For the last few days, I've been reviewing my purchases at Adam's Fairacre Farms. Another product that I picked up there is Heaven's Whey Pro-Nola. I'm not the biggest fan of granola - I think they are mostly empty calories, and don't fill you up at all - BUT, recently, I've been having oatmeal with no sugar at all (definitely an acquired taste), and I do like to add some things to ramp up the texture & taste, and this seemed like it might make a good addition.

This is the BEST granola I have ever tried. It's in dense clumps and somehow that rustic vibe works. Just break off a piece and proceed to chomp on this sweet (yes, sweet despite only having 3 grams of sugars and 3 grams of sugar alchols per serving), chocolatey ... and coconuty granola. And surprisingly, I didn't want to eat the entire bag in one sitting. Just a nosh or 2 at a time. And it is insanely good in oatmeal!

As for the nutrition facts - each 1 ounce serving (about 1/4 cup) provides 130 calories from 6 grams of total fat, 2 grams of which is saturated fat (both are 9% of the daily value), 2% of the DV for sodium, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugars and sugar alcohols, plus 5 grams of protein.

The ingredients in Heaven's Whey Chocolate Pro-Nola include rolled oats, whey protein (whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, xanthan gum, natural vanilla flavor, luo han guo (sweetener)), maltitol/ polyglucitol, honey, canola oil, coconut, sunflower seeds, cocoa powder, flax seeds, sesame seed, salt.

It cost $6.99 for a 9 ounce bag, which is quite pricey. This is not the lowest calorie granola out there for sure - Cascadian Farm Organic Dark Chocolate Almond Granola Review or Health Valley Granolas are probably better in that department - but where this shines is as an addition. For me, it really jazzed up oatmeal, yogurt & bland cereal. I use just about 1 serving (or a little less), and it adds a touch of sweetness & protein.

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We featured this poll almost 2 years ago (What's Your Beverage of Choice {Poll}) - 158 people voted, and diet drinks was the most popular answer. It's time to do it again to see if we'll get the same results!

So tell us what you think What Do You Like to Drink? {link}

I think I might just have discovered a new favorite snack in the form of Kathie's Kitchen Super Seedz. I saw these at Adams Fairacre Farms a few days ago, and despite the $3.99 price tag (for a 6 ounce bag), I decided to pick up this gluten free, tree nut free, peanut free, MSG free & vegan, snack.

These seeds are super-tasty and somewhat spicy as the name implies. I definitely did not eat more than 1 serving at a time, but in addition to having it by itself, I also added it to home-made trail mix for the kids - they liked the spicy kick. Another reason that I didn't have more than 1 serving is that each serving provides 12 grams of total fat, which is 18% of the daily value. Of that, 2 grams is saturated (10% of the DV). Each 28 gram serving (about 1/3rd cup) also provides 160 calories, 60 mg of sodium (3% of the DV), 1 gram of fiber, no sugars and 9 grams of protein. There is also 25% of the DV for iron.

The all natural ingredients include shelled pumpkin seeds, cayenne pepper sauce (aged cayenne red pepper, vinegar, water, salt, garlic powder), granulated garlic, granulated onion, cayenne, paprika, black pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, sage.

As I mentioned before, I paid $3.99 for a 6 ounce bag of Kathie's Kitchen Super Seedz (Somewhat Spicy) Pumpkin Seeds - 6 servings - which is definitely on the pricey side of things, but I would buy this again. The nutrition facts are pretty good, all natural ingredients, and I can add it to salads, trail mix, and eat it on it's own. There are quite a few other varieties that I want to try as well, like Original Curry.

{Website: Super Seedz}

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Potato chips are looked at like the devil's spawn because of the high fat & low nutritional value - so are other types of chips more ... wholesome? Well, when I saw Route 11 Sweet Potato Chips at the grocery store recently, I decided to check it out to see if these were any better than regular potato chips. The packaging says these chips are lightly salted, all natural, wheat and gluten free plus made using all natural sea salt.

These chips certainly are mighty tasty. They're sturdy yet crunchy, and are slightly sweet and slightly salty at the same time - it sounds like an odd combo, but somehow it all works together and a yummy chip is the result.

