THE NIBBLE » Diet Nibbles

CONTEST: THE NIBBLE’s Gourmet Giveaway ~ Weekly Food Prize Drawing

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:39:01 +0000

This week’s prize: A healthy gift basket
from Smucker’s. Denise Austin workout video
included but not shown in photo. Retail value $80.00.

You have a far better chance of winning the weekly food prize in THE NIBBLE’s Gourmet Giveaway than winning the lottery—and entering the Gourmet Giveaway is free!

Tearful letters were received last winter when we suspended the Gourmet Giveaway because the company that sponsored the prizes was sold. But it’s back now in a new and simpler form that will please some folks, because there’s no weekly trivia quiz to take before you enter. All you have to do is go to a page on TheNibble.com related to the quiz (this week it’s a reduced-calorie recipe made with Smucker’s Fruit Spread), click the link on the bottom of the page and enter your email address. It’s that simple. To those of you who loved those food trivia quizzes: they’re still available to take, over and over again, and we promise to have some new ones down the road.

And rest assured, there’s no spamming. If you aren’t selected as the winner, your address will be discarded.

If you like to take quizzes and polls, you can take a weekly poll on our new Facebook Fan Page—just a quickie, one-question poll. And, there will be special Gourmet Giveaway prizes for Facebook Fans only. These blog posts are also streamed to the Facebook Fan page, along with our Tweets, so consider it a major stop for NIBBLE social media channels.

What Should You Do Next?

Check out this week’s Gourmet Giveaway, a healthy food picnic basket and Denise Austin workout video, sponsored by Smucker’s.

Join THE NIBBLE Facebook Fan Page for extra opportunities to win food prizes—we’re saving some of the choicest morsels for our BFFs (best Facebook Fans).

PRODUCT: Sour Cream & Onion And Cheddar Popchips Potato Chips

admin — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:42:34 +0000

Sour Cream & Onion Popchips, along with
Cheddar, are now available in the 3-ounce
and .8 ounce single serving sizes.

Pop pop, hurray! We’re serving the two newest Popchips flavors at our cookout today. Sour Cream & Onion is a terrific interpretation of the potato chip-and-dip combination; Cheddar is perfect with a beer.

Popchips, a Nibble Top Pick Of The Week, are the newest and best way to enjoy potato chips. They’re not fried or baked—they’re popped, applying heat and pressure to create a crunchy chip with intense potato flavor, that’s truly healthier. There are no preservatives, no cholesterol, no saturated fat or trans fat; Popchips have 3.5g fat per serving and 100 calories per individual-portion bag. That’s great snacking! Read our full review of Popchips.

Hungry for more potato chips?

Learn the history of potato chips.

Here’s a recipe for homemade potato chips.

Take our Snack Food Trivia Quiz.

PRODUCT: GoPicnic Ready-To-Eat Lunch “Boxes”

admin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:04 +0000

Our “Natural Break” GoPicnic box had 12g of dietary fiber
and 16g of protein, with healthy food choices like Food
Should Taste Good multigrain tortilla chips, Wild Garden
sundried tomato hummus dip, Late July organic cheddar
cheese sandwich crackers, Trophy Farms oven-roasted
almonds, Mariani Ultimate Apricots and Immaculate
Baking Co.’s Chocobilly Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

GoPicnic’s boxed meals are dedicated to the proposition that people on the go can have tasty and much better-for-you snack and light meal options than are available at most delis, snack stands, and certainly, fast food counters. Select from more than 20 choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks; there are options for vegetarian, gluten free, kosher and halal diets. No refrigeration is required. (And you can customize your own boxes if you’re with a group that can meet the minimum order.)

GoPicnic has packaged some of our favorite brands into the snack and meal boxes, including Top Picks Of The Week like Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips, Mary’s Gone Crackers and Sheffa Snacks, favorites like Salba Smart tortilla chips, Mrs. May’s Nut Crunches and Larabar, plus delicious new finds like Mariani Ultimate Apricots.

There are sweets in every box, too, but they’re guilt-free—either because they’re sensibly small, allergen free or otherwise “not junk food.” All the products are made with natural ingredients, no trans fats, no high fructose corn syrup, no added MSG.

Each box contains a nutritious meal. Mom would approve; in fact, moms call these products “healthy lunchables.” There’s also a series for kids called Mighty Munch Meals, which fit 35-10-35 nutritional guidelines (35% or less of the calories in the meal are from fat, 10% or less from saturated fat and 35% or less of the total weight is from sugar).

And GoPicnic boxes are fun! Each colorful box contains six to seven tasty food items—many organic and lower fat—plus utensils, a red gingham paper napkin (for the “picnic” effect), utensils, a jumbo after-meal mint and a lemon scented Moist Wipe. You may not be headed to a picnic in the park, but you might be on a long car trip or field trip, an airline flight, a business meeting or a sports stadium. Or maybe you just work long hours and are always grabbing for the wrong snacks. If you belong to any of these groups, click on over to GoPicnic.com and take a look at the “menu.”

