Categories: vegetarian

2 Aug 2010, Comments (2)

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 (4)

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.

29 Mar 2010, Comments (2)

Chobani Raspberry 0% Greek Yogurt

Author: Healthnuttxo

Let’s start off this post with a wow.
I just reviewed Chobani’s new strawberry banana greek yogurt, and thought it was quite tasty. So, I figured, why not also try the 0% raspberry flavor (which Chobani just happened to send me :P ) ?

I am happy to say, I have one of my new favorite flavors of yogurt!

This raspberry Chobani was, in a word, perfect. It gave me the sense that I was getting a fruit serving in with my yogurt- as in the flavor was REAL. Real raspberry flavor, no artificial flavors or dyes, and there were actual little bits and seeds dispersed thoughout the yogurt. The yogurt was a paleish pink (even without stirring), so you could tell it was bursting with flavor. Unlike the other fruit on the bottoms (peach, strawberry and bluberry), I found this Chobani was more like the strawberry banana flavor, and had the fruit dispersed and blended throughout, rather than the bulk of it on the bottom. It was sweet, but not overpowering at all. Of course, it was super creamy, but also refreshing. It was so nice to have a refreshing yogurt.  I almost wanted to have a glass of lemonade, grab my sunscreen/sunglasses and  hit the beach with this yogurt! (But, sadly, it was 7am and still a bit too nippy outside to break out the bikini). So, instead of that plan, I whipped out the last of my Cascadian Farm Dark Chocolate Almond granola and some fresh berries (with of course, a sploosh of whipped cream!) and I had yet another decadent, delicious and dessert-worthy breakfast (it really is the most important meal of the day, isn’t it? :) )

Overall, this Raspberry Chobani deserves 5 stars. It really is one of the best greek yogurts I have had. Surprising to me, because I’m not a *huge* raspberry fan- I often think they are a bit bitter and I prefer juicy strawberries or apples (Chobani- come out with an apple flavor- please!!). But definietely try this yogurt!

1 yogurt is 140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 22 carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 14 grams of protein.

Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Evaporated Cane Juice, Raspberries, Natural Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Pectin, Fruit and Vegetable Juice.

26 Mar 2010, Comments (4)

Amy’s Kitchen Sheperd’s Pie

Author: Healthnuttxo

Sheperd’s Pie- a popular comfort food. Lots of beautifully seasoned veggies and usually some sort of meat, like beef or chicken, topped with a fluffy layer of mashed potatoes. What’s not to love, really?

Amy’s Kitchen has made a Sheperd’s Pie that is meatless, gluten AND dairy free. Amy’s says this Sheperd’s Pie has ”organic vegetables in a nourishing broth blanketed with smooth mashed potatoes”. This meal also has only 4 grams of fat, no cholesterol, and is completely and 100% natural (no icky preservatives or additives found here!)

So I followed the microwave instructions and popped this pie in, let it sit for 2 minutes as directed, and popped it on out. I decided to have it with some Trader Joe’s soy nuggets & applesauce, because I had a feeling a little vegetable pie would not be enough to satisfy my raging hunger after an afternoon run.

After 5ish minutes or so, a little bit of the filling oozed out into the packaging, but nothing I couldn’t handle lick off the wrapper. I decided to try just the top first-the mashed potatoes. They were super fluffy with a real homemade taste. The potatoes were nice and creamy, and almost had a whipped-like consistency. There were garlic and onion flavors that also complimented the potatoes nicely. Onto the filling-assorted vegetables consisteing of bits of mushrooms, carrots, celery, garbanzo beans and tomatoes.  It sort of reminded me of vegetable soup- the taste, not the consistency. It had a tomatoey-based taste, mixed with some spices, which included a dash of black pepper. This pie was packed with these veggies, that were all tender and nicely cooked, The carrots were not as tender, and had a bit more of a bite to them. In my opinion, I liked that the carrots were slightly less soft than the rest of the veggies- mushy carrots are for baby food jars! :P The filling also had a slightly salty and garlicy flavor, but overall was very tasty.

