Product Review: Zone Perfect Toasted Coconut Bars

I was finally able to get my hands on the Zone Perfect Toasted Coconut Bars ( I previously reviewed the peanut butter and cranberry almond HERE -  ) and I liked them a lot. HOWEVER...

 The Toasted Coconut bars are tasty, and have a strong coconut flavor. You can see the coconut flakes in them, and the bars have that firm texture I enjoyed in the other flavors. They have a satisfying firm almost "crunch" to them that is missing from other fruit based bars  

( like Larabars ).

Ingredients: Invert Dried Cane Syrup, Date Paste, Soy Protein Isolate, Toasted Coconut, Roasted Almonds (Almonds, High Oleic Sunflower Oil), Whey Protein Isolate, and Natural Vanilla Flavor

Essentially - sugar, dates, whey, coconut, and almonds. 

Wait - what?

I always thought "invert dried cane syrup" is exactly what it sounds like: the dried juice from pressing sugar cane - a less processed form of sucrose. Then I started to do a little research, and discovered I was wrong. Dead wrong.

 Invert sugar is basically table sugar (sucrose) that has been broken down into glucose & fructose. It is sweet - far sweeter than regular sugar, so you can use less of it in a product. However, the end result is a product nearly identical to HFCS ( high fructose corn syrup ). It is a definite no go on the Clean Eating scale.

I published this post specifically to show my readers that research into the foods you eat does pay off. Don't make an assumption, like I did. You learn something new, and apply it to your diet so you are eating more healthily. Question your food choices. Investigate ingredients. Find out what you are eating. I made a mistake, and I think it is important to learn from them.

I had been willing to look past the point that the cranberry almond flavor had cranberries that were processed with sugar. In the US, it's almost impossible to find a cranberry that isn't processed with sugar ( think Craisins, for example ). But now that I'm more educated about invert dried cane syrup, it won't be something I will consciously eat again.

Did I like the Perfectly Simple bars? Yes, I did. Will I buy them again? No, I will not - not until they remove invert cane syrup from the ingredients.

So - in conclusion, I can't recommend Perfectly Simple Bars to you. They aren't Clean.

( As always, I was not given samples by Abbott Labs to try and review. Any products I post about are purchased with my own money, and if I like a product, I'll tell you. If I didn't like it - I'll tell you that, too. )

Product Review: Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks

This week, I found a new brand of "healthier" chips in the natural and organic aisle in my grocery store, so I decided to buy some - Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks. I bought 2 bags: Sweet Potato tortilla chips and Black Bean tortilla chips.

Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks

The ingredient list was straightforward: various grains and vegetables  ( corn, sweet potato, black bean, quinoa, chia ), sunflower or safflower oil, and sea salt.

The taste? Pretty darn tasty. I was pleased a serving size was 11 chips ( more than enough to satisfy my urge to crunch ) and the nutrition on the sweet potato variety was decent: 130 calories, 100 mg sodium. The black bean was slightly higher. Both varieties give a small percentage of things like Vitamin A, calcium, and iron..

But...

Keep in mind: normal, run of the mill Tostito chips also have very similar ingredients and nutrition.

Believe it or not, things like unflavored, regular tortilla chips and potato chips are relatively Clean. Yes, they are fried in oil, as are these Simply Sprouted snacks. They are what I call "Border Foods" - foods that are just on this side of the Clean continuum of foods, but are not something I eat every day.

( Side note: To be clear, Simply Sprouted products are both baked AND fried. They use a 2 step process. First they bake the chip to reduce the moisture content, then they fry it in sunflower oil. )

If you are looking for a chip, you can definitely make your own sweet potato chips but if you are looking for convenience, Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks aren't a terrible deviation from the Clean Eating diet. Would I eat them every day? No - but these are really yummy and would be a nice crunch to go with a veggie wrap at lunch time or a late in the evening / oh my gosh I need something salty snack.

( Side note -I did like this notation on their FAQ page:

 Do you source any ingredients from Asia?
Unlike many of our competitors, we do not source any ingredients from Asia due to concerns of unreliable labeling practices with natural and organic items coming from this part of the world. In 2010, it was estimated by the Organic Consumers Association that only about 30% of Chinese products labeled organic, are actually organic. )


Even my Chip Connoisseur husband deemed them really good...which is why after my first taste, I went back to check the ingredients and discovered the Black Bean tortilla chip bag in the trash. ( But on a side note, at least he put the empty bag in the trash can. That's a step up from his normal "leave trash where it lies" modus operandi )

Are they good? Yes! Are they healthier than normal chips? Um, well...that's debatable. Will I buy them again? Yes, probably. Will I hide them from my husband? Yes.

