June 30, 2007
· Filed under 3 Stars, Breakfast, Food Review, Oatmeal, Quaker
Simple Harvest Apple Cinnamon – Quaker Oatmeal
3 Stars
( Nutrition facts for one package : 150 Calories, 1.5 g fat, 32 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 12 g sugar, 4 g protein)
So I pretty much consider myself to be a pretty boring and a really predictable eater. And most mornings, unless I am feeling wild and crazy ( or my mom offers to make me a yummy omelet) I have some kind of oatmeal for breakfast. The only problem is that once you have oatmeal everyday for a couple of months it can get kind of boring… so when I saw the new “Simple Harvest” line from Quaker I jumped at the chance to mix up my oatmeal routine with a new and inventive, as well as healthy, option. Although the flavor was a little different than the average Quaker oatmeal, all in all it left me a little under whelmed.
The packaging for this oatmeal is very unique, and I give it two bigs thumbs up. The outside box lies flat, long ways and features a viewing section where you can see the ” all natural” ingredients. Which besides some distinctive chunks of barley really do not look that much different than the standard Quaker oatmeal contents. The individual oatmeal packages also feature a clear back feature that is different than the usual brown bagged Quaker packs. I like this alot because the bags seem less permeable and easy to damage.
As far as taste goes the “Simple Harvest” Apple Cinnamon was good, but not any better tasting to me than the regular Quaker Apples and Cinnamon. It definitely had a slightly more “Kashi-ish” look to it, with the whole grains etc, but unlike with Kashi, I didn’t feel like it really contributed at all to the overall taste.
I have not found any other reviews of this product so let me know what you think!
June 30, 2007
· Filed under 4 Stars, Chicken, Food Review, Frozen Dinner, Lean Cuisine
Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza Lean Cuisine
4 Stars
(Nutrition facts: 340 calories, 7 g fat, 49 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 20 g protein)
I am soooo sick of the pizza that my parents buy every single Friday. Most days I enjoy posing the question around three or four o’clock, ” Hey Mom, what’s for dinner today?” But Fridays, I honestly don’t even bother. Fridays are pizza day. So while at Walmart today I picked up the Roasted Garlic Chicken Lean Cuisine pizza to spice up the night and give it a little variety, TGIF. And boy was it a nice change! Maybe this pizza is just riding the tailcoats of my escape from monotony, but I really enjoyed it!
First off, this pizza is huge! I was amazed at how long it took me to eat it. In fact, in the time that it took me to eat this delightful low cal pizza I could have easily eaten two or three pieces of regular horribly fattening and hi-cal pizza. The crust was crispy, although I think I should proubably have microwaved mine a little bit longer. The box suggests microwaving it in thirty second intervals after the initial microwave time to increase the crispy. The main reason I have given this pizza four stars instead of five lies in the chicken. It was eh. There were really only a couple of pizza and they were just stuck to the top haphazardly… not exactly amazing if you ask me.
I proubably wouldn’t recommend this pizza as an every night kind of dinner. Of other Lean Cuisine’s it is slightly higher in calories and fat, and carbohydrates for sure. But if you know that other people in your family having pizza is going to be to much to bear ( while you sit nibbling away it your wild greens salad) then I would definitly reccomend this as an alternative.
BUT only if you like garlic, you can see chunks of garlic in the cheese. I am a huge fan of garlic and I loved it. Bring a tic tac or some gum though because the aroma is definitly only going to be pleasing to someone who gets to enjoy the pizza. Proubably not so much for the next person who talks to you… : )
Here is what some other reviewers have said about the pizza:
- Heat.Eat.Review. gave the pizza four out of five stars and said that it was ” better than most Lean Cuisine pizzas” and that those around them were “seriously impressed” with the aroma.
- The ladies over at KVUE in Dallas gave this pizza five out of five lunch bags. Apparently Lean Cuisine has changed their evaluation of the number of calories though because according to this site the pizza only has 290.
- I.Ate.A.Pie.net gave the pizza three out of five stars, they said that they liked that there was a lot of cheese but they didn’t like the sauce.
Overall a yummy dinner. I paired it with a salad and had a great time escaping the mundane : )
June 26, 2007
· Filed under 5 Stars, Food Review, Jello, Sugar Free
Sugar Free Jello Dulce De Leche
5 Stars
( Nutrition facts for one pre packed cup: 60 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugar, 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein)
Dulce de Leche : a milk based syrup found as both a sauce and a caramel like candy….
and it is oh so yummy! In fact, there are few words to describe how much I enjoyed this delicious treat from Jello Sugar Free and Fat Free Pudding. Sixty calories, and sugar free AND fat free- you’ll have no idea. As contrived as it might be for me to say it- well eating this treat definitely “feels like cheating”. Although according to one site I looked at if you are familiar with real “dulce de leche”, which I am not, but if you are, then apparently you won’t be impressed? But hey, it is still yummy…
Unfortunately I couldn’t find a picture of what the package looks like, but I found my pack over in the refrigerated section near the other Jello/Cozy Shack puddings at my local Super Walmart.
