Emerald Breakfast on the Go Nut & Granola Mix (Breakfast Blend) Review

The Breakfast Blend Emerald Breakfast on the Go Nut & Granola Mix contains vanilla yogurt raisins, dried sweetened cranberries, apple cinnamon glazed walnuts & almonds, granola and dried apple pieces, all in a small packet (51 grams). Now, just looking at a pack, I was pretty skeptical that this would make a "filling" breakfast - no doubt if I eat it in the morning, I can call anything breakfast - but would it sustain me for any significant period of time is what was really on my mind.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 pouch (51 grams)
Calories: 210
Total Fat: 8 grams, 13%
Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams, 11%
Sodium: 85 mg, 4%
Carbohydrates: 33 grams
Fiber: 3 grams, 13%
Sugars: 25 grams
Protein: 3 grams

Clearly, the answer is no way. I feel like the name "Breakfast to Go" is unfortunate. If anybody eats this for breakfast, then their morning hunger will not be satisfied - this will simply be a wasted 210 calories and 13% of the daily value for total fat - not to mention 25 grams of sugars. The mix was a little too sweet for me - I could have done without the yogurt raisins (which is made with partially hydrogenated oils), and used more almonds instead. Plus, it's like there is a sugar glaze over everything except the granola. Added to plain (unsweetened) oatmeal and you have a winning combination; jazz up a boring salad with this - yes; take it with you the next time you're headed out for a long hike - sure. But eat it as an on the go breakfast - no way!

Each 51 gram pouch of Emerald Breakfast on the Go Breakfast Blend provides 210 calories from 8 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of which is saturated (11% and 13% of the daily value), 85 mg of sodium (4% of the DV), 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and 25 grams of sugars.

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Emerald Breakfast on the Go Nut & Granola Mix (Chocolate Cherry Blend) Review

The Chocolate Cherry Blend of Emerald Breakfast on the Go Nut & Granola Mix contains roasted peanuts, cherry-flavored dried cranberries, granola clusters, milk chocolate candies and coca roast almonds. As I had already tried another variety of Emerald Breakfast on the Go - the Breakfast Blend (Review) - I was already prepared NOT to try having this for breakfast on the go, and instead, it was treated as just a light after-workout snack.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 pouch (51 grams)
Calories: 240
Total Fat: 13 grams, 21%
Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams, 13%
Sodium: 80 mg, 3%
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fiber: 3 grams, 14%
Sugars: 17 grams
Protein: 6 grams

When you think of it that way, then you don't expect it to be too filling, and indeed it wasn't. A 51 gram pouch of mostly granola, just isn't enough to satisfy anything more than a child's snacking needs - and actually, it works beautifully for that purpose. As for the taste, I loved the smoky Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds (Review), but wish there was more - and the cherry-flavored cranberries were like sweet chewy nuggets, which provided a nice contrast to all the crunchiness of the granola and nuts (I have no clue why they didn't just call this variety "Chocolate Cranberry Blend" and forget all this cherry-flavored stuff). I also liked that the granola were in big clusters, which meant you could get a little bit of everything in a mouthful.

Each 51 gram pouch of Chocolate Cherry Blend of Emerald Breakfast on the Go Nut & Granola Mix provides 240 calories from 13 grams of total fat (21% of the daily value), 2.5 grams of which is saturated (13% of the DV), 3 grams of fiber (14% of the DV), 6 grams of protein and 17 grams of sugars. That's 8 grams less sugar than the Breakfast Blend (Review), as well as 2x the protein, but also 5 grams more total fat and 30 more calories.

The ingredients list is not all-natural - there is the artificial sweetener acesulfame K, as well as a number of artificial colors. I purchased a box with 6 pouches for $3.18, and don't think I would buy this again - too much total fat for such a small snack, plus I'm not wowed by the ingredients list, but really, for 240 calories, I could find a much more filling snack.

