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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Quaker Simple Harvest Oatmeal (Maple Brown Sugar with Pecans)

(Photo Credit: Plaid Ninja)

There have been rumors of Quaker Simple Harvest products being discontinued, but I refused to believe! I really like the Quaker Simple Harvest Apples and Cinnamon Oats Cereal, and with my stockpile dwindling fast, I decided to try Quaker Simple Harvest Maple Brown Sugar with Pecans Oatmeal, which I found on sale, 2 for $5, at the drugstore.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 packet (42 grams)
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 3.5 grams, 5%
Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams, 2%
Sodium: 75 mg, 3%
Carbohydrates: 30 grams
Fiber: 4 grams, 16%
Sugar: 9 grams
Protein: 4 grams

I popped a packet of this stuff in a cup, added the requisite water, and stuck it in the microwave. When it finished cooking (and after stirring it down a couple of times), I took my first spoonful. I really liked the pecans - there are a lot in each packet, but they are small nubs, not whole pecans like you might be used to seeing or like they portray on the box. The sweetness isn't excessive, either, which is quite nice. One word of warning though: make sure to stir the oatmeal thoroughly to distribute the maple sugar flavor, otherwise it stays at the bottom - and it gets sickeningly sweet towards the end.

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Each packet of Quaker Simple Harvest Apples and Cinnamon Oats Cereal provides 160 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat, 0.5 grams of which is saturated, 4 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugars and 4 grams of protein. The ingredients include, "multi grain blend (whole grain rolled oats, whole grain rolled barley, whole grain rolled rye), sugar, whole grain rolled wheat, pecans, whole flaxseed, oat flour, natural flavors, and salt."

I would buy this again at that great price if I saw it again, but already I see the Simple Harvest replacement popping up on supermarket shelves, Quaker Hearty Medleys Fruit & Nuts, and I'm looking forward to trying the Banana Walnut variety. Other all natural instant oatmeal options you might like, McCann's Instant Irish Oatmeal (Regular) and Nature's Path Organic Instant Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Review. What's your favorite brand of instant oatmeal or do you always do stove-top?

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