Each 1 ounce (28 gram) serving of Route 11 Sweet Potato Chips provides 140 calories, 7 grams of total fat (11% of the daily value), 1 gram of which is saturated fat (5% of the DV), 55 mg sodium (6% of the DV), 4 grams of sugars, 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Plus there is 120% of the daily value for vitamin A. When you compare these chips to Lays (Classic) Potato Chips, they come out on top. A 28 gram serving of Lays provides 160 calories, 10 grams of total fat (16% of the daily value) and 170 mg of sodium.

The ingredients are simply sweet potatoes, peanut oil and/or high monounsaturated sunflower oil and Real Salt (sea salt). I bought a 42 gram bag of Route 11 Sweet Potato Chips - unfortunately, that is 1.5 servings, meaining 16% of the daily value for total fat - definitely something to watch out for.

So nutritionally, I would prefer these sweet potato chips over a bag of Lays Classic Potato Chips, but something like Glenny's Sea Salt Spud Delites Review has less calories and fat, and is just as tasty.

Have you tried sweet potato chips before? Did you like it?

{Website: Route 11}

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It's been quite a while since I posted reviews. Call it the winter blues or call it a bit of a burn-out. Either way - I'm back!!! There's a new grocery store that opened up not too far from me, Adams Fairacre Farms, so I decided to go check it out and I found quite a few interesting products that were screaming at me to review them. In particular, this Sheep's Milk Yogurt by Old Chatham Sheepherding Company stood out because I hadn't had yogurt made from sheep's milk before. Plus, Old Chatham is just about 70 miles north of me in upstate NY, and I love supporting local farmers & their products.

I was hoping to have good things to say about the Ginger flavor of the Sheep's Milk Yogurt - and I do! The consistency is very similar to Greek yogurt - thick, rich & creamy. The taste is quite tart, and it's not very sweet - this might be an acquired taste to some. The yogurt is studded with ginger crystals throughout, and you really have to mix it well because these crystals bring a little pop of sweetness, and added texture & that burst of ginger flavor. Don't worry, there's not much of that characteristic tangy, spicy ginger flavor - it's more of an essence. All in all, I really liked this yogurt (which is also gluten-free). I felt full afterwards & it's just substantial, all natural goodness. My only hesitation with this comes from the high saturated fat (although sheep's milk is higher in medium chain fatty acids than cow's milk).

Each 6 ounce serving of Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Sheep's Milk (Ginger) Yogurt provides 150 calories, 9 grams of total fat (14% of the daily value), 4 grams of which is saturated fat (20% of the DV), 27 mg cholesterol (9% of the DV), 12 grams of sugars, no fiber & 8 grams of protein.

Despite the high saturated fat, I would buy Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Sheep's Milk (Ginger) Yogurt again in a heartbeat! It makes a fantastic, filling pick me up during the day - and let's not overlook the 8 grams of protein! Their farm is organically managed (you will have to ask them what exactly that means), and this yogurt is all natural - the ingredients are simply, pasteurized sheep's milk, crystallized ginger, L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, Bifidus (probiotic cultures).

I purchased a 6 ounce container for $2.69 - much more expensive than other yogurts - oh how I wish it were a little cheaper! But I'll still buy this again. I love finding a delicious, dairy free (and gluten free) yogurt that is filling and not too sweet.

Have you tried this one yet? I also spotted a goat's milk yogurt that I'm anxious to try out.

{Website: Old Chatham Sheepherding Company}

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I was at Starbucks the other day doing some work, when I impulsively decided to review one of the beverages they sell there. I picked up a bottle of Naked Blue Machine Boosted 100% Juice Smoothie which cost $4.27 - way more than I would normally spend on a (15.2 ounce) bottled beverage - so I was certainly hoping that this would not only be tasty and nutritious, but would provide some super-duper fuel for my workout later in the evening.

First off - this is not "blue" but purple-ish. But I really didn't care about that - what I can say is that this was one refreshing drink. The first sip and I could feel some of the tiredness evaporating from my body. The drink is thick, sweet and a little tart. I have not one complaint about the flavor as I enjoyed it immensely. I drank only half of the bottle in the morning, because I noticed that each 8 ounce serving provides 170 calories from 29 grams of sugars, 1 gram of protein and a surprising 7 grams of fiber (29% of the daily value).

