Tags: vegan

9 Jan 2012, Comments (6)

Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter

Author: Healthnuttxo

Another nut butter to add to my addiction and to subtract money out of my wallet (*sigh*…that wallet never had a chance against any nut butters). Insert, Peanut Butter & Co Mighty Maple Peanut Butter. One of the tastiest I have tried from Peanut Butter & Co., this one is also gluten free and vegan

SIDENOTE: How cute is that monkey?! With a barbell!

This was a thick peanut butter- not much stirring required, hardly any actually. Look here, didn’t even move as I turned my fork to the side. (WHHHHAAAAAT you don’t eat nut butter out of the jar with a fork, too?)

The peanut butter has a mild sweetness, but I can definitely taste both the maple and the peanut butter. It has a roasted peanut taste, and then a hint of maple flavor. Not too salty or too sweet, but just right. I ate this directly from the jar, like most of my nut butters, and I can’t get enough of it. This isn’t my first jar, and it will not be my last.

One thing different from other peanut butters is I can “taste” and detect the granules- like a very mild grittiness to the peanut butter. Not like sand, or like anything that would ruin the peanut butter, but it is not 100% smooth.

Overall, delicious and addictive. A made a significant dent in my jar the first night. I’m too ashamed to show you the picture and I also don’t want to think about possibly eating 3-4 servings in one sitting, so I’m going to pretend it never happened. (*What peanut butter??*) I get remarks all the time about how fast I can finish a jar of peanut butter, and quite frankly, it doesn’t bother me a bit. Heart healthy fats, protein, and hey, I can think of worse things to inhale on a 2-3 day basis (sad, yet true. Shelf life of a jar of peanut butter in my house is 3 days tops).

One thing, is these are a bit pricy, I’ve seen them as much as 6+ dollars for a jar. So, from me, this one gets 4.5 stars =)

What’s your favorite flavor/variety from Peanut Butter & Co. if you have tried it? Mine is this one here.

26 Sep 2011, Comments (0)

Birdbath Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

I shouldn’t have done it.

Coming home from the gym today, I passed by this bakery, Birdbath Bakery. I have such a weak spot for cookies. Cake? dont need it. Ice cream? pass. Brownies? no thank you. But cookies? I. Cannot. Resist. Cookies.

So after I elliptical-ed (is that a word? It is now!) for an hour (ok, ok, 45 minutes) I wanted to take a peek inside the bakery. Maybe get a muffin or something. And then I saw a stack of cookies in various flavors. Some of them were vegan, and some weren’t I ended up getting 2 vegan cookies, and 1 not vegan- the chocolate chip, for 5 dollars.

The staff was very friendly, and I overheard that if you brought your own container in, you get $1 off your purchase AND, I read on the website you get 25% off if you come by skateboard or bike! Eco friendly alert!! :)

You can check out their website here- they are pretty amazing!

ANYWAY, back to the goodies. I already froze the other two cookies to eat later, because I KNOW I would eat all 3 in one sitting if they were in front of me.

This cookie. Was amazingly-amazing.I mean, really, HOW could this (half a cookie picture- wonder where the other half went?? =p ) taste bad?!?

Also note the grease spots on the bag. THATS how you know something
tastes good!

This cookie had the slightest crisp on the outside, and was soft, gooey and rich on the inside. It had a buttery taste, and was rather sweet, but very delicious. I noticed it even had a slight pretzel taste to it- weird – but it worked. It added that very slight salty taste that accompanied the big, gooey chocolate chunks.

Overall, a delicious cookie. Aside from the pretzel taste thing going on, a perfect chocolate chipper in my eyes. And at 3 for 5 $, thats a little over $1.50 per cookie, which isn’t too bad. Plus I’m loving the eco-friendly aspect of this place!!!

I kinda love this place.

I kinda couldn’t stop eating this cookie. In fact I demolished it in about 5 minutes.

I kinda can’t go here unless I went to the gym that day.

I kinda dont want to know how many calories, fat and sugar is in this cookie.

Because…I kinda dont care.

It’s that good ;)

SO, if you ever have the chance to go to Birdbath Bakery, I highly recommend the chocolate chip cookie! This was the non-vegan version, but they HAVE a vegan one as well!!  5 stars

Ever been to a vegan bakery? Which one? What did you get?

6 Aug 2011, Comments (12)

Fabe’s Sweetened by Nature Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cookie

Author: Healthnuttxo

I think I should start off by saying I don’t like dark chocolate.  I will eat it, but I find it too bitter, hardly sweet, and just unenjoyable for my taste buds. My taste buds much prefer milk chocolate, and white chocolate (with my FAVORITE white chocolate review here!) Nutrition courses via an accredited online college for people who have decided they want to
pursue their knowledge about health and nutrition further. It is helpful to learn from each other as well as experts and books.