Clean Eating Chopped Garlic to Recommend : Sun of Italy

For quite some time now, I've know that a significant portion of the world's garlic supply is grown and processed in China. I've worked around this by buying only fresh cloves labeled as grown in the USA. I can only find them at one store in my area; all the others don't tell the country of origin or the origin is China.

But chopped garlic in a jar is so...convenient. I really miss it. But since turning my back on jarred chopped garlic, I've still kept my eyes peeled for a brand that is clearly labeled as "Made in the USA." I pick up a jar from the shelf, put on my reading glasses - and over and over, frown at the lack of country labeling or the words "Made in China."

Until last weekend, when I looked at a jar of Sun of Italy brand chopped garlic.

"Made in the USA"

Huzzah! A Clean Eating chopped garlic product. I can eat this without concern for how the garlic was grown or handled - chemicals, nutrients, and the suspension medium the garlic is in ( oil or water ). Thank goodness!

Sun of Italy is a Maryland company, so I'm assuming the product is predominantly available on the East Coast. I'm not sure how wide their distribution will be. Typically this brand is found in the ethnic or International food aisle in your grocery store.


If Sun of Italy chopped garlic isn't available in your area; you can buy it directly from the company from this link!

( I'm not compensated in any way by any product I promote on this site - I buy them myself, try them myself - and if I like them, I'll mention them. )

Product Review: Zone Perfect Perfectly Simple Nutrition Bar

You know I keep my eyes peeled for new products that will fit into my CE lifestyle. 2 weeks ago, I stumbled across these bars at my local grocery store. Produced by Zone Perfect ( whose normal regular bars have about a jillion unnecessary ingredients! ), this new offering grabbed my attention - and definitely my affection...Perfectly Simple Nutrition Bars

The ingredients are, as billed, pretty simple.

Peanut Crunch: Peanut Butter (Peanuts), Invert Evaporated Cane Juice, Soy Protein Isolate, Date Paste, Rolled Oats, and Coconut.

Cranberry Almond: Soy Protein Isolate, Apple Juice Concentrate, Sweetened Dried Cranberries (Sugar, Dried Cranberries, Sunflower Oil), Date Paste, Roasted Almonds (Almonds, High Oleic Sunflower Oil), Dried Pomegranate Seeds, and Cinnamon Powder.

Toasted Coconut:  Invert Dried Cane Syrup, Date Paste, Soy Protein Isolate, Toasted Coconut, Roasted Almonds (Almonds, High Oleic Sunflower Oil), Whey Protein Isolate, and Natural Vanilla Flavor.

I only had the peanut crunch and the cranberry almond...but I'd definitely buy them again. They have a delightful crunch to them that reminded me of that rice crunch in a Nestles Crunch candy bar - it was different and really mentally satisfying! The bars are firmer than Lara Bars - not a "fruit paste" consistency, but have more of a drier, cake/cookie like consistency. It's hard to describe - but if you dislike Lara bars because of the consistency ( so don't like them because of texture ) , I'd tell you to try these instead.

Now, be aware - these are NOT diet food. They range from 170 to 200 calories per bar, and they aren't huge. But a quick afternoon pick-me-up? A mini-meal on the go? Something to tuck into your carry on for a flight or keep in your desk? These are perfect - Perfectly Simple.

Two CE thumbs up!

Micro Egg Microwave Egg Sammie Cooker

How cute is this?

Keep this in your desk drawer to cook yourself a quick egg any time! The silicone doesn't get piping hot like a bowl, and it forms a bread shaped little cooked egg - how clever! It sounds like ( from the product reviews ) that this product is best used with medium to large eggs - using an XL egg will get you a messy microwave to clean and the ire of your co-workers.

Eating a solid protein like an egg is a really key aspect of Clean Eating - balancing eating veggies and carbs with solid proteins ( eggs, dairy, nuts, meats ) keeps cravings at bay and gives your body's machinery something to work on metabolically. Do yourself a favor, and make preparing eggs simple.

$9.99 over a Solutions.com

Product Review: Open Nature ( Safeway ) Veggie Chips

I found a new product at my local Safeway today, and they are really very good: vacuum fried veggie chips. What is vacuum frying? Glad you asked!

A vacuum fryer is a deep-frying device housed inside a vacuum chamber. It was originally developed for potato chip production. Vacuum fryers are fit to process low-quality potatoes that contain higher sugar levels than normal, as they frequently have to be processed in spring and early summer before the potatoes from the new harvest become available. With vacuum frying it is easier to maintain natural colors and flavours of the finished product - this making the process ideal for high sugar veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.