If you enjoy the flavor try these other Dulce de Leche hits:
- DaVinci Syrups has a Dulce De Leche flavor, and it comes in sugar free as well!
I believe Starbucks even carries this for a sugar free version of their Dulce De Leche drink : )Yum-o!
If you enjoy caramel and pudding ( and who doesn’t?) then you should definitely try this as a fun snack for on the go. Although as a whole the pudding snack isn’t really very filling it’s nice to be able to taste something so unique and sweet.
June 24, 2007
· Filed under 2 Stars, 3 Stars, Energy Bar, Food Review, Luna
Luna Bar- Nutz Over Chocolate/Lemon Zest
3 Stars/ 2 Stars
( Nutrition
Facts for one bar Nutz Over Chocolate: 180 calories, 4.5 g fat, 24 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 12 g sugar, 10 g protein)
( Nutrition facts for one bar Lemon Zest: 180 calories, 4 g fat, 27 g carbohydrates, 12 g sugar, 10 g protein)
So as of this morning I was an energy bar virgin. I had never in my life ever eaten an entire energy bar. Okay I admit it, I had taken a nibble or two in high school w/ my tennis playing buddies, but I had never bought one. All that changed last night when I was at Walmart and stumbled into a display for Luna, and picked one up.I was a little scared at first and kept putting off eating it. Part of me really really wanted it to be good. Who wouldn’t love to have a 180 calorie delicious snack that they can count on? Another part of me dreaded the chalky taste I hadn’t gotten during my high school experimentation.
This bar lived up to both of my expectations. Was it disgusting no? Did it taste chalky? Heck no. Was it delicious? …eh Did the chocolate taste fake? Heck yes! While I actually ended up needing the Luna bar conveniently held away in my purse after dinner was delayed a little. Unfortunately, the bar had melted a little after being melted in the Texas sun. I ate about half and stuffed it back in my purse.
When I got home I stuck the bar in the freezer, which ended up being a really good decision! I tasted great frozen. A bar that might have taken me just a minute to eat ended up taking me about ten because it was frozen solid. It tasted great though, AND for some reason fake chocolate when frozen doesn’t taste quite so weird.
UPDATE: So I tried to Lemon Zest bar… what a headache! Is it just me or is this bar super money? And super sweet? Good thing I waited until after my work out to try this because Iwouldn’t have made it ten seconds on the elliptical after this. Everyone seems to enjoy it though according to other posts… am I completely alone on this one?
Ultimately though I wasn’t really very impressed with the bar. I do plan on trying other Luna bars in the future though, any suggestions?
June 17, 2007
· Filed under 5 Stars, Food Review, Jenny-O
Jennie-O Turkey Franks
5 Stars
(Nutrition facts for one frank: 70 Calories, 5 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein)
Is it just me or does it feel just a little weird to call hot dogs franks? I dunno about you but saying I “ate a frank” sounds a little dirty and just plain wrong. But I am willing to call it that if Jennie-O wants me to because these were sooo yummy!
I was a little worried at first when I bought them but I think this table side anecdote will reassure any other buyer as much as it comforted me. SO- My dad was cooking the hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner and I asked him to make two of my turkey franks so I could try them. So he piled them all onto the grill and come dinner time it wasn’t very clear which “franks” were mine and which were the regular hot dogs. The only real distinguishing element of the turkey hot dogs were that they were shorter. So we are sitting at the table and I turn to my dad and go “Hey Dad, can you hand me one of my turkey dogs” and he looks at the plate and goes oops. My brother had already eaten one of them. My brother the most finicky eater in the world had accidentally eaten one of my turkey hot dogs! I was shocked, and super psyched.
Thankfully there was one turkey dog left, and it tasted exactly like a hot dog. It was even better wrapped in a White Wheat Nature’s Own bun with onions/relish/and tomatoes on top and I couldn’t tell a difference. Which is GREAT because regular hot dogs aren’t so great for you. OH and this pack of eight at my Local Walmart-Superstore was under a dollar! If that isn’t a great reason to give it a try!
I wasn’t able to find any reviews of this particular product but if you have found some please let me know. But I did find these comments about other turkey dog products
- I.Ate.A.Pie.net reviewed the Ball Park Bun Sized White Turkey Smoked Franks and disliked the salty taste, they only gave the product 2 out of 5 points.
And if you have tried any other kind of turkey frank or sausage product whether it was good or bad, share the informational wealth!
