Categories: vegetarian

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 (6)

Amy’s Kitchen Sheperd’s Pie

Author: Healthnuttxo

source


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.

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 good flavor- a comfort food for sure. It’s not enough by itself for a meal, but if you pump it up with some protein and veggies (or applesauce!!), you can turn it into a light, healthy and delicious.  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.


23 Mar 2010, Comments (5)

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 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, 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.

5 Feb 2010, Comments (1)

Yummy Earth Organic Vitamin C & SuperSOUR Pops

Author: healthnuttxo

Yea-I’m feeling candy this week. It’s DEFINETELY one of those weeks where I need some sweets!

And what better way to satisfy a sugary-sweet tooth than with a lollipop? I remember my favorites growing up were Charms- the ones with bubblegum in the center- and Tootsie Pop -only in the grape flavor- which had a center of a soft tootsie roll. Well- now I’ve moved on to better and more healthier ways to satisfy my craving for a “sucker”. Yummy Earth produces lollipops unlike the commercial brands- no artificial dyes, no artificial colors, no refined sugar and made with real fruit extracts (does that mean if I eat these- it counts as a fruit serving? :P ) And, aside from all that good stuff, the ingredients are organic, gluten free, vegan, and soy/nut/dairy free. How’s that for a lollipop? :)

The lollipops come in several varieties- SuperSOUR Pops, Strawberry Pops, Fruit Pops, Fiesta Pops, and Vitamin C Pops. I got to try the SuperSOUR Pops and the Vitamin C Pops. Each pop is only 22 calories, and is round/flat in shape. They are about the size of a quarter or half dollar each.

Starting with the Vitamin C Pops- each bag has 3 flavors, strawberry smash, tooberry blueberry, and razzmatazz berry. 1 pop provides you with 25% of your daily needs of vitamin C.

strawberry smash- well if this pop isn’t smashing. I love strawberry flavored pops- and this one doens’t let me down. Sweet and  not too tart- reminds me of a strawberries & cream dessert in a lolly. :)

tooberry blueberry- ooh I like this one the best of the 3. It’s sweet with a nice blueberry taste- real blueberry,  not “fake” blueberry. It also has hints of grape flavors, and isn’t too tart. It doesn’t leave that “stinging” feeling sometimes lollipops give you on your tongue.

razzmatazz berry- this one has a mixed berry/fruit punch flavor. It is smooth and sweet, with stronger strawberry/raspberry fruit essences.

The SuperSOUR pops has 4 flavors- strawberry smash, sour apple tart, googly grape, and very very cherry. I was hesistant to try these- I’m so not a sour girl. In fact, I used to run my sour WARheads candy under the water when I was younger until all the “sourness” went away and it was all sweet afterwards. But, they, in fact, weren’t really sour at all- they just had a bit more of a kick than the original flavors.

strawberry smash- similar in taste to the Vitamin C variety- but with a bit more tang.

sour apple tart- I liked this one! It has a granny smith apple flavor to it, and it was the most sour of all 4 of the flavors. The tangyness really stayed the whole time eating the lollipop, and didn’t fade.

googly grape- this one is tied for my favorite with the sour apple tart. Normally I HATE grape flavored things (they usually taste like cough medicine…yuck..), but this baby reminded me of my favorite grape Tootsie Pops I used to eat when I was younger. Not tart at all- but a sweet, delicious, grape. 

very very cherry- Unfortunately- my bag didn’t have any very very cherry! And I LOVE cherry flavored pops. How disappointing :(

Overall, I’m giving these 4 stars. It’s a much healthier (and more eco-friendly!) alternative to commercial lollipops, and they have no refined sugar. That’s a big plus for me- if I want candy, I like to feel at least a little less guilty knowing there is no refined sugars. They are perfect when I’m in the mood to nosh, but don’t want to blow a big calorie bang, and hit your sweet tooth quite nicely. I just hope that they evenly distribute the flavors better in the future- I didn’t get to try the very very cherry flavor, and only got one googly grape (figures it would be my favorite! >:( ) in my bag.

3 pops are 70 calories, 0 grams of fat, 17 carbohydrates, and 0 grams of protein. Each pop is about 22 calories each.
Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Tapioca Syrup, and or OrganicRice Syrup, Citric Acid (from beet sugar), Natural Flavors, [may contain] Organic Black Carrots, Organic Apple, Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Black Currant, Organic Carrot, Organic Pumpkin.

27 Jan 2010, Comments (5)

Lightlife Smart Wings Honey BBQ

Author: Healthnuttxo

I feel this is an appropriate review, especially with football season coming to an end and the SUPERBOWL coming into play. Plus, who doesn’t like saucy, honey, barbe-quey anything ? :D

And so, scanning the natural section at my local grocery store, I saw LightLife Smart Wings in Honey BBQ and Buffalo flavor. I’m a sweet kinda girl, not so much spicy, so I picked up the Honey BBQ flavor with the coupon LightLife sent me.

Each box of these veggie protein wings comes with 8 wings, or two servings. They are so cute too- shaped like actual chicken wings! But, no chicken here. These are totally vegetarian (they do contain egg white, however, for those of you who are vegan). I made these both ways as suggested, Microwave & in the frying pan. I suggest the Frying Pan, as LightLife does too. Done in the microwave, the veggie wing came out a bit chewier than when I used the frying pan to heat these babies up.

Now, onto the TASTE!
These are freakin’ delicious! They really are finger lickin’ good. They are covered in a sweet, barbeque sauce, which had hints of molasses, honey and a garlicy tomato flavor. I was literally licking the sauce off the packet it came in- so tasty! They were a wee bit salty, but still very good. Some of you may be worried about the texture- as veggie products can be chewy or..weird.. in texture. But not the case here- these wings do have a bite to them, but are chewy like a burger. Chewy in a good way if you will- they have the appropriate consistency.

I had these with some Annie’s Organic Macaroni & Cheese & broccoli (and some chocolate milk-not shown), and I was full all the way until snack time. They pack in protein and fiber, and are very satisfying. You could even have them as a snack with some raw veggies on the side, as they don’t need any extra dip. They are the 3 S’s- Sweet, Salty & Savory. And surprisingly-NO FAT!! (take THAT Pizza Hut!!) I give these 4 1/2 stars!

                                                            *I know your drooling… :) !*

1 serving (4 wings) is 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, and 13 grams of protein.

Wing: Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Wheat Fluten, Soy Protein Isolate, Egg White Powder, Less than 2% of: Cellulose Gum, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt, Onion Powder, Dried Garlic, Potato Starch, Sunflower Oil, Salt.

Honey BBQ Sauce- Tomato Puree (water, tomato paste), Molasses, Evaporated Cane Juice, Distilled Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, sea salt, sugar, spices, tamarind), Corn Starch, Honey, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Spices, Dried Garlic, Xanthan Gum, Dried Onioon.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Beaded Watches