Do Not Buy Bottled Zico Coconut Water: Tastes Nasty!

On this blog for a couple years I have touted the benefits (and yumminess) of coconut water--low calories, high electrolytes, good debloater, refreshing chilled, subtle sweetness. I probably mentioned how much I liked Zico natural coconut water.

Er, no more. They have a bottled version now, and it's from concentrate, and it tastes horrible. It's not at all like old Zico. Skip it.

Alternatives to try. O.N.E. has one in the tetra pak that's pretty good. My new fave , however, is Nature Factor's organic coconut water. Not from concentrate. Super numnum. If you exercise vigorously in this warm weather time, coconut water is a great refresher and replenisher. Try it! Both of those are available at Amazon.com (and Nature Factor's coconut water is in the subscribe and save program, and I took advantage to order 3 cases.)

But please, don't buy bottled Zico. It's a letdown bigtime.

Dr. McDougall's Lentil Soup. Salt Cravings, and the Joy Effect

I had another high salt eating day yesterday. I think something hormonal is going on to make me crave saltiness so intensely. Last night, I went for sushi and salad with miso dressing and a ginger-honey stir fry with brown rice, with all but the rice soy intense, meaning SALTY. I had some--okay get ready for TMI, you've been warned--spotting from my nethers, so I do think the salt vampirism has to do with my female fluctuations.

I'm sipping a Starbucks unsweetened passion green tea as I blog. I used this to make up for giving up my venti 2% sugarfree vanilla lattes. I had a tall vanilla latte instead, iced and skinny style. It gave me that vanilla coffee flavor kick with fewer calories and fat. The tea is to make up for lost flavor volume. :)

Interestingly, I got a lot of compliments today about my chipper personality--one lady called me delightful, one effervescent, and one gal at Starbucks gave me a spontaneous size upgrade and a free latte. Surprised me. I guess smiling and being nice to people can bring rewards. I will admit, post Pilates, my muscle pain lessened by the activity and stretching--pain leftover from the hours of labor when the water heater flooded my kitchen--that I am a happy camper. Maybe my Joy Gravity Field is pulling people in. Heh.

Now, on to the soup:

I really, really liked Dr. McDougall's Vegetable ready-to-serve soup (which I reviewed earlier). Even my super-nitpickey, veggie-unloving hubby liked it when I packed some for his lunch earlier this week. I didn't feel the same way about the lentil. Now, normally, I dig my lentil soup. But I like my lentil soup savory/herbally/garlicky/oniony (pick one or several of that list). This one tasted very vegetable-ey, notably celeryish and carrotish. I do not care for celery much, but I can tolerate celery (raw especially) in salads and soups if discreet. This was not discreet. For me, this lentil soup needed more spicing and less celery flavor. But, YMMV, as you may be a celery and carrot fiend.

The texture was just as nice as the veggie one--thickish, without being too thickish. It had lentils and rice as the notable main components, offering more protein than the veggie soup, naturally, and a complete protein, of course. A cup is 115 calories (contrasted with 75 for a cup of the veggie soup).

So, while I won't repurchase this one due to its not suiting my taste bud needs, I think some of you will just love it like mad. It's healthful for a convenience food and not high in calories with a good mouth feel... and it's vegan. So, it hits a lot of spots and lets you get some veggie and legumes into your meal plans without a big caloric punch.

I'm super lethargic after having a late lunch, so off I go to try and stay away. ::sipping tea:::

Happy Thursday, y'all!!!

Dr. McDougall Right Foods--Are they Right For Your Diet?

Because I'm restarting my eating plan, I've spent a mini-fortune in food--both at the supermarket and ordering stuff online for the cupboard/pantry. I tend to shop from Amazon and Netrition.

This past week, I've ordered lower sodium Amy's soups, Just Tomatoes brand dried items (cherries, strawberries, mixed veggies, apples) that I add to oatmeal and soups and just snack on, and pecans from amazon.com. From Netrition, I ordered my fave higher fiber/lower carb pasta--DREAMFIELDS linguine, lasagna noodles, penne, and elbow-- as well as lower carb/higher fiber tortillas and pita breads, GG crispbread, and unsweetened Almond Breeze in vanilla and chocolate.

Today, I placed an order with Glaser Organic Farms (a local operation, way south of me in Miami-Dade country). This is organic stuff, lots of raw stuff, too, including raw hummus, their own extra virgin olive oil, peanut and almond butters, lima beans/split peas/lima beans for soups, fresh coconut water, light agave nectar, and spinach-basil pesto.

One of the lines of foods that I try to keep in my "dieter's pantry" is Dr. McDougall's Right Foods. I order them from Amazon.com in bulk. I'm gonna post some about it after seeing this blog entry today over at Slim Shopping. Jennifer got a nice batch of soups from Dr. McD.

Man, wish they'd send me free food. :) Especially the maple oatmeal (which I haven't tried) and some of the other soups.

Anyway....These are vegan foods, mostly soups and cereal items. I've tried the following:

Peach Raspberry Oatmeal with Barley
Instant Apple Cinnamon oatmeal
Spring Onion soup
Miso Ramen soup
Split Pea soup (both the regular and lower sodium)
Tomato Basil with Pasta soup.
Pad Thai Noodle

(I have some Chicken Pilaf in the pantry, but haven't tried that one yet.)