So, before eating this, in the back of my head I thought, aw man, DARK chocolate? Boo! But who am I to judge based on the name? Who knows what it will taste like? It could be cookie heaven.

And it was…

As you can probably see, it was a bit crumby, and broke apart very easily. Kind of like the other gluten free cookie by Fabe’s. It was dense, and a bit “piecy” as I chewed it, but wow was it DE  LIC  IOUS. And yes, delicious is three words now, you didn’t know that? ; )  (kidding). Literally, this cookie melted in my mouth as I ate it. It was very sweet, and tasted like a brownie. Or just like chocolate frosting. Actually, how about a brownie WITH chocolate frosting on it. SO GOOD!

Seriously, Fabe’s knows how to make cookies. Yes, there are some crumb issues going on, so I wouldn’t reccommend eating this while your wearing white or at a friend’s house who can’t stand crumbs anywhere. In fact, I advise you don’t eat this cookie at that friends house, or I predict he or she will be very angry at you. However, feel free to eat it on your way out the door because you can’t wait until you get home. It’s that good. It’s so good I made up an imaginary friend for you who doesn’t like crumbs. Your welcome.

ANYWAY, this one gets 4 1/2 stars. Again, the crumb/consistency of the cookie is a bit off, but the flavor is right on. And the nutritional facts will set you back 280 calories if you polish off the whole cookie (hey…don’t point your finger at me. I only ate 3/4 of the cookie this time! =) ). Regardless, I think you should try this if you have the chance to!

I got this cookie to try for free from the company.

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?


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 =)

25 Jun 2011, Comments (8)

Peas of Mind Veggie Wedgies Baked Carrot Fries

Author: Healthnuttxo

The other day I went to Whole Foods (which is quite a bit of a drive from my house) with $12.00. I had intentions to only buy one thing (a pot pie) and then leave. I have no idea why on EARTH I thought it was a good idea to go in with only $12.00, as that was the day it seemed my Whole Foods had a whole bunch of new products. Since I had enough to buy one other thing, I was torn  between these Peas of Mind Veggie Wedgies Baked Carrot Fries and a few others. However, these looked the most unique, and at 4 servings a bag, I thought I could eat them at least more than once.

Some info on these fries from the bag…

I baked these in the toaster oven. I noticed that they really didn’t get super crispy, and there was literally NO grease at all (which makes sense, since they are fat free).

They reminded me of sort of a bread stick in texture, they were smooth on the outside but sightly crunchy on the edges. I decided to have a cheese omelet and some ketchup with these fries as well

I have no shame. I had multiple=

I have no shame. I went for multiple servings of ketchup that night.
Good thing we buy the economy sized bottle =)

So, onto the taste. I was so excited for these for a few reasons- low in fat, good way to get some extra veggies in, gives me an excuse to eat ketchup (just kidding). I tried one as is, no ketchup no nothing. And, well. bland. Very bland. Disappointingly bland. I really only tasted a hint of carrot flavor, and the first thing I thought was that these needed salt. They were slightly crunchy/smooth on the outside, with a more mushy interior. Kind of weird, actually, but not too bad.

Next, I dunked them in ketchup. This would explain why I went through, oh, I dont know, a good 1/4 of the bottle of ketchup that evening. They were good, but only when there was a lot of ketchup.

Overall, these were ok. I might eat them again given I had something to dunk them in or season them with, but I probably won’t buy them again. I do like that they are a healthier option to greasy french fries and that they are versatile in seasoning them up. However, they were not amazing enough for me to want to buy them again. 2 1/2 stars

My question- how do you think I should eat the other half of the bag? Any ideas? I was thinking about going the sweet route, and maybe adding some butter and brown sugar? ;)

24 Jun 2011, Comments (6)

Amy’s Kitchen Tofu Scramble with Hash Browns & Veggies

Author: Healthnuttxo

Yea, Yea I know what your thinking. Tofu? Ew.

Well, here’s me pleading you to reconsider. Or you can be anti-tofu if you want. That is until you try THIS dish. This dish completely transforms tofu from the “flavorless sponge” (as my friends refer to it at least), to delicious.

Doesn’t this look scrumptious?

Ok, minus the soggy tomato.

