Best-Tasting High-Fiber Cereals

The Results Might Surprise You

Consumer Reports is at it again, thankfully, and this time they rated high-fiber cereals for their "sensory quality". I'm sharing the cereals below that had an "excellent" or "very good" sensory rating. Each of these seven top-rated cereals has at least 7 grams of fiber and the amount of sugar ranges from almost none (Shredded Wheat) to 18 grams per serving (Great Value Raisin Brain-the grams of sugar include the raisins).

I'm really excited to see these results because some studies have suggested health benefits to including a high fiber cereal and this is one of those health habits that is relatively do-able for most people.

Recent research suggests those who eat more whole grains are at lower risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Cereals made with refined grains have generally not been linked to health benefits, like a lower risk of death from heart disease, as whole-grain breakfast cereals have. Refined-grain cereals do not lower the risk of gaining weight or having a higher BMI (body mass index), but whole grain-rich cereals do.

I personally enjoy a high fiber cereal a few times a week either as a quick breakfast or as an afternoon snack. This is one of the few ways that I work in some nonfat milk too. Now I have a few new cereals to try. I have a neighbor who belongs to Costco and is forever asking me if I would like him to pick something up for me. Now I can send him on a hunt for their Spiced Pecan cereal.

I'm also a Raisin Bran girl so I'm especially looking forward to trying the Raisin Bran Extra Cereal by Kellogg's. Here are the top-rated 7 cereals as reported in Consumer Reports October issue:

	Fiber(g)	Sugars(g)	Calories	Sodium(mgs)
Excellent Sensory Rating
Kirkland Signature Spiced Pecan (Costco), 3/4 cup	7	11	190	100
Very Good Sensory Rating
Kashi GoLean Crunchy Fiber Twigs, Soy Protein Graham & Honey Puffs, 1 cup	10	6	140	85
Archer Farms High Fiber (Target), 1 cup	10	14	150	90
Kellogg's Raisin Bran Extra! 1 cup	7	13	190	350
Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size Wheat 'n Bran, 1 1/4 cup	8	<1	200	0
Great Value Raisin Bran (Walmart), 1 cup	7	18	210	350
Barbara's Bakery Ultima Organic, 1 cup	12	9	170	280

Related Topics:

• Popcorn, Cereal Pack Antioxidant Punch
• Why You Need More Fiber
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Taste Test Tuesday - Instant Soup Cups: Tomato Basil Pasta

I've done my fair share of lunch duty at elementary and middle schools. I happen to know that kids today come to school with those instant soup or noodle cups where they add hot water from the cafeteria and suddenly a hot dish is being served.

So, when I saw that the Eating Right line now includes a couple of instant soup options (they come in a non-styrofoam cup by the way), I had to check it out - with hot soup loving students in mind, of course.

I tried the tomato basil pasta soup flavor and it was not bad at all (for an instant soup). It had good flavor and a few grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein (so it would probably satisfy pretty well).

The sodium, though, is typical of an instant soup: 480 milligrams.

The ingredient list is pretty straightforward:

pasta
vegetables (tomato, garlic)
natural flavors (maltodextrin, yeast extract, natural flavors)
basil
parsley
salt
xanthan gum
and spices

Per cup it contains 150 calories, 7 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 480 mg sodium.

It's just another option to help break up the winter lunchbox monotony. Come December, most of us moms (and kids) might be looking for some new lunchtime options.

Related Topics:

• Boosting 5 Vital Nutrients Kids Need
• Deadly Diet: School Lunches Flunk Out

Technorati Tags: Taste Test Tuesday, school lunch, instant soup, healthy diet

Taste Test Tuesday: A Tale of Two Soy Sausage Links

Sometimes sausage is a desirable part of your meal or breakfast. As I said last week, one of my favorite ways to enjoy lean link sausage is wrapped in a fluffy buttermilk pancake. Can't very well have "pigs in a blanket" without the pig.

But what if you are looking for something like sausage but without the pork part...there are several brands of soy sausage links on the frozen food shelf. My family and I taste tested two of them this weekend:

• Boca Meatless Breakfast Links
• Morning Star Farms Sausage Links

They look an awful lot like pork sausage links, but if you set your taste buds up to taste pork sausage links, they will be sadly disappointed. The texture was fine; it was more the flavor that was lacking.

My family thought the Boca Meatless Breakfast Links had more flavor than the Morning Star Links. I think I would actually buy this product again as long as I wasn't serving them as a stand-alone item. They tasted pretty good to me as long as I was using them in something - like drizzling them some maple syrup and wrapping them in a buttermilk pancake or chopping them up and adding them, along with cheddar cheese, to an omelet. And you gotta love that there's a sausage link that contributes 2 grams of fiber!

Here's the nutritional breakdown in these two products:

Boca Meatless Breakfast Links
2 links = 70 calories, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g protein, 2 g fiber, 320 mg sodium

Morning Star Sausage Links
2 links = 80 calories, 3 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 9 g protein, 2 g fiber, 300 mg sodium

If you have a soy sausage link that you like, tell us about it!

Related Topics:

• Soy Protein = A Good Cholesterol Food
• Painless Ways to Add Soy to Your Diet

Technorati Tags: Taste Test Tuesday, diet, healthy cooking, soy sausage

Taste Test Tuesday: Whole Foods Brown & Serve Sausage Links - Maple

One of my favorite breakfasts is the infamous "pigs in a blanket" with buttermilk pancakes wrapped around a sausage link, drizzled or dipped in some light pancake syrup.

