You Say Chips, I Say Crisps

No matter what you call these crunchy delights, you will love them.
Tyrrells, the quintessentially English chip brand prides itself on high quality chips made in small farm-to-fork batches. The company’s farm, in the West of England, only uses local potatoes from 10 local family-farmers, so that quality is always maintained, right through the year. Tyrrells believes in uncompromised quality and the seasonings are prepared with only natural ingredients. The result is great tasting whimsical flavors with no MSG, and completely gluten-free recipes. Tyrrells well-kept-secret-recipes are all part of creating a range of truly top-notch English chips.

The Tyrrells range in the USA currently consists of seven flavors in entertaining and quirky high quality bags:

Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted – There’s no finer way to celebrate the humble potato than with a glorious hand cooked English chip unadorned but for a casual dusting of sea salt.
Tyrrells Sea Salt & Black Pepper – A crunchy celebration of a time-honored marriage; sea salt and that most cracking of spices – ground pepper. 5.3 oz - $3.99
Tyrrells Mature Cheddar & Chives – Little in life is quite as outstanding as the tangy hit of mature cheddar in concert with the wonderfully oniony twang of that most snippable of herbs, the chive. 5.3 oz - $3.99
Tyrrells Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar – Another of those classic English recipes – the use of the Cider Vinegar makes the flavor more delicate and balanced than the malt vinegar more commonly used. 5.3 oz - $3.99
Tyrrells Sweet Chili & Red Pepper – Nothing releases the taste buds quite like this subtly bracing coalition of sweet chili and red pepper. 5.3 oz - $3.99
Tyrrells Worcestershire Sauce & Sun Dried Tomato – A spirited fusion of sweet yet tangy sundried tomatoes with England’s finest export – the universally admired Worcestershire sauce. 5.3 oz - $3.99
Tyrrells Beetroot, Parsnip & Carrots – A colorful union of earthly beetroots, sweet carrots and that unsung hero of the Sunday roast: the parsnip. 5.3 oz - $3.99

Visit Tyrrells online at www.tyrrellschips.com   Enjoy!

A Variety of Tortilla Chip

Do you like Tortilla Chips? Do you love Tortilla chips? Then consider trying these two new and very scrumptious variations on the theme.

Garden of Eatin’s  crunchy blue corn tortilla chip, Sprouted Blues--the first on the market made with the unique sprouted grains combination of brown rice, lentils, and quinoa-- blends a tantalizing nutty flavor with a distinctive hearty texture. 

The likewise appealing blend of great taste and important nutrients, Garden of Eatin’ Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips make snacking a fun-filled yet guilt-free taste sensation. Prepared with premium quality organic yellow corn and organic sweet potato that can be seen and savored in each chip, Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips provide 2 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per serving.  The taste is salty-sweet-crunchy. Very satisfying.

Garden of Eatin’ was established in the early 70’s. Their products are ground and cooked on-site and made with the finest quality natural and organic ingredients, including organic corn harvested on sustainable farms and expertly shaped into delectable chips via a slow-bake process that makes every bite an unforgettable snack experience. They are now part of the Hain Celestial Group.

http://www.gardenofeatin.com/

http://www.hain-celestial.com/

Clif-a-licious

So. You've got a sweet tooth. A hankering for a little something to perk you up but not fill you up so much that you won't want your next meal. Nothing wrong with that. How about have something sweet that also packs a nice bit of a nutrition punch as well?

                                                                                                                                                
Count on Clif to open up the flavor and variety selection:

Clif Crunch-- a crunchy granola bar made with organic ingredients  has 2 new flavors, Blueberry Crisp and Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Clif MOJO-- a yummy trail mix bar made with 70 per cent organic ingredients, now has 3 new choices for you, Chocolate Almond Coconut, White Chocolate Macadamia, and Dipped S'Mores, featuring soy white chocolate along with the other usual suspects in the craving-making campfire treat.

Enjoy!

http://www.clifbar.com/

Peanut Butter Lovers' Bars

Kashi is well-known for whole grain products, including granola bars and these are worthy of the name and your attention. These Peanut Peanut Butter Chewy Granola Bars are doubly good, indeed. They are satisfying peanut perfection and not too sweet. You won't feel like you are eating a tooth-aching dessert.

Crunchy, lively and portable--a perfect snack to take with you and enjoy on the go with coffee, tea, milk, soy milk, whatever beverage makes your day.

http://www.kashi.com/

Dried Berries, Fresh Ideas

From Ocean Spray to you comes handy re-sealable pouches of dried fruits--Blueberries, Cherries, and of course, Cranberries. These  are great--perfect for snacking or added to hot or cold cereals or baked in muffins or breads. They are fat-free and cholesterol-free, low in sodium and equal a full serving of fruit in every 1/3 cup.

