Tags: no sugar added

7 Jul 2011, Comments (5)

Amazing Grass Organic GreenSuperFood Whole Food Energy Bar

Author: Healthnuttxo

As a kid growing up, I was always told “Greens are Ninja Turtle food”. If we wanted to be strong and cool (or just be a ninja turtle for that matter), we had to eat our green vegetables. Oh and the fact that dessert wasn’t allowed to be eaten until the vegetables were gone probably had something to do with it too. But that’s besides the point.

And, well, I’ve eaten my fair share of green vegetables over the years and I’ve yet to see any transformation. Just saying.

But anyway, hoping to come to the green rescue is the Amazing Grass Organic GreenSuperFood Whole Food Energy Bar. According the the wrapper of the bar, it is organic, raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy and soy free, and has no sugar added.

It had a slighty fruity smell, almost like a date. The bar was very dense, but also soft to chew. The taste was pretty fruity, and surprisingly sweeter than I had expected. It reminded me sort of like a raspberry flavored fruit leather, but softer, and definitely not as sweet. It also reminded me of what the inside of a fig newton tasted like, but again, not as sweet. The tiny pieces of walnuts that were in the bar I liked, because it added a bit more flavor.

Overall, not too bad, but not my favorite. It was lackluster for me, but the nutritional facts were impressive. Chock full of awesome ingredients, such as organic dates, organic wheat grass, organic flax lignans and more. I felt as if it truly was a bar from nature, and green inspired. However, it wasn’t so good as to where I would buy it again (although I recieved this sample for free). And even though it was sugar free, I felt like I wanted to drizzle icing on it. Curse my sweet tooth. 2 1/2 stars

Have you ever watched the Ninja Turtles? Which one was your favorite? Leonardo was mine =)

23 May 2010, Comments (6)

Penny’s Low Fat Desserts Banana Bran Muffin

Author: Healthnuttxo

Ah, two of my favorite things, finally combined. Penny’s Low Fat Desserts, and Banana muffins. I’ve had some of Penny’s lovely desserts before- like her delicious muffin tops, and her chocolate truffle and cinnamon toffee cookies. So how on EARTH could I turn Penny down when she offered me to try her new Banana Bran muffin? (Obviously I couldn’t- then you wouldn’t be reading a review! ;) )

Penny sent me a few of her new, all natural, no sugar added Banana Bran Muffins. Each muffin is only 100 calories and is sweetened naturally with rebiana, or stevia. They are a pretty decent size, 3 ounces, not as big as those super-muffins you get at the deli, but a good sized muffin. I popped it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so since I put them in my fridge( and I reccommend you heat it up for a few seconds when you try it!!), and sat down to review. The smell was awesome-I just knew I was going to like these. I. LOVE. BANANA! :D

I took a bite, and was actually quite pleased. It’s “fudgy” in texture-soft, and fluffy. It’s actually sweeter than I imagined it to be, but still good. The banana flavor was good too- no fake banana flavor, but a real ” there are actual bananas, not just banana extracts in this muffin” flavor.  It also had a buttery flavor as well. In other words, this muffin was GOOD! I liked that you could see bits of banana actually thoughout the muffin. Yum!

One tip I have- spread peanut butter on this muffin! (taking into consideration you are not allergic to peanut butter. Please, do not do that then!!) Oh my, it was SO amazing with a smear of all natural peanut butter. I’m just mad that I didn’t think of spreading peanut butter on it until I was halfway done with the muffin (woops! ).

Overall, this muffin gets 4 1/2 stars. Good job, yet again, Penny! This muffin also has only three grams of sugar and six grams of fiber. Can’t be beat in my books ;)

1 muffin is 90 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 28 carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 10 sugar alcohols, 2 sugars and 4 grams of protein.

water, wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), erythritol, pasteurized egg whites, wheat bran, bananas, milk, chicory root, cellulose, natural flavors, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, cornstarch, sodium bicarbonate), rice syrup solids, salt, palm oil, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, guar gum, rebiana, soybean lecithin.

