Tags: no refined sugar

7 Sep 2011, Comments (2)

Irene’s Raspberry Puffs

Author: Healthnuttxo

Look at this goodie I picked up from Whole Foods! I wanted some sort of sweet treat to follow up my lunch- and this was it! I bust my booty at the gym every day, usually after breakfast, so I like to have some “reward” for my hard work as part of my post-gym session. I was hoping these would be as delicious as they looked- and the fact that they are all natural, and have “no refined sugar” as the package states, didn’t hurt either!! =)

So after the trauma Hurricane Irene has caused last week (bless any and all who faced hardships!), let’s bring some good back to the name “Irene” with these cookies. They were delicious!

The first bite I took was all of the outer part of the cookie, and none of the raspberry middle. It was thick, and very rich, and reminded me of a homemade pie crust. It had that flavor and texture that made me crave a drink of water.

The raspberry part was smooth and sweet, but not overly sweet. They had a fresh raspberry taste, and reminded me of a raspberry jelly or jam. As I stated before, these cookies were made without refined sugars, so that’s something (as a Diabetic) I especially appreciate. Sweetener is sweetener to me, but the less refined the sweetener, I notice the less of an impact on my blood sugar levels. So a less guilty sweet treat for me? Count me in!

Overall, a perfect post-lunch treat. A good sized cookie, at only 110 calories and 4 grams of sugar. They reminded me of mini raspberry pies, but with a thicker crust! I’m not really sure why they are called puffs- I was expecting an airy or “puffy” cookie, but this was actually quite dense. Oh well, still yummy! 4 stars

Question- what’s your favorite thing involving the name “Irene” ? Let’s get some positive things to bring a better light to the name Irene after the hurricane!

Little high in saturated fat, but it’s a treat! And hey, it’s made with delicious butter 😉

27 Jul 2011, Comments (7)

Fabe’s Sweetened by Nature Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

Along with the delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookie I was sent for free from Fabe’s, they also sent me some others, including the Sweetened by Nature Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Cookie. According to the wrapper, this cookie is also  vegan, egg free, dairy free, all natural, and has no refined sugar.

I’m always a bit skeptical when something says it’s free of a lot of ingredients, as are some of my friends who I have heard comment to me in the past. Well, if it has no refined sugar, no eggs, no dairy, no gluten…what’s it made of? And HOW could it possibly taste good?

Well. I don’t know….doesn’t this look delicious?


Well – no worries here, Fabe’s has you covered. This particular cookie was actually quite delicious. The first thing I noticed is that it was VERY crumbly. It literally started to fall apart as I opened the wrapper, but I liked how it was a bigger cookie. However, there are 2 servings (read 1 serving if you’re me) in this cookie.

There were are a good amount of cranberries, which were chewy and sweet, and slightly tart. The cookie had a melt in your mouth consistency, and had a different texture than any cookie I ever had. It was almost like a crumb cake in texture. It was VERY sweet, but delicious, with a predominant orange zest flavor, and a  coconut flavor as well!

Overall, Fabe’s has proved that even without eggs, dairy, gluten or refined sugar, yummy cookies can be made. If I hadn’t eaten the whole cookie myself (ooooops….) I would bring it over to my skeptical friends to prove them wrong. This cookie gets 4 stars, because I wish it was a tad less crumbly. Also, this cookie has two servings, and it’s WAY too hard not to eat both. So delicious!

Cranberries- are you a fan? I would say I’m on the fence. If they are sweet and dried, I like them. But if they are too tart, I could definitely do without them!


23 Jul 2011, Comments (9)

Fabe’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

Got some free cookies, courtesy of Fabe’s, and of COURSE I had to try the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies first =) Seeing as I love both peanut butter AND chocolate… well, I guess to be fair, there are a LOT of people who love peanut butter and chocolate… So, let’s just say I did the Fabe’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie for YOU guys first 😉

I dont know about you, but those gooey chocolate chips pretty much won me over  on the spot.