Let’s break it down into compartments. I’ll start with the soggy tomato. Honestly, the only part of this dish I didn’t like. But is it really fair I didn’t like that aspect of the meal? I’m really not a fan of tomatoes. Ketchup? Yes. Tomato sauce? Yes. But actual tomatoes. Nooooo. I guess the fact that it was soggy didn’t really help. But no problem, I just replaced that part of the dish with a heaping side of broccoli =)

Now, onto the hash browns. YUMMY. Great potato flavor, almost like a toasted or cooked potato flavor, and some aspects had a very slightly burnt flavor. The consistency was soft, but not mushy, and although not overpowering in flavor, I really enjoyed it.

Now, onto the winner. THE TOFU. It was legitimately delicious. A peppery, garlicy and oniony flavor, it was very rich and had an “eggy” flavor as well. There was also bits of carrots and spinach that added a bit of flavor. One thing to point out that it was greasy, which really contributed to the rich feel. HOWEVER, it really was so good. And there was a generous portion of the tofu scramble and the hash browns, which I really enjoyed.

Here’s the nutritional facts. LOVE how much protein there is, and so few carbs, but it
certainly is high in fat!

Overall, 4 1/2 stars. REALLY good, and certainly worth a try! This meal is also gluten free, dairy free AND vegan! =)

What about you? Fan of Tofu or no? If so, how do you eat/prepare it?

1 Jun 2011, Comments (3)

Crispy Greens Crispy Apples and Crispy Asian Pears

Author: Healthnuttxo

It’s safe to say that I have eaten at least one apple a day, every day, since I was in middle school. Yep- they ARE my favorite fruits! And quite a lot of years and a LOT of apples were eaten in that time! That’s what I was happy to try the Crispy Greens Crispy Apples with my breakfast this morning, as well as the Crispy Asian Pears.

What I liked about these is that the ingredients is just fruit. No salt, preservatives, or sugar added, it’s just freeze dred fruit. According to the bag, both of them are also gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and peanut free.

I decided to have these with my cereal this morning. Here’s what they looked like out of the bag. (Ignore my ugly handwriting =P )

The Apples

The Asian Pears

As you can see, there was a texture difference. Not huge, but certainly there.

The Crispy Apples were just that- crispy. They also had a nice little crunch to them. They were sweet, yet tart, and pretty good. The Crispy Asian Pears were very soft. Almost as if they were the apples, but I left the bag open over night and they softened up. They just didn’t have the same crunch and crispy consistency that the apples had. However, the flavor was really yummy! They tasted just like a juicy pear would. They were also very sweet. In fact, I couldn’t get over just how sweet they were, and to think there was no added sugar!

Overall, pretty good! I added them to my cereal with almond milk and a banana, and thought they made a great addition. Gotta love that it’s just fruit, and no added sugar or preservatives! 4 stars

10 grams (1 bag) is 40 calories,  0 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram  of fiber, 7 grams of sugar and 0 grams of protein.

Have you eaten one of the same things every day? What is it?


I got these to try, for free, from the company.

25 May 2011, Comments (5)

Fruitzio Freeze Dried Fruit Snacks Apples & Strawberries

Author: Healthnuttxo

I got some free stuff from Crispy Green (thanks again!!!) including the Fruitzio Freeze Dried Fruit Snacks Apples & Strawberries.

haha - I love it! an apple juggling strawberries!

These lovely snacks are all natural, and according to the package are also “peanut/tree nut free, gluten free, dairy free, vegan”. What I like about it also, is that there are ONLY three ingredients-”Apples, Strawberries and Cane Sugar”. At first I was a bit puzzled by the cane sugar- I have had freeze dried fruit before and I find it to be sweet enough, but the package also stated that there was “just a hint of natural sugar”. I’m assuming it was added just to bring out the sweetness a little bit. Regardless, it didn’t seem to effect the nutritional information in a tremendous way.

I opened up the package and saw big slices of strawberries and apples. I liked that the pieces were big rather than tiny.

The apple pieces were soft, yet crunchy. They had a sweet and quite yummy apple flavor. If I had to guess as to which apple it was, I would say a Macintosh. It doesn’t state what kind on the bag, so who knows for sure. The strawberries were crunchy as well, and actually quite tart! They were still pretty tasty, but I preferred the apples over the strawberries, even though I found more strawberry pieces than apple slices in my bag.

Overall, pretty good! I felt these were a bit crunchier and a bit sweeter than other freeze dried fruit I have had in the past. I also threw these into my cereal in the morning for some added sweetness and crunch. 4 stars

What’s your FAVORITE freeze-dried fruit? I have always been partial to bananas (:

In case you're wondering...

I got these to try, for free, from the company.

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