Categories: vegetarian

9 Jan 2012, Comments (6)

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.

4 Apr 2011, Comments (4)

Trader Joe’s Meatless Meatballs

Author: Healthnuttxo

Last week I had a dinner of some pasta with this yummy sauce and some of these Meatless Meatballs from Trader Joe’s.  These meatless meatballs are vegan and vegetarian. I cooked them in the oven first and then ended up transferring them to the sauce to let them simmer.

However, fresh out of the oven, they crisped up nicely.Here’s how some looked

I decided to note what they tasted like by themselves, instead of with the sauce, just in case the sauce influenced any other kind of flavor. Right away, I could tell I liked the taste and the texture. They were “meaty” in texture, as in somewhat dense, yet soft, and a bit chewy. They were quite salty by themselves (they had 560 mg of sodium per serving), and also had a bit of a “peppery” flavor. There was also a good amount of detectable spice flavor. Next I noticed how they tasted after I let them cook and simmer a bit in some of the sauce. They were SO soft, and absolutely delicious. I couldn’t believe how soft they got, and I certainly did not feel left out when the rest of my family had beef meatballs and I ate my Trader Joe’s Meatless Meatballs =)

Overall, really quite delicious. I even liked how they didn’t have an overpowering soy taste, which I sometimes expect with vegetarian style foods. I will definitely continue to eat and buy these! 4 1/2 stars

6 Meatless Meatballs are 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar and 16 grams of protein.

Whats your favorite vegetarian style product? I also REALLY like this Smart Bacon from LightLife!

19 Feb 2011, Comments (6)

Veggie Patch Spinach Bites with Three Cheese

Author: Healthnuttxo

I dont know what compelled me to  buy this. My least favorite vegetable is spinach. Well, maybe that’s a bit harsh…(or maybe not), either way, I would most likely not ever eat plain spinach on it’s own. SO, perhaps what got me to buy these was the picture on box and the mention of “THREE CHEESES” on the box as well. And the fact that they looked like chicken nuggets didn’t hurt either.

SO, into my shopping cart they went, and then into my fridge after I bought them. The other night I got the urge to try something different, so I took these out and popped them into the toaster oven. It said to cook them on 375, but my toaster oven had 350 and 400 as an option. Hmm? 350? or 400? 350 with the possibility of cold spots? Or possible burning/crispy edges with 400? Regardless, I’d rather have crispy edges than soggy cold spots (if that would even happen), so I chose cooking them at 400 degrees F.

Moving on. After I cooked them, here’s how they looked…

Not nearly as plump as they looked on the box, but still pretty yummy looking. I steamed up a bunch of veggies and had 6 of these for a light meal, with some applesauce on the side as well.

The outside crust/breading tasted like a mozzarella stick, but these weren’t greasy really at all. The inside was actually surprisingly good. It was cheesy, hearty, and a bit salty. The texture was kind of like a chicken nugget- it was like a spinach/cheese “patty”. From the picture, it looks like the cheese and the spinach was layered, and it stayed together. No oozing of cheese or anything like that.

Overall, pretty tasty. I’d get these again. 4 stars

3 bites has 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

Do you like spinach? How do you eat it? I really need to incorporate this veggie more… it’s been neglected for too long. ;)

21 Nov 2010, Comments (5)

Tofurky Vegetarian Feast

Author: Healthnuttxo

It’s almost Thanksgiving, the big turkey day! How about instead of eating a turkey this year, someone brought a TOFURKY Vegetarian Feast to try?

Well, I got offered a coupon to try the Tofurky Vegetarian Feast for free, and thought, Why Not?. I happen to be fond of vegetarian products, so I thought I would give this a try.  I also asked a friend of mine to try it, who happens to be a meat eater.

This feast comes with 1 Tofurky with stuffing inside, a gravy, and Amy’s Kitchen chocolate cake (Yes! I finally get to try the chocolate cake from Amy’s!) and “wishstix” (wishbone). It said on the cover that it “serves 6″ people, but when I opened the box it looked rather small. “Vegetarian feast?” I thought. Compared to the Turkey we usually get every year, this looked like a vegetarian snack.

