Review of 'Fisher' Energy Trail Mix

Fisher -- Energy Trail Mix (vegan, GF)
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: deliciously fresh and crunchy nuts and sweet dried cranberries. It's also somehow delightfully buttery! It's lightly salted. I wouldn't likely buy this brand again, simply because there doesn't seem to be much on CSR even though the company has been around since the 1920s. I'd prefer to support a brand that contributes more to the environment/community.

Where to buy: only in the US, I believe



Ingredients: dried sweetened cranberries (cranberries, sugar, sunflower oil), almonds, cashews, vegetable oil (peanut oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, and/or sunflower seed oil), sea salt.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 cup
Calories: 150
     Calories from fat: 90
Total Fat: 10g
     Saturated fat: 1g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 40mg
Total carbohydrates: 14g
     Dietary fiber: 2g
     Sugars: 9g
Protein: 4g
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 6%

The nutritional profile is pretty good. For 150 calories, it's high in good fats and low in sodium. There's a nice protein content and a couple of grams of fiber. It's a decent snack, though not all that filling for me.

Check out their recipes here.

Other 'Fisher' Trail Mix varieties:

• Sweet Nut Trail Mix
• Summit Trail Mix
• Tropical Trail Mix
• Oatmeal Trail Mix

Brand:

• Founded in 1920, Minnesota
• Sold to Proctor and Gamble in 1989, then to John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.in 1995
• Fisher Nuts Wins Gold REGGIE Award, 2014
• Voluntary recall of Fisher Peanuts Dry Roasted Golden Roast Product, 2014

Review of 'Bare' All-Natural Granny Smith Apple Chips

Bare -- All-Natural Granny Smith Apple Chips (vegan)
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Summary: sour/sweet and crispy/chewy. Nice, but I prefer the sweeter apple chips. For those granny smith lovers and sour-mouths, this one's for you.

Where to buy: Costco Wholesale, Whole Foods, online



Ingredients: granny smith apples.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 90
     Calories from fat: 0
Total fat: 0g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 10mg
Total carbohydrates: 26g
     Dietary fiber: 4g
     Sugars: 21g
Protein: 0g
Vitamin C: 2%
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 2%

Loving the ingredient...apples. The nutritional profile is fantastic. For a mere 90 calories, there's a whopping 4g of fiber, no fat, and almost no sodium. It's super clean and I highly recommend this.

Other varieties:

• Fuji Apple Chips
• Organic Cinnamon Apple Chips

Brand:

• Fat-free, kosher, gluten-free
• No cholesterol, gluten, or added preservatives
• Located in Washington State
• Carbon neutral
• Non-GMO certified growers
• A certified B Corporation "B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corp certification is to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk."
• Currently purchasing deforestation offsets from Wildlife Works Carbon

Review of 'El Peto' Brownie Mix

El Peto -- Brownie Mix (vegan, GF)
Overall rating: 2/5
Summary: hmmm, not so good. It's mildly sweet and a bit dry...it's missing that moist chewiness of brownies. I used 125 ml butter and 125ml oil, with 3 eggs.

Where to buy: Fortinos



Ingredients:  Gluten free flour mix (corn starch and rice flour), sugar, ground hazelnuts, pure cocoa powder, gluten free baking powder, guar gum

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 100g (3/4 cup)
Calories: 400
Fat: 9g
     Saturated: 1g
     Trans: 0g
     Polyunsaturated: 1g
          Omega-6: 1g
          Omega-3: 0g
     Monounsaturated: 6g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 95mg
Potassium: 220mg
Carbohydrates: 79g
     Fiber: 6g
     Sugars: 40
Protein: 5g
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 15%
Magnesium: 25%

I think for 1 brownie, I calculated around 300 calories, 3.5g of protein, and 2.5g of fiber, and more than 7% iron (with eggs and oil/butter). It's a very underwhelming brownie. The ingredients are fine, except it's not clear it the ingredients are certified non-GMO, so I would not recommend it for this reason as well.

