Tags: all natural

4 Sep 2010, Comments (0)

Alden’s Ice Cream Organic Strawberry

Author: Healthnuttxo

Growing up, I remember when I was little and my family would go out for icecream, I would very often get strawberry ice cream with peanut butter topping. An odd combination perhaps, but I loved it. I remember my favorite part of strawberry ice cream was the big chunks of frozen strawberries- delicious.

Well, I got a coupon to try a free ice cream from Alden’s Organic Ice Creams, and how could I pick any other flavor but strawberry? Would it be possible to re-live my childhood memories of strawberry icecream, with an organic ice cream?

Well, I took this container out of my freezer and immediately was pleased. It scooped out of the container relatively easy- which I was SO happy about. I HATE when I have to dig and dig at a carton of icecream because it’s so cold and hard, that it takes so much effort to get it out of the carton! It sort of makes me not want ice cream anymore! But- not the case here!

I slid the creamy ice cream in my mouth and thought now this is strawberry ice cream. Absolutely DELICIOUS. So pure tasting, the perfect amount of sweetness, and an awesome strawberry flavor. I just loved it. I even loved how I got an occasion strawberry seed which made this have a real, homemade feel. I also loved that I could taste the cream in this icecream. Just SO good!

Of course, ice cream isn’t exactly diet friendly, but if I’m going to eat ice cream, I want some real ice cream and this stuff is really good. This is getting 5 stars =)

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? If you’d like to answer, please leave me a comment below! =)

3 Sep 2010, Comments (0)

Jason All-Natural Liquid Satin Soap

Author: Healthnuttxo

Here we go- a natural NON food review! And this time? It’s about soap! =)

Jason sent me some coupons to get $1.00 off a product, so I ended up using them on some all natural soaps. I prefer to use soaps from a pump or container rather than a bar of soap when it comes to handwashing, so I thought these would be pretty good. As a bonus, they were all natural, AND could be used on the face!

According to the website, here’s some notes about the Lavender, and Mango & Papaya soap I chose to  buy.

“No Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates
Concentrated & Moisturizing
Never Dries your Skin
Natural Ingredients”.

I also chose the Cranberry scent, but those particular facts were not listed below the product on the website.

Anyway- onto the review!

Mango & Papaya- this one was thick and orange in color, with a light mango smell. It left my hands feeling soft, and left a very light scent on my skin. 4 stars

Lavender- this one had a stronger smell than the Mango & Papaya, but was actually quite refreshing! I loved the smooth and silky texture- a great soap! 4 stars

Cranberry- this one was my favorite of the 3. It had a very crisp, fresh and fruity smell. It sort of reminded me of fall and Thanksgiving time. I loved the sweet and fruity scent, and how it was gentle, and very clean feeling. 4 1/2 stars

Overall, I really like these soaps! I especially love that they can be used on the hands and the face- very convenient! They were a tad expensive though, I think it was about $8.99 for one at Whole Foods, so I was happy I  had a $1.00 off coupon. Another person tried this soap who has sensitive skin, and she liked it as well! Bravo, Jason! =)

26 Aug 2010, Comments (3)

Chobani 0% Plain Greek Yogurt

Author: Healthnuttxo

We all know (or hopefully know) how much I looooove yogurt! It’s my healthy and usually sweet treat I make sure I eat everyday! Along with regular yogurt, I also enjoy greek yogurt. Although I normally go for flavored ones, Chobani sent me their 0% Plain Greek Yogurt to try.

The first thing I noticed was that a 6 oz cup is ONLY 100 calories, and 18 grams of protein! I was immediately impressed by that, since I’m not a big meat eater and need dairy/soy/eggs for my main sources of protein. PLus, that is very LEAN protein! No fat, and only 100 calories! Nice!

The texture was super thick and creamy, just like I like it. Unfortunately, I do not really enjoy greek yogurt plain. I did try some of this without anything mixed in or added, and found it rather tart for my likings. So, what could I mix with this? Well, I took some regular chocolate frozen yogurt and mixed it with the greek yogurt and let it freeze for a bit in the freezer. Voila! Yummy chocolate taste, and a boost of protein, with an additional creamier texture.

Overall, I give this 4 stars. Although I would probably never eat it as is, I can always mix something in to sweeten it. I have in the past also used those ranch seasoning powder mixes with plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and found that to be an excellent swap. I love that this is high in protein, low in calories, has 0 grams of fat  per 6 ounce serving.

Which makes me curious…
What do you like to mix in with plain greek yogurt? If you’d like to leave a comment, please do so below! : )

1 6oz yogurt is 100 calories, 0 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 18 grams of protein.

Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk.