Nonetheless, I let it defrost in my fridge and then started my oven up to get this meal cooking. Once I took the casing off of the Tofurky, I did notice it was rather thick and dense, and perhaps it would serve more than I thought. Unfortunately, when it defrosted, some of my gravy leaked all over the box :(

Aside from what was included, I also made some steamed vegetables, as I felt something was missing from the feast. I put it in the oven for about 1 hr and a half at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. And… here’s how it went…

Stuffing-stuffing was pretty good. It was kind of pasty and dry, and looked like rice pilaf with bread in it. I wish it was a little less dry, but good nonetheless. I actually wish there was more than what was given.

Gravy- before cooking the gravy, it looked piecy and lumpy, almost. After cooking it, it was smooth, tasty an had a rich flavor. Good gravy!

Wishstix- well. I really did not like this part of the meal. It was very chewy, hard to pull apart, and tasted like teriyaki. Not my kind of flavor.

Amy’s Kitchen Chocolate Cake-Mmmmm. Best part of the meal! Sweet, moist, dense, rich and fudgy like a brownie! Just delicious :)

Lastly, the TOFURKY- At first bite, I thought this was pretty good! It was a bit salty, but wasn’t dry at all, and had good flavor. It was chewy and went well with the gravy (I used applesauce as well, which I really enjoyed). However, halfway through the meal I had to kind of stop eating the Tofurky. It was too salty for me, and too much all at once. One-sixth of the Tofurky had 42 grams of protein! I was certainly impressed with that.

Overall, I will admit that I like real turkey over Tofurky. It was too salty in general, and too salty for me. The stuffing was pretty good, flavorful and unique, and the cake totally made the meal. My friend who had the feast with me said she enjoyed it, and she usually does not eat vegetarian products and is a meat-eater. However, I’m giving this 2 1/2 stars

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!! :)

Tofurky Roast with Stuffing- 1/6th roast & stuffing is 300 calories, 7 grams of fat, 620mg of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar and 42 grams of protein.

Tofurky Gravy- 1/4 cup has 50 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 30 mg of sodium, 3 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein.

Amy’s Kitchen Chocolate Cake- 1 slice (55g) has 170 calories, 6 grams of fat,130 mg of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Wishstixs- 1/2 of a piece (3g) has 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 25 mg of sodium 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein.

21 Sep 2010, Comments (1)

Barbara’s Bakery Puffin Puffs Fruit Medley Cereal

Author: Healthnuttxo

Ah, that cute puffin I have grown to love on most of the Barbara’s Bakery products. It’s almost as if when I’m browsing the grocery store, I don’t have to look hard to find the Barbara’s Bakery products- just look for the cute puffin!

Well, today he’s feature on the Puffin Puffs Fruit Medley Cereal that I was sent to try from Barbara’s Bakery. According to the package, this cereal is “100% natural” and a “crunchy corn and oat cereal”, along with being “prebiotic”. Let’s hope it’s tasty, too! : )

I opened up the single serve bag, and saw a variety of shapes and colors- certainly not what I’m used to with the familiar puffin squares. There were yellow banana shaped pieces, orange orange shaped pieces, and purple pieces that sort of resembled either a flower or a bunch of grapes, I wasn’t really sure.

Anywho-

The taste sure was FRUITY! Almost a tropical feel really. Each piece sort of tasted the same, and all together, it reminded me of fruity-type cereals I have eaten in the past. The cereal was quite sweet overall, but not “sugary” tasting, which I liked. The texture was very airy, crispy and crunchy- even slightly sticky!

Overall, an enjoyable cereal. I’m sure kids will enjoy this cereal, and I thought it was quite good too. I’m giving it 3 1/2 stars overall. It was a bit airy for my liking, and I can’t really see it satisfying my appetite for long. I do like how there is 3 grams of fiber, and only 7 grams of sugar per 30-gram bag!

So, here’s a question you may want to answer…
What’s your favorite childhood cereal?
I think mine was Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch! :)

1 bag (30 grams) is 120 calories, 1 gram of fat, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.

2 Aug 2010, Comments (3)

Kardea Nutrition Bars

Author: Healthnuttxo

One of my favorite things to eat on the go is different type of bars- granola bars, cereal bars, fruit bars. Not only do I find them convenient, but most of the time quite tasty too!

Kardea Nutrition sent me a few of their bars to try. According to the website, here is some information about these bars..