Formed 80 years ago, Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconson, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia,  and other parts of Canada as well as 50 Florida grapefruit growers.

http://www.oceanspray.com/

Applesauce to Go; no spoons--no strings

    Here is something really different—actually the applesauce is old-fashion good—it is the packaging that is new. Applesauce in a tube—you remove the cap (Keep the top away from small children but you probably won’t need to re-cap the tube anyway since the contents are so delicious.) This has been one of France’s favorite fruit snack brand and now it is available in the U.S. It is all natural, no added sugar goodness.Applesauce has never been such fun as it is with these new 100% fruit, squeezable and re-sealable pouches.

    The story goes that in the 19th century, a very loving grandfather was determined to craft a special snack for his grandson. Using delicious apples from his backyard orchard in the Val De Loire region of France, near the Chateau Chambord, Monsieur Materne created a delicious and simple applesauce. The Materne company was born and would go on to become the most popular applesauce company in France.
Known as Materne Pom’potes in France, the brand has become the favorite fruit snack of children with more than 1 billion pouches consumed to date.

    Each pouch of Materne GoGo squeeZ contains the equivalent of one fruit serving.
There are 5 scrumptious  flavors, including apple apple, apple banana,  apple peach, apple strawberry, and apple cinnamon. Go Go SqueeZ contains no artificial flavors or preservatives, is gluten and dairy free and Kosher certified. Roll out some applesauce and enjoy.
http://www.materne.us/homepage/

Versatile Grains with Crunch

Here are some versatile cereals that you can also treat as a healthy snack. And what a great surprise that they are made with some of the most interesting and ancient grains.
All natural ancient grains and intriguingly complex flavors combine to create  perfectly snackable Granola Crisps – honestly healthy, crunchy bite-sized flakes with all the whole grain goodness of granola.
Ancient grains date back thousands of years and grains like those used in Yogi Granola Crisps were the primary sustenance for early civilizations. Ancient grains have remained virtually untouched by modern plant science and are often a richer source of nutrients than modern grains.
Every cereal from Yogi contains an exclusive blend of five ancient whole grains:

Nutritious Oats contain soluble fiber that helps support a healthy heart.

With its mild nutty flavor, Barley is a natural source of antioxidants and helps reduce free radicals. Barley is also rich in complex carbohydrates and contains more total fiber than oats.

An ancient form of wheat, Spelt is higher in protein than modern wheat. It is also rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, and vitamins B1 and B2.

Delicately-flavored Quinoa was referred to as the "mother of all grains" by the Incas of the Andean region of South America. Quinoa helps sustain energy and promote vitality.

Amaranth is one of the earliest known food plants. It is indigenous to the western hemisphere and was cultivated by the Aztecs. Amaranth contains vitamin E for a healthy circulatory system.

 

Available in Baked Cinnamon and Raisin, Mountain Blueberry Flax and Fresh Strawberry Crunch—all three are deliciously crunchy and satisfying.

 http://www.yogiproducts.com/products/perfect-cereal/

Partially Stuffed

Winter Holidays and Winter weather mean it is the perfect time to prepare homey, comforting dishes like stuffing. The basic ingredient is bread but it is the seasoning that really makes it stuffing. Stove Top is pretty much synonymous with stuffing and is one of the easiest dishes to prepare right out of the box.

But suppose you are in the mood for stuffing and you only need a serving for one person? Stove Top has come out with individual -sized microwaveable containers of stuffing so that in about 45 seconds you can have tasty Corn Bread or Chicken stuffing. The size is right and the consensus is that the taste is very good—just like boxed Stove Top stuffing except you can take it and make it anywhere. You can eat it as it is or add other ingredients such as cheese, dried cranberries, or a bit of your favorite vegetable. Have it as a snack or as a side dish. It also makes a nice companion to single-serve soup.

One respondent said she wishes she had the single-serving stuffing when she was away in college. It would have been a nice change from Ramen noodles

Yogurt for Kids and

Yoplait Kids Yogurt is not just for kids. Sure, it’s ideal for them because it is a sneakily delicious way to get some Omega-3 DHA into them, in addition to the usual calcium, protein and vitamins and other found in yogurt. Also noteworthy is what is left out—there are no artificial flavors or sweeteners. The appealing flavors and small size portions make them good snacking choices. Available as a drink or in cups, Yoplait Kids is a delicious smooth tasting snack for grown-ups, as well.

