Tasting! Protein Squared Granola Oatmeal Thingy

Frivolous Demands:
*Subscribe to the blog
*Follow me on Twittah
*Like me on Facebook
*YouTube my videos

Fitness Romance Saga? It’s like chick-a-bow-bow with some cardio & weights thrown in.

Product Spotlight: Put Some Zensah On That Ass!

My workout week: Week #3 of Insanity,  days 15-21 out of 60. My legs are morphing into sexy-awesome! Click here for my daily training log.

—————————————-

Grab some Shakeology in my Beachbody shop.

Shakeology is a complete meal (shake) developed by Beachbody, the makers of P90X. It contains 16-18 grams of protein and 140 calories per serving. The shake will help you lose weight, reduce cravings, improve digestion, and lower cholesterol. It can also improve stamina and libido, alleviate hormonal issues (including menopause-related), aid memory, support immune function and boost serotonin levels to improve mood and symptoms of depression, while also reducing the symptoms of high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis.

Shakeology 30-Day Recipe Calendars

Chocolate and Greenberry nutrition labels.

90 Days of Shakeology: My Experiment

Shakeology money back guarantee.

If you’re passionate about helping people achieve their fitness goals and you’re committed to achieving financial independence, contact me now about becoming a Beachbody Coach.
—————————————-

Sponsored YUM! & Partners

GroceryCouponUpdate.com

Strengthen your core for the summer with a new exercise ball.

Get the facts on Slimfast weight loss.

My Lifestyle Diet

Become a Sponsor .

—————————————-

Full Disclosure regarding paid advertisements, affiliate links and product reviews. .

.

View the original article here

BetterOats mmm ... Muffins Old Fashioned Instant Oatmeal (Blueberry) Review

I love me some oatmeal in the morning. And although I'm generally a Quaker girl, I love checking out new products. I already tried BetterOats Oat Heads Berry Blast Instant Oatmeal with Flax, so I checked out another BetterOats variety - BetterOats mmm ... Muffins Old Fashioned Instant Oatmeal.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 packet (43 grams)
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 2.5 grams, 4%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 220 mg, 9%
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Fiber: 3 grams, 12%
Sugars: 12 grams
Protein: 4 grams

I followed the usual directions, nuked it for 90 seconds, and out came the usual oatmeal studded with a few blueberries. The 1st spoonful was sweet, so was the 2nd, 3rd and so on. Not sure where the "muffin" theme comes in though as this didn't remind me of blueberry muffins at all.

Each 43 gram packet of BetterOats mmm ... Muffins Old Fashioned Blueberry Instant Oatmeal provides 160 calories, 2.5 grams of total fat, no saturated fat, 220 mg sodium (9% of the daily value). 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugars and 4 grams of protein. The weight of the BetterOats Oat Heads Berry Blast Instant Oatmeal with Flax is less at 35 grams - so you get more oatmeal from this with not too many calories, and just 1 gram more sugar - they both taste a little too sweet and have the same amount of protein and fiber.

sponsor

The ingredients are whole grain rolled oats, sugar, flaxseed, dehydrated wild blueberries, salt, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid. A box with 5 pouches cost just $1.50.

This oatmeal was well received by the kids, and they aren't big fans of oatmeal. So, as with the BetterOats Oat Heads Berry Blast Instant Oatmeal with Flax, I would (and did), add more water to this to make it less sweet. And it does make a big, hearty bowl of oatmeal. Still, I prefer to make oatmeal on the stove top and add just enough sweetness and fruit to it - but this is good to have around.

{Website: BetterOats}

View the original article here

BetterOats Oat Heads Berry Blast Instant Oatmeal with Flax Review

Almost every morning in the winter, breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal. I usually make it on the stove-top, but I also like having packets of instant (microwaveable) mixes around, for those mornings when I'm really rushed. As I was looking to replenish my supplies, I came across BetterOats Oat Heads Instant Oatmeal. I hadn't tried this before, and the packaging looked so inviting, that I picked up a box of the Berry Blast variety.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 packet (28 grams)
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 2 grams, 3%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 80 mg, 3%
Carbohydrates: 19 grams
Fiber: 3 grams, 12%
Sugars: 0 grams
Protein: 4 grams

The next morning it was oatmeal time! I followed the directions exactly as the package states - pouring the oatmeal out of the pouch into a bowl, adding water to the same pouch, which then got dumped into the bowl with the oatmeal. I microwaved for 90 seconds and got some delicious looking oatmeal. There were pops of red strawberries and blue blueberries all over the oatmeal. I eagerly had a spoonful and discovered a sweet, delicious tasting oatmeal ... but this maybe was a little too sweet for me - and the portion was a little small anyway, so next time I added more water, and it came out perfectly.

sponsor

Each 35 gram pouch of BetterOats Oat Heads Berry Blast Instant Oatmeal with Flax provides 130 calories, 2 grams of total fat (3% of the daily value), no saturated fat, 160 mg of sodium (7% of the DV), 3 grams of protein and fiber plus 11 grams of sugars. It also contains 290 mg of ALA Omega-3, which is 18% of the 1.6 grams daily value. The ingredients are whole grain rolled oats, sugar, flaxseed, salt, dehydrated strawberries, natural and artificial flavor, dehydrated wild blueberries, guar gum, citric acid.

I paid $1.50 for a box of BetterOats Oat Heads Berry Blast Instant Oatmeal with Flax (5 pouches). Nature's Path Organic Instant Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal and Nature's Path Organic Instant Flax Plus Oatmeal are still my favorites, but I would definitely buy this again - and I think kids would probably like this more. As I said before though, I would also add more water to get more oatmeal, and to make it a little less sweet.

{Website: BetterOats}

View the original article here

Nature's Path Organic Instant Flax Plus Oatmeal

Many people love to dive into a bowl of oats in the morning including me. This is not an every morning thing, but it is a nice addition to my array of breakfast options. Although I try out new varieties a lot, my main stay was Quaker Simple Harvest Apples and Cinnamon Oats Cereal. Alas, that has been discontinued, so I've been trying other brands, including Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Oatmeal.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 packet (50 grams)
Calories: 210
Total Fat: 3 grams, 5%
Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams, 3%
Sodium: 140 mg, 6%
Carbohydrates: 38 grams
Fiber: 5 grams, 20%
Sugars: 10 grams
Protein: 6 grams

If you are a toppings person, this is the oatmeal for you! On its own, it possesses an ever so slight sweetness in the midst of a fairly neutral flavor profile. However, I added some banana slices to mine, which complemented the subtle sweetness of the oats very well and enabled the natural sweetness of the banana to play its role instead of being overshadowed by a wide array of added sugars. If you truly like your oatmeal to be quite sweet, this still might be right up your alley because you can choose how to sweeten it ... Truvia? Splenda? Pure Cane Sugar? I am generally one to gravitate towards the sweeter end of things, but I didn't add anything but bananas and peanut butter to my bowl of oats and loved the all natural flavor profile that I ended up with.

sponsor

The organic ingredient list is short and to the point: rolled oats, evaporated cane juice, flaxseeds and sea salt. This might as well have come out of my own kitchen! Each 50 gram packet of Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Oatmeal provides 210 calories, 3 grams of total fat with 0.5 grams being saturated fat (5% & 3% of the daily value), 140 mg of sodium (6% of the DV), 5 grams of fiber (20% of the DV), 10 grams of sugars and 6 grams of protein.

I paid $3.00 for an 8 pack of fulfilling breakfasts and this is definitely on my list of favorite oatmeal brands.

{Website: Nature's Path}

View the original article here

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.

sponsor

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?

View the original article here