The flavor was pretty good. Chewy and soft, with a mild peanut butter flavor, and pieces of nuts scattered throughout. It was a very rich cookie, and sweet but certainly not overly sweet. In fact, the raging sweet tooth I have kind of wishes it was a bit sweeter. It kind of had the sweet and salty combination going on, especially when I bit into a chocolate chip. Which, by the way, receiving these cookies in the mail on a hot day was sort of like a gift. These tasted like they were fresh out of the oven. The chocolate chips were gooey, but definitely had a different taste than what I’m used to- being a milk chocolate chip. They kind of reminded me of the Enjoy Life Boom Choco Boom Non Dairy Rice Milk chocolate bar in terms of flavor. Had a chocolate-like taste, with a vanilla flavor as well.

The middle of the cookie had that “I-just-took-these-out-of-the-oven-ten-minutes-ago” appeal, and like it was at the point where you take out a cookie and your not quite sure if it’s done or not. Your afraid it could be raw, but you dont want to overcook it. Thats how these cookies were in consistency. I’m not saying they were raw, but they were like a few steps beyond it. In other words, just the way I like it 🙂

Overall, very good cookie. It is pretty calorie dense, and has 12 grams of fat and 19 grams of sugar, and it’s also VEGAN and has no refined sugar. In other words,  my kind of cookie. I’m not vegan, but I dont mind when products are, and I certainly like when products are sweetened with other things besides refined sugar. I think this cookie is worth a try.  4 stars

What’s your favorite vegan cookie or baked good?


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

3 Jun 2010, Comments (0)

Suzanne’s Specialties Organic Maple Rice Nectar

Author: Healthnuttxo

We all know my love for maple and maple syrup- so you can BET I was excited when a jar of Suzanne’s Organic Rice Nectar in Maple variety landed on my doorstep, courtesy of Suzanne’s Specialities (thank—you!)

This sweetener is all natural, organic, gluten free, vegan, and has no refined sugars. According to the jar itself, “Organic Maple Rice Nectar is a rich, thick, absolutely delicious maple flavored syrup. We have simply added the very best natural maple flavorings to our Organic Genmai Rice Nectar. This all natural syrup contains no emulsifiers or stabilizers or preservatives”. 

Well, if you’re going to eat the sweet stuff, you might as well go with the healthiest ones out there!

So, instead of traditional maple syrup, I had some of this on top of my waffles tonight with a sliced banana. (Yes, I purposely had waffles for dinner to try this syrup!)

In the jar, it looks almost like coca- cola syrup, having a thick yet still moveable texture/consistency. As in, yes, I can pour it out of the jar faster than maple syrup, but it doesn’t POUR out of the jar like sugar free syrup would. It’s an inbetween consistency. I drizzled it on top of my waffles, and actually only needed 1 tablespoon. Some people drown waffles in syrup, but I think it’s better to have a small amount of the real stuff- you really get to savor the flavors of both the waffle and the syrup.

Anyway- this stuff was STICKY, yet TASTY! It almost had a buttery-maple flavor, but definietely a clean and pure maple flavor. I absolutely loved it. It was sweet, but not sugary-sweet, and just great on top of my waffles. I agree with what the jar says, how it will make what your eating “great tasting without the over-powering sweetness of those supermarket-type maple flavored syrups”. I can picture it really good stirred in oatmeal or oat bran as well. (And, we all know how yummy peanut butter & maple syrup sandwiches are. Yum!!)

Overall, 4 1/2 stars. Only 2 ingredients, it’s organic, and tasty. I love that it’s so pure and a little goes a long way. Just be careful, 1 Tablespoon has 60 calories- and boy is it easy  to eat one tablespoon of this 😉

2 Tbsp. is 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 31 carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein.

Organic Brown Rice Syrup, and Organic Maple Flavor.

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!!

28 May 2010, Comments (1)

Nutridel Pecan and Almond Cookies

Author: Healthnuttxo

Nutridel is a great brand that makes all natural, delicious cookies. These “cookies” are different than your typical chocolate chip, or sugary treat. They are filled with yummy nuts, seeds and grains, and don’t contain any refined sugar!

I tried the Oatmeal and Flaxseed varieites of the Nutridel cookies once before, but the folks over at Nutridel also sent me the Almond and Pecan flavors to try. Well- let me tell you, I LOVE THESE TWO FLAVORS! Thanks a bunch for sending me them, Nutridel, because I am now officially HOOKED!