27 Feb 2010, Comments (3)

NuttZo Multi-Nut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

I’m sure everyone has heard of NuttZo, the multi nut butter. Not only does it have peanuts, it has cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds AND flaxseeds, all in one spread. I have seen that it’s very popular in bloggie world, so I was excited when the company sent me a jar of their organic nutty spread.

Some facts about this nut butter before I begin…
1. It provides 50% of your daily needs of ALA Omega 3 per serving with 650 mg.
2. all the ingredients are organic & kosher
3. There is no sugar added (yay!)
4. This nut butter is actually stored upside down for easy stirring (it’s about time a nut butter company got smart!! ;) ) All you have to do is open, stir and then refrigerate with the lid up (the words will be upside down).
5. NuttZo is also a sponsor/supporter or ProjectLeftBehind.

Okay, so it has some awesome facts. But how does it taste?

Well, if you like love nuts and seeds, you will like love this nut butter! Seriously- I opened up the jar, and there were TONS of nuts and seeds. Think of Skippy Chunky Peanut Butter- and then multiply by 5. You CANNOT get a tablespoon without a nut or a seed on it, ESPECIALLY flaxseeds. There are some serious flax seeds going on in this jar.

look at all those nuts & seeds!

Anywho- aside from the sort of offputting appearance (in my opinion, anyway), the taste really isn’t bad. It’s very crunchy (obviously), and has an almost buttery taste. THe most prominent nut flavor to me was the flax and hazelnut. I really didn’t taste any cashew or almond flavors, but it did have a wee bit of a peanut taste, that was slightly sweet due to the fact that they were Valencia Peanuts. This nut spread certainly is satisfying, and you really only need 2 tbsp. in one sitting. I had mine straight out of the jar and on a piece of hearty whole grain bread, drizzled with honey. Since there is no sugar, it is a bit bland, so the honey played up the nutty taste quite well.

Overall, I give this 3 stars for taste, and 4 1/2 for nutrition, so a total of  3 1/2 stars. While the nutrition is excellent, I wasn’t crazy about the numerous amounts of flaxseeds, and I’m not too fond of the taste of flaxseed as well. The crunchiness was nice, however, and it was certainly satisfying. I prefer my nut butters a bit sweeter, and creamier, but if you are a fan of crunchy of chunky nut butters- give this a shot!!

Do you guys like NuttZo? What is your favorite way to eat it?

1 serving (2 Tbsp) is 180 calories, 16 grams of fat, 7 carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein.

Organic Valencia Peanuts, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Hazelnuts, Organic Cashews, Organic Almonds, Organic Brazil Nuts, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Sea Salt, Vitamin E, Natural Tocopherols.

2 Jan 2010, Comments (2)

Whole Earth Tap’n Apple apple butter spread

Author: Healthnuttxo

Building off of the previous post of Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme, I thought I would do a review on another new favorite spread of mine, Whole Earth’s Tap’n Apple apple butter spread. It has fierce competition with Suzanne’s and Vermont Village Cannery’s apple butter spread when lunch time rolls around and I have one slice of bread smothered in peanut butter and the other…*naked!*

So, this particular Apple Butter spread is literally smooshed apples in a jar. There is no sugar added, no preservatives, no artificial colors, dyes or flavors, and is naturally fat, cholesterol and sodium free. The company Whole Earth (manufactured by PANOS brands) “began as a little company with big ideas about offering more natural, healthier foods. Since 1967, Whole Earth has lived this passion-delivering the most delicious all  natural tastes!” :D

Now, let us begin. When you think “apple” the color that comes to mind is…green. BUT. The color of this apple butter is more like this, BROWN. To tell you the truth, I’m  not sure why. Apples have skins of red, green and yellow, and flesh of white, but this apple butter is brown. They do add apple cider, so perhaps that has something to do with the coloring.

Anywho- upon opening the jar, it smells like sweetened applesauce and has a creamy, soft texture. The apple butter tastes like a sweetened applesauce as well (but alas! no added sugar!), but is much thicker and not “grainy” as applesauce can sometimes be. It also has a hint of cinnamon flavoring in the background. To bring that flavor out, I added a heaping tablespoon to the whole jar and just a wee bit of nutmeg, and mixed it throughly. After doing so- the flavor was incredible! Cinnamon-y, apple-y, butter-y! ;)
5 stars for sure !

