The Nutritionist Reviews

Memorial Day Weekend

2012-05-29T08:38:00.000-04:00

For Memorial Day weekend, my family and I went up to my parents farm and spent a lot of time outside (when it wasn't pouring rain that is!).

My dad and his best friend Ava

Troy and I on the John Deere

It was a great weekend! Hope you all had a great weekend.

Gnu Flavor and Fiber Bar Review

2012-05-28T09:15:00.000-04:00

Gnu bars are a product that I first tried when I started my blog about 2 years ago. It is a very high fiber bar (12 grams!!!) which contains both soluble and insoluble fibers. They come in many different flavors and I was sent a couple of variety packs to try out.

The company recently came out with 3 new flavors including blueberry cobbler, blondie, and carrot cake. When I heard about the carrot cake bar, I knew that I would love it! These bars are very reasonable with calories (130-140 per bar) and are filling too. The bars are fairly low in sugar at about 8-10 grams. It has 4 grams of protein which is not a ton but not too bad. I can say honestly that these are in my top few favorite bars that I have ever tried.

My favorite one is the banana walnut. It has the perfect amount of banana taste and is nice and moist. I also love the carrot cake, blueberry cobbler, and cinnamon raisin bars. The only one that I did not like was the peanut butter because I thought that it had a fake PB taste. I have been packing a different bar in my lunch each day and usually end up eating it mid-morning for a snack. I love that these don't melt in the car as it has been very hot out. I would definitely recommend these bars to someone who wants more fiber in their diet and wants a tasty, satisfying bar.

Diana's Bananas Review

2012-05-25T07:39:00.000-04:00

Are you a fan of frozen bananas? They are one of my favorite treats. They freeze into a very nice creamy and chewy consistency. Even better then frozen bananas: chocolate covered frozen bananas. Recently, I had the opportunity to review some Diana's Bananas which are 1/2 of a banana covered in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or chocolate and peanuts.

I was sent the dark chocolate and milk chocolate ones to try. To be honest, typically I am not the biggest chocolate fan in the world. I do like a little bit and prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate. For a non-chocoholic, I quickly became addicted to these. Right when I got this package (which by the way, the bananas were still perfectly frozen thanks to dry ice), I opened a dark chocolate banana and dug in.

These are so tasty! The chocolate does not really break off or crumble which makes it less messy to eat. The banana and chocolate go really well together. I have been enjoying one of these most days for an after meal treat. They are great as the weather has been getting hotter.

Each banana baby is only 130 calories and is the perfect treat. It is much healthier than ice cream but tastes very rich and indulgent. I love these banana babies! I will be sharing these with my siblings as they are huge fans of anything frozen and I have a bunch to go around. For a delicious, healthier treat, try Diana's Bananas.

5/24 Winners!

2012-05-24T09:15:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! It is almost the weekend : ) And a 3 day weekend at that.

I have 3 winners to announce this morning:

Technogel Pillow Giveaway (5/17)

mattschmunk

Eclos Beauty Kit (5/24)

asae88

$50 Yala Designs Gift Certificate (5/24)

fitinthemidwest

Winners are being emailed now and will have 48 hours to respond. Have a great weekend!

Reuseit Shopping Bags Review

2012-05-23T10:52:00.000-04:00

Reuseit is a company that sells all different kind of reusable bottles, lunch bags, shopping bags, etc. For my review, I chose this BlueAvocado Big Chil Large Insulated Reusable Shopping Bag in navy. The reason that I chose it is because as summer is coming, it is difficult to keep your food cold with grocery shopping. I like this bag because it is insulated and can keep my food cold for a period of time.

The bag can also be used to take to the beach. It would be perfect because it has outer pockets to hold little things like your phone or keys. The huge interior can be filled with fun treats for the beach.

Here is the bag in kiwi wildflower

Here is some information about the bag:

Replaces plastic shopping bags and paper lunch bags
Insulated – pvc-free liner keeps contents hot/cold for up to 3 hours
Zip-top closure
Holds 3 gallons
Made from recycled materials
1% of sales donated to global women's micro-entrepreneurship

This large insulated tote is easy-to-clean, and keeps contents hot or cold for up to three hours. Stash a water bottle and magazine in the large external pockets and take it to the beach. Or, use it as an insulated shopping bag at the grocery store.

Something that may be hard to tell from the pictures is that this bag is HUGE! It can fit so much which is awesome. I like to shop at a grocery store called Aldi sometimes which does not provide bags. I will definitely be taking my new BlueAvocado bag with me to the store to load my groceries up in it. The bag is sturdy and seems to be well made.