”

  • Plant Sterols-1 gram
  • Total Fiber-7 grams with 5 grams Soluble Fiber
  • Heart Healthy Soluble Fiber-3grams
  • Protein-7 grams with 3.5 grams Soy Protein
  • Vegetarian-Friendly (Chai Spice & Banana Walnut Are Vegan)
  • Kosher Certified
  • Only 150 Calories/Bar
  • No Trans Fats
  • Lower Glycemic Formulation “

Well, these certainly sound good! But how do they taste? I decided to try the Cranberry Almond and Banana Nut varieties. One thing I noticed about these bars is that the texture is unlike anything I have ever eaten in the past- very chewy and quite dense- it kind of reminded me of fruit leather, but softer, or maybe perhaps fruit snacks. I was expecting something harder or crunchy, but these were certainly different! I also really liked that these bars provided a good amount of both fiber and protein. Hooray! :)

Cranberry Almond- what a yummy cranberry flavor! I liked that the cranberry flavor was not too tart, which sometimes makes me not like cranberry flavored products. It had a good amount of sweetness as well. I also liked the little crunchy pieces, which I would imagine were the almonds and the oats, that added a little bit of texture. 4 stars

Banana Nut- ooh, also pretty good! It reminded me of like a sticky banana bread, actually. It had a sweet banana flavor, with just a hint of nutmeg. I also really liked the walnut taste- went perfect with the banana flavor. It overall was quite a sweet bar, but tasty!! 4 1/2 stars

Each bar is 140 calories, 5 grams of fat, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 9-11 grams of sugar, 7 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein.

27 Jul 2010, Comments (3)

Nature’s Path Organic Yogurt Chewy Granola Bars

Author: Healthnuttxo

Nature’s Path is one of my favorite brands when it comes to snacks, cereals, oatmeals, etc. I love that their products are made with wholesome, real ingredients. To me, Nature’s Path seems like a company that really cares about the food they make.

I was sent some granola bars to try from the people at Nature’s Path, including the Yogurt Lotta’ Apricotta and Yogurt Berry Strawberry Chewy Granola Bars. How could it get better than this? Organic, yogurt covered, whole grains, all in one? : )

Each bar is chewy and actually some-what dense. What I liked was that these had good “holding power”- meaning to me that they didn’t  fall apart SUPER easy, which I find can happen with hewy-type granola bars. They were still soft, of course, but held together quite nicely.

Lotta’ Apricotta- wow! What flavor! Quite unexpected and a unique flavor, but really tasty. It had a sticky texture, with a fruit, sweet apricot flavor. There was also a slight coconut flavor that I tasted which complimented the apricot flavor quite well. There was a light, yogurt drizzle that tasted like vanilla icing, and little chunks of almonds that also added a nice touch. Yum! 4 1/2 stars

Berry Strawberry- Also an awesome flavor! I liked that I could smell strawberry flavors as I opened my bar. This one was also very chewy and sweet with visible tiny flaxseeds. The strawberry flavor was really good- not too tart, but almost reminded me of what strawbery fruit leathers taste like. The yogurt drizzle also was really good- a light vanilla flavor that went very well with the strawberry flavors. 4 stars

Overall, these are really tasty! I love that they are organic and provide some whole grains per bar. I think I will use these as a pre-workout snack or maybe as a light breakfast on the go with some yogurt and fruit, as they are a little short on protein and fiber for me to be eaten alone. I definitely recommend these- very tasty, and worth giving a try!

Lotta’ Apricotta- 1 bar is 140 calories, 5 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbohydrates,12 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Berry Strawberry-1 bar is 140 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

For ingredient information and more, you can visit here.

18 May 2010, Comments (2)

Surf Sweets Gummy Swirls candy

Author: Healthnuttxo

I have such a sweet tooth (seeing as this is my SECOND candy review/post tonight! Make sure you scroll down to see the second review!)  I’m so happy that companies like Surf Sweets make healthier alternatives to traditional candies to help satisfy my sweet tooth but also ease my mind!

Surf Sweets makes organic and natural jelly beans and gummy candies. According to the website, “At Surf Sweets, we love candy! We’re passionate about making the world’s most flavorful candy using all natural pure ingredients. We’re also a company that cares about the health and well-being of our customers and our planet. These values have inspired us to launch a complete line of all-natural, organic gummy candy and jelly beans.”