The beverage comes in Strawberry, Banana, Mixed Berry and Strawberry Banana.

The spoon-able yogurt comes in 4 oz cups (packed 6 to a pack—two- flavor six packs of 4 oz each cup--) in Strawberry/Strawberry Vanilla or Peach/Strawberry Banana or Banana/Vanilla. Either way, or maybe both ways, it’s nice to have another choice for a yogurt snack when you want just a bit less of a good thing and not more.


Here’s a bit of info on yogurt, by way of Ask.com

“Yogurt (also known as yoghurt, yaourt, yoghurd, and yogourt) has been a food staple in the Middle East for millenia, but it did not become a mainstay in the United States until the latter part of the 19th century....However, it was health guru Gayelord Hauser who pushed yogurt into the limelight when he proclaimed it a wonder food in his book "Look Younger, Live Longer," published in 1950. Sales of yogurt skyrocketed, increasing production 500% by 1968. Although no miracle health benefits have been proven to date other than standard nutritional benefits of milk products, yogurt does have some beneficial cooking applications. …”

http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/yogurthistory.htm

Fruit Stretch

If you would like to a have sweet snack on hand, perhaps a kind of steam-rolled fruit, but not the kinds that are overly sweet and maybe not that good for you, try Stretch Island Fruit Co’s FruitaBÜ fruit roll-ups and flats—“organic smooshed fruit” . The "Flats" flavors include Country Cranberry Rasberry, Smooshed Apple, Smooshed Grape, Smooshed Raspberry, to name a few.

It is, of course easier to reach for the fruit snacks on sale at the supermarket—you know, the ones in the shapes of every cartoon character you, or your offspring, can think of-- but FruitaBu (they’ve been making this healthy and sweet confection for more than 30 years) travels well and if you open the compact pack at the corner where it says “tear here”, you can almost eat it without getting the sweet, sticky goodness on your fingers.

The other version is a roll of dried but chewy pressed fruit, which, when unraveled, might be a little messy—just a little—but it is worth it. (Just have some of those moist hand-wipes available).

Both versions are thoroughly enjoyable, portable pick-me ups that can keep you going just a little longer, with no regrets.

Not Eating, Just Chewing

Say you aren’t really hungry and can’t justify eating even a small snack just to have something to put in your mouth instead of say, a candy bar or a cigarette (you are quitting, right?). The option that tastes good—at least for a while-- cleans your teeth, freshens bad breath, and just gives your jaw some exercise, minus the talking, is chewing gum.

There are so many flavors and types to choose from. Not just sugarless or sugarfull or fruity or minty. Now there are options like sugarless Wrigley’s 5 ( a soft stick in the traditional long, flat, wide thin shape) in flavors such as Lush, "a crisp tropical” and Elixir, "a mouthwatering berry” or from that same company, sugarless soft Orbit—whether you like, hate or tolerate their ads, Orbit gum is a satisfying choice. The new varieties promise a “just brushed clean feeling” and are available in flavors with names like “Fabulous Fruitini” and Sangria Fresca and Maui Melon Mint (quite nice).

Sugarless crisp-shelled Eclipse now promises “Natural Germ Killing” properties, thanks to Magnolia Bark Extract—who knew? Apparently a few scientists-- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071119111138.htm and http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/news/20071116/magnolia-bark-extract-vs-bad-breath

So, even though no one expects a lot from a chewing gum—the flavor only lasts so long and then it’s time for another piece, now there even more flavors from which to choose. And you will have distracted your mouth until it’s time for the next meal. Or your next meeting.

And keep in mind that lumps of spruce gum, courtesy of the Native Americans of New England, was the chewing gum of availability, if not choice, of the early colonists. They learned to chew the gum-like resin that from on spruce trees when the bark was cut. Never tried it? You won't forget the taste. And you will be thankful for the variety of options we have today.