I can make nicely light pancakes, but the sausage links...that's the tricky part. I'm always on the lookout for great tasting lighter sausage products (vegetarian or otherwise) because I know so many of our favorite dishes (pigs in a blanket not withstanding) call for sausage!

Well, although this box of sausage links from Whole Foods store brand doesn't say "reduced fat" or "light" it is!

Two links with a total of 56 grams (or 2 ounces) contains:

• 120 calories
• 7 grams of fat
• 2.5 grams saturated fat
• 0 g trans fat
• 35 mg cholesterol
• 9 grams protein
• 350 mg sodium

Compare this to what 2 ounces of regular pork sausage will approximately run you:

• 200 calories
• 17 grams fat
• 6 grams saturated fat
• 46 mg cholesterol
• 11 grams protein

Suddenly a couple of these links are looking pretty good! The entire ingredient list consists of: pork, maple syrup, water, salt, spices, and raw sugar. I guess they are using leaner parts of "pork" than the average pork sausage!

How did they taste?
Really good. My pancakes would be proud to wrap themselves around these links. The flavor was great but perhaps more importantly, the texture was very nice. Moist without being greasy and no UCP's (unidentified chewy particles)!

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: The Importance of a Healthy Breakfast
• Lose Weight: Eat Breakfast

Technorati Tags: Taste Test Tuesday, diet, healthy cooking, sausage

Taste Test Tuesday: Dreyer's No Sugar Added Fruit Bars

When you first view the box of Dreyer's No Sugar Added Fruit Bars (flavors in my box: black cherry, strawberry-kiwi, mixed berry), a few things hit you straight away:

• sweetened with Splenda


• made with real fruit


• 30 calories per bar


• excellent source of vitamin C

These are great when you want something sweet and refreshing. I find myself having two though, so I'm now talking about 60 calories (which is still really low for a nice, satisfying treat). If you have diabetes and you are counting grams of carbohydrate, even if you had two bars, it would total 16 grams of carbohydrate (8 grams per bar).

Per bar there are also 2 grams of sugar (from the fruit) and I also noticed (much to my intestinal chagrin as I am "sensitive" to them) 2 grams of sugar alcohol. On the plus side there is 1 gram of fiber per bar and 20% Daily Value for vitamin C.

The first nine ingredients for my favorite flavor (strawberry kiwi) are:

Water
Sorbitol (there's the sugar alcohols)
Glycerin (it's safe and is familiar to the body—it's sometimes added as a solvent for flavorings that aren't very soluble in water)
Kiwi puree
Polydextrose (similar to cellulose, it adds bulk to foods without adding calories)
Grape juice from concentrate
Maltodextrin (a moderately sweet polysaccharide used as a food additive and produced from starch)
Strawberry puree
Strawberries

How do they taste?
These are definitely a nice refreshing treat with no detectable aftertaste - according to my palate and the rest of my family. If you are sensitive to the "effects" of sugar alcohol (that would be diarrhea and cramping with a capital "D" and "C"), you may want to stick with a serving of 1 bar at a time!

Related Topics:

• No Excuses: Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables
• The Best of the New Frozen Desserts

Technorati Tags: frozen desserts, fruit bars, Dreyer's, diet

Taste Test Tuesday: Snyder's (Flaxseed Gold) Multigrain Tortilla Strips

If you like to make bean topped nachos, tortilla soup or if you sometimes like to enjoy a handful of chips with your sandwich...you might be in the market for tortilla chips that have more fiber, less fat, and a more healthful choice of oil. Of course having great crunch and flavor is also preferred.

I have found a brand here or there that meet the tortilla chip requirements listed above, at stores like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, but now there is a brand that has hit the more typical supermarket - Snyder's!

Their Multigrain Flaxseed Gold Tortilla Chips have 25% less fat than flavored tortilla chips and canola oil is their oil of choice. The chips contain 11 ingredients - 6 of which count as whole grains or seeds - contributing to each 1-ounce serving having 2 grams of fiber. While I'm thrilled to see flaxseed in this multigrain snack, by the looks of it they use the whole flax seed. In order for your body to reap the full benefits of flax, it needs to be ground.

From first to last here are the ingredients: whole corn masa, corn masa, canola oil, rice flour, sesame seeds, cane sugar, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, whole quinoa, salt and oat fiber.
Each 1-ounce serving contains:

140 calories
6 grams fat
.5 grams saturated fat
0 gram trans
18 g carbohydrate
2 g fiber
230 mg sodium

Would I buy these chips again? Yes I would, but I'm hoping somehow the company gets the ground flaxseed memo and switches to using crushed or ground flaxseed instead. Then these chips should have a nice supply of plant omega-3s per serving (from the canola oil and the ground flaxseed).

Related Topics:

• The Recipe Doctor Takes on Tex-Mex Cuisine
• WebMD Video: Tips for Better Vision

Technorati Tags: tortilla strips, flaxseed, multigrain, diet, healthy cooking

Taste Test Tuesday - Smart Ones Chicken Enchiladas Monterey Frozen Entree

I've told you before I'm not a frozen entree person but I try to sample various options occasionally so I have something to say when people ask me to recommend certain frozen entree brands. Hey, it happens!