Each cookie is flat, crunchy and about the size of a CD. You can see bits and pieces of nuts or seeds in each cookie. They all contain fiber, antioxidants, and are free of eggs, dairy, preservatives and hydrogenated oils. Sounds like my kind of cookie 😉

Almond- a pleasant almond aroma, this one has actual big slivers of almond throughout the cookie. Absolutely delicious. The almond flavor is so nice, you can even detect the “almond essences” listed in the ingredient list. Lightly sweet, but still very enjoyable.

Pecan- oh, wow, YUM! This is my favorite flavor. It has a buttery rich taste of pecans, with an almost fruity aftertaste. You can taste the light sweetness of the molasses as well. Satisfyingly crunchy and absolutely great.

Overall, I really love these 2 flavors. I give them 5 stars. Since I got my samples, I’ve already bought a few boxes of the Pecan and Almond flavors off of the website. Really, these cookies cannot be beat. Low sugar, high fiber, and made with whole wheat flour and all the good stuff! I like having these with yogurt, and I crumble them up on top of my “chocolate muffin/pudding sundae” for a nutritious boost and healthy crunch!

1 cookie is 59 calories, 1-2 grams of fat, 14 carbohydrates, 1.5-2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Almond- Whole Wheat Flour, Wheat Bran, Amaranth, Almonds, Molasses, Sunflower Oil and Natural Almond Essences.

Pecan- Whole Wheat Flour, Wheat Bran, Amaranth, Pecans, Molasses, Sunflower Oil and Natural Pecan Essence.

25 May 2010, Comments (11)

Nana’s Cookie Company Coconut Chip Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

Nana’s Cookie Company makes all their products in a special way- without eggs, dairy, refined sugars, cholesterol, no beet/cane products, and without trans fats. They make several types of delicious cookies and cookie bars, that are each unique and sure to please.

I’ve seen some of Nana’s products at my local Whole Foods, but never picked them up (and now I ask myself, WHY NOT!?!). So, you can bet I was excited when the company sent me their Coconut Chip Cookie, sweetened with fruit juice.

First off- WOAH. This cookie is BIG. I’m not talking “yeah, put too much cookie dough on the pan and it expanded too much” big. I’m talking BIG! This is definitely more than just a snack, it’s an indulgence, if you will. In fact, the company’s website states, “More than a treat, this rewarding combination of chocolate morsels and naturally sweet coconut is a delight from the first mouth-watering bite.”

Well, my mouth was certainly watering before I even took my first bite ! 😉

I opened up the cookie and just kinda stared at it for a minute to take it all in. Big chunks of chocolate chips, the sweet smell of coconut, and a thick, lightly browned cookie sat in front of me. There was no way I would be able to stick to the 1/2 a cookie serving size. I broke off a piece… COOKIE HEAVEN! It was sweet, buttery and rich. The chocolate chips melted in my mouth and was surrounded by a fragrant and delicious coconut flavor. WHAT a combination. This was soooo good. Soft and crumbly, an ideal cookie.

BUT- WHY on EARTH is 1/2 a cookie 180 calories? ACK! That’s the only reason this cookie isn’t getting 5 stars, because If you ate the whole thing, it sets you back 360 calories (whoops!). But honestly- it’s so worth it (props to you if you can have 1/2 at a time!) In a word, it’s delicious and addictive (guess that’s 2 words). I’m giving it 4 1/2 stars. Plus there’s no refined sugars and it’s sweetened with fruit juice- can’t be beat!

25 May 2010, Comments (0)

NibMor Dark Chocolate and Dark Chocolate with Almonds

Author: Healthnuttxo

Fan of Dark Chocolate? Then you need to check out Nibmor! They made chocolate that is all natural, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, organic, raw AND has no refined sugar! According to the website, “At NibMor we believe that the food we eat should be as simple as possible. That means using ingredients made by Mother Nature, not someone in a lab coat.”

Now that’s what I like to see- food at it’s finest. If I’m going to eat candy, I want the candy to be PURE!!