So yes - these are fried. They also have no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Yes, they add fructose ( why? I have no idea... ) but I can deal with a natural fruit sugar for those times when I need a crunchy, wheat free snack.

I liked these, a lot. The store also had carrot chips and sweet potato chips I will definitely go back for - but for my first time, out, I decided to try the mixed bag of veggies. They did have a slightly oily feel, but not so much I was put off by it.

Part of a Clean diet is finding foods that satisfy you mentally without straying too far off your Clean path. This type of crunchy salty sweet product does it for me. I can see a bag of these chips in my desk drawer at work, or taking a bag along with me on a trip.

If you have a Safeway or Safeway affiliate store ( Safeway, Carr's, Von's Dominick's, Pak N Save Randall's, Tom Thumb ) in your area that sells Open Nature brand products, you'll find these in the fruit / vegetable area of the store - or near where they have raisins and dried fruit.

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Taro, Carrots, Green Beans, Canola and/or Palm Fruit Oil, Fructose, Sea Salt.
Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk, wheat, egg and soy.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 15.0 pieces (28 g)

Servings Per Container 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories 130	Calories from Fat 35

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4 g	6%
Saturated Fat 0.5 g 3%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0%
Sodium 125 mg	5%
Potassium —	—
Total Carbohydrate 22 g	7%
Dietary Fiber 2 g 8% Sugars 4 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A	20%
Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	0%
Iron	0%
Copper	—
Folic Acid	—
Iodine	—
Magnesium	—
Niacin	—
Phosphorus	—
Riboflavin	—
Thiamin	—
Vitamin B12	—
Vitamin B6	—
Vitamin D	—
Vitamin E	—
Zinc	—

• * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Envy Apples

A “new to me” variety of apples is appearing in grocery stores near you, and if you have little ones at home or prefer a firm fleshed, crispy apple – the new Envy apple is for you. 

The Envy is a cross between the Braeburn and Royal Gala developed in New Zealand. It has a sweet, firm flesh that ( according to its website ) stays white for hours after slicing. This aspect, coupled with its availability in a smaller size and slightly less juicy aspect, makes it the perfect apple to slice and pack for lunches. No waste by giving the kids too much apple, no brown and unappealing apples slices discarded before consumption.

I really liked the less juicy aspect of this new variety as well - it was clean, crisp, and very tasty. This type of apple ( to me ) is also ideal for a smear of almond or peanut butter...making it perfect for your mid-morning or mid-afternoon meal.

If you have an opportunity to pick up a bag of Envy apples, you'll be getting a slightly sweet, crisp apple your whole family will enjoy. Break free from your usual apple choice - go looking for a new apple variety to try. The Envy  apple is a definite Clean Eating recommend. 

Another Salmon Burger To Recommend: Whole Foods

     I'm always happy when I can find another salmon burger to recommend to my readers. I found this offering at Whole Foods last week, and am really pleased with the taste, ingredients, and the sourcing.

From the Whole Foods website:

Sourced from the waters of Alaska, our salmon is MSC ( Marine Stewardship Council ) -certified and carefully selected to make only the best quality burgers. Each patty is flaky, moist and lightly seasoned for a mild but delectable flavor. A great addition to your next cookout, they're also ready to bake or pan-fry for a convenient dinner. Serve on a fresh roll with grilled sun-dried tomatoes and basil mayo for a salmon burger with pizzazz. Don't rule out traditional fixings–everyone loves the classic lettuce, tomato,onion.

Sold by: 4 - 3.2 OZ (91g) BURGERS NET WT 12.8 OZ (363g)

Ingredients: Pink and/or chum salmon, water, expeller pressed canola oil, contains 2% or less of: lemon juice (from concentrate), ground onion, garlic powder, white pepper, sea salt, natural smoke flavor, potato extract, natural flavor, mustard flour, rosemary flavor. Parfried in expeller pressed canola oil.

( I had to look up exactly what "chum salmon" is - I had an idea that because of the word chum, it might be leftover salmon bits from other processing methods. I was wrong.  The chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific salmon, and may also be known as dog salmon or Keta salmon, and is often marketed under the name Silverbrite salmon. )


With each burger offering 140 calories, 7 grams of fat ( that's partially from the canola oil... ) and 320 mg of sodium, these burgers are ok for the Clean Eater. Have them every night? No, at 320 mg of sodium for one burger, it's probably best to have these once or twice a week.  But they are wild caught, processed and packed in the USA, and are really tasty. They get the CE thumbs up.