This time I was drawn to try one of the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Bistro Selections. That whole "Bistro Selections" thing (written in black and gold on the package) gives you the impression that this isn't going to taste like frozen entrees usually taste - that it's a cut or two above. Couple that with the "Guess Who Tastes Better Than Ever?" written on the box and suffice it to say I was curious. Plus I liked that it had some vitamin A and C, calcium and 5 grams of fiber.

From the picture on the box, at first glance, it looks like two regular chicken enchiladas with a mound of Spanish rice. And you are thinking, "That's definitely a meal." At closer inspection, once you remove the tray from the box, you see it is two mini chicken enchiladas with a small scoop of rice.

This can still work as a meal; you just need to add some fruits and vegetables to it. Eat some sliced apples and maybe some baby carrots with the entree.

How did it taste?
It was better than I expected from a frozen entree but not as good as your favorite Mexican restaurant. All the textures were appetizing and it was spicy enough to get this taster's sinus's running.

What's the nutrition breakdown?
Each entree contains 310 calories, 12 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat (0 trans fat), 3 grams polyunsaturated fat, 2.5 grams monounsaturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 5 grams fiber, and 730 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 29 percent.

What about Vitamins and Minerals?
Each entree contributes 30% of the Daily Value for vitamin A, 25% for vitamin C, 15% for calcium and 8% for iron.

Related Topics:

• How to Make Your Own Frozen Entrees
• Making Dinner Easier

Technorati Tags: Weight Watchers, frozen entree, diet, nutrition, Taste Test Tuesday

Taste Test Tuesday: Fiber One Oats & Chocolate (naturally flavored) Bars

When you are reading labels and a small chewy bar with 140 calories has 9 grams of fiber...it gets your attention. Wowie Zowie! That's a lot of fiber. Then you look at the grams of sugar thinking...is this another case of the "sugar helping the medicine go down?" Well, sort of. Each bar contains 10 grams of sugar, which calculates to about 28% calories from sugar.

So what's in this 9-gram fiber bar? The first ingredient is chicory root extract (sounds awfully "wholesome"), then comes chocolate chips, then rolled oats, crisp rice, and barley flakes. After that come the sweeteners like high maltose corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar (which would explain the 10 grams of sugar per bar).

How did they taste? The taste was as good and quite comparable to other popular chewy granola bars out there...and at least this one has a PUNCH of fiber. It has a nice substantial size to it too, so given the size (volume) and the amount of fiber, I'm hoping this bar will stick with you a bit longer than most.

1 Bar (40 grams) Oats & Chocolate =
140 calories
2 g protein
29 g carbohydrate
10 g sugar
9 g fiber
4 g fat
1.5 g saturated fat
0 g trans
0 mg cholesterol
90 mg sodium

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Truth About Fiber
• Reading Food Labels: What's the Deal?

Technorati Tags: diet, fiber, health and wellness

Taste Test Tuesday: Trader Joe's Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos

Black Bean Taquitos...not something my kids would normally get in line to try. But let me tell you, these were darn good. What impressed me on the label was that 4 taquitos (about what I would call a pretty reasonable serving as an entrèe) contained 7 grams of fiber. These taquitos seem pretty balanced with each serving having 12 grams of protein and 11 grams of fat to balance the 42 grams of carbohydrate.

I know the 11 grams of fat might be a bit higher than you expect from a bean-based taquito (32% calories from fat). But most of those grams are from mono and polyunsaturated fats with only 2 grams coming from saturated fat.

The first five ingredients are:

• tortilla (corn, water, lime)
• black beans (black beans, water, onion, garlic)
• mushrooms
• jack cheese
• jalapeño peppers

Pretty wholesome stuff here! To keep the nutritional content what you see on the label, follow the package directions for heating in the microwave and skip the option for pan-frying in one inch of hot oil.

4 taquitos = 310 calories, 12 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 2 g
saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 180 mg sodium.
Calories from fat: 32 percent.
15% Daily Value for Vitamin A
20% Daily Value for calcium

Related Topics:

• Beans: Protein-Rich Superfoods
• Easy Ways to Keep Your Portions Healthy

Technorati Tags: diet tips, taquitos, Trader Joes

Taste Test Tuesday: White Bread Lovers 100% Whole Wheat Bread

If you like white bread but know you should be eating 100% whole wheat bread, this is the bread for you. Sara Lee just launched a couple new choices in its Soft & Smooth bread line including their 100% Honey Wheat Bread.

This bread has the taste and soft texture of the "honey wheat breads" on the shelf that ARE NOT 100% whole wheat, but it's made with 100% whole-wheat flour. Yes, indeed, the first ingredient is "whole wheat flour." You have to look after tasting this bread because it seems so much softer than the 100% whole wheat breads you've tasted before.

It does list high fructose corn syrup as its 4th ingredient with honey as its 5th, but in two slices of the bread there are 5 grams of sugar, 26 total grams of carbohydrate, and 4 grams of fiber!

And thanks to fortification, two slices also contributes 10% Daily Value for calcium. I'll tell you what you won't find in this bread; partially hydrogenated oils (and trans fats) and artificial colors and flavors.

It's no hearty 100% multi-grain bread mind you, with oats blanketing the top, but it's a great bread for white bread lovers who are trying to make the transition to whole grain, and that's an important step to take. I'm glad there's a bread to help them do just that.

~~Elaine

Related Topics:

• Tips for Reaping the Benefits of Whole Grains
• Whole Grains Get Hearty Support

Technorati Tags: wholewheatbread, whitebread, saralee, saraleesoftnsmooth

Taste Test Tuesday: 5 Bites of Heaven

Dove Miniatures come in vanilla, double chocolate and my favorite...cherry royale!

