Tags: dairy free

1 Sep 2010, Comments (0)

NoNuttin’ Double Chocolate Chunk Granola Bar

Author: Healthnuttxo

 

NoNuttin’ makes snacks that have a lot to offer. For example, according to the package of the Double Chocolate Chunk Granola Bar I was sent to try from NoNuttin’, this bar alone is “Gluten Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free”.

Well? Let’s give this a try!

The bar is on the smaller side, long and somewhat thin (about the width of my two fingers). It’s brown in color, with visible oats, and pices of chocoalte on the top part of the bar. It has a rather soft consistency, and fell apart easily as I lifted up the bar after I took it out of the wrapper. The chocolate on top tasted like a dark chocolate, and was more bitter than sweet. The texture of the bar is chewy, and the oats sort of have that rolled oats consistency, like how they are before I make homemade oatmeal. The taste is better than the texture. It has a sweet, chocolatey flavor, with a hint of vanilla.

I probably would have enjoyed this bar more if it wasn’t as chewy, and the chocolate pieces were sweeter. I’m giving it 3 stars. I DO like that it has a lot of things, such as being gluten free and dairy free, and that there is only 6 grams of sugar per bar.

1 bar (30 grams) is 120 calories, 4 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.

27 Aug 2010, Comments (0)

Raw Crunch Bar with Organic Blueberries and Raw Crunch Bar with Organic Dark Chocolate

Author: Healthnuttxo

Raw Crunch Bars seem totally cool to me, and are unlike other products I have tried in the past. According to the wrapper, these bars are “Handmade, Uncooked, Unprocessed” and are also “Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Peanut Free”. That’s a lot to offer for one bar, and certainly intriguing.
However, according to the website, “All of our bars are Gluten-free, Soy-free, Dairy-free, Peanut-free & Raw, with the exception of our Organic Dark Chocolate variety. The chocolate pieces in this bar are not soy-free or raw.”

Well, the company sent me some of these bars to try, and the first thing I noticed when I opened the bars, was that these are certainly NOT like anything I have had in the past. There are soooo many nuts and seeds! I’m used to bars that are mostly oats/granola, with a few sprinkles of nuts or needs, or raisins, etc. Nope! These bars had visible flaxseeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds,sunflower seeds! Just TONS! I also noticed that both bars pretty much had the same flavor, with the exception of the variation of blueberries or dark chocolate. To me that both had a rather strong pumpkin/sunflower seed flavor, and were very lightly sweet, with a slightly salty aftertaste. I actually quite enjoyed both bars, as they were unique, yet tasty. The Raw Crunch Bar with Organic Dark Chocolate was tasty- but lacking in the chocolate department. The dark chocolate pieces were tasty, a lightly sweetened flavor, but I only got about 5 chips in the whole bar : ( 

On the other hand, the Raw Crunch Bar with Organic Blueberries, there was a LOT more blueberries! Sweet and small, they sort of reminded me of the type of blueberries that are in blueberry muffins or pancakes. Not plump and juicy, but small and sweet.

Overall, I give these both 4 stars. I love that one bar has only 10 grams of carbohydrates, with 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. A really satisfying snack!

1 bar (28 grams) is 150 calories, 10 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

23 Aug 2010, Comments (2)

Nana’s Cookie Company No Refined Sugar Fruit Juice Sweetened Double Chocolate Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

I’ve tried a cookie by Nana’s Cookie Company before, and thought it was great! Well, they also sent me the Double Chocolate Cookie to try, and I was equally as excited.

According to the package, this cookie has no “eggs, no dairy, no refined sugar” and is “fruit juice sweetened”! That sounds like my kinda cookie! =)

This cookie, is BIG. In fact, One cookie has 2 servings, one serving being 50 grams or half of a cookie. It is a dark brown in color, with pieces of walnuts. I’ll be honest- this cookie was REALLY good. I didn’t miss the eggs or the dairy a bit! =) It was soft, rich, and buttery tasting. I loved how it had a rich chocolate flavor, and was fudgy too. The perfect amount of smeetness! The addition of walnuts also added a really nice touch, and I enjoyed them.

Overall,  4 1/2 stars. The only problem in my eyes, is half of a cookie is 210 calories and 10 grams of fat, with only 1 gram of fiber. Something as tasty as this- it’s easy for me to eat half if not the whole thing! Good thing it’s a rather large cookie =) !

Have you ever tried Nana’s Cookie Company products? If so which ones and which ones are your favorite? *If you’d like to answer, please leave a comment below!*

1/2 cookie (50 grams) is 210 calories, 10 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein.

Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Fruit Juice (pear, apple, grape), Rice Dextrins (a natural and unmodified starch), Expeller Pressed Canola Oil (GMO Free), Chocolate Chips (whole grain malted barley and corn, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin added as an emulsifier, and pure vanilla), Dutched Cocoa, Walnuts, Baking Powder (non- aluminum), Baking Soda, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt.

30 Jul 2010, Comments (1)

Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Cake Mix

Author: Healthnuttxo

Who likes CAKE? I know I do! : )

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 Jul 2010, Comments (0)

Granola Gourmet Energy Bars

Author: Healthnuttxo

Energy Bars- I either love them, or, well, could do without them. Some are really tasty, but the ingredients aren’t so good, and some have great ingredients, but, the taste isn’t so good. I have found a few energy bars that I do enjoy throughout the years, and here’s hoping to add something new to my list…

Granola Gourmet makes all natural energy bars, but that also offer a bit more. What’s really cool is that according to the package, “A portion of your purchase helps fight diabetes!” I love when companies give back to other things like funds, or the environment. That’s great!! : )

 I was sent the Brownie and Very Berry flavors to try from Granola Gourmet.

Brownie- according to the package, these contain no dairy, no wheat, and no refined sugar. I opened the package, and was pleased with the smell.  It sort of smelled like a chocolate fudge- yum! Each bar is a bit tiny, about the size of a business card in length, and about 1/2 inch in thickness. These have a light chocolate flavor, more of a fruity taste. I let my mom try a piece, and she even asked if there were raisins in it! It has a good amount of sweetness, and there are just tons of visible flaxseeds,oats, and sunflower seeds. It wasn’t dense, more of a “fudgy” tasting brownie. It kind of reminded me of a chocolate covered fig, or date. Like I said it is a bit small, and 150 calories for 1 serving. I could easily eat 2 ! 4 stars

Very Berry- According to the front of this package, these have no sodium no dairy and no wheat. This one was definetely chewy and provided a ‘nutty/grainy’ texture. It wasn’t as sweet as I had hoped, and was a bit bland. It sort of reminded me of the flavor of plain oatmeal, but chewy, with just a bit of strawberry flavor. 3 stars

Overall, these are good. I like that they provide some whole grains, are dairy and wheat free, and are all natural! I think the Brownie flavor is the better of the two, as it had a good amount of sweetness and helped me when I was craving something chocolatey. If you would like to buy these bars, you can visit this website.

For more information on  nutrition of these bars, you can visit the website here

23 Jun 2010, Comments (0)

Chews 4 Health chewable dietary supplement

Author: Healthnuttxo

Ever have those chewable vitamins when you were little? I remember having them- they were square, and they came in flavors like grape, orange, cherry, etc., and they were a “sweeter” way of getting some vitamins in.  Well that’s what I was reminded of when Chews 4 Health sent me a pack of their 1 week supply of Chews 4 Health. But what exactly are they? According to the website, “Chews-4-Health is a delicious tasting, doctor formulated, natural chewable dietary supplement derived from the most nutrient-rich sources from around the world. It combines current nutritional science with nature’s finest. Chews-4-Health contains 16 ingredients from land and sea, uniting the antioxidant powers of exotic, life-enhancing super fruits with mineral-rich sea vegetables, along with a powerful antioxidant/vitamin blend combined with healthy select fruit concentrates. Compared to many pills and liquids on the market, Chews-4-Health is more convenient, affordable and more quickly absorbed.”

Sounds pretty good to me ! :)

What I like about these, is that they are gluten free, all natural, dairy free, and don’t have any artificial colors or flavors. Each tablet is actually quite big, about the size of a nickel, but about 4 nickels in height. They smell very fruity, and are a pinkish-purple in color. They taste, well, delicious! They are actually quite tart, but also sweet! I tasted grape, pomegranate, blueberry and cherry flavors. They sort of remind me of those candies, SweetTarts, for flavor! 4 1/2 stars

2 chew tabs is 10 calories, 2 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of sugar.

For information about the ingredients, you can click here.

7 Jun 2010, Comments (0)

No Nuttin’ Vanilla Varamel Granola Clusters and Apple Cinnamon Granola Bar

Author: Healthnuttxo

No Nuttin’ Foods Inc.  makes snacks that can be enjoyed by almost everyone, as they made products that are gluten free, nut free, egg free, dairy free, and are also all natural and healthy, too! These snack range from granola bars, to trail mixes, to granola clusters, and come in several yummy flavors.

The company sent me a few snacks to try, so I decided to try the Vanilla Caramel Granola Clusters and the Apple Cinnamon Granola Bar. Those sounded most appealing to me. Vanilla Caramel? Count me in. Apple Cinnamon? We all know I love apple anything!