Larabar Report: Carrot Cake and Ginger Snap

 

I had the good fortune to stumble upon 2 "new to me" flavors of Larabar at Whole Foods Market last week, and I'm really glad I tried them!

Larabar Carrot Cake

To be perfectly honest, I'm not a huge carrot cake ( the real stuff, with cream cheese frosting ) , but as my ability to sample the entire Larabar spectrum is limited because of my cashew nut allergy...I had to accept the 2 flavors I could eat - one of them being carrot cake. 

Carrot Cake Larabar ingredients: Dates, almonds, walnuts, raisins, pineapple, unsweetened coconut, carrots, cinnamon, extra virgin coconut oil.

I was impressed upon opening it, there were small strands of orange shot through the bar - real carrots! The bar itself was moist, with a nice chew to it. I particularly liked the cinnamon pineapple combination in this bar. For someone who isn't fond of carrot cake - I'd buy this bar again.

Larabar Ginger Snap

The Ginger Snap flavor of Larabar is one I've been looking for - I love the taste of ginger cookies / ginger bread. The Larabar didn't disappoint - the ginger flavor was pronounced, and the addition of pecans to the bar I thought made it really delicious. One thing - I think I was expecting the same "snap" mouthfeel you get from a true gingersnap cookie - a crispy crunch, combined with that ginger taste. You don't get that in a soft bar of dates, however...so perhaps I was a little let down. But upon reflection, the taste was really good.

Ginger Snap  Larabar ingredients: Dates, almonds, pecans, ginger, cinnamon, cloves.

Both bars are very good, though I think I preferred the carrot cake to the ginger snap. I'll definitely buy both again.

While I was in the aisle at the store, a woman came along and put 6 of the Key Lime Pie flavor Larabars in her basket. One I'd love to try, but it contains cashews. I asked her how that one is, and she told me it is her favorite of all the bars. I think I whimpered a bit!

What is your favorite Larabar flavor?

Product Review: Snapea Crisps

     I found these little pea crisps at my local Safeway ( though I've also come to know they are also at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, too... ) and I was eager to try some. They seemed different, and the package implied that it would be good in a salad. Since I was looking for some new salad bits...I bought a bag.

     They never made it to a salad.

     When I first took the Snapeas out of the bag, they looked all the world like a peapod that had been deep fried ( though the package promised they had been baked ). I examined the "beans" more closely:

     They are actually an extruded product!! The company that makes them ( Calbee ) grinds up peas with a little rice, adds a bit of salt, and extrudes the product through a die to create a bean looking product. The result is baked, and voila - the Snapea. I miss crunching small things - and with a very Clean ingredient list  ( Peas, rice, corn oil, salt ), I can munch with moderation and still stay relatively on track! With 22 pieces per serving, I fell like I've snacked. Thoroughly!

     I like the taste of the Snapeas, too - a hard to describe taste - nondescript, but you definitely know you've eaten something. My husband likened it to a very bland, not particularly salty Frito. I have to admit, it does have a vaguely corn chip flavor.

     Ok, I'm the first to raise my hand and say. " These are a food invented in the last 150 years. These are a processed food. There are no extruded baked pea snack bushes." However, snacks happen. Choosing a wise snack, a relatively healthy snack - well, that makes all the difference in the world. 

     Maybe part of the next bag will actually end up in my salad, rather than as snacky fodder...

Product Review: Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice

     I've been curious about carrot juice for some time now. I don't have a juicer at home ( not that I feel a particular urge to get one ) so when I stumbled upon a few Bolthouse Farms drinks coupons, I went to the refrigerated case in my store's produce department to see what I could see. Lo and behold, the Bolthouse Farms drinks were on sale - and with my coupon, very affordable for a "single serve" drink bottle.

         I was interested to read the bottle and find each bottle contains the juice of 8 carrots, and each serving ( there are 2 servings in a bottle ) contain 3 3/4 servings veggies. ( Remember, the term serving  is no longer the "preferred" phrase. Instead, the USDA wants us to refer to "cups" of fruits or vegetables per day.  )
The ingredients were as they should be- one ingredient - carrot juice. No added sugar. The sugars listed on the nutrition label are naturally occurring. 

     Carrot juice is well - carrot juice. It tastes a little sweeter than I expected - but it tasted like carrots. Liquid carrots. It's a little disconcerting drinking something so oddly orange colored, but after getting over my initial "Um...this is different." thoughts, I realized I didn't dislike it. I wouldn't call this a ringing endorsement. I liked it ok. Would I reach for a bottle of carrot juice as a snack? Maybe. Would I opt for a bottle as an accompaniment with a mid day mini-meal? Perhaps.