If you ever find yourself face to face with a Dove Miniature, (individually wrapped chocolate covered ice cream pieces) promise me you won't shove the whole thing in your mouth and swallow it within about 10 seconds.

Instead, get in a "mindful" space, just be aware of your taste buds and what they are tasting, and literally take small mouse-like bites, savoring each small bite. Roll the small bite around with your tongue and really experience the creaminess and the hint of dark chocolate blanketing each bite.

I was able to enjoy about 5 heavenly bites in one Dove Miniature. What did
these 5 bites of heaven cost me? Are you ready?

60 calories
4 grams of fat
2.5 grams saturated fat
5 mg cholesterol
6 grams of carbohydrate
1 gram protein

A small price to pay, don't you think?

~~Elaine

Related Topics:

• Dark Chocolate is Healthy Chocolate
• Recipe: Vanilla, Chocolate or Coffee Ice Cream

Technorati Tags: icecream, diettips, doveicecreamminiatures, darkchocolate

Taste Test Tuesday: Gourmet Frozen Pizza

The words "gourmet" and "frozen pizza" can now be used in the same sentence.

I love pizza so you might not be surprised to know that I don't usually consider frozen pizza a viable option. For a busy family though, having a couple of pizzas in the freezer can be a lifesaver from time to time and don't I know it.

Well, move over Red Baron, because Mr. Puck is in the house! Wolfgang Puck's signature (literally) is now on boxes of frozen pizza found in your local supermarket. The pizzas are about the size of a small pizza parlor pizza, which is perfect if you are splitting it with someone or if you want to wrap up part of it for lunch the next day.

They are just the size that they fit into my toaster oven so I'm not turning on the big ol' oven in the middle of summer. From start to finish it took about 15 minutes (since you save time because you don't really need to preheat a toaster oven).

The label says that each box serves 3 but if it's a meal and not an actual "appetizer", I’m thinking it's serving more like 2 people. That said, each serving (1/3 the pizza) of Four Cheese, Tomato and Pesto Pizza contains 340 calories, 15 grams fat (39% calories from fat), 6 grams saturated fat (mostly from mozzarella and fontina cheese), 0 g trans fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 15 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 620 mg sodium. You might want to enjoy the pizza with some fresh fruit or steamed veggies, which will help bring down the percent calories from fat for the meal.

The first six ingredients for the Four Cheese, Tomato and Pesto Pizza are:

• organic wheat flour
• mozzarella cheese
• water
• sliced tomatoes
• extra virgin olive oil
• and fontina cheese.

My compliments to the chef; this pizza didn't taste like your typical frozen pizza. My only request for the future is to lighten up by using a part-skim mozzarella and perhaps a whole-wheat flour blend to bump up the fiber. Wolfgang, are you listening?

~~Elaine

Related Topics:

• Frozen Dinners to the Rescue
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Technorati Tags: pizza, frozenpizza, wolfgangpuck

Taste Test Tuesday: My Favorite Find - Frozen Diced Fresh Herbs

I love using fresh herbs in my cooking but I don't love having to run out to the store to get them (because they aren't something I always have in my kitchen) and I don't love paying top dollar for them either.

Then I found these cute little 1.75 ounce boxes of frozen diced herbs at Whole Foods Markets. They are a product of Italy and imported by a company called White Toque, Inc. They had all sorts of different herbs, but I decided to pick the ones I thought I would use the most first and see how that went.

I bought a box each of:

• Frozen Diced Parsley
• Frozen Diced Basil
• Frozen Diced Chives
• Frozen Diced Shallots
  

They have been working excellent in everything I've added them to. My only problem is remembering that they are there! I particularly like that they are already diced and chopped so all I have to do is dip my measuring spoon in the little box (after opening the handy dandy flip up lid) and I'm good to go.

Fresh herbs (and shallots) and all the flavor and nutrition they provide, but as convenient as dried herbs! The price wasn't unreasonable either as I remember.

It's a win, win, win!

~~Elaine

Related Topics:

• An Herb Guide to Keep on Hand
• Herbs, Spices and Other Speedy Taste Boosters

Technorati Tags: herbs, healthy cooking

Taste Test Tuesday: Vegetables Meet Fruit - In a Cup!

"If only I could just drink my vegetable and fruits servings," I've heard people say over the years. Well, the V8 company (part of Campbell Soup) seems to have just made that possible. I'm not a tomato juice kind of gal (love tomatoes every other way including sundried) so I'm not usually hanging around the tomato juice and V-8 area of my supermarket.

But V8 has a new juice invention they are peddling. It's V.Fusion, 100% vegetable 100% fruit juice and each 8 ounce glass qualifies as a 1/2-cup serving of vegetables and a 1/2-cup serving of fruit.

It comes in three flavors:

• Strawberry Banana
• Peach Mango
• Tropical Orange

How did it taste (we tasted the Strawberry Banana flavor)? First of all let me just say, it tastes great. Just make sure you get it good and chilled before you enjoy a glass (once you open the 46-ounce plastic bottle you have to store in the refrigerator).

Strawberry Banana V.Fusion
8 ounces serving =
120 calories
28 g carbohydrate
1 g protein
0 g fat
70 mg sodium
250 mg potassium

NOTE: they don't have grams of fiber listed on the Nutrition Facts label but the label does mention that it is not a significant source of calories from fiber.