Other mixes (all vegan):

• Lemon Cake Mix
• Pancake Mix (reviewed here)
• White Cake Mix
• Chocolate Cake Mix
• Muffin Mix 
• All Purpose Flour Mix 

Brand:    

• 100% dedicated gluten free, peanut free and oat free
• Nutritionally-minded
• Not very much information about the company on the website

Review of 'Gardein' Mandarin crispy chick'n

Gardein -- Mandarin crispy chick'n
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: medium sweet sauce is quite nice, but not so orangey; I didn't really get that Asian flavour. The texture is actually very close to that meatyness of chicken and I love that it gets crispy with a slight chew. However, I would not recommend this product because of the use of modified corn starch, which is said to be indicative of trans fats. The nutritional profile is not as fiber-rich as I'd like. The soy, wheat, and canola are all non-GMO. The nutritional profile indicates only 1g of sugar but that doesn't seem consistent with the ingredients.


Where to buy: Freshco, Fortinos



Ingredients: gardein: water, soy protein isolate*, vital wheat gluten*, expeller pressed/canola oil, yeast extract, organic cane sugar, natural flavors (from plant sources), sea salt, onion powder, pea protein, carrot fiber, beetroot fiber, extractives of paprika and turmeric. batter: water, wheat flour, modified corn starch, wheat gluten, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, onion powder, spice, baking soda, garlic powder. sauce: water, organic cane sugar, less sodium soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt, alcohol*), fruit puree (water, mandarin and tangerine juice concentrate, chopped orange peels, natural flavor), salted sake (water, rice, salt), rice vinegar, thai chili sauce (sugar, water, chili paste, garlic, vinegar, modified food starch, salt, fermented wheat protein, cayenne pepper, citric acid, xanthan gum), corn starch, ginger, canola oil, garlic, spice.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 76g
Calories: 150
     Calories from fat: 60
Total fat: 7g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 260mg
Total carbohydrate: 6g
     Dietary fiber: 1g
     Sugars: 1g
Protein: 17g
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 20%

The ingredients are fine, except for the modified corn starch , which is an indication of trace amounts of trans fats. The nutritional profile is good on its own. It's low fat, low sodium, and high protein. Unfortunately, it's not very fiber-rich, unless you stir fry it with some veggies. I know it's yummy, but until the link to trans fats has been confirmed or denied, I prefer to stay away.

Other Gardein chick'n products (all vegan):

• 7 grain crispy tenders
• Chipotle lime fingers
• Marinara chick'n filets
• Teriyaki chick'n strips
• Chick'n scallopini
• Chick'n sliders
• Barbeque wings

Recipes using this product:

• Orange poppy seed chick'n lettuce wraps
• Mandarin broccoli stir fry
• Mandarin orange stir fry
• Chick'n spring roll

 Brand (quoted from gardein.com):

• The majority of gardein ingredients come from North American farms.
• Uses non-MSG yeast extract to enhance gardein™'s flavor.  
• "...wherever possible, we use the best organic and certified non-GMO ingredients..."
• "...we like to diversify our proteins by using wheat, soy and pea proteins..."
• Contains no preservatives or artificial flavors.  
• "Our soy is grown in the United States and Canada."
• "...our suppliers ensure that all our ingredients do not contain pesticides or herbicides - in line with all federal, state/provincial, and municipal regulations."
• "... we only use 'identity-preserved' soy protein (which basically means, it helps to ensure us that our soy protein is not genetically modified)."

Review of 'Meatless Select' Vegetarian Fishless Tuna

Meatless Select -- Vegetarian Fishless Tuna (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: juicy. I fried it without adding anything. It doesn't reaaalllly taste like tuna. Maybe a very slight hint of fishiness. The salt is light, which is nice. I'm confident that this could be good if used in a recipe (check out recipes below from the official website). I would have bought this again and tried it with a recipe, but I found that there is no indication of non-GMO certification on their official website. Boo.