     I think carrot juice is one of those things you should try with an open mind, and decide for yourself.
I'll drink it again, I think. Perhaps each time I try it, I'll like it even more. I certainly didn't hate it - but drinking the same taste you are so used to crunching...it's an odd experience.

     Let me know what you think about carrot juice!

Another Clean Eating Jarred Tomato Sauce: Gina Rispoli

     Last week,  I was in the grocery store and noticed a new ( to my store ) tomato sauce: Gina Rispoli. A large jar, it was on sale for a low introductory price and with a visible $1 off peelie coupon attached, I couldn't help but pick it up and examine the ingredients:

     Ingredients: whole Italian plum tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, pure Italian olive oil, fresh white onions, fresh chopped basil, fresh garlic, sea salt, spices.

     Really? Wow - a remarkably Clean tomato sauce! I brought a jar home and served it with my turkey meatballs.  It was delicious! A bright tomato taste - not muddled with chemicals, not sickeningly sweet like many tomato sauces with added sugar, not too salty...it was just perfect. A lot of times, you just don't have time to make it yourself - this is where relatively Clean processed choices like Gina Rispoli come in to fill the need.

     If you have this brand in your stores and have been looking for a good "go to" jarred pasta sauce - consider Gina Rispoli. I was quite impressed.

Lady Alice Apples

 *sigh*

     I used to be known for my long red hair. As in "Go ask the woman with the long red hair; you can't miss her." Now, I'm known for apple consumption. :-) Yesterday at the grocery store, the clerk saw me, smiled, and said "You are the lady that likes new apples, right?"

Yes...


     According to the Rainier Fruit Company's website, The Lady Alice variety was named after the company founder's mother, Alice, who was instrumental in the successful growth of Rainier Fruit. It was discovered by chance on a farm near Gleed, Washington in 1978; the result of a grower accidentally cutting an apple tree with his farm equipment - a disc from this plow hit at the bottom of a red delicious tree. The tree send out another branch which did not look like the rest of the tree. The fruit it would go on to produce was also very different than a red delicious. This new variety was thus created by accident, so the actual parents of this apple are a mystery. Upon looking at the apple it has some yellow patches that look like a Golden Delicious.Over the next 25 years, steps were taken to preserve and propagate the chance seedling's distinctive characteristics.

     The Lady Alice is a dense, crisp fruit with a delicious apple cider like juice to it. It has a remarkable sweet/tart taste that is perfect for snacking. I found I liked the Lady Alice best of all the new apple varietals I've tried this year. I enjoyed it cut up with a little almond butter, and I also enjoyed just eating it plain out of hand.I've not baked with it yet, but have plans to experiment with some as a baked dessert.

      Unlike many apple varieties, the Lady Alice is slow to brown when cut – making it perfect for salads and fruit trays. The Lady Alice can also be used in a variety of cooking and baking recipes. Its heirloom-like flesh ( meaning dense )  helps it retain its texture when heated at high temperatures.

 

     Of all the various apple reports I've posted in the past 6 months, I can't recommend the Lady Alice more highly. It is crisp and sweet, but not as crisp and sweet as a Honeycrisp.  It is juicy, but not as juicy as the Junami. I loved Sonya apple - and now I've got another variety to add to the "must buy" list: The Lady Alice.

Harris Teeter Baby Broccoli Buds & Other Good Frozen Food Values

I like broccoli, a lot. I realize this like isn't universally shared ( I have no idea why... ) but one of the things I think most people dislike about commercially available frozen broccoli is the proportion of stemmy, stalky broccoli stalks to the more flavorful, tender, and preferable broccoli florets.

After a year of trying different brands of frozen broccoli, I came across Harris Teeter's frozen house brand of broccoli- Baby Bud Broccoli. Small tender florets. All the time. No stems, no stalks - and the bag is similarly priced for a 1 lb bag to other more premium "non store brand" products.

     Unfortunately, Harris Teeter is only in the Southern part of the US - from about my neck of the woods      ( Maryland ) south to North Carolina - only about 200+ locations.

However, a close second is Safeway's organic broccoli "O" Naturals - and they are ( almost ) nationwide.

As an aside, while looking for a picture for this post, I found this image below - extolling the virtues of Costco's Kirkland brand of frozen veggies. if you have a Costco near you - I'd say this bag is a great Clean buy! The Costco bowl is much preferable ( and cheaper! ) to the other grocery store cheap frozen vegetables.