70% Daily Value for Vitamin A
100% Daily Value for Vitamin C
10% Daily Value for Vitamin E

~~Elaine

Related Topics:

• Learn to Love the Veggies You Hate
• No Excuses: Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables

Technorati Tags: v8, vfusion, tomatojuice, vegetables, fruits

Taste Test Tuesday: Spinach Lasagna di Parma

If your palate is a bit picky and you are mostly used to home cooked meals, you probably have had trouble finding frozen entrees that appeal to you.

I'm always on the lookout for frozen entrees to try just because they do come in handy for a quick lunch at the office or at home when you are running low on fresh food.

This week I tried Seeds of Change (certified organic) Spinach Lasagna di Parma (purchased at Whole Foods) and it was definitely a small but pleasant meal! It smelled good and looked good so I wasn't too surprised when it tasted good as well.

The first seven ingredients are: cooked lasagna, spinach, ricotta cheese, carrots, onions, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Nothing too suspicious here, right folks?

Each frozen entree tray contains:
340 calories
10 grams fat
6 grams saturated fat (this is mostly from the ricotta cheese and mozzarella and parmesan cheese)
35 mg cholesterol
4 grams fiber
20 grams protein
750 mg sodium

Would I buy this again?

Definitely! This is a great vegetarian micro-meal option. The second ingredient is a dark green vegetable too!

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Make Your Own Frozen Entrees, Health & Cooking: Frozen Foods

Technorati Tags: vegetarian, seedsofchange, frozendinner

Taste Test Tuesday: SOYATOO Whip Topping

It sure looks like the whipped cream that squirts out of those pressurized cans. Does SOYATOO taste like whipped cream? Well, sort of. It's whipped topping made from organic soy milk, organic coconut oil and organic fractionated palm kernel oil (that's where the .5 grams of saturated fat comes from), organic sugar-beet syrup, and a few other ingredients.

I found it at Whole Foods and I had to try it especially when I saw that each 2 tablespoon squirt contains:

10 calories
.5 g fat
.5 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
0 mg sodium
1 g carbohydrate (1 g of which is sugar)
0 g protein

How did it taste?

My husband said it tasted "okay" and that's pretty much what I thought. He could taste the hint of coconut (from the coconut oil) but I couldn't. They got the pressurized can whipped cream texture right, that's for sure.

If you are used to the taste of soy milk, chances are good you will probably like this product. If you aren't used to soy milk, this will probably taste a little "off" or just "okay" to you.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: The New Cheese, Is Soy Healthy for Your Family?

Technorati Tags: soyatoo, soy, vegetarian, whippedcream

Taste Test Tuesday: Pick Your Poison - Yellow, Blue, Pink or White

When in restaurants and cafes and you need to choose your sweetener for your hot/cold tea or coffee, you usually have a choice. There's the yellow bag (Splenda), the pink bag (Sweet 'n Low with saccharin), the blue bag (Equal or NutraSweet), or of course the white bag (the real white stuff, also known as sugar).

Everyone I've noticed has a certain color bag they are looking for. My husband, daughter and sister prefer the pink bag, one of my friends yells for yellow, while another friend of mine packs the little blue bag in her purse just in case they don't have any where she's going.

I guess it all comes down to what alternative sweetener you are used to, what you think is the safest choice and which one tastes the best to your particular set of taste buds.

I just did the finger test. You lick your finger and dip it straight into each colored packet. In between each packet I cleansed my palate with some iced green tea.

This is what I thought:
PINK packet (Sweet 'n Low) = intense sweet flavor, only a slight possible aftertaste for me but my daughter thought this one did not have an aftertaste.

BLUE (Equal) = sweet flavor, very desirable, no aftertaste for me but my daughter thought it did have a little aftertaste.

YELLOW (Splenda) = This one tasted closest to real sugar to me and it didn't seem to have an aftertaste (which surprised me because when I bake with it I definitely notice that there's something different). My daughter still liked Sweet 'n Low the best.

Bottom line: I think each person has a different taste perception and is sensitive to various aspects of each one.

What's your color?

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Is Sucralose Safe?, Are Artificial Sweeteners safe?

Technorati Tags: artificialsweeteners, sugarsubstitute, equal, nutrasweet, sweetnlow, splenda

Taste Test Tuesday: Multi-Grain Flour Tortillas

No more whole-wheat tortillas that taste like cardboard. Some higher fiber tortillas taste better than others, that's for sure. The low carb ones are particularly bad tasting in my opinion. But there is a new multi-grain tortilla in town, Mission Multi-Grain Flour Tortillas, and me thinks they got it right this time!

And when they say "multi" grain, they mean it! The third ingredient is multi-grain flour and just look at all the grains represented.

The first five ingredients are:

* Whole-wheat flour
* Water
* Multi-grain flour (cracked wheat, wheat bran, rye flakes, wheat flour, barley flakes, triticale four, corn flour, oat flakes, barley flour and rice flour)
* Vegetable shortening (soybean oil and hydrogenated soybean oil)
* Brown sugar


Yes I know the fourth ingredient is vegetable shortening, which includes hydrogenated soybean oil. But there is still only 1 gram of saturated fat per 4 grams of total fat in each tortilla. It's a step in the right direction folks! And what can I say, they taste great and even my two teenagers seem to love them. We've been making skillet pizzas with them and sandwich wraps and quesadillas.