First up- Vanilla Caramel Granola Clusters. They came in an individually sized bag, with about a large handful of clusters. They smelled pretty good, like a light caramel. I put a few pieces in my mouth and was actually surprised. These weren’t crunchy. I sort of expected at least some kind of crunch, including they were supposed to be granola clusters. They were more chewy and kind of stuck to your teeth a bit as you ate them, almost sticky in texture. Perhaps they would have been better in yogurt rather than straight from the bag, but not too bad. They weren’t too sweet, and they only had 5 grams of sugar per serving. They had a very light vanilla flavor, but mostly a caramel flavor to me. 3 stars

Apple Cinnamon Granola Bar- Well, I opened this up, and half the bar fell off. These bars fall apart super easy! It was a bunch of crisp rice and oats, held together very loosely by brown rice/rice syrup. The texture sort of reminded me of a rice krispie treat- but as if you were making them homemade. However, the flavor saved this bar. It was sweet and had a nice apple & cinnamon taste, that was actually very good. I would have liked it better if the bar had more staying power, but overall not bad. 3 stars

Overall, these aren’t bad. They are a good option if you cannot tolerate gluten, and cannot have peanuts or nuts. I liked how the granola clusters and granola bar were low in sugar, but I just didn’t really care for the texture of either too. Also, they are both kind of low in fiber and protein, but if paired with some fruit or yogurt/protein, they could be good snacks.

1 packet of vanilla caramel granola clusters (30 grams) is 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 19 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Pure oats, rice syrup, expeller pressed canola oil, brown sugar, organic crisp brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, sea salt), natural vanilla flavor.

1 apple cinnamon granola bar is 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 19 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.

Pure oats, rice syrup, expeller pressed canola oil, organic crisp brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, sea salt), dried apples, brown sugar, organic cinnamon.

1 Jun 2010, Comments (1)

Enjoy Life Not Nuts! Nut Free Trail Mix

Author: Healthnuttxo

Nut free trail mix? What’s THAT !?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

31 May 2010, Comments (2)

Pamela’s Products Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

Pamela’s Products is a company that manufactures a whole bunch of gluten and wheat free foods, that are also all natural, and some even organic. They make products such as cakes, cookies, baking mixes- a little something for everyone!

Pamela’s Products generously sent me 3 boxes of their cookies to try- in Peanut Butter, Old Fashioned Raisin Walnut, and Spicy Ginger Cookies with Crystallized Ginger. To be honest, I was excited to try all three! Peanut Butter, because, well you should know why (my obsession with peanut butter, of course!), Old Fashioned Raisin Walnut, because I haven’t had a good oatmeal cookie in a while, and Spicy Ginger, because I love a good ginger cookie to bring me nostalgia of home-made gingerbread cookies. Yum-my!

I tried the Peanut Butter cookies first. Small in size, they had a light orangey-brown color with little bits of peanuts in them. Not too sweet, but a rich peanut taste. It was sort of “snickerdoodle” tasting- as I detected a “molasses” flavor. It’s a rather soft cookie, and although I liked it soft, I think it would have been better if it was a bit crispy, or had a bit of a crunch to it.

Next up, the Old Fashioned Raisin Walnut. The first thing I noticed was how soft and moist these were! Before I opened the package I even noticed the plastic overwrap was a little bit moist from the cookies! I love a good, moist oatmeal raisin cookie! (ooh- imagine it heated up in the microwave? Yum!!) This cookie was also small, about the same size of the peanut butter ones. I took a bite, and immediately tasted the walnuts. Little bits of walnuts throughout the cookie, as well as bigger pieces on top of the cookie. The raisins were the sweetest part of the cookie, and added a nice flavor. It was a very good combination of raisin/walnut flavor. The cookie had a good amount of sweetness, but is actually pretty low in sugar (only 4 grams per cookie). Not bad!!

Lastly, the Spicy Ginger Cookies with Crystallized Ginger. I picked the cookie that actually had a decently sized piece of ginger on top- it looked like a white flake on top of the cookie.Whew! These definitely had some ginger-spice taste! I really enjoyed them! They did, in fact, remind me of homemade gingerbread cookies at Christmas time! Soft and chewy, they also left quite a kick or some “heat” once you finished chewing. Delicious!