Naked Juice Blue Machine has (according to the product page) 27 blueberries, 3 blackberries, 3 1/4 apples and 1 banana. According to the label on the bottle, this "no sugar added" juice smoothie has apple juice, banana puree, blueberry puree, fibersol-2 fiber (maltodextrin), blackberry puree, natural flavors, fruit and vegetable juice for color, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin E (AS acetate), niacinamide, D-Calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), pyridoxine hydrochlroide (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12).

The real question is whether I would buy this again - for $2.50 or less - probably - but for $4.00+ - nope. Too expensive and too much sugar - although I could see adding some water to it since it's so thick and making it stretch. I really did like this though, and if I had enough will power to not drink the entire 2+ servings at once, I would probably buy this more often.

No I just need to get a little extra courage to try the Naked Juice Green Machine!

{Website: Naked Juice}

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Alfredo sauce usually isn't that healthy since it's usually made with cream, but Lean Cuisine found a way to incorporate just enough in their Lean Cuisine Shrimp Alfredo dish, without breaking the calorie bank.

After the dish was microwaved and ready to eat, I was pleased with the texture of the shrimp and the vegetables, which consisted of broccoli and peas (which there was a lot less of). The linguini pasta was also good, but I found the Alfredo sauce to be a bit thin and watery - but that's definitely one way to cut calories and fat a bit, so I didn't mind too much. The shrimp was delicious (there were 7 pieces - I counted), and overall, I thought the entire meal made for a tasty, pleasant lunch - with a side salad to make it more filling.

Each 225 gram package of Lean Cuisine Shrimp Alfredo provides 210 calories, 4 grams of total fat, 2 grams of which is saturated (6% and 9% of the daily value) and 60 milligrams of cholesterol (20% of the DV). There is also 650 milligrams of sodium (27% DV), 15 grams of protein, 3 grams of dietary fiber (11% of the DV) and 3 grams of sugars.

The packaging mentions that there are no preservatives and the ingredients list starts with blanched linguine (water, semolina, wheat gluten), skim milk, shrimp, broccoli, water and peas - the good stuff is right at the beginning of the list - always a good sign.

I paid $2.20 for this entree (sale price) and there was so much that I liked - the low calorie, protein, shrimp, veggies and even the sauce - so I would definitely buy this again.

{Website: Lean Cuisine}

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I raided the frozen food aisle of the supermarket a few weeks ago, and came away with a lot of meals to review. I was on a bit of a "eat more fish" kick, so I decided that one of the meals had to be the Lean Cuisine Tortilla Crusted Fish. The picture on the box made it look very appealing, and who wouldn't like something that's described as, tortilla crusted fish with rice, poblano peppers & corn in a sour cream sauce?!

When I microwaved this meal - you could smell fish throughout the entire kitchen - good thing I did this at home and not at work, as I imagine some people wouldn't like it. But I was a hungry bear and it smelled delicious to me. The food around the edges of the container did get a little hard/ crusty from being microwaved, but nothing major. The rice with poblano peppers & corn was just a tad spicy & creamy enough without being unpleasantly mushy - I think thanks to the diced up veggies. And the fish held up surprisingly well - the bottom looked a little soggy, but that didn't seem to affect the dish too much. The fish tasted like a lightly seasoned white fish with a light crust.

Each 226 gram portion provides 300 calories from 9 grams of total fat, 2 grams of which is saturated (14% and 10% of the daily value). There is also 490 mg sodium (20% of the DV), 2 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugars and 13 grams of protein.

This Lean Cuisine Cafe Cuisine meal is made without preservatives (view the ingredients list at the product website) - but the ingredients list is a little lengthy, and white, not brown rice is used.

Overall, I really liked the Lean Cuisine Tortilla Crusted Fish, especially piping hot like how I had it. It's certainly worth the $2.50 that I paid and I would buy it again.

{Website: Lean Cuisine}

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Healthy Choice Italian Sausage Marinara is described as having Italian pork sausage in a marinara sauce over whole grain pasta with green beans & zucchini. I decided to buy this classic pasta dish (along with a few others), for lunch this week.