The lowdown: These tend to be nicely conservative in calories and have a healthful array of ingredients. You usually just add water and steep. Convenient, low-cal, healthful. Yep, that's why it's in my pantry for when I'm on plan.

Tastewise: The split pea in a cup is the best instant of this type of soup that I've had. I've ordered the case twice. The Apple Cinnamon instant oatmeal is better than the Quaker and McCann's versions of the same flavor. Way, waaaay better. Tastes fresh and apple-y. The Spring Onion soup is quite pleasant, with Thai-rice style noodles that are fun to slurp. The Miso Ramen has a nice miso broth but the noodles suck. I guess ramen does better when it's got fat. I ignore the noddles, use the packet for broth, and add tofu and scallions and mushrooms. (And yes, there are instant miso soups out there, but I have a severe seafood allergy and can't risk the bonito flakes, etc. So this vegan miso is safe for me to consume, even if I ditch the noodles.) The Tomato BAsil with pasta is fine, but it needs a lot of steeping/cooking and maybe additional microwaving. If you follow the instructions, it has a really hard/crunchy texture. Gotta cook it way longer, unlike the other soups.

The one big, huge fail (other than the ramen noodles in the Miso Ramen) was the Pad Thai Noodle soup. Didn't taste one darn thing like Pad Thai (one of my favest of foods). Bland. Lots of rice noodles, though, so for some, it's probably okay.

All in all, I've been pleased with the ones I've tried from Dr. McD. If you want to see more reviews or nutritional info, visit their site or amazon. They make way more products than I've listed/tried.

The Princess Tries Holey Donuts, and if you want to, limited time $4.99 shipping eases the pain

You may remember that I didn't order the widely-praised HOLEY DONUTS because there was a nearly 20 buck shipping cost. Well, I did finally order them when they had their "donuts for five bucks per box" promotion, cause the discount actually turned out to pay for the whole of the shipping cost. :) The images in this post depict the particular items I ordered: the donut hole assortment, a sampler of full size donuts, and the cinnamon buns.

My take: Very nice. For donut lovers, those who simply cannot live without their pillowy frosted or cream-filled or cinnamony treats, this is a lower-calorie, lower-fat, better option. (Though I will not go the hyperbolic route and call these healthy. It's still refined flour and sugar and what-not. This is not health-food, it's simply LESS BAD VERSIONS of junk food that taste nearly as good as the best donuts out there.

One high recommendation for the cinnamon buns created by Holey Donuts came from my hubby. Confession: I only had one bite and thought it was just fine, but haven't had anymore in the last couple weeks since I got my order, since I simply don't crave cinnamon buns/rolls that often. I'm a custard filling lover, myself. Anyway, back to hubby: I served him half of a cinnamon bun for dessert shortly after getting our order. He munched on it and declared, "Hmmm. Nice." I said, "Those are lowfat, ya know?" He said, "You didn't even need to say it. I wouldn't have known." My hubby is a super picky eater. So, a "nice" from him is high praise.

My preferred one has been the Oreo Boston Creme, the rasberry filled with fudge crumb topping, and the raspberry filled donut holes. I did not like the lemon filled donut holes, but then, I've never much cared for lemon fillings in donuts in general. The coconut creme was quite pleasant, with plenty of shredded coconut on top that actually FEELS and TASTES fresh. I hear it's one of their top sellers, and I can see why. I gotta give HOLEY DONUTS their props for making a creme filling that tastes as decadent as any Dunkin Donuts offers. The raspberry filling is very "donut legit." :)

The main drawbacks I find are that 1. barring special offers, it's a high price to pay for low-fat desserts. I think this will be solved as they can distribute them to supermarkets in the future. 2. you gotta nuke these babies, and it's tricky to figure out how to do it best for the varieties of items they offer (ie, times for the donut holes versus full-size donuts, versus half or a whole cinnamon bun, depending on the size and power of the nuker used), 3. they need to solve their delivery issues. It took a while to get my donuts, and I ordered a second one during their last promotion, and I still haven't received a notification of delivery/tracking more than a week later.

But in terms of quality and taste for a modified product (ie, lower-fat, lower-caloric version of a standard donut, bun, etc), these really are tasty and deserve the praise they've been getting.

Still, for those on lower-carb, insulin-resistance, or glycemic index type diets, these are NOT for you. If you're diabetic, these are not for you. If you have had gastric bypass and sugar dump, you know these are not for you. And if you are on a clean diet, these are not for you. These are a sweet treat for those who can afford about 200 or so calories (and only eat half a cinnamon bun at a time) for dessert.

If you have portion control issues, be careful, cause you have to order a minimum of 3 boxes at a time. I will say that the donut holes do offer a smaller diet impact for those who can stick to one or two at a time.

I suspect that once Holey Donuts can get in stores, they're gonna sell a gazillion of these babies. Maybe one day you'll see HD franchises waging war with DD. Who knows?

But with these donuts, you won't miss the extra fat or calories, for sure. Very, very nice. I will only order them when they have specials that counteract the shipping costs, but I definitely would order these for myself and for family events, even at roughly $2 a donut.

If you want to try them, get delivery for $4.99 right now. This special offer expires at midnight EST tuesday,8/25/09.

Bloggy Recommendation: Heat Eat Review

I was browsing diet blogs for inspiration --so that I can stay on plan today, when, quite frankly, I want to eat a whole fricken pizza by myself. I ended up by circuitous route at a site that reviews convenience foods: frozen, canned, packaged.