June 15, 2007
· Filed under 4 Stars, Food Review, Frozen Dinner, Lean Cuisine
Lean Cuisine Sesame Stir Fry with Chicken
4 Stars
( Nutrition Facts: 300 calories, 6 g fat, 41 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 20 g protein)
Ah stir fry… as you may have read in the P.F. Chang’s entry Chinese food and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship. No matter where I go it seems like the food is just dripping with grease and sauce- which isn’t exactly my idea of appetizing. I mean who really wants that, really? honestly?
With all this in mine, this Lean Cuisine dish was absolutely perfect for me. The noodles and veggies definitely weren’t dripping in grease or sauce. In fact, there was just the right amount of sesame sauce to keep me happy. It coated the noodles and veggies but there wasn’t a plate full of it at the end.
The new ‘Twice the Veggies’ campaign that Lean Cuisine created the opportunity for my enjoyment of edamame, broccoli, and peppers, yummy. I have to admit there were a lot of veggies but I find it slightly depressing that there were twice as many in this dish as in other Lean Cuisine dishes… there wasn’t that many veggoes. So either the regular Lean Cuisine’s have hardly no veggies, or I got gypped on this box.
The chicken was typical Lean Cuisine chicken, as usual you just have to grin and bear it. Although I think I have discovered the secret to good chicken in a frozen entree. The chicken needs to stay whole, the second the chicken is split or sliced in any way moisture seeps in and mushy, mystery chicken ensues. Which is ultimately proubably why the dish received a four and not a five, well that and the veggie situ.
My absolute favorite part of the dish were the noodles, which according to Lean Cuisine are ‘ wheat vermicelli’ which in layman’s terms to me means ’skinny long wheat noodles’. Whatever, they are very yummy, and create great contrast with the crunchy veggies.
Here is what some other reviewers have said about the dish
- Heat.Eat.Review. gave the dish 3 1/2 stars out of 5. The reviewer, Nicole, has some interesting things to say about the ‘out of the shell’ edamame, and there are some nice tips from other eaters who have commented on the entry.
- I.Ate.A.Pie.net enjoyed the dish and gave it 5 stars, but offers caution towards the entree’s sodium content.
- The Diet Detective has marked this meal as well as the other Lean Cuisine’s with ‘Twice the Veggies’ as a “calorie bargain’.
So, overall I’d say the Lean Cuisine Sesame Stir Fry with Chicken was a yummy, filling, and delightful stir fry treat that kept even the most wary Chinese- eater happy: )
June 9, 2007
· Filed under Food Review
P.F. Chang’s and Healthy Dining… an Oxymoron?
I entered P.F. Chang’s Friday night with one goal- to try and find at least two dishes that were yummy and that I wouldn’t feel horrible for having eaten.
Truthfully, I don’t really care about eating grease and/or fat. I love pizza, my moms meat loaf, and sausage patties and eat them on a semi regular basis without any feelings of guilt. One thing I don’t like though is food that I can not taste because of the fat/ grease/ who knows what that is dripping off of it. It does something to my soul just to look at the food…and inevitably this means that me and Chinese food aren’t exactly good friends.
I had never been to P.F. Chang;s before which also put me at a disadvantage. Their menus have no pictures or catchy phrases to help me in deciphering the content of the food. The names of the food also aren’t in English ( duh) so I was pretty much grasping at straws. BUT my boyfriend and I were able to find two delicious salads that we loved.
I had the Oriental Chicken Salad. I ordered it without the wonton strips and with the salad dressing on the side. I really enjoyed it. The mixed greens at P.F. Chang’s is a really unique and satisfying mix. There was lettuce and carrots sure but there was also cucumber spirals and asparagus which i really enjoyed. The chicken was just plain old white meat chicken but I love chicken so i was happy. The waitress made a great hot sauce for us at the table which I loved even more than the ginger vinegrette that cam with the salad. It was great for dipping the chicken in. And did I mention the salad was HUGE! I ate for about half an hour and still had a very large portion to take home. According to the P.F. Chang’s website the Oriental Chicken salad is 900 calories and 55 g of fat. I can guarantee you that is not what I got. I suppose if you ate all of the dressing and wontons strips though that that would add up.
My boyfriend got the Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Salad. I tried a couple bites of the salmon and it was great. The salmon flavors were really good and since the salmon is steamed the healthy score is fairly high. Of course this salad is higher in fat because of the fat in the salmon but hey it’s the good yummy fish fat : ) His mixed greens also had the asparagus and cucumber swirls. According the P.F. Changs website this salad has 610 calories and 35 g of fat. I am sure those numbers lower drastically though when you ask for the dressing on the side.
Overall, P.F. Chang’s was an interesting and entertaining experience. The inside of the restaurant was a little loud but the ambiance was good and the surrounding art was entertaining and fun. Then again each of the salads were $9.00 plus tip…
The P.F. Chang’s website is very helpful to look at before you go to the restaurant. There are nutrition facts for all of their dishes as well as a list of the ingredients so you will know what to ask for on the side or what to avoid altogether.