Each tortilla contains:

140 calories
5 grams protein
23 grams carbohydrate
4 grams fat
1 gram saturated fat
0 gram trans fat
1.5 gram polyunsaturated fat
1 gram monounsaturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
5 grams fiber
460 mg sodium
10% daily value for calcium too!

~~Elaine

Related Topics: No Sweat Summer Meals, Make Some Mexican Food

Taste Test Tuesday: Fig Newton Minis

Fig Newtons have gone cute! Fig Newtons Minis are baked with 100% whole grain (the first ingredient is whole grain wheat flour) and they come in these cute little packets that can be thrown into your purse, backpack or lunch bag.

The one-bag serving contains 2 grams of fiber which is better than zero that's for sure. The minis are fortified with calcium (15%), vitamin A (15%), Iron (15%), and vitamin B-1 through B-6 (around 15% each). And a serving adds up to 130 calories.

What about the sugar?

Ah, there's the rub. The second ingredient listed is figs and the third and fourth ingredients are sugar and corn syrup. A good portion of the 14 grams of sugar per serving listed on the label, comes naturally from the figs. This isn't the case for the Strawberry Newtons Minis, which list high fructose corn syrup as their second ingredient and sugar and corn syrup as their third and fourth ingredients. Keep in mind that although the box says "Naturally flavored" under the word "strawberry", it does not say "naturally sweetened."

On the Fig Newtons Minis ingredient list, it isn't until the sixth ingredient that you get to soybean oil and the seventh, which is partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil. Each serving contains 3 grams of fat (.5 of which is saturated and according to the label, 0 grams of trans fat).

How did they taste?

The 100% whole grain Fig Newtons were tasty and moist and each packet holds a small but surprisingly satisfying portion.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Not So Healthy "Health Foods", Healthy Travel Treats

Technorati Tags: fignewtons, fignewtonminis, fiber, cookies

Taste Test Tuesday: Pillsbury Doughboy Goes Sugar-Free

They're a bit pricey (over 4 dollars for 12 "ready to bake" pre-formed cookies) but the words SUGAR FREE caught my eye.

Was it my imagination or was the Pillsbury Doughboy looking trimmer? If he still had that fun-to-poke belly, it was hiding behind that Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookie he was holding.

In order to get the complete "tasting" experience of this new cookie, I had no choice but to taste some of the raw cookie dough. Although the dough wasn't as good as other cookie dough I've tasted (light and regular), it did taste like it had some potential. I baked the tray of cookies in my toaster oven and the family dug in. The last few cookies are still sitting on the kitchen counter the next day (which tells you something).

How did they taste?

They tasted "okay". The texture was similar to what you would expect but the flavor was kind of a let down. My daughter said it tasted like oatmeal with dark chocolate in it. Strangely, I can see why she said that. This might be a helpful treat to someone with diabetes because it looks like these cookies are completely sugar free - even the chocolate chips.

What's In There?

There are 16 grams of carbohydrate per cookie and 0 grams of sugar. In addition to Splenda, each cookie contains 6 grams of sugar alcohol per (maltitol powder is the second ingredient for the dough and lactitol is used to sweeten the chocolate chips) and remember that sugar alcohols can have a laxative effect in larger doses (they can have an effect in smaller amounts in some people with IBS).

There are 90 calories per cookie and 4 grams of fat, 1 grams of which is saturated and 1 gram of which is trans fat. The big surprise for me was the 3 grams of fiber per cookie.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Sugar Fix, Cookies for Breakfast

Technorati Tags: pillsburysugarfreecookies, sugarfree, cookies, diabetes

Taste Test Tuesday: New Green Teas!

Bet you haven't tasted these fun green tea flavors before!

It has never been easier and more fun to drink green tea than it is right now! I love that people who want to drink green tea (and there are SO many health reasons to want to do that), have all sorts of flavor options now.

If you aren't crazy about the taste of regular green tea, please give some of these flavored green teas a try. Lots of tea companies have many green tea flavors to choose from.

Celestial Seasonings, a tea company based in one of my favorite places, Boulder, Colorado, has just released two new green tea flavors that I'm almost sure you haven't tasted before:

* Tropical Acai Berry Green Tea

Antioxidant Acai Berries come from the Amazon region and Celestial Seasonings has married the natural flavor of these berries with mango and banana for a tropical tea treat.










* Goji Berry Pomegranate Green Tea

Nutrient-packed tiny red Goji berries grown in Eastern Asia are partnered with natural pomegranate flavor with and a touch of cinnamon and orange peel thrown in to round out the flavor of this new green tea.








How did they taste?

They both taste great and they are both a pretty red color but the Goji Berry Pomegranate tea is a fruitier, sweeter tea while the Tropical Acai Berry has a deeper flavor with mango having a subtle influence.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: More Good News for Green Tea, Green Tea Soda That Helps Burn Calories

Technorati Tags: greentea, celestialseasonings, antioxidants

Taste Test Tuesday: Marie's Lite Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing

Can we say since it is spring and almost summer that it's officially salad season? I hope so since it gave me a reason to try a lite blue cheese salad dressing that I noticed in my grocery store. It's a brand I've bought before and liked (Marie's). You usually find this brand in the refrigerated section of your produce section.

I have to say it doesn't look as inviting as regular blue cheese dressing - it has that pale, thin but gelatinous look to it. I guess this shouldn't surprise me since the first ingredient is "water." The second is nonfat buttermilk and the third is soybean oil, then polydextrose (an additive made from dextrose that is probably added for its stabilizing and thickening qualities). Then finally the featured ingredient is listed fifth - blue cheese.