Healthy eating on the Go

Suppose you want a snack that is more on the savory side—something with a bit of crunch, but not detrimental to any healthy eating plan you are trying to “become one with.” Something tasty to munch on that will tide you over until your next meal, or if you are more of a “grazer” something to be your next small meal. And if it had a few extra health benefits—even better.
Here are a few suggestions—Snacktrition, a part of Mellace Family Brands, based in California, is a line of about five inspired treats each packed neatly in a re-useable container. Just the names will make you long for a taste—Sea Salt Cashews with Fiber, Sea Salt Almonds with Calcium, Salt & Pepper Cashews with Fiber, Smoked Almonds with Calcium and Fruit & Nut Mix with Fiber and Calcium. What’s especially appealing is these treats are portable and can help you stick to your eating plan. It is also appealing that a portion of each sale promises to “Help Those Who Would Otherwise be Forgotten!” through the company’s Mama Cares Foundation.
Another savory snack comes in a bigger box but you can easily pack the contents into smaller snack-size bags or containers. La Jolla-based Kashi offers several varieties of TLC crackers—the cheddar cheese taste as good—or better- than Cheez-Its and are better for you. Not a big fan of cheese? Try their Fire-Roasted Vegetable, Homey Sesame, Natural Ranch, or Original 7-Grain. They also offer several varieties of “Party Crackers” that we haven’t yet tried, but they look promising.
Another way to thwart an attack of machine munchies is to pack a few snack-size bags of plain almonds or walnuts in your bag or briefcase. Coupled with a bottle of water or juice, or a piece of fresh fruit, and you just built yourself a little fortress against sidetracks to healthy eating.

Snack Bars, healthy or not so?

When you want a snack to take with you when you know you’re going to have a busy day, you want to put something in your purse or briefcase that isn’t going to get crushed and get crumbs everywhere. But you still want a little something that will placate the hunger or the urge to stuff something you’ll regret later in your mouth—like almost anything from a food cart inside or outside—and vending machines? Those wheat crackers only look healthy because they are lined between cookies and candy bars. (Why are the mints and chewing gum always on the bottom tier, anyway?)
There are a lot of choices for portable noshing out there. Some are tastier than others. Some are healthier than others. Do all the unhealthy snack bars all taste better than the good-for-you kinds? Or is it possible to find healthier snack bars that taste pretty much like they couldn’t be good for you. But they are.
We’ll be taking a look at several brands, including:
Nature Valley Granola Bars, Kashi bars, Kudos, SoyJoy, and others.
Until then, be careful what kind of pick-me-up you pack. A pick-me-up shouldn’t plump you up.

Soy—a (very) brief overview

Let's not even mention the website that proclaims “Soy is making kids gay….” Here are a few sentences about the influence of soy:

According to The Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/soy/NS_patient-soy “Soy was introduced to Europe in the 1700s and to the United States in the 1800s. Large-scale soybean cultivation began in the United States during World War II. Currently, Midwestern U.S. farmers produce about half of the world's supply of soybeans.”

And the Mayo Clinic goes on to state:

“Soy and components of soy called "isoflavones" have been studied for many health conditions. Isoflavones (such as genistein) are believed to have estrogen-like effects in the body, and as a result, they are sometimes called "phytoestrogens." In laboratory studies, it is not clear if isoflavones stimulate or block the effects of estrogen or both (acting as "mixed receptor agonists/antagonists"). "

The Mayo Clinic also proclaims that, based on scientific evidence, "Soy products, such as tofu, are high in protein and are an acceptable source of dietary protein. "

AND

High cholesterol--

"Numerous human studies report that adding soy protein to the diet can moderately decrease blood levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein ("bad" cholesterol). Small reductions in triglycerides may also occur, while high-density lipoprotein ("good" cholesterol) does not seem to be significantly altered. Some scientists have proposed that specific components of soybean, such as the isoflavones genistein and daidzein, may be responsible for the cholesterol-lowering properties of soy. However, this has not been clearly demonstrated in research and remains controversial. It is not known if products containing isolated soy isoflavones have the same effects as regular dietary intake of soy protein. Dietary soy protein has not been proven to affect long-term cardiovascular outcomes, such as heart attack or stroke. "

Since soy is good for many of us, why not enjoy it in a variety of forms?

SoyJoy-- portable protein

With all the snack bars calling themselves healthy, it is often hard to pick one that will live up to its promises. SoyJoy delivers what it promises.

So it's not a candy bar hiding out as a heathly treat, like some other chocolate covered bars that come to mind. No mistaking that this is healthy--and good for you. The taste is understated and might take some time to appreciate but a few of the flavors are easy on the palate --Mango Coconut and Chocolate Peanut Butter--for example. But the others will do just fine if you are hungry and have packed them in your bag as a portable, heathy and non-messy snack-- Raisin Almond, Apple, Strawberry and also Berry.

There may be many healthy snack bars out there but these are just the right size, have a sturdy yet easy-to-open wrapper, won't fall apart in your bag or briefcase, pack a respectable dose of nutrition and go great with a hot or cool beverage. If you have grown-up snack expectations, give SoyJoy a try.

http://www.soyjoy.com/