PRODUCT: Bone Suckin’ Sweet Hot Mustard

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:01:06 +0000

Just in time for peak hot dog grilling season.

With July 4th a few days away, and the prospect of a whole summer of yummy franks on the grill, we’d like to suggest the addition of Bone Suckin’ brand’s Sweet Hot Mustard. Imagine America’s yellow hot dog mustard. (Yes, bright yellow mustard was invented here—French’s Cream Salad Brand Mustard was envisioned as a cooking ingredient, e.g. for potato and egg salad and just happen to coincide with the rise of the ballpark frank. See the history of mustard.) But Bone Suckin’s creamy, yellow mustard is at a gourmet level, with sweet and hot layers of flavor from brown sugar, molasses, paprika and jalapeños. There’s a tempered sweetness and medium heat—just enough heat to be interesting, but not enough to require a cold beer as an antidote (that part is purely optional).

We think you’ll love it as much as we do; you might also want to order some extra jars to bring as host/hostess gifts when you’re invited to a cookout. We love Bone Suckin’s Sweet Hot Mustard on hot dogs and burgers, but you can dip pretzels into it, spread it on sandwiches, mix it into potato salad and stir it into your favorite recipes. It’s all natural (no preservatives), gluten free, fat free, HFCS free and certified kosher (pareve) by OU. A 12-ounce jar is $6.79 at BoneSuckin.com.

By the way: Can you name the spice that gives yellow mustard its bright yellow color? The answer is below.

Answer: Turmeric, which also gives curry powder its deep yellow color, is responsible for the vibrant yellow of “ballpark” mustards as well.

See our Mustard Glossary for more about mustard.

See reviews of our favorite mustards.

TIP OF THE DAY: Diet Fruit Soup

Nibble Editors — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:59:55 +0000

Make a delicious, low-calorie fruit soup by puréeing 2 pounds of cantaloupe (two melons—reserve some melon balls for garnish). Then add 3/4 cup of herbal fruit tea and 1 to 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Garnish with chopped mint and melon balls or berries. Enjoy it at any meal as a first course or dessert, or anytime as a snack. For protein, add fat-free plain yogurt, which you can sweeten with a no-cal sweetener. If the cantaloupe isn’t sweet enough, add a small amount of sweetener to the soup, too. This is one of our favorite diet treats!

Find other low-calorie foods in our Diet Nibbles Section.

Check out our Soups & Stocks Section.

PRODUCT: Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt

Editorial Assistant — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:01:06 +0000

When you’re Gary Hirshberg, founder and CEO of Stonyfield Yogurt, the daily choice of yogurt is pretty vast. So who’d have guessed, after looking at the Stonyfield Yogurt empire, that his favorite treat as a boy was authentic Greek yogurt, made by his next door neighbors? Last year, he launched his own brand of Greek yogurt, under the Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt label. Oikos is the Greek word for house, and also the root of the word for ecology, which is fundamental to the organic, environment-supportive Stonyfield brand. The Oikos line has 0% fat, is certified organic and kosher and is available in Plain plus Blueberry, Honey, Strawberry and Vanilla.

Oikos Greek Yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, but not as thick as FAGE Total Greek yogurt or another relative newcomer, Chobani probiotic Greek yogurt, both of which can pass for thick sour cream. There’s a big difference in the texture—with Oikos being more like “normal” yogurt—as well as in the flavor. Whereas FAGE Total and Chobani can sometimes pass for sour cream (wishful thinking), Oikos is definitely yogurt.

Read the full review and find out what makes a yogurt “Greek.”

Find more reviews of our favorite yogurts in THE NIBBLE’S Yogurt Section.

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt is fat free, organic and kosher. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

Read about the different styles of yogurt in our Yogurt Glossary.

PRODUCT: Annie Chun’s Rice Express ~ Black Pearl & Multigrain Rice Bowls

admin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:34:56 +0000

We love black pearl rice, so we were happy to try Annie Chun’s new microwavable rice bowls, Black Pearl (mixed with sprouted brown rice) and Multi Grain, a mix that includes sprouted brown rice, Indian and regular millet (a grain-like seed, high in magnesium, protein and B vitamins) and the Black Pearl rice. Both products produce steamed rice in one minute—a good gluten free, whole grain snack or part of a larger meal. Steamed or sautéed veggies, tofu, poultry or seafood make quick toppers. The rice can be served in the microwavable bowl.

Both varieties are unseasoned and require some kind of salt or other seasoning to bring up the flavor.

Black pearl rice, with chocolaty notes, was once reserved solely for the emperors of ancient China—it is also known as “forbidden rice.” It’s rich in amino acids and high in vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium and magnesium.

We added Pacific Island American Soy Sauce to the Black Pearl. Pacific Island Soy Sauce, which we discovered in our review of the best soy sauces, is a very interesting blend of soy sauce and vinegar, plus lemon, green onion and jalapeño. You get the tangy vinegar notes, as well as the soy, and it has 50% lower sodium than lite soy sauce.