{Website: Emerald Breakfast on the Go}

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Mott's Garden Blend Vegetable Juice Review

Are you a fan of tomato juice? Well, if you are, you've got to check out Mott's Garden Blend Vegetable Juice. Each 8 ounce serving (1 cup) provides only 45 calories, is 100% Vegetable Juice and has two servings of vegetables.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 8 ounces
Calories: 45
Total Fat: 0%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 410 mg, 17%
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Fiber: 2 grams, 8%
Sugars: 7 grams
Protein: 1 gram

For those of you who are not fans of tomato juice, then you probably won't like Mott's Garden Blend Vegetable Juice. The ingredients are water, tomato paste, pepper juice, celery, vinegar, carrot juice concentrate, sea salt, onion juice, salt, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), dill juice, carrot juice, natural flavors, onion and garlic powder, soy lecithin. The taste is strongly of the tomato juice.

A 64 ounce bottle of Mott's Garden Blend Vegetable Juice retails for $3.79 at my local grocery store, but I received samples for review. So, do you like tomato juice? I don't particularly care for it. Mott's Garden Blend Vegetable Juice might be the best tasting tomato juice in the world and I still wouldn't like to drink it straight up - same with V8 Vegetable Juice. BUT, I will be using up my bottle by adding it to soup bases and adding a splash to my morning smoothies - a little extra boost of vitamins & anthocyanins.

{Website: Mott's Garden Blend}

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Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta (Thin Spaghetti) Review

Switching to whole wheat pasta has been one of the easiest "whole wheat" transitions I've gotten my family to make. And one of the products that's helped tremendously is Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta (Thin Spaghetti).

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 2 ounces
Calories: 180
Total Fat: 2 grams, 3%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 0%
Carbohydrates: 41 grams
Fiber: 6 grams, 26%
Sugars: 0 grams
Protein: 7 grams

Spaghetti is one of my go-to "I don't have time to cook" meals - in 30 minutes, I can easily have a healthy, hearty meal prepared. With Ronzoni Healthy Harvest WHole Wheat Blend, there is no off taste, and the star of the show is the sauce - as it should be. I've never made my own sauce, and typically opt for store bought - but one day ... maybe.

A 2 ounce serving provides 180 calories, 2 grams of total fat, 6 grams of fiber (26% of the daily value), no sugars and 7 grams of protein. That's the same amount of calories and a little more total fat than De Cecco Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Luigi Vitelli Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti, but De Cecco has 1 more gram of fiber and protein.

The ingredients are durum whole wheat flour & semolina blend, whole flaxseed meal, wheat fiber, thiamin mononitrate, niacin, riboflavin, iron (ferrous sulfate), folic acid. I bought a 16 ounce box at the grocery store for $1.67 and it's totally worth it.

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Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame Goji Blend Review

The packaging of Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame Goji Blend declared that this was a "Heart Health" snack, "Rich in Antioxidants." From the nutrition facts to the stellar ingredients list, and taste, this product is great all the way - except that the one thing the packaging doesn't tell you is how much antioxidants is present - how can you proclaim "Rich in Antioxidants" and then not say how much in there.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 ounce (30 grams)
Calories: 120
Total Fat: 3.5 grams, 5%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 140 mg, 6%
Carbohydrates: 15 grams
Fiber: 7 grams, 28%
Sugar: 5 grams
Protein: 11 grams

But what we do know is that a 30 gram serving of Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame Goji Blend provides 120 calories, 3 grams of total fat (5% of the daily value), no saturated fat, 140 mg sodium, 11 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber (28% of the daily value) and 5 grams of sugars. The ingredients are soybeans, sea salt, organic goji berries. That's it! Boy, I was hoping this would also be tasty, because I might never touch chips again if that's the case.

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And it wasn't bad at all. The first thing you have to get over is that it doesn't taste salty - and I'm used to all crunchy snacks being salty. There is a hint, but I did find myself wishing that there was a little more ... but then again, not really (The 2010 US Dietary Guidelines mention us watching sodium specifically, and I'm a member of that 1300 mg per day category - which means 1 serving of this is already a little more than 10% of the RDA). The Gofi berries - which provide the antioxidants - contribute an interesting change in texture, from the crunchy soybeans. They give off a little pop of sweetness also. This snack might be an acquired taste for some, because it's not what you are used to. But I say - get used to it because the nutrition - especially for a snack can't be beat.

I bought a 3.5 ounce bag (3.5 servings) for $2.59 which is quite expensive, so I hope they sell this in bulk somewhere. Plus I bought it at Mother Earth Natural Foods Store, which has some out of this world prices. But I will definitely be keeping this in stock - I'm more of a crunchy snacker than a chocoholic, so I can see this saving the day over and over again.

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