Product Review: PomBars

 

While grocery shopping last weekend, I picked up a POM bar, flipped it over, and looked for the ingredient list. ( The flavor I had in my hand was Banana Nut . ) 

Ingredients:  Dates, Almonds, Bananas, POMx (Pomegranate antioxidant extract) 

 WOW! I was impressed, and grabbed it, along with one that was next to it; Espresso Chocolate ( which isn't as Clean: Dates, Almonds, Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, cocoa butter, milkfat, lecithin, vanilla), Cocoa, POMx (Pomegranate antioxidant extract), Roasted coffee beans, natural flavors. ) but is a far sight better than most protein / healthy bars. 

The banana nut flavor ( above ) is similar looking to a Larabar - a solid mass of ground fruit and nuts. It smelled really strongly of bananas right out of the package - and wow - it tasted like banana nut. No mistaking that flavor, it was very strong. Almost too strong, I think. Not entirely how they'd "tone down" the banana flavor there ( more dates to bananas ratio? ) but the POM extract was non-existant in this bar. In the end, the taste was too strong, and I don't think I'd buy it again.

Which brings me to...the espresso chocolate bar: 

Drool. Serious drool. It was amazingly delicious and satisfied a strong urge I've been fighting for a big fat nasty chocolate bar. 

Over the Christmas holiday, my mother in law plied me with a treat she'd received from a friend: Chocolate covered pomegranate avrils. They were heavenly. Smooth chocolate taste, slightly sweet/acidic pomegranate...just delightful.

The Pom Espresso chocolate bar tickled that spot, again. A slight rich deep coffee flavor in the middle of the taste profile, and the pomegranate was really pronounced. Delicious - and covered in a think chocolate. I didn't want it to end, which is a sign I'm enjoying it too much. So, I must be careful about the POM Espresso Chocolate bar, and reserve it for extreme emergencies.

Note: They are also available in other flavors... but are varying in their degree of Cleanliness. One has cashews in it, so I won't be trying that one - but will be on the hunt for the peanut butter flavor and will try it once I find it.

Pure Naturals Fruit and Nut Bars

You know how devoted I am to my Larabars...but I always keep my eyes peeled for other options when I'm passing by the "sports nutrition / supplement " aisle. I will pick up a bar I'm not familiar with, flip it over, and peruse the ingredient list - usually to my disappointment.

Yesterday, I actually found another Clean option.

I came across 2 flavors of Pure Naturals bars while shopping the other day - and they are a nice change of pace from my Larabar fetish!

According to their website, Pure Naturals have been around for a bit. I tried two flavors - peanut raising crunch and chocolate almond.

These aren't low calorie by any stretch of the imagination - each bar has 200 calories and is only 1.5 ounces. They are small and dense in calories and nutrition.

The peanut raisin crunch bar was really tasty - but nothing like a Larabar. Whereas a Larabar is an amalgam of dates and nuts, the peanut raisin bar had recognizable chunks of nuts and raisins, held together with a vaguely sticky toffee like stuff ( and don't take that as a negative! ).

PEANUT RAISIN CRUNCH PURE BAR INGREDIENTS: Organic Peanuts, Raisins, Brown Rice Syrup, Peanut Flour, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Agave Fiber, Peanut Butter (Peanuts), Chia Seeds, Molasses, Sea Salt, Coconut Oil, Water, Natural Flavor. 

The chocolate almond bar was much more like a Larabar - the fruit amalgam! But it was rich with a dark cocoa flavor - very satisfying.  I enjoyed it!


The next time you are in the "nutrition bar" aisle of your local store - I suggest looking for the Pure Naturals line of bars.

Pinata Apples

I continue to seek out and try new varieties of fruits and vegetables as I go. Part of life is investigating the new, and exposing yourself to new experiences instead of the same old same old. Last week, I stumbled upon a variety of apples I had never heard of before: the Pinata apple. It was expensive compared to the other apples available that week at Safeway, but I decided to take the plunge on a few anyway.

Pinata's heirloom parentage (it's a cross between Golden Delicious, Cox's Orange Pippin, and the Duchess of Oldenburg varieties) gives the apple a unique flavor. Pinata apples are crisp and juicy with all the classic apple flavors that you love, and a "unique tropical finish." I've found conflicting reports concerning the Pinata apple online. I've found reports that it was originally created in Dresden, Germany, I've seen a website that claims the Pinata variety is exclusive to their orchard,  but the apple I ate had a sticker on it that said it was from New York State.

I found the apple crisp and juicy, but I failed to detect the "unique tropical finish" mentioned above. To me, it tasted a lot like a Honey Crisp apple ( a common sweet apple available this time of year ) . According to other websites, the Pinata is most commonly found in stores from December to March. My apple was okay. Just ok. I can't say I heard swelling music in the background as happened when I tried Sonya apples for the first time. 

