple flavored syrup. We have simply added the very best natural maple flavorings to our Organic Genmai Rice Nectar. This all natural syrup contains no emulsifiers or stabilizers or preservatives”. 

Well, if you’re going to eat the sweet stuff, you might as well go with the healthiest ones out there!

So, instead of traditional maple syrup, I had some of this on top of my waffles tonight with a sliced banana. (Yes, I purposely had waffles for dinner to try this syrup!)

In the jar, it looks almost like coca- cola syrup, having a thick yet still moveable texture/consistency. As in, yes, I can pour it out of the jar faster than maple syrup, but it doesn’t POUR out of the jar like sugar free syrup would. It’s an inbetween consistency. I drizzled it on top of my waffles, and actually only needed 1 tablespoon. Some people drown waffles in syrup, but I think it’s better to have a small amount of the real stuff- you really get to savor the flavors of both the waffle and the syrup.

Anyway- this stuff was STICKY, yet TASTY! It almost had a buttery-maple flavor, but definietely a clean and pure maple flavor. I absolutely loved it. It was sweet, but not sugary-sweet, and just great on top of my waffles. I agree with what the jar says, how it will make what your eating “great tasting without the over-powering sweetness of those supermarket-type maple flavored syrups”. I can picture it really good stirred in oatmeal or oat bran as well. (And, we all know how yummy peanut butter & maple syrup sandwiches are. Yum!!)

Overall, 4 1/2 stars. Only 2 ingredients, it’s organic, and tasty. I love that it’s so pure and a little goes a long way. Just be careful, 1 Tablespoon has 60 calories- and boy is it easy  to eat one tablespoon of this ;)

2 Tbsp. is 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 31 carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein.

Organic Brown Rice Syrup, and Organic Maple Flavor.

1 Jun 2010, Comments (1)

Enjoy Life Not Nuts! Nut Free Trail Mix

Author: Healthnuttxo

Nut free trail mix? What’s THAT !?

Well, Enjoy Life is a company notorious for producing allergy friendly foods. As part of their product line, there are the gluten free, nut free, dairy free, soy free, and egg free Trail Mixes in Mountain Mambo and  Beach Bash flavors.

Enjoylife asked if I would do a review of these, and how could I turn it down? I can see myself a trail mix girl- I like some sweet & salty combos, and I’m a fan of dried fruit. Sure, I’ll try it ! :)

So, Enjoylife sent me 1 bag of each Mountain Mambo and Beach Bash Trail Mixes. I tried the Mountain Mambo first- according to the website, this trail mix is “Made with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), fruit and chocolate chips, our nut-free trail mix is both wholesome and delicious.”
I noticed there were TONS of raisins in the bag- really, if you are a raisin fan, try this trail mix! There was also little bits of dried apple, which were chewy, but didn’t provide much flavor. The cranberries were tart, but only a few in the bag. There was, however, also a TON of seeds! They added a nice crunch to the otherwise softer textures in the bag. One thing also lacking was the chocolate chips. The picture on the website depicts a lot of mini chocolate chips, but my bag was lacking. Aw, man! Don’t scrimp on the chocolate!! :( 3 1/2 stars

Next, was Beach Bash. I liked this one much more. I love, love LOVED the bits of pineapple! Not tart in the least, they weer soft and chewy and soooooo delicious! I wish EnjoyLife sold a bag of just the pineapple! The apricot, however, was super tart, and counteracted the sweetness of the dried pineapple. There was a ton of sunflower seeds in this one, which also added good crunch and flavor. I can see myself snacking on this one at the beach 8) 4 stars

Overall, I think you should try these, and especially reccommend the Beach Bash flavor. They are good for a boost of protein and fiber, as well as some healthy fats, and have some yummy sweet flavors as well.

Mountain Mambo- 28 grams is 140 calories, 8 grams of fat, 12 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar and 5 grams of protein.

Raw Sunflower Kernels, Roasted Hulled Pumpkin Seeds (Sunflower Oil (Sunflower Oil, Citric Acid), Salt), Raisins, Dried Apples, Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Juice, Chocolate Liquor, Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter), Cranberries.

Beach Bash- 28 grams is 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 13 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein.

Raw Sunflower Kernels, Pineapple, Roasted Hulled Pumpkin Seeds (Sunflower Oil (Sunflower Oil, Citric Acid), Salt), Cranberries, Apricots

25 May 2010, Comments (11)

Nana’s Cookie Company Coconut Chip Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

Nana’s Cookie Company makes all their products in a special way- without eggs, dairy, refined sugars, cholesterol, no beet/cane products, and without trans fats. They make several types of delicious cookies and cookie bars, that are each unique and sure to please.

I’ve seen some of Nana’s products at my local Whole Foods, but never picked them up (and now I ask myself, WHY NOT!?!). So, you can bet I was excited when the company sent me their Coconut Chip Cookie, sweetened with fruit juice.

First off- WOAH. This cookie is BIG. I’m not talking “yeah, put too much cookie dough on the pan and it expanded too much” big. I’m talking BIG! This is definitely more than just a snack, it’s an indulgence, if you will. In fact, the company’s website states, “More than a treat, this rewarding combination of chocolate morsels and naturally sweet coconut is a delight from the first mouth-watering bite.”