If you have tried P.F. Chang’s and had a really good/really bad dish let me know! Cause I’ll definitly go back, and maybe even get a little more adventurous.
June 6, 2007
· Filed under 5 Stars, Food Review
Edy’s No Sugar Added Fruit Bars
5 Stars
(Nutrition facts for one bar: 30 calories, 0 g fat, 8 carbohydrates,1 g fiber, 2 g sugar)
I live in a suburb of Houston, Texas. There are days in June when I walk outside and wonder if hell has not risen up and overcome my neighborhood. While some northerners are familiar with warming up their cars before heading off to work, I have on several occasions had to cool off my car before getting in. So while shopping at my local Walmart Superstore I decided that I wanted to indulge in a cool and refreshing treat. Luckily I picked these fruit bars up and boy are they seriously YUMMY!
While at the store I noticed that there are actually two varieties of the Fruit Bars from Edy’s that have No Sugar Added. One box has Black Cherry, Strawberry-Kiwi, and Mixed Berry. The other box has Strawberry, Tangerine, and Raspberry. I picked up the first box and loved it. All of the flavors are great though I am sure.
I have never tried a real “fruit bar” before, and if you haven’t yet either, you should. I was shocked to see actual real ( i hope) fruit seeds in the bar. The part I liked best was that it actually tasted very refreshing almost like a frozen smoothie : ) Make sure you pick up the No Sugar Added bars though! The regular fruit bars have twice the calories, carbohydrates, and 13 grams of sugar!
Here is what some other reviewers have said about the bars:
So if like me you need an emergency cool down and quick, or if you are looking for a yummy, refreshing, as well as low carb, low calorie, and fat free treat- pick this one up!
June 4, 2007
· Filed under 4 Stars, Breakfast, Food Review, Oatmeal
Kashi Golden Brown Maple Oatmeal
(Nutrition facts for one packet: 160 calories, 2g fat, 33g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 12 g sugar, 4 g protein)
4 Stars
Unique. That was what I thought this morning with my bowl of Kashi Golden Brown Maple oatmeal- unique. I have enjoyed this line of oatmeal before and I distinctly remember being a little freaked out by it originally. But now I do appreciate it for its unique look and personality- but of course all of that proubably came with time.
Kashi’s Golden Brown Maple Oatmeal should come with some kind of warning, but unfortunately it dosn’t. So I will offer one in its absence:
Dear Consumer,
When you microwave this oatmeal be aware that the resulting color is not the typical color of other Golden Brown Maple oatmeals you may have had in the past. Be aware that there may be an alarming streak of orange and brown chunks throughout the prepared oatmeal. The taste of our oatmeal is also not the typical Brown Maple you may be used to. For those consumers who are used to an over processed or fake maple taste, prepare yourself for a new interpretation of ‘maple’.
Enjoy
There, that should clear up some confusions dealing with this oatmeal. Unfortunately, Katie from the past did not have this waiver. I believe the first time I made this oatmeal I threw it out. I figured there was something wrong with it, because I kid you not, it was orange! After preparing the oatmeal again I saw that this was normal for the oatmeal and took a bite, and I have been eating it occasionally ever since.
The thing is if you have ever had Kashi Oatmeal before you can pretty much expect that there is going to be something a little different about the oatmeal. And what is abnormal about this oatmeal is that there is nothing artificial in it, which is kinda sad if you think about what that says in regards to other oatmeal. And insetad of the typical fake goodies I am used to the ingredients of this brand read like a apothecary’s shopping list: chicory root fiber, tomato extract, guar gum.. just to list a few.
Another thing I like about this oatmeal is that there is a lot of it. One packet of this oatmeal is 43 g. The notorious Weight Control line from Quaker which has one of the largest serving sizes has 45 g in one packet. This of course is all in comparison to the typical Quaker Classic package which only has about 28 g of oatmeal in one packet. So you have to appreciate this at least for how much oatmeal you get for how few calories/carbs/ and fat.
Here is what some other reviews have said about this oatmeal:
- Abi over at Heat.Eat.Review gave the oatmeal only two stars out of five but did admit to eating more of the oatmeal AND another comment on the page supports my opinion of the product.
- I haven’t been able to find any reviews of this product at all, so lets start it here! If you have tried this and enjoyed it/hated it, let us know : )
Of course, I can certainly see why some other eaters may not love this oatmeal, and truthfully it certainly isn’t my favorite oatmeal, that title is firmly held by Banana Bread Weight Control. BUT this oatmeal does taste really good and is very unique, once you give it a chance. In summary, if you enjoy Kashi products and aren’t hooked to the Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar then I would definitely recommend that you give Kashi’s version a shot.