Anyway- Nibmor asked if I wanted to try their chocolates, and sent me a Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Dark Chocolate bar. I’m not much of a dark chocolate fan, but these seemed different. They were just so PURE sounding, I couldn’t resist! So, I actually was a bit excited to try these, and recruited my mom as well (the chocolate lover of the family) to give them a try.

First off, the texture is so different than any other chocolate bars I’ve tried. It’s SO soft- almost like it’s “melted”-but it’s not! Like really, I’m used to the types of chocolate where you have to break it and then hear a “snap!”, but no snap here! Just smooth, chocolatey goodness.

Original Dark Chocolate- A deep cocoa flavor, with both a slight vanilla and slight “berry” taste. Unique! But good, too! It was silky smooth, and almost “cool” tasting. It didn’t have much of a bite to it (like I said before), but was enjoyable. It’s very rich, and you don’t need more than a square for some satisfaction.

Dark Chocolate with Almonds- smells AWESOME! Again, the texture is great, smooth and silky. It had itty-bitty almond pieces scattered throughout, but other than that, didn’t provide much almond flavor. It was pretty much the same as the Original Dark Chocolate bar, but just with the almonds. However, still pretty good!

Overall, I approve! Including i’m not an avid dark chocolate fan, these were actually quite enjoyable. I like that you actually get a decent portion as well without a TON of calories or sugar. I also love that there isn’t any refined sugar, and that they are raw, vegan, gluten/dairy free, and according to the package, “As Close to Nature as it Gets!”. I’m giving these bars 4 stars– I hope one day they come out with milk chocolate or dark chocolate with peanut butter! Wouldn’t that be yummy!

Original Dark Chocolate- 31 1/2 grams is 120 calories, 7 grams of fat (4 saturated), 13 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Cacao, Raw Vanilla, Sea Salt, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier).

Dark Chocolate with Almonds- 31 grams (half of a 2.2 oz bar) is 130 calories, 8 grams of fat (3.5 saturated), 12 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.

Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Cacao, Organic Raw Almonds, Raw Vanilla, Sea Salt, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier).

Last day to enter the  YOUBAR giveaway!!

 

31 Dec 2009, Comments (6)

Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme

Author: healthnuttxo

Who want’s a fluffernutter? 😀
What’s better than the sweet and savory (and ultimately sinful) combination of marshmallow fluff and peanut butter. *Drool*
Unfortunately, the standard “fluff” in the supermarket (as tempting as it looks), is nothing more than corn syrup and refined sugar. Luckily, that’s where Suzanne’s Specialties comes in. They make vegan, all natural and organic sweeteners and toppings. They do not include refined sugars, cholesterol, fat, GMO’s, animal products, preservatives and are gluten free.

I certainly wanted a pb&fluff sammie once I recieved Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme. And look at my result..

                                                                                           ***heaven***

Clearly, this stuff is amazing. The creme with the peanut butter on some whole wheat bread was the ultimate combination. Sweet, creamy and delectable. I could go for another right now…

When you open the tub of ricemellow fluff, it smells sort of like cotton candy. It certainly is fluffy, however. I think it looks like the inside of a burnt marshmellow. You know, when your all laughing and having a good time roasting marshmellows, and then *GASP!* your marshmellow is on fire! Then the outside is a burnt mess,  but the inside is gooey and delicious. That’s what this stuff is. Sweet, gooey (and VERY sticky!!) and delicious. I caught myself several times sticking my knife in after making my sandwich for “just a bit more”. This tub is not going to last very long in my house…

Overall, 5 stars for this product. Soooo tasty and, no refined sugar or corn syrup! I also like this stuff paried with… 
1.Newman’s Own Cinnamon Sugar Soy Chips, use it as a dip.
2. Chocolate pudding and whole wheat pretzels, place a huge dollop on top. Delishh…
3.Apple Slices. Very good combination. And makes a healthy thing even sweeter. 🙂

Go buy this now!

2 tablespoons is 40 calories, 0 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 0 fiber, and 0 grams of protein.

Brown Rice Syrup, Soy Protein, Natural Gums & Natural Flavors.

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