Heat Eat Review

The reason I like it so much is that you can search by particular labels: by number of stars rated, by the brand name, by special type of diet (like Vegan or Kosher or corn-free), by Weight Watcher points (they start at 2 points and go up to 8 points), or by ingredients. Very cool. User friendly.

I really recommend you check them out if you're someone who incorporates convenience foods into your diet.

~~

On the Needfulness of Starting With Love and THE BIG SKINNY by Carol Lay

I've had a tough few days, breathing-wise, and as a consequence, eating wise. I've been wanting salt, and I have slacked off mywater, so I'm bloated as a result. (Time to guzzle water and coconut water.) Bleh.

But I decided not to get into that negative mindset that goes into attack mode: Why didn't you eat more potassium-rich foods, dummy? Why did you have to have that salty soup, idiot?

No, none of that.

Here's why:

Yes, I weighed myself this morning, and got bummed over the bloat-weight. BUT...

I was listening to the radio while getting ready to go to Pilates (my first class since over three weeks ago, when I stopped going due to my breathing issues.) I am still not completely well. I'm still congested. But instead of feeling like someone was sitting on my chest and strangling me, it feels like they got off my chest and just have their hands around my throat and pressing a bit. It's improvement, though hardly wonderful. But I figured if all I could do was stretch, then that's what we'd do. I felt all stiff from sitting/lying around for 3.5 weeks. So, I needed, NEEDED, to get some exercise/stretching.

So, back to my morning moment: I was listening to the radio show in the bathroom, one on a local Christian station, and a lady who got up to 350 pounds was talking about her personal journey. And she said that the thing that clicked, that got her to begin to shed the weight was realizing and accepting how very much she was loved. That even at 350 pounds, her husband loved her, and God loved her. Being fat or skinny has no effect on true love. It shouldn't.

Hearing that reminded me that even I don't have a right to hate myself. It's counterproductive.

I turned my thoughts toward the loving and positive. I asked God to help me through the day, and I prayed for a few other folks,too. I decided NOT to berate myself, but love myself TODAY. I refused to get on the self-insulting bandwagon.

Pilates went better than I expected. It was very hard--some positions didn't let me breathe, so we couldn't do some stuff. But my wonderful trainer is a pro at finding how to make stuff work, no matter the obstacle. I didn't get as tough as workout as when I'm well, and yet I got to the point of some muscles burning and trembling. And I got props for keeping my abdominals engaged. Tough when oxygen is at a premium and I had to use mouth-inbreathing (which is normally a no-no in Pilates).

Next, I come home and I put on Oprah. The show (just finished) was a follow-up to the Best Life week of shows. And Oprah, talking about her own weight loss journey of today, says, "It begins with love."

So that's two women with weight issues who both say this: START WITH LOVE.

Accept love--from God, from others, FROM YOURSELF. Give love, especially when you are hating yourself for whatever slip or bad choice. Don't ever hate on yourself (much less others). That doesn't help.

And love the body you have now, as Oprah said, because it's the body that God is blessing you in..now..today.

So, with that said, on to a book review:

Yesterday, I got myself a new "weight loss" book as a bit of motivation. I actually do find it motivating. It preempted a possible binge this pm (I was still insufficiently hydrated, and that thirst sensation was about to spur on some bad eating mojo.) But THE BIG SKINNY put a brake on it. (thank you, Carol Lay) It's a charming, amusing, practical, inspiring, friendly, useful book. It's done in comics strip/book style--all illustrated with writing in the panels--and it's just too cool. The author is honest about what worked for her, about the pitfalls, the saboteurs, exercise, whole foods, calorie counting, etc. She has a list of common foods and their calories, easy ways to eyeball measurements, shows the exercises she does, and displays in visual form how she fights off temptation.

I did a review for it for amazon just now.

If you like comic strips or comic books, I would really recommend this. Such fun. And so smartly done.

You know what, I recommend it even if you never have read a comic book in your life. Honestly.

Now, please be kind to yourself today. Be grateful for your body, yes that one. No matter how imperfect. It's the one in and through which you are blessed in so many ways. That's the body that lets you hug loved ones, the one that carried your kids (if you have 'em), the one that lets you swim or dance or make love or see the sky or smell the ocean or sing a song or savor a delicious cup of coffee. Your body is amazing, even if it's fat and mushy. Even if, like mine, it's medically defective. Yes, I can still do so much. And it can become BETTER, every day.

Love yourself, and go do something happy and healthful or that miracle-body of yours.

VeggieMunn Meal #4--yummy kale and tasty lentils

This time I'm reporting on these:

o Lentil salad - mixed baby greens, sprouted lentils, onion, parsnip, bell pepper, orange, tahini, lemon, Nama shoyu, parsley, thyme
o Mediterranean Kale Salad - kale, red bell pepper, black olives, lemon, cold pressed olive oil, sea salt, black pepper

Both very good. I enjoyed them. The raw lentils had a nice chewy texture and the spicing reminded me of tabboule, which I love. The kale was very fresh and delicious, the olives were super, and the red pepper still crisp four days. I have to admit that though it was fine as dressed, I wanted a stronger flavor, so I used some of Annie's Organic Goddess dressing (a vegan, though not raw, dressing). My fave bottled dressing.

I didn't feel like soup or dessert.