Overall, these are pretty tasty! Perfect for those of you who cannot tolerate gluten or wheat, or for anyone really who wants a yummy cookie. I like that the cookies cater to different needs as well- some are dairy free, some sweetened with fruit juice, and a lot are made with organic ingredients. What I didn’t like was that these cookies are relatively low in fiber, high in fat, and are a little high in the calorie department for a small-ish cookie. However- cookies are intended to be treats- so I say let yourself have one (or two!!) if you please :) These cookies get 4 stars. I would like to try their other products- like the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies, and their Corn Bread and Muffin Mix! Yum! 

Peanut Butter Cookies-  1 cookie is 100 calories, 5 grams of fat, 11 carbohydrates, .5 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein.

Peanu Butter (peanuts and salt), Molasses, Eggs, Rice Syrup and Grape Juice, Flour Base (brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, xanthan gum), Dry Roasted Peanut Pieces, Gluten Free Natural Flavor, Baking Soda, Sea Salt.

Old Fashioned Raisin Walnut Cookies-1 cookie is 100 calories, 6 grams of fat, 10 carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 4 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein.

Fruit Juice Concentrate (Pineapple, Peach, and Pear Juice); Monounsaturated Safflower Oil; Organic Raisins; Organic Eggs; Organic Rice Flour Base (Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic White Rice Flour, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Sweet Rice Flour, Xanthan Gum); Walnuts; Organic Soy Flakes; Organic Soymilk Powder; Sliced Almonds; Coconut; Non-GMO Soy Lecithin; Gluten-Free Vanilla Flavor (contains corn derivative); Baking Soda; Cinnamon; Xanthan Gum; Sea Salt; Grainless & Aluminum Free Baking Powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potato Starch).

Spicy Ginger with Crystallized Ginger Cookies- 2 cookies are 150 calories, 6 grams of fat, 23 carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein.

Organic Rice Flour Base (Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic White Rice Flour, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Sweet Rice Flour, Xanthan Gum); Organic Molasses; Brown Sugar; Organic Non-hydrogenated Palm Oil; Crystallized Ginger Pieces; Organic Eggs; Ginger Spice; Grape Juice and Rice Syrup; Cinnamon; Baking Soda;, Sea Salt; Xanthan Gum; Cloves.

Still some time to enter the Nutridel Cookie giveaway if you haven’t already!

29 May 2010, Comments (3)

Artisana Cacao Bliss Raw Chocolate Coconut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Artisana- a company that makes a bunch of nut butters. BUT- these nut butters offer a little something special. They are all raw, organic, and don’t contain any bad fillers or preservatives.

Artisana sent me a couple of their nut butters to sample (in the CUTEST little jars that have about 1 Tbsp. of each nut butter in the jar!), and I was excited, actually. I haven’t had a lot of raw nut butters- I usually have the flavored nut butters, or the all natural ones.

One of the jars I was sent is the Cacao Bliss Chocolate Coconut Butter. Yum. This sounds liek a mix of tropical and chocolatey delight. According to the website, “Finally! A  vegan and sugar cane free, rich, creamy chocolaty coconut spreadable nectar.  Indulge guiltlessly with pure Organic, raw ingredients of the highest quality. Artisana™ – Chocolate Is a dreamy and delicious delight – melts in your mouth in sweet celebration while also giving you real energy and nutrition.
Spread on Fruit, bread, cakes, cookies, crepes and more! Excellent in smoothies, energy bars, and anything you want to turn into sweet succulence.”

Sounds good to me!

I opened up my mini jar, and was actually a little surprise. This nut butter was kind of, err, stiff. It reccommends NOT to refrigerate it, actually. I wonder why it’s so stiff, as I’m used to very supple and smooth nut butters.  Anyway- I tasted a little bit of it- not bad! You can definitely taste the coconut, which is nice, with a mild blend of chocolate/cocoa flavor. It was almost a “melt in your mouth” consistensy- and almost “cool” in flavor. Bizarre- but quite good! It’s not that sweet, so if you are used to sugary spreads, you might be a little shocked with this one. However, I liked it. I think it would be great mixed in with oatmeal, on toast, or even with a banana (or maybe just a mini spoon and my mini jar!!).

Overall, I give it 3 1/2 stars. It lacks protein, which is one of the reasons I eat nut butters, but I think it’s quite good for a “dessert” spread- and you can reap up some benefits of coconut as well! It wasn’t as sweet as I had hoped, but, sometimes less is better! This one is also gluten, peanut, and dairy free!

1 Tbsp is 89 calories, 8 grams of fat (7 saturated), 4 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Artisana™ Organic  Raw Coconut Butter, Organic Raw Coconut Oil, Organic Raw Agave Syrup,  Organic Raw Cacao,  Organic Raw Cacao Butter.

Dont forget about the newly posted NUTRIDEL giveaway! Woooohooo!!

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