I love coming home to find new food products on my doorstep! Nature’s Pride sent me two loaves of bread: 100% Whole Wheat and 12 Grain. I immediately scratched my original dinner plan and decided to go with a grilled cheese sandwich using the whole wheat variety. The bread was really good, and I like the fact that I am familiar with all the ingredients on the label. It is packed with whole grains; this is not a brown bread that’s just pretending to be whole wheat.

I used it again for a classic PB&J (maybe even for breakfast) and it was just as good untoasted. I’ll be using the 12 Grain loaf in a recipe which is coming up soon.

This is my first product review from the produce department. I was looking for a piece of fruit, and stumbled upon an apple pear. I had never seen one, but found they have a Latin name and Asian origin. While it was shaped like an apple, it tasted more like a pear. It held up well, traveling around the city in my bag, and made a wonderful snack, no cooking required!

The very generous people at Oikos sent me coupons to try their organic Greek yogurt. I already eat Greek yogurt on a regular basis, either mixed with fruit, or in recipes. I typically buy Fage or Chobani, but I was certainly willing to give Oikos a try! My local Whole Foods had the 0% fat, plain variety of Oikos, which is consistent with the type I usually purchase.

I started by using the yogurt in the Spinach and Leek Tart, but then I had to see how it stood on it’s own. It definitely has the classic thick texture associated with Greek yogurt, and it seemed slightly less sour than other brands. I added just a touch of Splenda, and it was a perfect afternoon snack.

Just for fun, I would like to try one of the other flavors available: Vanilla, Honey, and Blueberry. And while I do not purchase organic foods on a regular basis, I do appreciate the fact that the company considers their impact to the environment. Thanks for the chance to give it a try!

I was so excited when Quaker sent me a whole box of the new True Delights granola bars! Being a food blogger has it’s privileges. There are 3 different flavors: Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond, and Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. I should preface this review by saying that I don’t normally purchase boxes of granola bars, but they are good in a pinch. Usually I wait until I have a snack emergency and then scramble to buy a bar.

I have now tried each of the 3 flavors, and the Macadamia Nut bar is definitely my favorite. The macadamia nuts are prominent and the bar has a strong coconut flavor. I did love the chocolate chunks in the Dark Chocolate Raspberry bar though. The Cashew Mixed Berry bar did not have any distinct flavors. Overall, the bars are quite sweet, even for someone like me with a pretty big sweet tooth. They definitely taste like a treat.

The major drawback is that they are not very filling for 140 calories. They are fairly small, and didn’t really satisfy my hunger. Based on this, I would use them as a complement to a meal rather than a standalone snack. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

While I enjoy homemade salad dressings, I don’t usually take the time to make one when I am having a green salad at home. Maple Grove Farms Vidalia Onion dressing is my all time favorite store bought salad dressing! You can actually see the onions and it has a sweet onion flavor. The dressing has just 20 calories per 2 tablespoons, so it’s easy to keep a salad light if that’s your goal.

The salad bar at Whole Foods is a great ‘take-out’ option for the nights that I don’t want to cook, but I always skip their dressings, and use this one instead. Here is a recent salad I enjoyed.

It seems like everyone is talking about Arnold Sandwich Thins, and for good reason: they are incredibly versatile. While each Sandwich Thin has just 100 calories, it tastes like real bread, not a diet product. There are 3 varieties, but I prefer 100% Whole Wheat so I haven’t tried the others yet.

Here is what to look for in the store, usually right next to the Arnold breads:

I have used these for traditional sandwiches such as Egg Salad. I’ve also used them toasted for an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. My latest creation was Sandwich Thin pizzas, topped with tomato sauce, sauteed mushrooms, and fat free mozzarella. I baked the pizzas in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes and they were fantastic.

While the Sandwich Thins are fairly sturdy, they are thin as the name suggests, and will leak if you pile on too many wet and heavy ingredients. But with great taste and sound nutrition, they easily beat other low calorie bread products and are now a staple at my house.

From time to time I’ll be posting product reviews. While I enjoy cooking with whole foods, there are many food products which add variety and convenience to a healthy diet. Some product reviews will feature items which are new to the market, but for my first one I chose an old favorite: Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers. You should be able to find them easily along with the other veggie burgers. In the Boston area, they are in the Nature’s Harvest section at Stop & Shop and also at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.