It tastes pretty good and my family liked it well enough, it's just the look of it that isn't like regular blue cheese. What do you expect, I guess, for 7 grams of fat per 2 tablespoon serving. You might be better off buying the original blue cheese dressing and blending a tablespoon of it with a tablespoon of low fat milk. I haven't tested this out, but buying the good tasting "lite" option is certainly the easiest option!

Each 2 tablespoon serving contains:
80 calories
7 grams fat
1.5 grams saturated fat
0 grams trans
5 mg cholesterol
4 grams carbohydrate
1 gram protein
1 gram fiber
310 mg sodium

~~Elaine

Related Topics: 10 Tips & Tricks for Healthy Salads, The Best Lite Salad Dressings

Technorati Tags: salad, saladdressing, marieslitechunkybluecheese

Taste Test Tuesday: Whole Wheat Thomas' English Muffins

Have I mentioned lately that I consider myself to be "in the trenches" as a working mom with two teenage girls? One of them is a bit more "picky" or "high maintenance" when it comes to food than the other but they both have their own sometimes annoying food idiosyncrasies (Where DO they get that from? LOL)

Well we are all pretty much on board the whole grain train these days and I recently found a 100% whole wheat bread product that my daughters both have been enjoying for breakfast: Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat English Muffins. Sure enough the first ingredient is whole-wheat flour, the second is water, then yeast, wheat gluten, wheat bran, honey, farina, and several others.

The girls seem to like it toasted with a spread of peanut butter but I'm guessing teens might also like making these into mini pizzas (split in half, spread with pizza sauce and top with shredded cheese and chopped vegetables.)

Each English muffin contains:
130 calories
3 grams fiber
6 grams protein
25 grams carbohydrate
1 gram fat (0 g saturated fat and 0 g trans fat)
0 mg cholesterol
240 mg sodium

Would I buy it again? You bet - I already have!

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Teen Girls Replace Milk With Soda, Video: Teens and Osteoporosis

Technorati Tags: englishmuffins, thomasenglishmuffins, wholewheat, teens

Taste Test Tuesday: Aidells Portobello Mushroom Sausage

I've been known to pick sausage off my pizza or out of dishes I am served. It's not that I don't like "sausage" per se... it's that I only like higher quality lean sausage. Ever since I can remember I haven't liked to actually "see" the fat in my food. If it's got identifiable animal fat particles on it or in it, it's not going on my fork, I can tell you that.

So, I'm always on the lookout for great-tasting lean sausage, which tends to be products made with chicken or turkey. Today I was developing a particular recipe with a Mediterranean flair and was looking for a leaner sausage to fit the bill. I noticed this Portobello Mushroom Sausage from Aidells (a company based in California that is available in 40% of the grocery stores around the country) had an impressive 8 grams of fat and 2.5 grams saturated fat and 140 calories per serving (90 grams). Each serving also contains 14 grams of protein, 3 grams carbohydrate, 1-gram fiber, and 630 milligrams of sodium.

The first five ingredients are"
Chicken
Turkey
Sauteed onion with soybean oil,
Broth
Portobello mushrooms

How did it taste? Really nice! It worked wonderfully in my recipe and I'm already brainstorming other ways to serve this sausage... like grilled or barbecued and served on a whole wheat bun with sweet or spicy mustard and onions. It can be chopped and added to any egg dish too, like a frittata or omelet or scrambled egg or breakfast casserole dish.

~~Elaine

Related Links: Recipe: Chicken Apple Sausage Strata, Laporte-obello Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Technorati Tags: sausage, portobellomushroomsausage, lowfat

Taste Test Tuesday: Celestial Seasonings Cold Brew

It's officially iced tea season! The sun is shining, all sorts of plants are in bloom and most afternoons are down right warm (at least in my part of the country). The thing about iced tea is you usually have to brew it the night before with hot water then let it cool overnight or at least for a few hours. It generally requires some forethought, not something I have an abundance of in my busy life.

Well, do you have 5 minutes? Because that's all you need to make a new line of "cold brew" flavored iced teas by Celestial Seasonings. It's fast because you brew it with COLD water. Why didn't I think of that!

What's their secret? Celestial Seasonings uses a tea extract that's a finer cut of tea with more surface area -- allowing it to brew quickly and in cool water.

Each box contains 48 tea bags and it takes 4 bags to brew a quart of iced tea (about the amount I like to make at a time). You can brew just one cup too if you would like, since iced tea is usually best if consumed within about 3 days after brewing.

There were several flavors available and I couldn't decide between Peach Ice and Blueberry Ice, but I ended up with the blueberry box. It also comes in Lemon Ice and Raspberry Ice flavors. Now that I've tasted the blueberry flavor, which was just what the Recipe Doctor ordered this afternoon, I can't wait to brew the Peach Iced tea. According to the company, the Raspberry Cool Brew is the top-selling flavor with Peach as the second.

The Blueberry Ice tea bag ingredients are:
Tea with tea extract, hibiscus, natural blueberry flavor with other natural flavors (contains soy lecithin), and blueberries.

