Hits and Misses

My typical product reviews feature products that I have grown to like, usually due to exceptional nutritional content or some other unique attribute that strikes my fancy. Today, however, I am going to include a few less-than-stellar products; I don't like every foodie find that passes my lips. What follows are a miss, a hit, and um, a semi-miss.

Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer
Anyone who reads my blog knows that smoothies comprise a large portion of my diet--I have at least one per day! As a result of my infatuation for all things blended, I have sampled a vast array of protein powders. From soy to spirulina to pea to rice protein, I have tasted and enjoyed them all...almost. Recently, the kind people at Vega were nice enough to send me a box full of goodies, including packets of "whole food health optimizer," "whole food vibrance bars," and a sampling of a few other products. The most appealing item to me of the entire assortment was the packet of protein powder, er, "whole food health optimizer." Despite a previous (bad) experience with the berry flavor last summer, I decided to give them another try with the vanilla chai flavor.
Unfortunately, attempt #2 was just as unpalatable. Considering how much I dislike wasting food, it speaks volumes that I poured it down the drain. The taste was chalky, and the plenitude of vitamins and minerals in the mix was very apparent in the flavor. Good try, Vega, but no thanks.
If you're still interested in nutritional stats and product availability, you can visit the Vega website. In addition to the vanilla chai flavor, the whole food health optimizer is also available in berry and chocolate varieties.

Vega Vibrance Bars
Heads up Larabar fans: here's another bar to add to your list! After my experience with their protein powders, I was a little wary about trying Vega's bars. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find them absolutely delectable--and super nutritious! Coincidentally, both times that I sampled the bars were at the airport, as I waited for delayed planes to arrive, and both times, the bars' unique flavors provided momentary relief and distraction from the stresses of holiday travel.
Vega Vibrance Bars are available in chocolate decadence, green synergy, and wholesome original. I first tried the chocolate decadence, and it certainly lives up to its name. It reminds me of Larabar's Jocolat line in that it tastes like a healthful brownie! Organic sprouted almonds, organic hemp seeds, and organic sprouted buckwheat add a pleasant "nutty" texture to the bar. The wholesome original was equally enjoyable with its less rich but still sweet flavor. All varieities contain a wide selection of superfoods including an EFA oil blend, salba, acai, and chardonnay grapes (for their powerful antioxidants and flavonoids). Read more about these ingredients here.
Each bar contains 200-210 kcalories, 9-10 grams of fat (including omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids), 5 grams of fiber, and 9-10 grams of protein (from rice and pea protein).

Other serving suggestions might include: crumbled into yogurt or broken into pieces atop oatmeal.

Amazing Grass
In an effort to create a rainbow of oatmeal, I recently purchased a single-serving packet of Amazing Grass in the berry flavor. This packet turned my oats a vibrant shade of green, due to its inclusion of vegetables as well as fruit extracts. While it achieved its purpose of coloring my breakfast, I am not sure I would purchase it again. Its sweetness was a tad overwhelming, and the overall taste was typical of supplements in that its outstanding nutrition (in the form of vitamins and minerals) creates an off-putting aftertaste. An important note about Amazing Grass is that its vitamins and minerals are derived from whole foods, not synthesized.
Perhaps I will give Amazing Grass another chance by using it in its intended form, a smoothie. Each packet carries a hefty price tag, at $1.99 per packet, although it is available in bulk quantities for less. For more information about Amazing Grass products, click here.
Enjoy your evening!

Catching Up

Hello again! Sorry for the delayed post--my usual Friday post was postponed until after the craziness of moving in had settled down.

After much indecision, I finally decided on a format for the next 9 months or so. I posted my plans in the comments section from the "FEEDback" post, but I'll copy it here so that everyone can have the heads up:

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate your suggestions. I have decided to keep a similar format to my current one--after all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? I'll be photographing as many meals as I can, with a new emphasis on snacks, especially pre-workout snacks. I will try to mention the workouts themselves throughout the week too. In addition to the three posts during the week, I will devote one post per week to a special topic: articles, product/restaurant reviews, or my food philosophy. I hope you all like it!

With that said, I need to catch up on my meals through Friday. While I didn't get a chance to photograph all my meals throughout the road trip, there are several examples of (relatively) healthful road food for those of you interested in that sort of thing.

First, I must backtrack to my final days of cooking at home.

Wednesday
I tried a new protein powder for my smoothie on this night--Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer, berry flavor. I hate to admit it, but I actually had to pour this down the drain. I simply could not stomach it. Something about the aftertaste seemed to "supplement-like." Basically, I ate the granola, plus a few spoonfuls of the smoothie, but I called it a night after that. What a waste of mango!
Thursday
To make the most of my last day at home, I wanted to start it off right with a bowl of banana oats. This version included a healthy blob of cashew butter and lots of wheat germ. Heaven in a (girly ruffled) bowl.
I made another breakfast favorite for lunch: scrambled tofu. This time, however, I added mushrooms and wrapped it up in a whole wheat tortilla. I love me some tahini.
Dinner was spent out with my brothers-in-law, my sister Lea, and her brother-in-law (if that makes any sense). I chose Nabeel's, where I ordered lentil soup and a peasant salad. The salad was excellent, but when I tried the soup, I kept reaching for the salt shaker. I didn't bring my camera to this one, so you'll have to use your imagination.

Luckily, my final smoothie was a success. You just can't go wrong with cherries. Also, note the different variety of So Delicious. It's not the fruit-sweetened variety I usually buy, but it's still a less "junky" form of ice cream...and on sale!
Friday
We hit the road early, so, true to form, I stuffed some cereal in a baggie with a few mix-ins: GoLean, sliced almonds, and raisins. I nibbled on this as I drifted in and out of sleep.
For lunch we hit up one of my favorite semi-fast food places, Panera. I usually get the You Pick Two option, so that's what I did this time, not even considering the portability factor--big mistake. I got a half Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with a bowl of Garden Vegetable Soup. Neither soup nor salad ranks high on the "grab and go" meter. I ended up gulping the soup at a traffic light and stuffing lettuce leaves in my mouth once we got on the highway. Oops. PS. Aren't they supposed to give you bread with soup? They gave me some lame potato chips instead. I felt a little cheated, going to Panera and not getting any bread.
Aside from its inability to be transported and easily eaten, my lunch was not especially filling either. I relied on my good friend Dr. Weil to satisfy my hunger. I've had this Goji Moji bar before, and I still say it tastes like the inside of a Fig Newton (probably due to the abundance of fig paste in the ingredients list). Good, but I didn't notice a lot of Goji or cranberry flavor as proclaimed on the package.
For dinner we went to Ruby Tuesday, where I completely gorged on the plentiful salad bar. They even had edamame! I also ordered the most ginormous sandwich on the planet, aka the Veggie Burger. I am not sure if the patty itself is vegan, but I ordered the burger without cheese or mayo. No pics here, but you'll see leftovers later...

After a SuperTarget run and a few hours of unpacking, I said goodbye to my parents. I'll miss them, but I'll be back for a visit soon enough:)

Be back later today with one of the aforementioned "feature" posts.