Well, my mouth was certainly watering before I even took my first bite ! ;)

I opened up the cookie and just kinda stared at it for a minute to take it all in. Big chunks of chocolate chips, the sweet smell of coconut, and a thick, lightly browned cookie sat in front of me. There was no way I would be able to stick to the 1/2 a cookie serving size. I broke off a piece… COOKIE HEAVEN! It was sweet, buttery and rich. The chocolate chips melted in my mouth and was surrounded by a fragrant and delicious coconut flavor. WHAT a combination. This was soooo good. Soft and crumbly, an ideal cookie.

BUT- WHY on EARTH is 1/2 a cookie 180 calories? ACK! That’s the only reason this cookie isn’t getting 5 stars, because If you ate the whole thing, it sets you back 360 calories (whoops!). But honestly- it’s so worth it (props to you if you can have 1/2 at a time!) In a word, it’s delicious and addictive (guess that’s 2 words). I’m giving it 4 1/2 stars. Plus there’s no refined sugars and it’s sweetened with fruit juice- can’t be beat!

25 May 2010, Comments (2)

Endangered Species Organic Dark Chocolate

Author: Healthnuttxo

I’m on a chocolate fix tonight- can’t you tell? ;)

Another great company, Endangered Species, makes all natural and organic milk and dark chocolate. What I really like about their company is that 10% of their net profits are donated to ,according to the wrapper,  ” help support species, habitat and humanity”. So I can feel good about my chocolate while I’m eating it (did I mention that this Dark Chocolate bar is organic, too?).

Endangered Species sent me this bar of Organic Dark Chocolate to try, with used Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa, and is 70% cocoa. That’s some dark chocolate we’re talking about here!

I opened up the wrapper (which was so pretty, by the way. There was a pretty blue butterfly on the top- so elegant!) and broke off a piece. The first thing I noticed was how pure and clean it tasted. It was really good. It was a nice change to have something without a chemical or sugar-sweet aftertaste. Just. Good. Chocolate. Wow- perhaps I’m starting to like dark chocolate more than I thought?! The notorious “bitterness” of dark chocolate was there, but not overpowering. It was definietely a chocolate to savor, and to slowly let melt in your mouth.

Overall, I give it 4 stars. The company rocks, and this chocolate is also gluten free, and vegan. If you like dark chocolate, I think you will enjoy this bar!

1 bar is 200 calories, 17 grams of fat (10 saturated), 18 carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein.

Organic Dark Chocolate (organic chocolate liquor, organic evaporated cane juice, organic cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, organic vanilla).

Last day to enter the  YOUBAR giveaway!!

25 May 2010, Comments (0)

NibMor Dark Chocolate and Dark Chocolate with Almonds

Author: Healthnuttxo

Fan of Dark Chocolate? Then you need to check out Nibmor! They made chocolate that is all natural, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, organic, raw AND has no refined sugar! According to the website, “At NibMor we believe that the food we eat should be as simple as possible. That means using ingredients made by Mother Nature, not someone in a lab coat.”

Now that’s what I like to see- food at it’s finest. If I’m going to eat candy, I want the candy to be PURE!!

Anyway- Nibmor asked if I wanted to try their chocolates, and sent me a Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Dark Chocolate bar. I’m not much of a dark chocolate fan, but these seemed different. They were just so PURE sounding, I couldn’t resist! So, I actually was a bit excited to try these, and recruited my mom as well (the chocolate lover of the family) to give them a try.

First off, the texture is so different than any other chocolate bars I’ve tried. It’s SO soft- almost like it’s “melted”-but it’s not! Like really, I’m used to the types of chocolate where you have to break it and then hear a “snap!”, but no snap here! Just smooth, chocolatey goodness.

Original Dark Chocolate- A deep cocoa flavor, with both a slight vanilla and slight “berry” taste. Unique! But good, too! It was silky smooth, and almost “cool” tasting. It didn’t have much of a bite to it (like I said before), but was enjoyable. It’s very rich, and you don’t need more than a square for some satisfaction.

Dark Chocolate with Almonds- smells AWESOME! Again, the texture is great, smooth and silky. It had itty-bitty almond pieces scattered throughout, but other than that, didn’t provide much almond flavor. It was pretty much the same as the Original Dark Chocolate bar, but just with the almonds. However, still pretty good!

Overall, I approve! Including i’m not an avid dark chocolate fan, these were actually quite enjoyable. I like that you actually get a decent portion as well without a TON of calories or sugar. I also love that there isn’t any refined sugar, and that they are raw, vegan, gluten/dairy free, and according to the package, “As Close to Nature as it Gets!”. I’m giving these bars 4 stars- I hope one day they come out with milk chocolate or dark chocolate with peanut butter! Wouldn’t that be yummy!

Original Dark Chocolate- 31 1/2 grams is 120 calories, 7 grams of fat (4 saturated), 13 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Cacao, Raw Vanilla, Sea Salt, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier).

Dark Chocolate with Almonds- 31 grams (half of a 2.2 oz bar) is 130 calories, 8 grams of fat (3.5 saturated), 12 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.

Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Cacao, Organic Raw Almonds, Raw Vanilla, Sea Salt, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier).

Last day to enter the  YOUBAR giveaway!!

 

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