As the Pinata apples were really expensive compared to the Honey Crisp, I believe I will stick with the Honey Crisp when I want a sweet apple. ( However, please note that I live on the East Coast, and Pinata apples I ate were grown in New York. These had to travel to get to me; hence the cost and perhaps the less than advertised taste. If you live on the West Coast or in New York,  you might find these apples very affordable and much more unique )

No oodles!

Browsing through the organic / gluten free area of my grocery store the other day, I came across a product I had never seen before. It was a small squishy bag filled with water and noodles. But not just any noodles - these are No oodles. Vaguely reminiscent of thick wet Japanese shirataki noodles, these caught my eye because they have no calories, no fat, no carbs, no gluten, and no soy. What the heck are these made of? 3 ingredients listed on the back: Water, yam flour, and lime ( which I suspect is not a flavoring, but a preservative. I could detect no lime flavor )

The instructions on the side are straightforward. Noodles are precooked. Drain, rinse, and use as you would any noodle. Ok, I think I will. However, the whole bag says that it is 8 ounces, and a serving is 1.6 ounces. Huh?? That's like 4 noodles. Sorry to sound like a pig, but I ate the whole bag - which trust me - isn't all that much.

Upon opening the bag, I immediately detected a funky odor. Not pleasant, but not incredibly off putting. It was hard to describe. "Funky" fits just about as well as anything else. When I rinsed the noodles, the odor eased. I suspect it was partially the lime juice in the water acting as a preservative. Once the noodles were rinsed and drained, I added a light dash of Trader Joe's soyaki sauce and tossed in chopped up pieces of my turkey meatballs. For someone who hasn't eaten a lot of noodles / pasta in a while - these were tasty. I'm impressed that the noodles absorbed the soyaki flavor I added, and kept their shape well. These noodles were good, and it is clear - they take on whatever flavor you add to them. 

My husband, ever the resourceful cook in the family, dumped a bag into a pot of chicken broth he was making from scratch, then added some egg and mushrooms and made a lovely egg drop chicken noodle soup.

If you see a funny squishy bag of noodles on the shelf, or see shirataki noodles in the Asian market - I suggest you pick them up. They are a welcome addition to my Clean diet.

Are Newman's Own Products Clean?

     While I was researching this post on Clean Eating spaghetti sauce,  I discovered Newman's Own pasta sauces were definitely unclean. Added sugars, starches, and a lot of sodium. Then, I started researching Kashi - and discovered many of their "post-Kellogg's acquisition " products are Unclean - but the core products that built the company remain Clean. I started thinking about Newman's Own, again...and decided to do more research.

 Newman's Own was started by actor Paul Newman and A.E.Hotchner in 1982. The brand started with a home-made salad dressing that Newman and Hotchner prepared and gave to friends as gifts. Since 1982, Newman's Own has donated all of its profits after taxes to thousands of causes and charities. In total since inception, the company has donated over $300 million to charity.

Despite Newman's death in 2010, the company remains in private hands, and has not been acquired by a larger food conglomerate.

Are Newman's Own products Clean? For the most part - no. They are not Clean. You have to examine each item carefully for the answer, however. They make everything from salad dressings, sauces, and marinades to frozen foods and cereals.

Their salad dressings, sauces and marinades are largely Unclean. There is a lot of added sugars and salts to these foods - immediately placing them in a "Border Food" at best category. Some contain things like corn syrup ( buried low in the ingredient list ) and xanthan gums to improve the texture of the product. While xanthan gums are low on my "That is Unclean" radar - almost every single product I checked has it in it.

However - there are far worse products on the market today, so if you chose to consume Newman's Own products, do so sparingly and with an eye on your water bottle.

 

Newmans' Own eventually began a line spearheaded by Paul Newman's daughter Nell  that focused on organic products - almost exclusively snacks and treats, with some organic fare for your 4 footed friend, and a line of organic fair trade coffees.

Are Newman's Own Organics products Clean? The answer is a murky and somewhat hesitant "Ummmm..."

The answer - like Kashi's products - is taken on a case by case basis. Don't assume when you see the word "Organic" written boldly on a package that it means the product is Clean. It simply means the product was grown without hormones or pesticides.

When you examine many Newman's Own Organic products, you find that yes indeed, the ingredients are organic. But sugar is organic. So is salt. I picked up 20 or so Newman's Own organic products at random in the store and looked at the ingredients - cookies with high sugar content - in some cases, identical to Nabisco or Keebler cookies. Many of the products use corn syrup as a sweetener, and just aren't Clean. 