Now, I'm craving more kale salad. :)

~

VEGGIEMUNN Meal #3 Review

Not much to report on the food today. I had my second serving of Pasta Primavera, as this was the entree on which I doubled up. It's the one I enjoyed so much the first day and, yes, enjoyed similarly today). I'd happily have this every week. It remained nice and fresh though it's been in the fridge since Monday.

I had another citrus salad with it (like day one). Again, nothing special.

The new thing I tried was the fruit soup. This one was composed of juice and pulp from honeydew melon, apples, bananas, nectarines, and valencia oranges.

Verdict: Refreshing and nice, a good thing to have after a tough workout, as it's hydrating, sweet, and relaxing. Basically, a runny smoothie in a bowl. :) Makes eating it slower and slurping through a straw, which I guess is not a bad thing, right? A slowing down at day's ending.

Did you have your fruits and veggies today? At least five servings, but better to have 7 and more. Did ya?

~

Review Of Second VEGGIEMUNN Meal

This combo that I had for lunch today included:

o Orange/Fennel Soup - orange, fennel, walnuts, garlic, sea salt, pepper
o Thai Green papaya salad - green papaya, carrots, fresh basil, fresh mint, fresh parsley, lemon, chili pepper, cashews, sesame oil, sesame seeds, sea salt
o Choco piña colada on a stick - pineapple, agave nectar, coconut butter, cacao powder

This was like a sandwich with great bread and disappointing main filler. By that I mean great ends and a bummer middle.

The soup was deliciously refreshing--the brightness of citrus with the savoriness of the garlic and the fennel notes blended to make a chilled soup reminiscent of the freshness of gazpacho, but with a lighter touch. Gazpacho's girlier little sister, let's say. I liked it. (And I adore gazpacho, so it makes sense that anything that reminds me of gazpacho gets a pass.)

The salad, not so successful. I really expected a burst of flavor. In the past, I'd only had green papaya salad twice. It's a strong-flavored dish that really fills your mouth with citrus and some heat and some sweet and some salty and that amazing element of green papaya. This lacked the green papaya power, because it was mostly carrot. And the dressing was too tame to fill the bill. So, what it felt like to my taste buds was a pleasant, if bland, carrot salad. I tried to brush aside the carrot shreds and pick up just dressing, papaya strips and basil--and those couple of forkfuls were more promising. But the salad is just not successful. Green Papaya salad should have green papaya. I felt like I paid $5 for carrot shreds with some underseasoned dressing. Disappointing.

I didn't finish it. And when I went to put the rest away in the fridge, I dropped the container and the contents spilled on the kitchen floor. I didn't mind too much having to toss it, frankly.

Dessert was a nice improvement on the salad. The chocolate coating is very chocolatey and pleasing to this choco-lover. Not too sweet. The pineapple was good (could have been a bit sweeter/riper. I enjoyed this. I would mention that I am not a huge pineapple-with-choco fan. I prefer berries and banana for chocolate dipping. A frozen banana with this chocolate coating and some shredded coconut---mmm. I wish I'd had that. But after the sad salad, this definitely picked up my mood. And the serving was generous--two long cuts of pineapple. It could be divided into dessert for two meals.

Hope you guys had lovely, healthful eatings today!

Now, I can't wait for my avocado sushi, pad thai, and salad with ginger dressing for supper. Hubby's picking it up. After that very light lunch, I need something substantial, and the noodles called to me. If you've never had avocado sushi--I recommend it heartily. So good, that avocado creaminess with pickled ginger, wasabi, and a dip of soy.

MANGO MADNESS: Amazing Raw Fruit Pie!!!

I had bragged in a previous post about the Glaser Organic Farms raw fruit mamey pie.

Well, yesterday I had a delivery of their fresh, raw products (shipped next day in a cooler), and the mango raw fruit pie is UNBELIEVABLE!!! I wish I had ordered a whole bunch to have one EVERY DAY~~~!!!

Mango is my fave fruit. Unfortunately, it's not good every day and the crops seem to be iffy in the past years. Also--expensive. But it was a delight to have it made up in a raw pie. Gosh.

I had wanted to order a raw cake for my birthday party (this Saturday, though my b.d. is during next week), the chocolate banana tiramisu, but it wasn't possible to have it shipped. I'd have to get it at their farmer's market event. Oh, well. Maybe some other Saturday.

I also have tried their chocolate pudding (no dairy, raw, vegan, fabulous, but pricey) and their Spinach Pesto (soooooooo yummy). I wish their farm or farmer's market was close by. I'd be dropping by weekly for stuff. They sell out fast at Whole Foods.

If you're ever in a place with Glaser Organic Farms mango fruit pie (or mamey, or pineapple), try it. Especially if, like me, you go nuts for mango.

Mmmmm.

The Princess Reviews Instone Pudding

Instone Pudding is a high-protein pudding snack that seems popular with the low-carbers. I'd seen some bad reviews and some excellent ones, so I decided to try it and judge for myself:

Chocolate flavor. My review: Oh, my, how can anyone eat this crap? It tastes like funky chemicals run amok.

--Because I figure anything is worth a second try, especially when some folks I like actually eat it, I tried a different flavor--

Banana flavor. My review: Egads, people actually finish this horror? Willingly? How do I get this aftertaste out of my mouth. :::sound of me gargling with mouthwash::::

I now understand why Sylvester Stallone often has that pained look on his face. He eats this stuff!