Where to buy: buy online, US (Whole Foods, Harris Teeter)



Ingredients: TEXTURED SOY FLOUR, WATER FOR HYDRATION, SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, NATURAL FLAVOR. BROTH INGREDIENTS: WATER, YEAST EXTRACT, MALTODEXTRIN, NATURAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS SOY

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 cup
Calories: 40
     Calories from fat: 10
Total fat: 1.5g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 150mg
Potassium: 55mg
Total carbohydrate: 2g
     Dietary fiber: 1g
     Sugars: 0g
Protein: 6g
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 4%

The ingredients aren't bad...would be better if they were non-GMO. The nutritional profile is pretty good. For only 40 calories, it's super low fat, no cholesterol, and high in protein. On the downside, it's not very high in fiber and the sodium adds up when you have a reasonable serving (e.g. 1/2 cup to 1 cup, which means 300mg or 600mg respectively!)

Product recipes:

• Tuna Salad Nori Rolls
• Sally's Chunky Fishless Tuna Salad
• Fishless Tuna Sliders
• Tuna Salad in Roma Tomato Boats
• Apple Tuna Sandwich
• Vegan Tuna Casserole

Brand:

• Kosher certified
• Meat free
• Nothing artificial is used in preparation, processing or canning
• Not certified non-GMO

Review of 'Bare Fruit' Organic Cinnamon Apple Chips

Bare Fruit -- All-Natural Cinnamon Apple Chips (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: mmm super crunchy, yet chewy, but not rubbery! It has real authentic and sweet apple flavour and a nice punch of cinnamon. Very, very nice. This is a brand I highly recommend, not only for the delicious product, but for the sustainability portfolio of the brand itself.

Where to buy: Costco Wholesale, Whole Foods, online




Ingredients: Organic Apples, Organic Cinnamon.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 3/4 cup
Calories: 100
Fat: .4g
     Saturated: .1g
     Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 10mg
Carbohydrate: 28g
     Fiber: 5g
     Sugar: 23g
Protein: .4g
Vitamin C: 2%
Iron: 2%

I love a simple and clean ingredients list. For 100 calories, this is packed with fiber and low in fat and sodium. It's a really great snack that I would definitely buy again.

Other Organic Apple Chip varieties:

• Fuji Red Apple Chips
• Granny Smith Apple Chips
• Sea Salt Caramel Apple Chips
• Medley Apple Chips

Brand:

• No cholesterol, gluten, or added preservatives
• Located in Washington State
• Carbon neutral
• Non-GMO certified growers
• A certified B Corporation "B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corp certification is to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk."
• Currently purchasing deforestation offsets from Wildlife Works Carbon

Review of 'Raw-more' Superfood Paleo Bar (Peanut Butter Chocolate)

Raw-more -- Superfood Paleo Bar (Peanut Butter Chocolate) (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: wow this is actually probably the most peanut buttery product that ever claimed to be peanut buttery. Was it just because I was hungry? No idea...but I'm endorsing this bar. The bits of nuts are super fresh and crunchy and it's a very sweet bar. Also, what a fantastic brand! Check out the brand info below...all organic ingredients and raw!

Where to buy: Fortinos



Ingredients: soaked raw organic cashews, soaked raw organic almonds, organic sprouted sunflower seeds, organic sprouted buckwheat, organic peanut butter, raw organic agave nectar, organic cocoa beans, organic golden flax seed, organic dates, extra virgin raw coconut oil, organic chia seeds, schinoussa TM organic sea vegetables (spirulina, chlorella, blue green aigae, E3 Live), organic flavours, organic vanilla.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 bar
Calories: 240
Fat: 10g
     Saturated: 1g
     Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 10mg
Potassium: 110mg
Carbohydrates: 23g
     Sugar: 9g
Protein: 14g
Vitamin C: 6%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 8%

Well, clearly I don't need to go into why these ingredients are so superb. The nutritional profile is quite good. It's a high-protein bar and for 240 calories, it's low in sodium, has no cholesterol, and has natural sugars. Unfortunately, there was no fiber content detail on the website. I am really keen on trying the Cherry Pecan flavour!