Annie Chun’s Black Pearl Rice. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

The second time around with the Black Pearl rice bowl, we created mock rice pudding, adding milk and artificial sweetener, then reheating for 20 seconds. (Feel free to add half and half or cream and the sweetener of your choosing—white or brown sugar, maple syrup or honey.)

To the Multi Grain Rice we first added a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese and some fresh-cracked pepper. We keep grated Parmesan in the freezer. The trick is to have it grated very finely at the store, not in flakes, and keep it in an airtight container. Then, whenever you need a spoonful to season anything from soup to eggs, take it from the container—it “defrosts” instantly.

For our second Multi Grain sampling, we seasoned the rice with a bit of the Pacific Island Soy Sauce and topped it with a poached egg and some minced fresh parsley (any herb will do). Some salt would have been fine instead of the soy sauce, but the vinegar in Pacific Island was a nice counterpoint to the poached egg.

A 6.3-ounce bowl is $3.19, a 12-pack is $31.08 at AnnieChun.com. The products are also available at retailers nationwide. We enjoyed all of these as snacks. With the whole grain goodness and comfort food warmth (especially during this three-week stretch of rainy days), we felt triumphant over our jones for ice cream.

See more types of rice in our Rice Glossary.

CONTEST: Guiltless In Sin City

Editorial Assistant — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:10:00 +0000

Enter to win the Guiltless Gourmet Sweepstakes

Eat chips, feel no guilt and maybe win a trip to Vegas or other prizes. You read correctly—buy any flavor of Guiltless Gourmet tortilla chips, in tempting choices such as Spicy Black Bean and Chili Lime. Check the code on the bag online for a chance to win coupons for free products and American Express gift cards. Everyone who enters a code on the Guiltless Gourmet site by September 30th will also be registered for a shot at the Grand Prize: three nights for the winner and a guest at a five-diamond Las Vegas resort, a $1,500 world class spa package and a fat stack of cash. (BYO chips?)

Speaking of fat, all Guiltless Gourmet products have 3 grams or less per serving. Please pass the salsa.

See reviews of our favorite tortilla chips in our Snacks Section.

See reviews of our favorite salsas to go with them.

PRODUCT: Light Ice Cream ~ How Light Is It?

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:26:53 +0000

Half the fat doesn’t mean you can eat twice
as much! Be sure to check the calories, too—
some brands of “light” ice creams have more
calories and sugar than other brands of “regular.”

Our friends at Consumer Reports have been dipping into the light ice cream to give you the scoop on light ice cream (in the July 2009 issue). By law, a “light” ice cream must have one-third the calories or half the fat of a brand’s regular ice cream.

The taste test compared three light ice creams with their regular counterparts, and also tried Häagen-Dazs Five, which isn’t marketed as a light ice cream but has a third less fat than regular Häagen-Dazs. The comments:

All of the lighter versions are quite tasty.

The lower-fat Häagen-Dazs Five was actually a bit better than the regular HD.

Breyers regular and light ice creams were very close in quality.

The light ice cream versions can also be less costly. Per half-cup serving, the lighter brands from Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s were less expensive as well as having far fewer calories. However (and there’s always a “however”), the term “light” is relative. The lighter Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry tried actually have more calories and sugars than the regular Edy’s/Dreyer’s and Breyers varieties.

Learn more about the different types of ice cream in our Ice Cream Glossary.

See reviews of our favorite ice cream brands and check out ice cream recipes in our Ice Cream Section.

PRODUCT: Sweet Heat–Mrs. Renfro’s Fruit Salsas

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:59:44 +0000

There exists a fine balance between sweet and savory—too much of one and the other falls short. For those who like sweet salsa, Mrs. Renfro’s Gourmet Salsas deserve your attention. All natural, there isn’t one ingredient on the label that wouldn’t come straight from your refrigerator or pantry. Rather than dominate the flavor palette, the fruit notes in these salsas amplify the vegetable flavors and cut through the heat. The consistency is on the thick side, perfect for clinging to a tortilla chip, blanketing a bland meat like chicken or blending with yogurt or sour cream for an instant, creamy crudité dip or spread.

Tequila
Tequila adds a piquant bite to mellow, sweet pineapple. The subtle tang of fresh lime juice and a mounting heat towards the finish make for an excellent overall flavor.

Mrs. Renfro’s Pineapple Salsa.

Pineapple
If you’re at all a fan of fresh, ripe pineapple, this is the Holy Grail of salsa for you. As proven by the popular “Hawaiian” pizza, tomato and pineapple make a delicious couple. With juicy chunks of sweet-and-tangy fruit in every bite, you barely notice Mrs. Renfro’s signature hot finish.

Pomegranate
Many products claiming to be pomegranate-flavored end up tasting like anything but. Not so with this salsa. The fruit shines clearly through the rich, smoky chipotle without so much as a peep from artificial flavoring. The lingering sweet-hot afterburn will have you immediately reaching for another chip.

The verdict: we’re more than likely to dip into these again!

See more of our favorite salsas.
Read the history of salsa.
See our favorite gourmet tortilla chips .