I thought the dish delivered a solid performance in taste, but it wasn't spectacular. I love the thick hearty pasta, which soaked up the slightly sweet and not too tomatoey sauce nicely, but the cheese was a bust for me. It was in the middle of the dish and there it stayed. When I tried to mix it with everything else, it was just stringy and stuck to the fork. I'm a huge fan of green beans, so thanks Healthy Choice for including 1 cup of vegetables in this meal - but I'm not big on zucchini and thankfully, there wasn't much of it.

Each meal provides 310 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of which is saturated fat (11% and 13% of the daily value), 24% of the daily value for sodium (580 mg), 7 grams of fiber (20% of the DV), 9 grams of sugars and 16 grams of protein.

The ingredients list for the Healthy Choice Italian Sausage Marinara starts with cooked pasta made with whole grain wheat flour, water, green beans, green and yellow zucchini, diced tomatoes in juice ... it continues on but I was impressed that the veggies are right at the beginning.

I purchased this for $3.00, and while I didn't go wow - it was quite adequate for lunch, and I would buy it again, especially when it's on sale. The Healthy Choice Tortellini Primavera Parmesan (Review) is probably a tastier option, but it's also smaller.

{Website: Healthy Choice}

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YoCrunch's trademark is the little container on top with some crunchies that you can add to the yogurt. Traditionally it was granola, but now there are containers with Oreos, M&Ms & even Butterfinger crumbles! But, I wanted to try a traditional variety this time, so I picked up a 6 ounce container of YoCrunch Strawberry Banana Low-fat Yogurt to try out.

The taste is so sweet, with a little hint of tartness, but nothing in the way of banana. There were a FEW bits of berries scattered throughout the yogurt, reppin' the strawberries, but the overall flavor was a generic SWEET yogurt. In fact, this reminded me a lot of Yoplait Original 99% Fat Free Cherry Orchard Yogurt (Review) - both are very sweet, so don't let the "low fat yogurt" spiel fool you.

Each 6 ounce container of YoCrunch Strawberry Banana Low-fat Yogurt provides 180 calories from 2 grams of fat, 1 gram of which is saturated (3% and 5% of the daily value), 1 gram of fiber (4% of the DV), 6 grams of protein and 26 grams of sugars.

The ingredients list (which can be seen at the product website) is surprisingly not very lengthy, but for those concerned, it does contain high fructose corn syrup, no artificial sugars or colors.

Although the YoCrunch Greek Non-Fat Yogurt (Peach) Review doesn't taste as good, I would prefer to have it - with almost twice the amount of protein, 1 gram more fiber and 7 grams less fat plus 6 grams less sugars - all at 10 calories less.

{Website: YoCrunch}

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I'm currently at my folks place visiting for the week which means I have access to more natural foods stores. Yesterday, I dragged the parental units with me to the grocery store and while I was looking around, I saw Naked 100% Pure Coconut Water. They had quite a few flavors such as Lychee, Mango & Pineapple - but I was having none of that. Sorry but Phenom Coconut Water (Reviews) has permanently turned me off flavored coconut waters. So I opted to try the Naked Pure - 100% pure coconut water and nothing else added.

The packaging describes this as being produced from Brazilian green coconuts - and indeed it does taste very similar to if it were fresh and taken straight from the coconut. This is one of my favorite brands of coconut water. And each 11.2 ounce container provides only 80 calories, no fat, fiber or protein and 11 grams of sugars. It's also a good source of potassium (650 mg).

I purchased a container of Naked 100% Pure Coconut Water for $2.29, which is a little pricy for a beverage. But then again - an 80 calorie, refreshingly good all natural beverage that doesn't have gobs of sugar is certainly worth that.

Do you have a favorite brand of coconut water to recommend?

{Website: Naked Juice Coconut Water}

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The description of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Fast & Natural Instant Brown Rice reads, "now you can get great tasting 100% natural whole grain brown rice in just 10 minutes." Well, one thing I love is quick and easy, healthy meals, so I was all over this and bought a 14 ounce box for $2.19.

Well, they aren't lying. The directions are basically to add rice to water, boil, then turn the heat down & simmer for 10 minutes. This produced a fluffy, soft rice - not much different from white rice actually.

Each 1 cup (cooked) serving of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Fast & Natural Instant Brown Rice provides 170 calories, 1.5 grams of total fat, 2 grams of fiber (8% of the daily value) and 4 grams of protein. The ingredients list simply states, whole grain paraboiled rice.