I like this stuff best, obviously, spread generously on peanut butter sandwiches. But, it was also really good…
1. spread on waffles,
2.mixed in with plain yogurt,
and [don't say ew- it's AMAZING!]
3. A sandwich, with 1 slice of bread spread with 1 The Laughing Cow Wedge Cheese in Garlic & Herb flavor, and one slice of bread spread with the Apple Butter. Such a good combo. Tastes sort of like “cream cheese & jelly”. Delish!!

How do you like to eat Apple Butter? Is there a brand YOU like?
Let me know, bloggies!

1 Tablespoon is 20 calories, 0 grams of fat, 5 carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, and 0 grams of protein.

The ingredient list is also music to my ears…short, sweet & simple.
Apples, Apple Cider.

4 Dec 2009, Comments (3)

Penny's Low Fat Desserts Toffee Cinnamon & Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Author: healthnuttxo

Well, we all know I looooooove Penny’s Low Fat Desserts. She makes some kickin’ products that taste great, are all natural, and have a reasonable portion size for relatively low amount of calories and fat. I reviewed her muffin tops (which ROCKED) here, so if you are unfamiliar with her products, check it out.

Recently I received the No Sugar Added Toffee Cinnamon Cookie in the mail. It’s Penny’s new product, targeted especially for Diabetics (coincidence- I AM a type 1 Diabetic! ;) ). I also tried the other variety Penny offers, the Chocolate Truffle. These cookies are sweetened with erythritol and rebiana rather than sugar, are high in fiber and are only 100 calories each.
No Sugar? you ask. Aren’t these going to be bland and have that weird aftertaste?
HA!
These cookies will ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. Read on, bloggies ! 8)

Chocolate Truffle- This cookie fooled my taste buds into thinking it was eating atruffle. It is sooo moist and crumbly, almost a buttery texture. It was sweet, with a deep chocolately taste. The outside rim is slightly lighter in color than the rest of the cookie, and is the sweetest and softest part of the cookie. It’s so hard to believe there isn’t any sugar in this- it’s AMAZING. It was satisfying and filling too, with the 7 grams of fiber.

Toffe Cinnamon Cookie- ahhhhh. Also heavenly. It has a delicate flavor, crumbly, soft and melts in your mouth. It was also sweeter on the edges of the cookie than in the middle. It reminded me of the top of those cinnamon crumb cakes. It paired very well with some vanilla yogurt too.

I was literally upset when these cookies were over, they are so good. I hope she comes out with another flavor soon. Something peanut buttery? Caramel? Chocolate Chip? I love the texture of the cookies the most. It melts in your mouth.Penny. You are a genious! 5 stars for your no sugar added cookies from heaven ;)

Chocolate Truffle Cookie- 1 cookie is 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, 32 carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber,and 3 grams of protein.
Toffee Cinnamon Cookie-1 cookie is 100 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
Chocolate Truffle Cookie-erythritol, water, oats, dried plums, whole wheat flour, pasteurized egg, cellulose, chocolate liquor, alkalized cocoa, natural flavors, rice syrup solids, chicory root extract, xanthan gum, guar gum, sodium alginate, gum acacia, food starch, ammonium calcium alginate, baking soda, palm oil, salt, cinnamon, soy lecithin, rebiana.
Toffee Cinnamon Cookie- erythritol, oats, water, dried plums, whole wheat flour, pasteurized egg, cellulose, chocolate, natural flavors, rice syrup solids, chicory root extract, xanthan gum, guar gum, sodium alginate, gum acacia, food starch, ammonium calcium alginate, baking soda, palm oil, salt, cinnamon, soy lecithin, rebiana.

Hey, you! Don’t forget to enter the DONUT and 150$ giveaway by Holey Donuts! Just visit the website and put MY blog name and website in the subject line, and fill out the contact info. Then leave me a comment. More info provided HERE.

Jenny from PB&J is also hosting a giveaway.!