An added bonus- their products are made without corn syrup, trans fats, artificial ingredients, and preservatives. They also provide 100% of your daily vitamin C needs per serving. How’s that for a candy??

The company sent me a few of their products to try, including the Gummy Swirls. These are vegetarian/vegan, and not only provide 100% daily needs of Vitamin C, but calcium as well. (I can see it now. Kids everywhere saying, “No thanks, Mom. I don’t need to drink my milk today. I can have these candies instead!!” :) )

Each cute drop has colored swirls of orange and pink, and is coated with delicious “sugar” sprinkles. I put sugar in quotes because they are sweetened with evaporated cane juice, tapioca syrup and fruit juice concentrate, so I’m not sure what factor gives it the “sugary” coating. They are sweet, indeed, but not WOAH that’s SWEET!. They are sweet, in a good way. And addictive too! They are nice and chewy on the inside, and stick to your teeth like a good gummy candy should ;)

Overall, I give these 4 1/2 stars. They are really tasty! I like to suck on them, one by one, and savor each piece (plus that prevents me from eating the whole bag in one sitting!). If you like gummy candy, give these a try! They will satisfy a sweet tooth, and provide some health benefits as well. Take the advice from the bag and “Catch a Wave of Flavor”.- Cute!!

16 pieces is 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 29 carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 22 grams of sugar and 0 grams of protein.

Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Tricalcium Phosphate, Organic Grape Juice Concentrate, Pectin, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Color Added (including Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Turmeric, Annatto), Natural Flavors.

9 May 2010, Comments (5)

Crazy Camel Dessert Hummus

Author: Healthnuttxo

Wait a second, Dessert Hummus?

Yep, you read correctly! ;)

Crazy Camel produces dessert hummus that according to them, has the “same calories as traditional Hummus, but half the fat!” These hummus’ are gluten free, vegan, dairy free and are all natural. They come in Chocolate Mousse, Pumpkin Pie, Peanut Butter, Toasted Almond, Maple Walnut and Caramel Apple.

Well, I was sent a variety pack of their flavors by the company in the mail. Unfortunately, I only got to do a review of the chocolate mousse and caramel apple flavors. I was excited to receive these, but nervous at the same time. I have tried Sabra Hummus in the Roasted Garlic flavor- and that hummus was in NO WAY, SHAPE, or FORM, sweet, or dessert like. In fact, what was I going to eat these new desssert hummus’ with?

 I tried the caramel apple flavor first. I opened the tub (which was VERY tightly packed!!) and looked at it. It was brown, with visible apple chunks. I took a sample of it with my finger- yum! It definitely had more of a caramel flavor than apple, but it was still yummy. The apple chunks reminded me of apple pie, soft, but still had shape and a little chew. The consistency overall was a mixture of applesauce and pumpkin puree. I dipped apple slices in it and crackers. Delicious!

Chocolate Mousse- ooh- now this ones yummy. By itself it wasn’t super sweet, but more chocolatey. It has a mixture of a brownie batter/chocolate cake mix taste, and was actually “fluffy” in consistency. But a-ha! I had an idea. I mixed this chocolate mousse flavor with a scoop of Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme- INSTANT YUM! Like, so good! I had it on 2 slices of whole wheat bread for a chocolate-fluff sandwich, and I also used this hummus as a dip for pretzels. Amazing! :)

Overall, these are certainly yummy. Of the 2 I reviewed, I didn’t taste ANY chickpea flavor at all. Truly dessert-worthy hummus! I give them 4 stars, as they were tasty, had no refined sugars, and ever provided some filling fiber! 

Caramel Apple- 28 grams is 60 calories, 1 gram of fat, 12 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Chickpeas, Evaporated Cane Juice, Dried Apples, Safflower Oil, Caramel Extract, Apple Extract.

Chocolate Mousse-28 grams is 60 calories, 1 gram of fat, 11 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Chickpeas, Evaporated Cane Juice, Cocoa, Safflower Oil.

8 Apr 2010, Comments (1)

Morning Star Farms Sweet & Sour Chik’n

Author: Healthnuttxo

Break out the ChopSticks, but DON’T pick up the phone to order Chinese take-out!!