Other flavours:

• Cocoa
• Cherry Pecan
• Coconut
• Fruit and Nut
• Greek Yogurt and Honey

Brand:

• Raw
• Vegan
• Paleo
• Organic
• Gluten Free
• High Protein
• Sprouted
• No Sugar Added

Review of 'Glutino' Berry Sensible Beginning

Glutino -- Berry Sensible Beginning (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: tart dried berries, medium crispy (not super crispy) flakes, lightly sweetened makes for a nice breakfast. However, I don't find that it is very filling, perhaps because it's not particularly high in either fiber or protein. I would likely not buy this again and prefer to opt for a more protein and fiber rich cereal. For gluten-sensitive folks, it is a nice option.


Where to buy: Bulk Barn, Fortinos



Ingredients: CORN MEAL, LONG GRAIN WHITE RICE, SUGAR, FREEZE-DRIED STRAWBERRY SLICES, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, VITAMINS AND MINERALS: ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), ALPHA TOCOPEROLS, REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B12.

Nutrition info
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 210
     Calories from fat: 5
Total fat: .5g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Sodium: 230
Total carbohydrates: 48g
     Dietary fiber: 2g
     Sugars: 15g
Protein: 3g
Vitamin A: 25%
Vitamin C: 70%
Iron: 80%

Full nutritional profile available here.

The ingredients are fine but the nutritional profile is a bit lackluster, except for the vitamins and minerals added.

Other Glutino Cereals:

• Honey Nut
• Frosted Sensible Beginnings (vegan) (reviewed here)
• Apple and Cinnamon
• Sensible Beginnings (vegan)

Brand:

• Only some products are non-GMO (find the list here) 
• Some organic products (Chocolate Peanut Butter Organic Bars, Chocolate Banana Organic Bars and Wildberry Organic Bars are organic)
• Some kosher products (find the list here)

Review of 'Blue Diamond' Smokehouse Almonds

Blue Diamond -- Smokehouse Almonds (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: This is a very flavourful product and does actually have that 'smokehouse' taste and has a sweet/salty flavour. It's super fresh and crunchy. The only hesitation lies in one of the ingredients: hydrolyzed corn/soy protein. Hydrolyzed vegetable proteins are potentially harmful, as they contain MSG, a known headache, nausea, chest pain, etc. trigger. I would not personally buy this flavour again, but I admit it is pretty darn tasty.


Where to buy: Freshco, Fortinos



Ingredients: almonds, vegetable oil (canola, safflower and/or sunflower), salt, corn maltodextrin, natural hickory smoke flavor, yeast, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, natural flavors.

Nutritional Info:
Serving size: 28 nuts
Calories:170
     Calories from fat: 140
Total Fat: 16g
     Sat. fat: 1g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Sodium: 150mg
Potassium: 190mg
Total carb.: 5g
     Dietary fiber: 3g
     Sugars: 1g
Protein: 6g
Vitamin E: 35%
Calcium: 8%
Iron: 6%

So, all ingredients are pretty harmless, save for potentially the hydrolyzed proteins, which contain MSG. The nutritional profile is great! For 170 calories, there's healthy fats, no cholesterol, and a nice dose of fiber and protein...not to mention vitamin E. A pretty wholesome snack relatively speaking. Enjoy!

Other flavours:

• Honey Roasted Almonds (reviewed here)
• Lightly Salted (vegan) (reviewed here)
• Roasted Salted (vegan)
• Whole Natural (vegan) (reviewed here)

Brand:

• Soy-free
• No MSG
• Non-GMO
• All refrigerated products are kosher
• Gluten-free
• No artificial flavours
• No BPA in packaging
• Almonds are grown by a growers cooperative

Review of 'Lundberg' Organic Cinnamon Toast Rice Cakes

Lundberg -- Organic Cinnamon Toast Rice Cakes (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: nice and crunchy; sticky texture means that it doesn't crumble and fall apart. It's a sweet treat that has a lovely light but present cinnamon flavour. Although it's a very light snack, a tablespoon of peanut butter would make this a more solid and nutritious option.