25 Aug 2010, Comments (1)

Michael Angelo’s Spinach Vegetable Pocket Calzone

Author: Healthnuttxo

Michael Angelo’s provided me with some coupons to try some free products, and one of them I chose was the Spinach Vegetable Pocket Calzone. These type of frozen foods are my favorite- yummy insides, doughy crust- count me in!

This “pocket calzone” wasn’t round as I had sort of expected, but rather long and in the shape of a rectangle. I decided to microwave and then put in the toaster oven for a minute or so to crisp up the outside. After letting cool, I cut open a piece, and was pleased! This was actually quite tasty! The crust was crispy yet chewy, and sort of reminded me of the ends of pizza crust. The inside was very flavorful.It had a cheesy, oniony and garlicy flavor mostly, with a very slight hint of spice.  The spinach and the zucchini were a little chewy for my likings, but not bad. It sort of reminded me of a vegetable pizza, but without a tomato sauce.

Overall, I’m giving this 4 stars. I liked that it was a good size, and had a lot of flavor. I wasn’t a big fan of the zucchini and wish it was a bit more tender. I also saw that it also only had 1 gram of fiber per pocket calzone. Either way, I had this with some steamed broccoli and applesauce to make a meal, and was quite content!  : )

1 Pocket Calzone is 220 calories, 6 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of protein.

Organic Hard Wheat Flour, Water, Fire Roasted Vegetables (red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, yellow squash, zucchini), Spinach, Asiago Cheese (cultured milk, enzymes, salt), Mozzarella Cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes). Tomatoes-Roasted (tomatoes, canola oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, herbs, parmesan cheese (pasteurized part-skim cow’s milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Olive Oil, Turbinado Sugar, Yeast, Salt, Garlic Egg Whites, Spices.

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.

18 Aug 2010, Comments (0)

Figamajigs Dark Chocolate Covered Fig Bar with Almonds

Author: Healthnuttxo

Figamajigs! I think this company is great- combining healthy fruit and tasty chocolate and other treats with their products.

The company sent me some of their products to try, including the Figamajigs Dark Chocolate Covered Fig Bar with Almonds. According to the wrapper, this bar is “all natural, low fat, high in fiber, high in anti-oxidants”. Sounds like my kind of a chocolatey treat!

The bar is 40 grams, and about the size of my two fingers in both length and width. It’s actually quite dense and chewy. There is a thin layer of chocolate on the outside, which I really didn’t know it was dark chocolate until I looked at the wrapper! It really wasn’t that bitter as I am used to having when I eat dark chocolate, and I was quite happy. The overall flavor is VERY fruity- you can certainly taste the fig! It has a rather piecy consistency, and sort of stuck in my teeth as I chewed it. However, I really enjoyed it! It’s sweet, chewy and quite enjoyable. The almond pieces didn’t really add or take away from the taste, and provided a very slight crunch if anything.

Overall, I give this 4 stars. I liked that it combines fruit and chocolate, and has 4 grams of fiber and 150 calories per 40 gram bar! It is, however, a tad bit high in sugar, but very tasty! =)

1 bar (40 grams) is 150 calories, 4 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Figs, Cocoa, Dark Chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor processed with potassium carbonate, cocoa butter, butter oil), Soy Lecithin, Pure Vanilla, Sugar, Almonds, Invert Sugar, Canola Oil, Natural Flavor, Cream of Tartar, Salt).

14 Aug 2010, Comments (0)

Ian’s Natural Foods FruitaBits Crispy Fruit Snacks

Author: Healthnuttxo

I have to say, I’m a fan of fruit snacks. Fruit leathers, gummie fruit snacks, etc., I just love things that are sweet and fruity!

Something new for me to try, Ian’s Natural Foods sent me the FruitaBits Crispy Fruit Snacks in Sour Apple & Cherry, and Berry Cherry flavors. At first I thought huh? Crispy Fruit Snacks? But then, I was actually quite surprised and pleased!

Each package contains tiny little balls that are airy, and well, like the package says, “crispy”! Also according to the package, these are “made with real fruit!”, are “Nut Free!” and are an  ”excellent source of vitamin C!”. I was glad that they were made with real fruit, including they were supposed to be fruit snacks. =)

I opened the Berry Cherry version first. WHEW! This one had a very strong sour cherry smell to it. The balls or pieces were almost a purpleish red in color. I tasted some, and I actually kind of liked it. They were crunchy and sweet, and have both strawberry and berry flavors. Yummy!

Next up, the Sour Apple & Cherry flavor. These had red and yellow pieces, which actually surprised me, I was sort of expecting green for an apple flavor. Anyway- these had a nice blend of sour flavor and sweet flavor. Neither too overpowering, but actually quite tasty.

Overall, I give these 4 stars. While they are tasty, they don’t have any fiber and have 1 gram of saturated fat for a .75oz package. But, I do like that they are crunchy and sweet, and they sort of remind me of a fruity-type cereal.