Overall, I give this pie 4 stars. Amy’s rarely lets me down- I have yet to encounter a meal I haven’t liked. This pie has a very “Mom Made (or Dad Made!!)” flavor- a comfort food for sure. It’s not enough by itself for a meal, but ifyou pump it up with some protein and veggies (or applesauce!!), you can turn it into a light, healthy and delicious. I would like to try shredding some cheddar cheese on the top next time for a twist. However, my favorite part was the crispy edges that formed on the potatoes after being cooked in the microwave. Yum!! :)

What’s YOUR favorite Amy’s Product? Let me know!!

1 pie is 160 calories, 4 grams of fat, 27 carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.

ORGANIC POTATOES, ORGANIC TOMATOES, ORGANIC GARBANZO BEANS, FILTERED WATER, MUSHROOMS, ORGANIC CELERY, ORGANIC ONIONS, ORGANIC LEEKS, ORGANIC CARROTS, ORGANIC SOY MILK (WATER, ORGANIC SOYBEANS), ORGANIC TURNIPS, EXPELLER PRESSED HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, SPICES, SEA SALT, ORGANIC GARLIC, BLACK PEPPER.

23 Mar 2010, Comments (3)

Chobani Strawberry Banana 2% Greek Yogurt

Author: Healthnuttxo

New flavor alert!
One of my favorite companies Chobani sent me an e-mail asking to review one of their new flavors, Strawberry Banana 2% Greek Yogurt, a try. Honestly, HOW could I say no? Being the yogurt lover that I am, and seeing how much I adore Chobani Greek Yogurt, I knew this one HAD to be good. I reviewed some of their yogurts in the past, and loved them! Check them out here.

At first I was a little taken aback- 2%? Is that necessary? Fat Free Greek Yogurt is already super creamy- How can it get any better??

It can. Trust me it can. :D

For those of you unfamiliar with Greek Yogurt, it has double the protein of regular yogurt, and is super creamy (think sour cream consistency). This particular Chobs has no artificial colors, flavors, high fructose corn syrup (YUCK!), is all natural, has probiotics, is gluten free and vegetarian (no gelatin!)

Moving on,

The Strawberry  Banana 2% is amazing! I actually LOVED the addition of real cream as one of the ingredients along with milk- it really made a difference and brought such a dessert-like consistency and flavor to the yogurt. It was super creamy, with a few itty bitty strawberry chunks in it. The flavor was rockin’ too. A nice blend of strawberry AND banana (yes, both!). Neither were more overpowering- which I often find happens when you get mixed fruit yogurts. You taste one flavor predominantly over the other, and the company might as well not have bothered mixing the flavors together to begin with. Not the case here- the strawberry flavor was real and so was the banana. I hate the “fake” tasting banana (think- LAFFY TAFFY), but this tasted like actualy bananas were pureed and put in the yogurt. By itself, it’s not too sweet, just right in my opinion, and was certainly satisfying.

I had this new Chobani with sliced strawberries, dark chocolate almond granola (courtesy of Cascadian Farm), a drizzle of dark chocolate dreams (courtesy of PB&CO), and a sploosh of whipped cream. Ahh, what a DECADENT breakfast it was.

Overall, I give this flavor 4  stars. It was delicious, and certainly fed the hungry monster I like to call my stomach (grr that bottomless pit!). I also like that there was no HFCS or refined sugar commonly found in yogurts (and no artificial sweetners!) The only thing I DIDN’T like was that it was 160 calories for a cup, and had 2 grams of saturated fat per cup. 160 calories is quite high to spend on a cup of yogurt for someone who likes to add lots of mixins (cereal! fruit! peanut butter!). However, the extra cals were worth it- my stomach and my taste buds were satisfied ALL morning :)

What’s your favorite Chobani Flavor? Let me know which one’s to try!!

1 cup is 160 calories, 3 grams of fat, 19 carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 14 grams of protein.

Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Evaporated Cane Juice, Strawberries, Bananas, Natural Flavors, Locust Bean Gum, Pectin, Fruit and Vegetable Juice (for color).

13 Mar 2010, Comments (0)

Rico M. Panada Baked Empanadas

Author: Healthnuttxo

Chicken Pot Pie at it's best! :)

Rico M. Panada is a food company that makes delicious empanadas. What’s an empanada you ask? According to the company, an empanada is a “half-moon shaped turnover stuffed with a filling”. This company was founded by Ricardo Rezk, who came up with the idea of his empanadas as he saw Americans struggle with their pizza or burger on the subway on the way to work. They needed something delicious, conveinent, but still healthy. Alas! Rico M. Panada’s empanadas were born!

These all natural, baked empanadas come in 6 flavors. Beef, Chicken Pot Pie, Black Bean & Beet, Sweet Corn & Cheese, Spinach and Tofu, and Red Beans & Rice.
I was lucky enough to try the Chicken Pot Pie, Spinach & Tofu, and Red Beans and Rice varieties.

I prepared all 3 of them in the microwave first, and then used the toaster over for a few minutes to crisp up the edges like the box suggests. They are all cute crescent moon shaped, plumped with some filling, and have a rigged edge on the crust. They are about the size of a hot dog bun, except fatter where the filling is, and skinnier toward the top.

Red Bean & Rice (VEGETARIAN)- darnit! Some of the filling oozed out of this one all over my plate! ( I didn’t mind too much, but I just scooped it up with a spoon and made a mental note to do 30 seconds less than the reccommended cooking time.) This one had mild flavors of tomato and onion, and had soft red beans on the inside. There was a slight cheesey flavor to it as well, which I enjoyed, and there were little peppers that added an unexpected kick. What I really liked was the crust- it tasted doughy and just like a pot pie crust. Yum! Taste- 4 stars

Spinach Tofu (VEGAN)  I liked this one better than the Red Bean & Rice. It had a nice blend of onions (you can DEFinitely see the onions!!), tofu and spinach, with an almost buttery taste to it. The tofu was soft and delicious, and I actually enjoyed the spinach- AND I HATE SPINACH! I also tasted just a wee bit of lemon, which added a nice touch :) Taste- 4 1/2 stars

Chicken Pot Pie- woooooooow. I looooooved this one. Seriously- it was a low-fat chicken pot pie in a cute little crescent moon. The only thing missing was the gooey sauce ( but that wouldn’t make good portability now would it?) I will DEFinetely buy this flavor again! The crust was flaky and delicious, and it went soo perfect with my mashed potatoes and applesauce. The chicken resembled canned tuna, it was shredded, was very tasty and soft, and had mild onion, pepper and garlic flavors.There was also some peas and carrots, and these peas were HUGE and plump! It’s nice to know they didn’t scrimp on the veggies :) This one alone gets 5 stars :D

Overall, I enjoyed these, and I give them 4  1/2 stars overall. I paired mine with some applesauce (when do I not  pair things with applesauce?) and some veggies for a light meal. You could also eat both with some veggies & another side, and have yourself a nice little dinner. The only thing I didn’t like was that only 2 come in a box! What’s a hungry girl to do when she AND her very hungry friends want the same flavor? (Well THIS hungry girl isn’t sharing, that’s for sure! :P ) I reccommend trying these- I also want to try the sweet corn & cheese flavor- sounds interesting!!

Spinach Tofu-1 empanada has 150 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 24 carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein.

spinach, onions, water, tofu, organic wheat flour, organic whole wheat flour, canola oil, organic brown rice, garlic, kosher salt, lemon juice, herbs, spices.

Red Bean & Rice-1 empanada has 180 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 29 carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.

organic wheat and whole wheat flours, red kidney beans, tomato puree, part-skim mozzarella cheese, onions, organic basmati rice, green peppers, canola oil, garlic, kosher salt, herbs and spices
Chicken Pot Pie- 1 empanada has 160 calories, 4 grams of fat, 22 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein.

chicken breast, water, green peas, carrots, organic wheat flour, onions, organic whole wheat flour, canola oil, garlic, kosher salt, eggs, spices, herbs.