So how did it taste?
I really liked the flavor. I followed the box directions on brewing to the "tea" and it was not too strong and not too blueberry tasting. I didn't need to sweeten it either -- but then I prefer my tea straight.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: It's Iced Tea Time, Healthy and Unhealthy Summer Drinks

Taste Test Tuesday: Kellogg's All Bran Multi-Grain Crackers

Friday night I was grabbing a few snacks at my neighborhood grocery store for a dance competition this past weekend (those days are brutal and you go into them armed with bottled water and lots of non-perishable snacks) when I noticed some new Kellog's All Bran Multi-Grain Crackers. It was the "5 g fiber per serving" boldly printed on the box that caught my attention. (It turns out the fiber is a nice combination of soluble fiber from oat bran and insoluble fiber from whole wheat flour.)

To tell you the truth I didn't have my reading glasses with me so when I glanced at the nutrition facts label the grams of fat looked like a "2" or maybe a "5". It was a "6". I would have liked the grams of fat to be a little lower (maybe 3 or 4 grams?)

The good news is there are zero trans fats on the Nutrition Facts label and unless my reading glasses deceive me, "partially hydrogenated oils" is nowhere to be found in the ingredient list (a very good thing for a cracker). The first five ingredients are whole-wheat flour, soybean oil, enriched flour, oat fiber, and sugar.

Each serving (30 grams), 18 crackers =
130 calories
6 g fat
1 g saturated fat
0 g trans fat
0 mg cholesterol
5 g fiber
19 g carbohydrate
2 g protein
270 mg sodium

How do the crackers taste?
They are great-tasting and down right addicting and were enjoyed by dancers from age 5-15! I suggest portioning out your serving because if you eat from the box, you might exceed the 18 cracker suggested serving.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Snacking: 22 Healthy Munchies, Trans Fats Lurk in Healthy Foods

Technorati Tags: kelloggsallbranmultigraincrackers, crackers, healthysnacks, fiber

Taste Test Tuesday: 100% Whole Wheat Four Cheese Ravioli

I cruise by the fresh pasta section of my supermarket on most trips and I usually take a quick glance to see if there is anything new. This time I noticed that whole-wheat pasta has hit the ravioli market! Buitoni Foods is one of the first companies to use whole durum wheat flour to make the pasta for one of their raviolis.

What this means is that a serving of the ravioli (1 1/4 cups) provides a whopping 5 grams of fiber! This ravioli is a bit higher in fat and saturated fat than I expected so I recommend serving it with a lower fat sauce like marinara or a low fat cream sauce. Each serving contains:

320 calories
10 grams fat (28% calories from fat)
6 grams saturated fat
65 mg cholesterol
690 mg sodium
42 grams carbohydrate
5 grams fiber
16 grams protein

The saturated fat seems to be coming mainly from the 4 types of cheese in the "four cheese ravioli". You can help make one serving of the ravioli (1 1/4 cups) enough for your meal by adding lots of vegetables into the mix!

How does it taste? The ravioli is really flavorful and it is barely noticeable that the pasta is made from whole wheat. My family didn't even notice. This product offers yet another way to add a serving of whole grain into your day.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: A Healthier Bowl of Pasta, Taste Test Tuesday: Whole Wheat Pasta

Technorati Tags: wholewheatpasta, pasta, ravioli, wholegrains

Taste Test Tuesday: Soy Delicious Creamy Raspberry Bars

These Soy Delicious non-fat dairy bars still have sweetener in them, it's the dairy that's been banished. Organic soymilk is the first caloric ingredient in these bars with organic dehydrated cane juice being the second and organic tapioca syrup and/or brown rice syrup being the third.

Each bar contains 80 calories and 1.5 grams of fat and 0 grams of saturate and trans fat. Grams of sugar total 13 grams, though, with fiber being at 2 grams. I was hoping there would be more protein from the soymilk but alas there is but one gram.

They are nice and refreshing though, with a tart flavor from the fruit juice concentrate contrasting with a creamy flavor from the sweetened soymilk. It definitely had the "this isn't dairy is it?" flavor going on, but that shouldn't bother someone who is used to the flavor of soymilk.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Recipe: Quick Vanilla Custard, Lactose Intolerance


Technorati Tags: soydelicious, soymilk, soy, lactoseintolerant

Taste Test Tuesday: Boca Meatless Breakfast Wraps

The company that is known for making veggie hamburgers now makes a meatless breakfast wrap. You can find a box with two wraps containing soy protein sausage, egg white and cheese in the frozen food section thanks to Boca Foods Company out of Madison, Wisconsin.

I'm not one to microwave my breakfast (unless it's oatmeal) but I thought I would give this product a try since the fiber and the protein met my 5 grams minimum requirement for breakfast (I like to eat breakfasts that have at least 5 grams of fiber and protein). The picture on the box looked particularly appealing too with what looks like real scrambled eggs and real lean sausage, and pieces of red and green pepper, all wrapped up in a multi-grain tortilla.

How did it taste?
It was pretty tasty with just the right amount of spice (that's the Southwestern flavor kicking in) and just the right amount of food for a quickie breakfast. The texture seemed fine too. My only complaint is that it definitely didn't look anything like the pretty photo on the box.

Boca Meatless Breakfast Wraps-Southwestern Flavor
1 Wrap = 200 calories
total fat = 7 g
saturated fat = 2.5 g
cholesterol = 5 mg
sodium = 510 mg
carbohydrate = 25 g
protein = 14 g
dietary fiber = 6 g
calcium = 8% of Daily Value
Iron = 10% of Daily Value

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Video: Veggie Burger Study, Fast Food Breakfasts

Technorati Tags: breakfast, boca, vegetarian