As I mentioned before, a 14 ounce box, which holds about 2 cups of rice, cost a little over $2.00. I liked it, my family liked it, and I would definitely buy this again. Minute Instant Brown Rice (Review) is also really good. It shouldn't be too hard to mess up rice (although, you never know with some companies), but if you're pressed for dinner prep time, then Uncle Ben's got your back.

{Website: Uncle Ben's}

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This week at my local grocery store, Birds Eye Steamfresh vegetables are on sale for $0.99 each. I was able to print the coupon twice (by refreshing the Facebook page), so it'll end up costing me $0.49 each. That's a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!!

Check out the Birds Eye Reviews to see our favorite products.

One thing I love about Larabar is that when they say "all natural" - they mean it. For example, the ingredients list the Larabar Ginger Snap Bar is simply, dates, almonds, pecans, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Now these are the ingredients I expect to see in a natural bar - not like what's found in the "all natural" Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick Bar.

Unfortunately, Larabars also tend to have a lot of sugars - in this case, 20 grams - and a lot of total fat, 20% of the daily value in the Ginger Snap Bar (13 grams). This 51 gram bar also provides 240 calories, 5 grams of fiber (20% of the daily value) and 5 grams of protein.

And the taste is so good. The Larabar Ginger Snap Bar tastes better than the Clif Iced Gingerbread Bar (Review) - sweet, but not to sweet; and there is a strong hint of ginger, but it's not too overwhelming. I dislike when products have a strong flavor like ginger, but they put so little in it that it's almost non-existent (like Lipton Ginger Twist Herbal Tea). I love how the flavors & textures play out with the almonds and pecans as well.

I purchased a Larabar Ginger Snap Bar for $1.19 at my local grocery store, but as much as I like the flavor, I would not buy this bar regularly because of all the sugars and total fat - I prefer my bars high in protein and fiber but low in sugars, like Doctor's CarbRite Diet Sugar Free Frosted Cinnamon Bun Bar (Review), which uses sugar alcohols instead of sugars and artificial sweeteners.

{Website: Larabar}

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Luna bills itself as the whole nutrition bar for women, "with (70%) organic ingredients, vitamins to meet the special needs of our bodies, and flavors we love, LUNA makes finding nourishment a bit simpler." I picked up a Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick Bar at the grocery store recently, so I could take a look for myself.

As soon as I opened the wrapper, I could smell the peppermint essence wafting up - a good sign. The bar itself has a white coating that's very minty. The thicker, chocolate soy crisp layer is standard - a little sweet, a little minty but also a little dry. I also thought I tasted nuts, but it might have been the organic toasted oats or soybeans - whatever it was, I liked the contrast it gave to the soy crisps. I'm not sure why this is referred to as a "stick" when it's more like a bar - it's not long and thin, but rectangular and thick. At first I thought that this bar was just okay, but the more of it that I had, the more I liked it.

Each 48 gram Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick provides 180 calories, 5 grams of total fat, half of which is saturated fat (8% and 13% of the daily value), 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber (16% of the daily value) and 12 grams. Less calories, more fiber but same amount of protein and sugars are the Clif Mojo All Natural Mountain Mix Trail Mix Bar (Review).

The ingredients list is quite lengthy, although props for the 70% organic, but really - LunaPro ® (Cocoa Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Organic Rice Flour, Organic Alkalized Cocoa, Alkalized Cocoa], Organic Toasted Oats [Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Dried Cane Syrup], Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Flaxmeal), Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Coating (Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Soy Lecithin, Organic Vanilla), Inulin (Chicory Extract), Vegetable Glycerin, Chocolate Cookies (Organic Oat Flour, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Sunflower Oil, Cocoa, Unsweetened Chocolate, Salt, Baking Soda, Soy Lecithin), Organic Cocoa, Organic Unsweetened Chocolate, Organic Sunflower Oil, Peppermint Candy (Dried Cane Syrup, Colored with Beet Powder, Natural Flavors, Carnauba Wax), Natural Flavors, Sea Salt. (Thankfully the ingredients list is online so I could copy and paste - I would have hated to have to type all that out).

I bought the all natural Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick for $1.19 at my local grocery store, and it's a pretty good option to satisfy a sweet craving as there is a decent amount of fiber and protein.

{Website: Luna Bar}

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