There you have it. My garbage has two partially eaten tins of the stuff waiting to be hauled away, far from me and my abused tongue.

Try it at risk to your taste buds.

Do You Like Hot Cocoa?

If so, I gotta heartily recommend Scharffen Berger's natural cocoa powder, unsweetened.

Oh, man. I am so digging this. Been having a cup every night (with Splenda and skim milk) and I've been sleeping sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Plus, the taste rocks my mouth.

I've tried a lot of cocoa powders for hot cocoa, including Ghirardelli, Hershey's, Droste. I've grated my own chocolate from imported bars. I've even used baking chocolate bars, like the amazing Valrhona's (melting them to mix with milk.) Just recently tried one from Netrition.com that was organic, but didn't have me in ecstasies like S-B.

I find the bitter edge that some cocoa powders have is not there in Scharffen Berger's powder, and that's nice. It's dark, it's got great flavor, it makes killer hot cocoa. I like it so much, I just ordered five tins from the company's website. (The vendor at amazon.com charged 12 bucks for shipping one tin, and more for extra. Forget that!)

If you're ever in the supermarket, look for it. Williams Sonoma carried it (I got it at the mall last Monday.)

This is the real thing--no alkali, no Dutch processing, no sugar. It's got the heart healthy benefits of cocoa powder sans alkali. But, really, aside from that, don't we really drink it cause it's comforting and delicious and just makes us feel young and warm inside? Yeah. I thought so. And for dieters, it gives you that dose of chocolate aroma and taste without oodles of saturated fat and calories. It's a diet treat with health benefits and soothes the soul.

The Princess' product recommendation for the day: Scharffen Berger's cocoa powder (natural, unsweetened).

MmmmMmmmmMMMMmmmmmmMmmm.
~

If you like fantasy fiction and fantasy art

The Princess Dieter (ie, ME!) is a fantasy-loving royal freak.

Let me recommend a novel: WIND FOLLOWER by Carole McDonnell.

I really enjoyed it. It's a multicultural fantasy (set in a non-Earth world that mirrors our world) and it has a very Christian spirit. Part love story, part "finding identity" story, part tribal conflict story, it's a good read. I know fantasy is not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed that African/Asian/Native Amerian/European cultures are mirrored (without being copied exactly), and it's not just a bunch of white elves bopping around in medieval outfits. (Not that I can't enjoy that, too, but, you know, that's become sorta cliche.)

In case you were looking for a read during your holiday days off.

And if you're looking for a lovely book for children (to read to them or to let them read for themselves if they're able to read at that level, say 8 or 9 or 10), here's a gorgeously illustrated and delightful tale with a lesson about accepting and respecting those who are different: The Woman Who Outshone the Sun/La Mujer Que Brillaba Aun Mas Que El Sol. I was enraptured by this poetically scripted Mexican tale and the excellent, colorful artwork.

I also got my 2008 wall calendar, and it's full of artwork from one of my favorite artists, who specializes in fantasy art, including covers for children's and adult fantasy books: Kinuko Y. Craft. If you enjoy intricate art of wonders, I can recommend it. Utterly stunning. Visit her website and enjoy her immense talent. It's like giving your eyes a gift. And maybe it will sate an emotional appetite so that you don't nibble on a no-no. (Hey, it's an idea!)

The Princess Reviews...SOY BITES

I wanted to give y'all a heads up about these absolutely yummynummy, crunchy mini-breaksticks made by Crum Creek. They're called "Soy Bites." And they totally rule!

Now, I try to minimize my intake of soy because of thyroiditis. But, sometimes, a product with soy is so amazing that I make room for it. These are one.

Why?

Some days, I need crunchy. I need crunchy bad. And I like my crunch with flavor, not just crispbread (aka healthy cardboard). Especially right before the Red Guest comes, I get mad for something to really challenge my teeth with a solid crunch, something that's savory, not sweet like an apple.

Crum Creek's Soy Bites come in four flavors. I've tried them all. The absolutely, hands-down, thumbs-up best one is the EVERYTHING! flavor, which is crusted with sesame seeds, onion, garlic, and poppy seeds. Ever had an everything bagel? Well, this is like that, only it's really crunchy and it's only gonna cost you 2 WW points per bag. And the bag is not s measly serving. You get a couple dozen pieces plus per bag. Very satisfying portion.

The other flavors are, in descending order of my preference:
Superb Sesame
Outrageous Onion
Remarkable Rosemary and Garlic

Sadly, no fiber. But here's the nutritional info on the EVERYTHING! Soy Bites:

Pieces per Serving: 27
Calories: 105

Calories from Fat: 14
Total Fat 1.5g
Saturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 165mg
Total Carbohydrates 16g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 6g

And here's the ingredients:

Unbleached Wheat Flour, Soy Protein, Expeller-pressed Soy Oil, Yeast, Malt Syrup, Baking Powder, Wheat Gluten, Salt PLUS FOR ROSEMARY AND GARLIC: Dried Rosemary, Garlic Powder FOR SESAME: Sesame Seeds FOR ONION: Onion Powder. FOR EVERYTHING: Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Onion, Garlic, Salt, Yeast, Corn And Malt Syrup And Dried Brewer Yeast.

Princess Dieter Discovers: As Promised, An Update on ChocoPerfection

I'd mentioned that I'd let you know if the yummy low-carb, dark chocolate bars I ordered from ChocoPerfection caused trouble.