23 Nov 2009, Comments (2)

Vermont Village Cannery Organic Applesauce & Apple Butter

Author: healthnuttxo

Time for Thanksgiving review number 2! I figured applesauce and apple butter would fit the bill nicely. We always use applesauce as a compliment to the other dishes, but I like it in place of gravy with my turkey and I like using it as a condiment the next day for cold turkey and apple sandwiches. Yum! So i was excited to try products by Vermont Village Cannery. They make applesauce in the individual cups and jars in flavors Original Unsweetened, Raspberry, Mixed Berry, Peach, Strawberry-Banana, Maple Syrup, Tropical Mango, Cranberry and Cinnamon and they also make a Spiced Apple Butter.  Basically, me being the fan of applesauce that i am, i’m in applesauce heaven. All of the products are naturally grown and made in Vermont, and the apples are purchased locally and are pesticide free. They also don’t have any added sugars or preservatives, and most of the products are organic if not all  natural.
I got to try the Peach, Cinnamon, Strawberry Banana and Maple Syrup varieties of the applesauce, and the spiced apple butter. What did i think?

Each of the applesauces had a velvety smooth texture, which I absolutely loved. No chunks, pieces or even tiny blumps in these applesauces. It had a smooth feeling going down, and you can tell a lot of TLC was put into cooking and making the applesauces. I enjoyed every single flavor I tried.

Peach- this one had a strong and subtly sweet peach flavor, complimented nicely by the apple. I froze this one for about 30 minutes, and had a little peach slushie. Yum! 4 stars

Cinnamon- oooh. total dessert applesauce we got here. SO smooth, SO delicious. The cinnamon flavor is absolutely perfect, and it tastes as if it had been simmering with cinnamon sticks and cooked for a while to acheive such a good taste. 4 1/2 stars :)

Strawberry-Banana- this one had more of a tartness to it than the peach, probably due to the strawberry flavor. I didn’t taste much banana, but rather more of a strawberry-apple combination. It also had just the right amount of sweetness. 4 stars

Maple Syrup-  another favorite. I was so excited to try this one, because i adore maple flavored things. It was the smoothest out of all of them texture wise, and had just a hint of maple flavor. It also had a bit of a lemon aftertaste. I heated it up in the microwave and it tasted like the inside of an apple pie. Deeeeeeee-lish. I would liek to crush some graham cracker crumbs and heat this up and place it on top- sort of like a mock pie! 4 1/2 stars

Spiced Apple Butter- Vermont Village Cannery is awarded BEST APPLE BUTTER EVER. Seriously. This stuff BLEW ME AWAY. It had a buttery (heh, no pun intended) consistency and it was sweet despite no added sugar. It had a nice blend of a nutmeg/cinnamon/maple taste, and I would totally eat it out of the jar (in fact, i did ;) ) . It was perfect on waffles and heated up. I also used it in place of jelly for my usual PB&J and let’s just say I didn’t miss my sweet grape jelly at all. This stuff is SO good YOU MUST TRY IT. 5 stars!!!

Overall, obviosuly I loved these products. There great and perfect this time of the year, and anytime in my eyes :) I’m giving 4 stars to the applesauce, and 5 for the apple butter. I would like to try the tropical mango variety. It sounds delish! Clearly, Apples +Vermont Village Cannery = amazing. Keep up the good work!

What’s your favorite flavor of applesauce? Tell me here!

1 individual cup/ 1/2 cup applesauce ranges from 60-80 calories, 0 grams of fat, 16-20 carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.

1 Tablespoon of the applebutter provides 30 calories, 0 grams of fat,  8 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of protein.

Peach-Organic apples, Organic peach and apple puree, organic white grape juice concentrate, vitamin C, natural flavor.
Cinnamon-Organic apples,  organic white grape juice concentrate, organic cinnamon, organic nutmeg, vitamin C.
Strawberry Banana-Organic Apples, Organic Bananas, Organic Strawberries, Organic White Grape Juice Concentrate, Vitamin C, Natural Flavors.
Maple Syrup- Apples, Maple Syrup, Grape Juice Concentrate, Vitamin C.

Spiced Apple Butter- Organic Apple Puree, Organic Apples, Organic Spices, Organic Caramel Color.

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