I found a new meal that whoops traditional fast food “sweet & sour chicken’s” BUTT! :)

Morning Star Farms Sweet & Sour Chik’n is a veggie entree with chik’n nuggets, peppers, carrots and pineapple chunks all slathered in a sweet and tangy sauce, over a bed of whole grain brown rice.I know your drooling by now. I certainly was when I read the box at my supermarket- I just had to try it!

So after a nice bike ride on this beautiful 80 degree day, my muscles were tired and my stomach was hungry. I decided to pop this entree in the microwave, along with some steamed broccoli for extra veggies. I transfered the entree to a plate, and was surprised to see how much actually came out! This was a NICE sized dinner- no skimpy portions here! I probably didn’t even need the side of broccoli, but I’ll never turn down extra veggies 8)

Onto each component of the meal…

The Chik’n- the chik’n was wrapped in a soft and doughy tempura batter, that I actually enjoyed. It was a little mushy due to the sauce, but tasty nonetheless. The actual “meat” part had the same consistency of chicken, and was similar in taste. When isolated, I could definietely taste a combination of soy and chicken flavors, but when eated with the tempura batter and the sauce- you would never be able to tell it’s not real chicken! I also liked that these were big CHUNKS of chik’n. I got about 4-5 chunks in my entree (see pic below after I took a bite! ;) )

blurry piece of chik'n. *sigh* i need a better camera!

The Sauce- TOTALLY makes the meal. It’s SO sweet (maybe even a tad bit too sweet- drink water with this meal), but I liked the sweetness, as it balanced the tang out nicely. There is a very strong pineapple/ketchup flavor, that blends nicely. There is also a TON of sauce- every component of this meal gets covered, no naked veggies or rice ! :)

The Veggies/Rice- this meal has primarily carrots, red, green & yellow peppers, and pineapple. The peppers and carrots were soft and tender, and went nicely with the meal. I loved the warm pineapple chunks- deeelish! Warm pineapple never fails, and it was juicy & sweet!  The rice was a tad bit chewy, but was actually quite good.

 Overall, don’t like the “chik’n” part of this meal scare you meat lovers (or veggie protein haters >:( ) away! This meal ROCKS! I give it 4 1/2 stars. It was filling, low in fat, and WAY better than Chinese Food. It was also relatively low in sodium for a frozen entree (550 mg, 23% daily values). The only reason this meal loses half a star is because there is only 4 grams of fiber ( I prefer my dinners to have at least a little more!), refined sugar (oh, man!), and contains some funky modified ingredients, like modified vegetable gum and modifed corn starch- “natural” per se, but not straight from the garden if you catch my drift.

Otherwise- this meal was carton-lickin’ GOOD!  You can bet all the sauce was GONE, and every morsel was eaten!! :)

1 entree is 340 calories, 6 grams of fat, 56 carbohydrates (12 sugars), 4 grams of fiber and 14 grams of protein.

WATER, TEMPURA VEGGIE CHIK’N NUGGETS (CHIK’N [WATER, SOY PROTEIN, WHEAT GLUTEN, NATURAL FLAVORS, POTATO STARCH, CANOLA OIL AND/OR SAFFLOWER OIL, PEA PROTEIN, MODIFIED VEGETABLE GUM, CARROT FIBER, BEET ROOT FIBER, EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, YEAST EXTRACT, SEA SALT], BATTER [WHEAT FLOUR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SALT, CORN FLOUR, YELLOW CORN MEAL, SUGAR, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, GUAR GUM, SPICE, SUNFLOWER OIL, CALCIUM SILICATE], BREADING [OAT BRAN, WHEAT FLOUR, CORN FLOUR, SALT, SUGAR, SUNFLOWER SEED OIL, CALCIUM SILICATE]), BROWN RICE, RED BELL PEPPERS, GREEN BELL PEPPERS, WHITE VINEGAR (WHITE VINEGAR AND WATER), PINEAPPLE (PINEAPPLE, PINEAPPLE JUICE), CARROTS, SUGAR, TOMATO KETCHUP (WATER, TOMATO PASTE, SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF VINEGAR, SEA SALT, ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, SPICES), TOMATO PASTE (TOMATOES), PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, RICE STARCH, GINGER PUREE (GINGER, WATER), SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, SALT, WHEAT), CANOLA OIL, ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE, TOASTED SESAME OIL, ROASTED GARLIC, SALT, GARLIC.

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