Product Review: VitaMuffin VitaTops Pumpkin Spice

First a little apology for going MIA.  I graduated from college in May and have been planning my August wedding which has left me hardly any free time (and unfortunately my weight and diet have both suffered from that).  I'm going to try and make sure to find time to update this because it keeps me motivated!

Now I couldn't resist reviewing this.  I've reviewed the chocolate Vita Tops before and if anyone hasn't tried them they really must.  I typically pick mine up at Target but when I discovered that they had a new Pumpkin spice flavor only available on line I had to splurge and try it.

The Nutritional Breakdown is:

Calories - 100

Fat - 1 gram

Fiber - 8 grams

Carbs - 26 carbs

If you like pumpkin you must try these.  They have a rich pumpkin flavor and are nice and spicy.  They've also got little pumpkin seeds on top which add a nice texture.  This would be so decadent with a smear of light cream cheese or whipped topping, but are just as satisfying on their own.

Product Review: Alpine Valley Organic Multi Grain Bread

It's not often I like bread enough to want to hug it, but this bread is the exception.

Alpine Valley's Organic Multi Grain Bread with Omega-3 is hands down the most delicious bread I've ever had.  The bread is dense and chewy with a hint of sweetness.  It's also got nuts/seeds on top and in the bread that give it a fantastic texture.  The nutritional info is also great.  It's incredibly hearty and satisfying.  It makes amazing toast, a great sandwich, and I've even been know just to eat a piece plain.

Per Slice it has:

80 Calories

    3 Grams of Fiber

     3 Grams of Protein

I used this bread to made a delicious sandwich for dinner last night with turkey, light salame, butter lettuce and sweet and hot mustard.  So delicious and filling!  This is by far the most satisfying bread I've found.  I'm not sure where all it can be found but I buy mine at costco if you're interested in trying it for yourself (which I hope you will!)

Product Review: Dannon Greek Yogurt

I will start this off by saying that I love Greek Yogurt.  I love the super thick consistency and the slight tang.  I also love that its lower in sugar than traditional yogurt (without artificial sweeteners) and has a lot more protein.

Now that being said, I know plenty of people who've tried Greek Yogurt and hate it.  They just don't like the sourness.  I've got news for you, there's a new Greek Yogurt with all the protein and thickness of traditional Greek Yogurt without the Tang - Dannon Greek Yogurt.

I'll be honest I wasn't expecting much.  I love a lot of the traditional Greek brands like Oikios and Chobani and thought Dannon wouldn't kow how to make a great Greek yogurt but boy was I wrong.  This stuff is incredible!  and despite the fact that I like the tang of traditional Greek yogurt, I actually loved that this didnt have it.  It was decadently thick and creamy with a layer of fruit on the bottom.  I topped mine with jarred cherries and it was the most delicious breakfast I've had in awhile.

So if you love Grek yogurt you'll love this for its consistency and flavor.  But if you dont usually like Greek yogurt I urge you to try this flavor because I'd be shocked if you didnt love it!

Product Review - Trader Joe's Fiberful

For those of you who have a Trader Joe's near you, these are an absolute mus try!

Trader Joe's Fiberful Fruit Strips, which come in both individual packages (like other fruit leathers) and they also come in a bag called Ends and Pieces which are the ends which are left after they cut the perfect size shapes for the individual bars.

Calories: 60 - Fat: 0 - Fiber: 6 grams

Calories: 120 - Fat: 0 - Fiber: 12 grams

One thing you might notice right away is that the pieces have twice the fiber, which is only because if you read the serving size the serving in the Ends & Pieces is actually twice as much.

These fruit leather pieces are so yummy.  They taste like real fruit and you cannot beat the added fiber.

For those of you who are on a budget I definitely recommend the Ends & Pieces which are the ones I always opt for.  The individual ones are great to throw in your purse or backpack, but they definitely cost more.  The individual bars are .59 cents whereas the Ends & Pieces are 2.49 for the whole bag.  If you bought enough bars to equal the same ounces in the bag it would cost you over 6 dollars so while they are more convenient they are triple the price.

Product Review and Giveaway - Atheno's Greek Yogurt

I'm a huge fan of Greek Yogurt.  It's rich, creamy and full of protein.  I'll be the first to say though that some brands are far better than others.

I was recently able to try the new Greek Yogurt put out by Athenos.

I have to say, it is delicious!  The great thing about Atheno's Greek Yogurt is that the fruit comes on the side so you add as much or as little as you want!  I tried the Strawberry and thought it was delicious.  A little tangy with just the right amount of sweetness from the jam and a great punch of protein.

Now for the giveaway...I have one coupon for a FREE Athenos' Greek yogurt.  So whether you love Greek yogurt and just want some more or have always wanted to try it here is your chance.

Just comment here and let me know your favorite way to eat Greek yogurt.  You must leave a valid e-mail so I can contact you should you win.  Contest ends January 26th at 9pm EST.  Good luck!

Product Review: Polaner All Fruit with Fiber

I'm a big fan of jam/jelly.  Unfortunately many are sickening sweet and laden with sugar, while the lower sugar varieties are often flavorless and taste fake.  I often found myself having to choose between watching the sugar and calories or flavor...until I discovered this:

Serving Size: 1 Tablespoon

Calories: 35

Fat: 0

Fiber: 3 

Sugar: 6 grams

Yes that's right, a measly 35 calories, a scant amount of sugar (and sweetened only with fruit juice no high fructose corn syrup here) and 3 entire grams of fiber.  Even better, it taste fantastic!  The strawberry is by far my favorite, but the apricot is delicious as well.

Right now I can only find this jam at some Targets, but I'm sure availability depends on where you live.

Product Review - Trader Joes Asian Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

A few months ago I was in a salad rut.  I love salad, it is one of my all time top favorite foods.  That being said the dressing selection for healthy dressings sometimes gets monotonous.  I was eating Newman’s Own Light Balsamic almost every day.

Then I was in Trader Joes and I saw this dressing and decided to give it a go.  

Serving - 2 TBS

Calories - 70

If you love anything butter, with an Asian flair (and a subtle kick) then this is for you.  The dressing is spicy and sweet and the peanut butter.

Here is a salad I actually had for breakfast yesterday.  I chopped some lettuce with carrot and cabbage, topped with 2 TBS of dressing, a chopped up teriyaki chicken breast, thinly sliced zucchini and the last touch – some dry roasted slivered almonds and sesame seeds.  Delicious!

Product Review: Kefir Ranch

There is just no way I cannot rave about a new product when it is this good!

If you love Ranch you really must try this.  I adore ranch, but had mostly given up because most bottle ranch dressings aren’t as good as home-made and the light versions are never as good.  My fiancé loves ranch though and we’ve started buying it again and I knew I had to find something more calorie friendly for me (the kind he loves is 170 calories for 2 TBS! Ouch!)

So the other day at the store, with coupon in hand we picked up this new Yogurt line of dressings by Lighthouse called Kefir ranch.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with kefir it’s a thick yogurt beverage with tons of probiotics and this dressing even boasts live and active cultures (like you find in kefir and yogurt).  The cincher though was the nutritional stats:

2 Tbs

60 Calories

5 Grams of fat

The really funny thing is the dressing isn’t marked as lowfat or light.  But now what you guys really want to know…how did it taste?  SO GOOD.  I am officially hooked.  It’s got a slightly tangy kick but it’s thick and has all the flavor of full fat ranch.  I am absolutely in love and just had to share it!