26 Feb 2010, Comments (2)

Simple Food Inc. Soy Nut Butters

Author: Healthnuttxo

Before you click off the page and say “ewww. SOY nut butter? I’ll stick to PEANUT butter” HEAR ME OUT!

I, too, was one of those. I would stick up my nose to anything soy. I tried soy nuts once and HATED them. So how could I like Tofu? Soy beans? Edamame? But (of course) I tried them, and I LOVE THEM ALL! Tofu is so versatile, soy milk rocks, and edamame might as well be the healthiest “junk food tasting” food out there. So, I figured, if I like these other soy products, why not try Soynut Butter?

Here is where Simple Foods Inc. comes in. They make organic soynut butters made in a tree-nut and peanut free environment.  The company makes 5 flavors, No Sugar-No Salt, Sea Salted, Cinnamon Sugar, Slightly Sweet, and Chocolate.  Simple Foods Inc. was nice enough to send me the Cinnamon Sugar, Slightly Sweet and Chocolate varieties.

Of course I was skeptical at first. But I told myself to give it a shot. It turned out that I liked these soy nut butters a lot. There was really no separation of oil, like most natural nut butters, and after a day in the fridge, they all had a very thick and creamy texture. Perfect for out of the jar, or on some bread or crackers. Here’s the breakdown of each…

Chocolate- can we say, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in a jar? That was the EXACT thing I thought of upon opening and tasting this flavor. Literally, this one is SO delicious, and even reminded me of chocolate frosting. It had a sweet and almost buttery taste to it as well, with a strong cocoa and a mild soynut flavor. I reccommend this flavor if you don’t like the taste of soynuts, because you can’t tell at ALL.

Slightly Sweet- yum. This one, at first I will admit, I wasn’t ccrazy about. But, it really grew on me. To the point where I was craving it and would walk by the fridge and just take a little taste here and there (okay, more like a little spoonful… :D ). It has a slightly salty taste to it, and almost had a walnut flavor to it. It’s creamy as well, and has just a tang of sweetness to it. It was really good on my double chocolate chip muffin :)

Cinnamon Sugar- ooh. I liked this one too. At first, all you taste is the cinnamon. Then, as you let it move around in your mouth a little, you taste the sweetness and a little bit of soy. It’s really good, and was really delicious on whole wheat toast. It wans’t too sweet, and it’s more “cinnamon-y” than “sugar-y”. As with the others, it’s perfect straight out of the jar :)

Overall, these get 4 1/2 stars. I really enjoyed them, and was pretty surprised at how well they tasted, given the fact that I really don’t care for plain ol’ soy nuts. They are a really good source of protein, at 10 grams per serving, and provide some healthy fats and fiber. The only thing bring it down 1/2 of a star from 5 is that there is refined sugar, and the sugar content is actually quite high in the chocolate variety (8 grams out of the 10 carbohydrates). Otherwise, these ROCK!

Chocolate- 1 serving is 190 calories, 12 grams of fat, 10 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein.

Organic dry roasted soybeans, organic sunflower oil, organic powdered sugar ( organic cane juice, organic corn starch), organic dutch cocoa, organic palm stearin,  organic vanilla powder, sea salt.

Slightly Sweet- 1 serving is 200 calories, 16 grams of fat, 8 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein.

Organic dry roasted soybeans, organic sunflower oil, organic powdered sugar ( organic cane juice, organic corn starch), organic palm stearin, sea salt.

Cinnamon Sugar- 1 serving is 200 calories, 16 grams of fat, 8 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein.

Organic dry roasted soybeans, organic sunflower oil, organic powdered sugar ( organic cane juice, organic corn starch),organic cinnamon, organic palm stearin, sea salt.

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