Nope. The Princess has not had gastric distress.

This is good, since I really enjoy the flavor of this bar and I really love that it's high-fiber.

Come on. Be honest. How many of you are getting to the recommended 25 to 30+ grams of fiber per day?

I make it almost every day since I went on a healthier eating plan due to my increase in eating veggies--I always ate lots of fruit and whole grain bread--and almost daily consumption of oatmeal and legumes. Beans will really up your fiber intake. But on days when you fall a bit short (say, didn't have your beans or high-fiber cereal), then you can get 14 grams from a bar of ChocoPerfection.

That much fiber means SATIETY. Yes...you feel fuller.

But it's all about taste, isn't it, chocolate lovers? Taste is king. Or in my case, Princess.

Proof that my mouth digs this: I WILL be reordering.

But make sure you look carefully at the calories and saturated fat and see how it fits into YOUR individual eating plan. A definite plus for low-carbers, and useful for chocoholics with sugar issues. Thanks, ChocoPerfection

Some Breakfast Recipes For Ya

Here are two healthful breakfasts for about 350 calories each from FITNESS MAGAZINE (to which I subscribe):

Whole-Grain Waffles with Berry & Walnut Compote
2 frozen low-fat whole-grain waffles
1/4 cup blackberries
1/4cup strawberries
1 ounce (14 halves) walnuts

Make it: Toast waffles. Top with mashed fresh berries and walnuts.



Florentine Egg Scramble on an English Muffin
2 eggs
1/2 cup cooked fresh spinach
1 whole-grain English muffin, toasted
1 cup cut cantaloupe

Make it: Scramble eggs with spinach. Serve on English muffin with cantaloupe on the side.


One I make for myself and enjoy is The Princess Dieter's Blueberry-Cottage Cheese Waffles.

Easy. Even kitchen idiots like me can do it:

You need Kashi GoLean Blueberry Waffles--two waffles have 6 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, 170 calories, and 3 WW points--1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (or non-fat, if that's your preference), a half-cup to a cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen, no sugar added), and some Splenda or sugar-free syrup (or honey or maple syrup, if you want to use the points).

While the toaster oven is pre-heating, add the blueberries to a sauce pan on medium-heat with a little water (like a 1/4 cup or a bit more) and let them cook a bit. You want them hot, but still firm. Blueberries are nicer with that bit of "burst" awaiting, don't you think?

Put the cottage cheese in a small microwavable bowl and heat it up for 30 to 45 seconds. Just enough to warm it up, not overheat or dry out.

Toast the waffles to your preferred level of crispness. Place waffles on a pretty plate (please your eyes, not just your mouth!) and spoon the heated cottage cheese on top of each. I also like to sprinkle Splenda onto the cottage cheese or a teaspon each of sugar-free syrup (that's only like 10 calories). Then I spoon the berry compote on top. Fiber and low-cal and yummy. If you like your stuff sweet, just sprinkle more Splenda on top. If you have the calorie allowance, try a teaspoon of REAL MAPLE SYRUP on top of it for that special flavor spike.


If you want to only have one waffle, just follow same procedure with one waffle, and adjust the amount of blueberry and cottage cheese to your points/caloric desires. Two GoLean waffles are 3 points. Half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese= 2 points. Blueberries = 1 for a cup. That's six points for a filling breakfast with protein, fiber, fruit, calcium and YUMMINESS GALORE! If you only have one waffle and less cottage cheese and fruit, you can have a yummy breakfast with 3 points.

If you like apples or another fruit better, use the flavor of waffle and fruit you like, and adjust. I also like natural applesauce and cinnamon with the cottage cheese on apple-cinnamon waffles. Mmmmmm.

Enjoy.

And feel free to suggest lovely breakfasts with fruit, protein, and fiber and lower on the points/caloric scale.

~

Props to Amy's Kitchen

I had blogged previously on my crushed and dented Amy's cans of soups (from an online order).

Well, here's to Amy's. They sent an apology, explained the problem (biodegradable peanuts weren't strong enough to handle the cans), and are sending me replacement soups.

Now, that's good business response.

As I already said, the Light on Sodium Cream of Tomato is delicious. (And it will become a standby in my pantry, cause I'm insane about tomato soup, but don't like the regular levels of salt in any of them. I tried some other brands low-sodium, and they SUCKED. And organic is a plus, right?)

There was no shipping charge for my order (Hungry Girl mentioned this, hence my trip to the Amy's site).

So, thumbs up to Amy's for customer service and yummy Cream of Tomato soup.

Amy's Kitchen Let Me Down

I recently placed an order with Amy's dot com. YOu know, the organic food company--frozen, canned, jarred. I saw something about them in Hungry Girl's newsletter. I'd never tried their soups or sauces, so I thought, why not. Convenient and organic.

Well, I got it today. Out of six cans of soup, five are dented. Most of those crushed so badly, I'd be afraid to consume the contents. The integrity of the can is surely compromised. I'm not talking about little dents. I'm talking about CRUSHED. Ever step on a can with your shoe to make "heels" when you were kids. Well, some of the cans look like someone tried to do that.

So, I basically wasted about fifteen bucks on food I can't eat now.

I sent Amy's my grievance via their website's contact us email doohickey. Whether they will do right by me (issue a credit for the five cans of soup or replace them), I dunno. But I wanted to warn you. DO NOT ORDER CANS from Amy's without requesting in the comments that they bubble-wrap each one before they put it in with the peanuts. The peanut-foamies alone don't cut it.