Like Kashi, however...don't throw the baby out with the bath water, as they say. Examine each. for example, the Alphabet Cookies  are what I like to think of as a "Border" food. Something not eaten every day - but something to eat once or twice a week. 

Alphabet Cookie Ingredients:

Vanilla:
Organic Unbleached Flour, Organic Sugar, Palm Fruit Oil, Arrowroot Flour, Honey, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Natural Flavor.

Cinnamon Graham:
Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour, Organic Sugar, Palm Fruit Oil, Graham Four, Honey, Cinnamon, Natural Flavor, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate (leavening).

Chocolate:
Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour, Organic Sugar, Palm Fruit Oil, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Natural Flavor, Sodium Bicarbonate (leavening), Salt, Unsweetened Chocolate.

And as an occasional crunchy treat - Newman's Own Organic Soy Crisps are Clean enough for you not to be hating life afterward.

Ingredients:
 
Barbeque:
Organic Low Fat Soy Flour, Organic Rice Flour, Salt, Seasoning (dehydrated cane juice, sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder, tomato powder, extractives of paprika, natural flavor, spices, citric acid with not more than 2% sunflower oil and silicon dioxide added), Sunflower Oil. 


Cinnamon Sugar:
Organic Low Fat Soy Flour, Organic Rice Flour, Salt, Seasoning (dehydrated cane juice, cinnamon and not more than 2% silicon dioxide and vegetable oil added as a processing aid), Sunflower Oil. 


Lightly Salted:
Organic Low Fat Soy Flour, Organic Rice Flour, Salt, Sunflower Oil. 


White Cheddar:
Organic Low Fat Soy Flour, Organic Rice Flour, Salt, Seasoning (cheddar cheese [cultured milk, salt, enzymes], whey buttermilk, salt, disodium phosphate), Sunflower Oil.

So- to sum up, you really need to inspect each food item individually - but as a round generic statement - Newman's Own food products are not good for Clean Eating - but some of their Newman's Own Organics snack products will be a welcome occasional treat.

Happy Baby or Happy Human?

Read without prejudice for a moment - or as Lit types like to say - "suspend disbelief." 
Focus on the contents of the package...not the intended end user. 

My son and I were grocery shopping last weekend. We were in the organic/natural section of a large grocery store when he picked up a small package and brought it over to me. 

Him: "Look at this weird baby food, Mom. In a little pouch. How does the baby eat it?

Me: "You twist off the cap and the baby sucks it out of the pouch. Like a juice bag for toddlers. Or you can squirt it into a bowl for littler babies to eat with a spoon."

Him: "Hey, look. It's organic. Apricots and sweet potatoes. Too bad you aren't a baby, Mom. Clean Eating in a bag."

I just stared at him as he walked back down the aisle to put the little bag of food back.

What about it? 

1. It's a small portion controlled serving of all natural, organic, Clean Eating fruit and vegetable combinations. No artificial colors or preservatives. 

2. It is a portable package - easily thrown into a purse, a tote bag, the car, for eating on the fly. Easily accessed during travel or when you find yourself without a sit down meal while on the run. No spoon needed. 

3. It is shelf stable; it can be stored in an office desk, a pantry, or emergency stores for years. If you are  a believer in the "WTSHTF" movement,  these little bags could potentially provide you and your family with "fresh" fruits and vegetables.

But most importantly:

4. The quality of the fruits and vegetable puree in there is actually very good. This is NOT the odd colored goo you remember feeding to your baby from a glass jar. Baby food has come a long way since then, and the focus for many companies is to provide incredibly wholesome, good tasting food.

I ended up buying the pouch my son had in his hands - just for giggles. I wanted to try it. It intrigued me. I liked the idea of how portable it is. I liked the whole, "un-messed around with" ingredients: Apricots and sweet potato - no salt, no sugar. no stabilizers. 

The brand I tried is Happy Baby Organic Food pictured above. But there are a few other "pouch" brands out there: Ella's Kitchen,    and Plum Organics are the most notable brands.

Sprout Baby Food is by celeb chef Tyler Florence. No little top sipping spigot; you'll need a spoon with this one - but same idea.

Is it every day adult food? No - and I don't mean to imply that at all. Eat the real thing - crunch it, slice it, bake it, dice it. Whole fruits and vegetables are meant to be our foods. However, for a convenience, on the run Clean food - you just can't beat it. 

I was impressed with the taste and the texture. And as someone who has a pretty impressive WTSHTF stockpile of foods - you can be sure I'm adding some pouch foods to my emergency stores.