.75 oz is 85 calories, 1 gram of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

14 Aug 2010, Comments (0)

Nature’s Path Organic Vanilla Almond Flax Plus Granola

Author: Healthnuttxo

GRANOLA! One of my favorite things to eat (which if you are an avid read, I’m sure you know that already! :) ).

So today’s granola review is Nature’s Path Organic Vanilla Almond Flax Plus Granola, sent to me generously from the people at Nature’s Path! : )

So I opened up the bag, and discovered a lot of rolled oats, a good amount of tiny flaxseeds, and little slivers of almonds. This looks pretty good! I took a handful and discovered that this granola had a light vanilla flavor. Really quite light actually. I sort of wish that it had a deeper vanilla flavor, as I certainly am a fan of vanilla! I also discovered that it had a very mild sweetness- so I did actually wish it was a little bit sweeter as well.

What I did like about this cereal was that according to the box, it was an “excellent source of Omega-3″ and “Contains 0.9 g of Omega 3 per serving, which is 69% of the reccommended daily value of 1.3 g”. That’s really awesome! I know sometimes it’s hard for me to get all of my daily reccomended value of Omega 3’s, so this may be a good option for me!

Overall, this cereal gets 3 stars. I also did like that a serving is 3/4 of a cup, and that it had 5 grams of fiber per serving. Woo-hoo! : )

3/4 cup is 250 calories, 9 grams of fat, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

Organic rolled oats, organic evaporated cane juice, organic soy oil, organic brown rice flour, organic flaxseed, organic almonds, organic oat syrup solids (organic oat syrup solids, tocopherols), natural vanilla flavor, sea salt, organic molasses.

13 Aug 2010, Comments (0)

New England Naturals Honey Nuts & Cinnamon Granola

Author: Healthnuttxo

 

I’m in the mood for cereal reviews lately! And today? New England Naturals Honey Nuts & Cinnamon Granola!

One of the foods I love to eat is cereal. By itself, with milk, with yogurt, etc. I also ESPECIALLY love granola! I find it super flavorful, crunchy and tasty.

New England Naturals sent me some of their granolas to try, including the Honey Nuts & Cinnamon Granola. According to the front of this package, there are “Brazil Nuts, Cashews, Cinnamon & Honey” in this granola.  Sounds good to me! I loooove cashews, and cinnamon & honey are always a pleasure! :)

Looking at the bag, I liked that there was an area where you could actually see the granola. It looked like big clusters of oats, and big pieces of both brazil nuts and cashews. I opened up the bag, and this smells AMAZING! Very fresh cinnamon flavor and just a hint of honey.

As for the taste? The granola itself wasn’t as crunchy as I had hoped, but more chewy. It really wasn’t that sweet, but had a good cinnamon and a light coconut flavor. It also had a toasted flavor, like it was baked in the oven. The brazil nuts were great- crunchy and fresh. And the cashews had a rather plain taste- as if they weren’t toasted.

Overall, I give this 3 1/2 stars. I do wish it was a bit sweeter, and had more of a honey flavor. I did like that there was a light coconut flavor, and that it had a GREAT cinnamon flavor. However, a 1/2 cup serving is 270 calories and 12 grams of fat, which is a little bit much for a granola gal like me :)

**What’s your favorite type of granola? If you’d like to answer, please leave a comment below!***

1/2 cup (60 g) is 270 calories, 12 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

Whole Rolled Oats, Honey, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Cashewes, Brazil Nuts, Dairy Whey  Powder, Coconut, Cinnamon.

13 Aug 2010, Comments (1)

Hansen’s Natural Cane Soda The Grove

Author: Healthnuttxo

I’ll be honest, I’m not a big soda drinker. I prefer water/flavored water, juices or milk for my beverages, but every now and then I DO get a craving for and iced cold soda.

 So, I was excited when I was given some soda from Hansen’s, like the Hansen’s Natural Cane Soda in The Grove flavor. According to the can, this has “no caffeine, no preservatives, no caffeine, no sodium” and has “all natural flavors”. Sounds like my kind of soda! :)

First of all, I really liked the design of the can. It was very almost tropical looking, with leaves, and bright colors like pink, yellow and green. I’ll be honest- it was quite pretty!

So I opened up the can, and took a sip. At first I was a bit surprised, I actually expected it to be sweeter than it was, which actually I didn’t mind. It was very light and fruity tasting, with lemon-lime and strawberry flavors. I think it’s a really good soda for the summer because it is very light and refreshing. Overall, I’m giving it 3 1/2 stars. Although it’s not something I would drink everyday, I think it was a refreshing and very nice tropical tasting treat. :)

1 can is 140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 34 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

Pure Triple Filtered Carbonated Water, Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors with Extracts of California And/Or Florida Limes and Lemons, U.S. Strawberries and Yumberries.

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