Well, that was a downer. And after such a nice morning and a great breakfast.

EDITED TO ADD: One of the usable cans was of the "Cream of Tomato" soup, the lower sodium version. I enjoyed a cup with a bit of brown rice and an orange for my afternoon snack. (3.5 points altogether). It had a nice flavor, not too creamy, and it reminded me of being a kid having hot tomato soup at Catholic School on cold days. Mmmm. I think they could go lower on the sodium, frankly. Even with this lower-sodium version, it tasted on the salty side. But thumbs up on the Amy's "Light in Sodium Cream of Tomato".
~

Review of Low-carb Chocolate: CHOCOperfection

The Princess Dieter (ie, ME) has insulin resistance.

At one point, a couple years ago, my sugar was edging into diabetic territory. Scared, I changed how I ate and what I ate. (Not for weight loss, principally, but to control blood sugar and maximize insulin.) I didn't lose much--about 5 pounds--but I totally got a handle on my sugar. It went down to normal levels without drugs , a step that my endocrinologist was prepared to take if I couldn't improve my lab numbers on my own with diet and exercise.

Basically, I stopped having simple carbs by themselves; I always paired fruit or crackers or bread or pasta with a protein and a bit of fat, for instance nuts or some cheese. And I drastically reduced my white flour/sugar intake. I still ate huge quantities (my main diet pitfall), but I upped my veggies and legumes and began adding cinnamon to whatever I could.

Later, I added cinnamon extract and alpha lipoic acid supplementation, which I continue to this day. I also occasionally add fenugreek and Syndrome X powder, particularly before a high-carb meal like pasta marinara.

Those changes, without losing significant weight, fixed my sugar problem. For then and the time being. My last A1c was 5. I had been nearing 8. I do need to lose weight, obviously, but this goes to show how the body responds to improvements in diet, even with minimal weight loss from said diet. What we eat does matter, not just how much or when.

I learned that.

But I still consumed sugar in chocolate. I love chocolate. Dark chocolate. And at those TOM, the urge for it is pretty intense. My fave is Valrhona's CARAIBE, dark and with a lovely "feel" to the teeth. It has fiber, like most good dark chocolates, but it also has plenty of sugar. It's a gourmet chocolate. Local top-rated chefs use Valrhona in their desserts. But, alas, the white sugar. I don't really need that.

When I saw the ad for ChocoPerfection over at Melting Mama's blog, I spent some time reading reviews. Convinced it couldn't taste horrible and have that many people raving, I ordered.

Here's what's in it:

It's not cheap. Twelve bars of dark chocolate will set you back 40 bucks plus a cool pack charge for these hot weather months. (You could wait a few months to order and save the $3.50 for the cool pack--unless you live in the tropics.) That's $3.33 for each 1.8 ounce bar (about 200 calories per bar.) That's 5 WW points per bar. (Although, if you have it in half-bar portions, it comes out to 2 points per half bar.

Hmm. For tasty chocolate, I'll allot 2 points a day.)

I just had a half-bar. I have to agree, it tastes good. It's not Valrhona. But for a chocolate bar that doesn't spike your sugar, that doesn't cause that "crash", that offers healthy cocoa (for the arterial benefits), and that satisfies the need for that deep chocolate taste (which this does), it's very nice.

It feels a bit more rubbery, perhaps, than my usual fave dark chocolates (Valrhona, Valor, Dove, etc.) But it's smooth, it's creamy, the darkness lingers on the tongue and roof of the mouth. It's pleasant, but not perfection. The lack of sugar is evident in the loss of a certain "completeness." However, it's not a huge, huge loss. This is good chocolate. Very good. Quite enjoyable. I can recommend it on teh basis of its flavor, yes, absolutely.

If you have diabetes, insulin resistance, want to avoid sucrose, can't tolerate the usual sweeteners in low-carb products so far--try it. If your budget allows.

I'll post later if I sense any unwanted side effects.

Do take note that this is an altered product. It's low-carb. It has a non-sugar sweetners: Oligofructose and erythritol. I don't know everything about these products. Always research before trying.

I do know that I've tried other low-carb chocolates, including the Atkins ones, and they consistently gave me gastric distress, even in modest quantities. (I love chocolate, but I don't tend to go hog-wild binge-o on it. I binge on cheesy/salty/crunchy stuff, not candies or cookies.) Honestly, I'd rather go for the real thing, sugar and all, with a meal when it's not going to make my blood sugar go all whack, rather than have to suffer through icky gas and nasty bowel movements.

Note also that the CHOCOperfection site offers a money-back guarantee: They promise you will like the taste and packaging. I like guarantees. It feels less of a risk to sample. :)

I have to admit, it really is packaged nicely. Mine arrived a half-hour ago--still cool, with a pretty look to it: red, gold, with one of those gold stretchy things that candy boxes are sometimes bound with.

And while there isn't the complete, total, full chocolate roundedness of my usual imported French fave chocolate, this is not at all a disappointing product. In fact, I can see myself buying it again, definitely, as long as I suffer no gastric distress from these sugar substitutes and my budget gives me wiggle room for pricey chocolate. (I can get a bar of my Valrhona that's twice the size of CHOCOperfection for less than half the cost at the Italian Market down the street.)