Where to buy: Bulk Barn; store locator; buy online

 

Ingredients: Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice, Organic Evaporated Cane Syrup, Organic Cinnamon Sugar Topping (Organic Evaporated Cane Syrup, Organic Spices [Cinnamon, Allspice], Sea Salt, Natural Cinnamon Oil), Organic Caramel Flavor, Organic Cinnamon Flavor.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 cake
Calories: 80
     Calories from fat: 5
Total fat: .5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 0mg
Carbohydrates: 20g
     Dietary fiber: 1g
     Sugars: 3g
Protein: 1g
Iron: 2%

Whole grains...lovely...and, all natural ingredients. There's not much in the way of nutrition with only 1g of fiber and 1g of protein, but it is a yummy snack. As a workout geek, I need a bit more protein, however, so I personally would not buy this on the regular.

Other 'Organic Rice Cakes' flavours:

• Organic Brown Rice Cakes, Lightly Salted (vegan)
• Organic Brown Rice Cakes, Salt Free (vegan)
• Organic Caramel Corn Rice Cakes
• Organic Flax with Tamari Rice Cakes (vegan)
• Organic Hemp-a-Licious Rice Cakes (vegan)
• Organic Kettle Corn Rice Cakes (vegan)
• Organic Koku Seaweed Rice Cakes (vegan)
• Organic Mochi Sweet Rice Cakes (vegan)
• Organic Sesame Tamari Rice Cakes (vegan)
• Organic Sweet Chili Rice Cakes (vegan)
• Organic Tamari with Seaweed Rice Cakes (vegan)
• Organic Wild Rice Cakes, Lightly Salted (vegan)

Brand:

• Family run farming business
• Began farming in Richvale, CA during 1937 and pioneered organic farming in 1969
• Practice ecological farming methods on all fields
• No chemicals are used on organic crops, and a minimum of chemicals are used for Eco-Farmed rice
• Many of Lundberg's products are Kosher certified
• Lundberg Family Farms is an official Participant of the Non-GMO Project and has a list of its verified non-GMO products
• 70% of Lundberg’s products are Certified Organic, some eco-farmed
• Awards 
• Mission, Values, Vision

Review of 'Coco Libre' Pure Organic Coconut Water

Coco Libre -- Pure Organic Coconut Water (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: organic, crisp and refreshing, but not very fresh or sweet. Nutritionally, it's good. There are 5 electrolytes (K, NA, Mg, CA and P) and only 40 calories, fat free, gluten free cholesterol free, and low in sugar.

Where to buy: Fortinos, Loblaws, Sobeys, Longo's, Highland Farms



Ingredients: 100% Organic Coconut Water from concentrate, natural flavours.

Other varieties:

• Pineapple (vegan) (reviewed here)
• Chocolate Protein
• Vanilla Protein 
• Almond Protein

Brand:

• Organic
• Coconuts are grown in organic fields using sustainable farming methods without the use of pesticides.
• The growth of these coconuts supports 300 Organic Farmers and their respective communities. 3% of the sales of the company's suppliers' sales goes to a Partnership fund used for economic, social and environmental development, and fair trade promotion.

Review of 'Coco Libre' Pineapple Coconut Water

Coco Libre -- Pineapple Coconut Water (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: refreshing. Both pineapple and coconut flavours are strong. I still prefer natural coconut water over this flavoured version, but recommend it to pineapple fans. The nutritional profile is great. It's low calorie and loaded with potassium and electrolytes.

Where to buy: Fortinos, Loblaws, Sobeys, Longo's, Highland Farms



Ingredients: Organic Coconut Water from Concentrate, Organic Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavors.

Nutritional Facts
Calories: 75
Fat cal.: 0
Total fat: 0
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 100mg
Potassium: 750mg
Total carb.: 18g
     Sugars: 17g
Protein: 0g
Calcium: 6%

Full nutritional profile here.

Other Coco Libre products:

• Original Coconut Water (vegan) (reviewed here)
• Chocolate Protein
• Vanilla Protein
• Almond Protein

Brand:

• Organic
• Coconuts are grown in organic fields using sustainable farming methods without the use of pesticides.
• The growth of these coconuts supports 300 Organic Farmers and their respective communities. 3% of the sales of the company's suppliers' sales goes to a Partnership fund used for economic, social and environmental development, and fair trade promotion.