May 2012

2012-05-22T08:19:00.000-04:00

This has been a great first month of "summer". Here are some pictures of my family and I from Mother's Day and also from our first BBQ and bonfire party we threw at our new house.

Troy and I

The spread of food (minus the hotdogs): BBQ ranch potato salad, whole wheat pasta salad, veggies and dip, cole slaw, and fruit salad

My brother's girlfriend Olivia made jello fruit!

My sister and I around the bonfire

Hope that everyone is having a great month so far! I am glad to be living close to other people we know again!

Oofos Review and Giveaway

2012-05-21T07:20:00.000-04:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to review the most comfortable flip-flops ever called Oofos. The material used is very squishy and comfortable. They come in different colors for both men and women. You have the choice of the slide or thongs sandals.

For my review, I chose a pair of hot pink Oofos. I have been wearing them around for the last couple of weeks and cannot believe how comfortable they are. I have gone on 2 mile walks wearing these and have had no pain. The "heel" on these is fairly high at about 1 1/2-2 inches which helps to give more support to your foot. Now I will be honest here and say that these are not extremely stylish. They are great for walks, being around your house, etc. I would probably not wear these out on a date or anything like that though.

Here is some information about Oofos:
The shoe uses Oofoam. The patented foot-bed design delivers an unprecedented experience because of its unique energy absorption capabilities. You may think these initial designs look like something you've seen before, but the OOFOS brand experience is like nothing you've ever felt before.

These shoes help to:
• Absorbs shock to lessen pain
• Reduces fatigue & restores vigor
• Delivers unparalleled cushioning to recharge & rejuvenate your feet.

I will definitely be wearing these shoes around my house and taking my pups on a walk all summer. Say goodbye to no support flip-flops and try these amazing Oofos.

Giveaway

The giveaway will be for one pair of Oofos of the winner's choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stonefire Quick Pizzas

2012-05-19T08:26:00.000-04:00

I was recently sent some whole grain pitas and naan to review from Stonefire. I had tried these products awhile back and really liked them. One night this past week, I pulled out a package of these from my freezer and made mini pizzas with them (see recipe below). They were incredible. The bread baked up really nicely and was perfectly chewy. My husband and I both really enjoyed these. This bread also has many other uses including pairing well with Indian food. Also, the pitas can be used for a Mediterranean pita with cucumbers, sour cream, tomatoes, chickpeas, etc.

Stonefire Quick Pizzas

Ingredients:
1 package of Stonefire Naan
1/2 can pizza sauce (I used Dei Fratelli sauce without added Italian spices)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
10 slices Canadian bacon- chopped
1/2 fresh jalapeno-finely diced
1/2 larger tomato- chopped
1/4 green pepper- chopped
3/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese- shredded

Directions:
1. Chop all vegetables and Canadian bacon.
2. Take naan out of package and spread each one with tomato sauce and sprinkle with garlic powder.
3. Top with the shredded cheese.
4. Sprinkle with all toppings.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is semi-crispy.

I swear these are amazing! You especially need to try it with the sharp cheddar. Yum! I would definitely make these again using these Stonefire Naan, they were a great addition to this meal.

Willamette Valley Granola Chips Review

2012-05-17T07:28:00.000-04:00

Willamette Valley is a company that makes granola chips that can be eaten plain or with milk. They come in 4 delicious flavors including butter pecan, wild berry, vanilla bean, and honey nut. I am a huge granola fan so I was interested in trying these.

The first ones that I tried were the butter pecan flavor. These are delicious! They are big flakes that are great on their own. They contain several whole grains including oats, barley, amarynth, and quinoa. Each serving is only 110 calories and 5 grams of sugar. I am impressed with the low amount of sugar since these taste quite sweet. They contain 3 grams of fiber but only 2 grams of protein. These would also be awesome in milk or on top of yogurt.

My mom who is not typically a sweets fan tried the vanilla bean ones. She really loves them! She was shocked at how much she liked these and has been snacking on a few after meals. Also, I gave my brother a bag of the wild berry ones and he really liked those. My favorite thing about these granola chips is that they can be eaten like a snack cracker or like cereal. They can be eaten on the road or at the kitchen table. If you take one thing out of this review, you must try the yummy butter pecan flavored Willamette Valley granola chips!

Disclosure: I received these products free of charge. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this post.