So, kudos to CHOCOperfection for a tasty product. I think the low-carb and diabetic community will really enjoy this addition to the treats list.

(Final Note: I'm not making a cent off this blog. Not a cent off this review. This is just what I think, nothing more.)

~

Food Delivery: Going Vegetarian in June

Princess Dieter is not a vegetarian. I enjoy roast or fricaseed turkey, roast chicken, chicken breast in just about any form, beef, and pork. (I can't eat seafood, which I love, but, well, life is full of unfairness, huh?)

But my main loves are cheese, eggs, and beans. As long as I have those three, I actually could go meatless and not suffer unduly.

BUT...here's the reason for the whole "vegetarian for a spell" thing:

I need to focus all my energy for a while on the novel I'm writing. This means, the shopping, chopping, etc, no. I don't wanna waste time on that. So, I signed up for Diet-To-Go, a meal delivery service. Three meals a day, seven days a week, delivered once a week to my door, all frozen and ready to be stored until I reheat and EAT. (They have options without breakfast, or five days a week, etc.)

This is not a long-term solution, and we all know it. This is one of those, "Oh, it measures my calories for me, provides the cooking, and I don't have to think about it" things.

I have actually tried two diet delivery services: Diet-To-Go first back in Jan-Feb, when I made a totally fruitless attempt to diet sans motivation. (I just ate the delivery food PLUS more food. Urp.)

I also I tried Diet To Your Door (Bistro M.D. now) , in March. I did not like DTYD/BMD very much, although they had some nice low-cal bagels and tasty muffins and pastries (I wish I had jotted down the brand names, cause I'd buy them!). They also have a decent high-protein hot cocoa. But the meals....eh. I don't want to eat chicken THAT much, and especially pre-cooked chicken, which, sorry, is kinda nasty. I ended up tossing most of what I ordered. Some is still frozen solid in my fridge. Unless you adore chicken you boil up in a bag, I don't recommend DTYD.

With Diet-To-Go, I tried both the vegetarian and the low-carb. The low-carb: Yuck. And not satisfying. The low-fat I didn't bother with: too much chicken and turkey, and I am not paying for a turkey sandwich I can make without fuss at home.

The vegetarian option, though, is rather tasty. I actually enjoyed it, mostly. The ravioli and stuffed shells and mac n cheese satisfy a gal like me who loves her pasta. The breakfasts--skip the bagels, tasteless; the muffins are TOO SMALL, get one from Vitalicious instead. BUT..the omelets are okay and the pancakes are AMAZING. They come in apple or blueberry stuffed, and I just get the whole week substituted with pancakes. SuperYUM.

Other options: The waffles are dry and bland, but if you like waffles, you might enjoy them. The low-fat Stonyfield yogurts are great. (I've been buying only them since I discovered them on DTG, and ditched the other yogurt brands. Unfortunately, with DTG, I sometimes got a frozen up one that had an expired date or soon to expire date. While that just probably means they had it frozen for a while, it's very offputting. I'd recommend Diet To Go try harder to send fresher dated yogurts.)

Some of the breakfasts with baked good (muffins, scones, etc) also come with juice and yogurt. So, that's a nice combo. (The scones are delicious.) Little Ocean Spray juices, btw--apple, orange. Easily portable to work.

I tend to substitute a lot. Since I ate their entire rotation of vegetarian meals, I learned what I liked and what I didn't.

For instance, I really liked the Mirkin burger, but not on their kaiser roll. I put it on Ezekiel bread (whole grain, fiber) and it rocked with the BBQ sauce. I also love the feta cheese and bean wrap. (They really need to start using whole grain products. It's crazy to still be serving white flour in this day and age.) The wrap is lovely. Toasted in an oven (rather than nuked), it's really yummy. I also like the meltovers, but I take the toppings off their bread and put it on a whole wheat pita or other crusty whole grain option. More fiber and tastes better (less soggy, too, when toasted).

The nice thing about Diet-To-Go, too, is that you get a little dessert with some entrees--chocolate mousse, angel food cake (tiny portion), peach crisp (not that crisp, but hey, DESSERT!).

Some entress have mini-sides: One has this red pepper spread that is just amazing with a breadstick or two.

Skip the fettucine in white sauce. Utterly overcooked pasta and tasteless sauce. I mean tasteless. I felt like I'd put unflavored goo in my mouth. The cous cous--not for me. Unappealing texture (I've had cous cous made my a local North African chef, and it's great. This is not THAT.) The spaghetti pie--dIdn't like it. The eggplant parmesan: skip it. (And I"m a huge eggplant freak.) I sub out ALL the stuff with soy for the dinners. I just didn't like those soy thingies. And I like soy--soy milk, tofu--even if I shouldn't eat it due to my hypothyroidism. Endocrine disruptors are not my pal.

Like I said, I substitute a lot. (There is an extra charge for this, but I'd rather have something I'll actually enjoy and pay a bit more.)

So, if you ever get really, really busy and want to try a diet delivery service, and you LIKE vegetarian menus, really like vegetarian, then this is one I'd recommend. Just be ready to dish out anywhere from 400 to 600 bucks a month for one person. (I know, not cheap. This is why it's not a long-term solution. It's a temporary boost or help or timesaver, pretty much.)

If you've had experience with the other diet delivery services (or the ones I mentioned), why not drop a comment with a link to where you discuss it, or just comment away about it.

The Princess is off to work on her story now...