Review of Newman's Own Mango Salsa

Newman's Own -- Mango Salsa (vegan)
Overall rating: 2.5/5
Summary: Aw man...I'm really impressed with this brand and it's commitment to giving back to communities and its commitment to natural products. So...I am sad to say that this particular flavour did not sit well with me. It was way too sweet...like overwhelmingly so. I will try the hot salsa varieties instead, with no sugar added. For me, salsa is sweet and tart. If you've got a sweet tooth for salsa, this may be for you. I should add that my best friend tried it and loved it instantly!

Where to buy: Fortino's, Loblaws, online store


Ingredients: Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Diced Mangoes (Mangoes, Cane Sugar, Water, Pectin, Natural Flavors, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid), Brown Sugar (Cane Sugar, Molasses), Jalapeno Peppers, Red Bell Peppers, Onions*, Salt, Distilled Vinegar, Lime Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Cilantro*, Citric Acid

*Dried

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 2 tbsp
Calories: 25
     Calories from fat: 0g
Total fat: 0g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans far: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 200mg
Total carbohydrates: 6g
     Dietary fiber: <1g
Sugars: 5g
Protein: 0g
Vitamin A: 4%
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 2%

Nice ingredients...natural and simple. The nutrition facts...nothing spectacular...25 calories, but pretty high in sodium.

Check out their recipe for Pan Seared Cod with Mango Salsa here.

Check out the Newman's Own Foundation website here.

Other Newman's Own salsa flavours:

• Black Bean & Corn Salsa (vegan)
• Farmer's Garden Salsa (vegan)
• Hot Salsa (vegan)
• Medium Salsa (vegan)
• Mild Salsa (vegan)
• Peach Salsa (vegan)
• Pineapple Salsa (vegan)
• Roasted Garlic Salsa (vegan)
• Salsa Con Queso
• Tequila Lime Salsa (vegan)

Brand:

• Donated over $400 million worldwide since 1992
• Since 2003, Newman’s Own has been the exclusive salad dressing served with McDonald's Premium Salads nationwide 
• Newman’s Own donates to the SeriousFun Children’s Network 

Review of 'Roland' All Natural Couscous (pre-cooked)

Roland -- All Natural Couscous (pre-cooked)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: this is a versatile product. It's very quick to prepare...a few minutes and you're good to go. I cooked it with smoky eggplant and onions and folded it into each other and it was pretty good. What I don't like is that it is not organic and that the brand does not seem to take any positions on social or environmental sustainability (e.g. does not feature any info on ingredients and where/how it's sourced). I will look for an alternate brand that can deliver on these things.

Where to buy: buy online



Ingredients: durum wheat semolina.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/3 cup dry mix
Calories: 200
     Calories from fat: 10
Total fat: 1g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 1mg
Total carbohydrate: 42g
     Dietary fiber: 3g
     Sugars: 1g
Protein: 6g
Iron: 4%

Cannot complain about the ingredient list...only one simple, wholesome ingredient! The nutritional profile is great...for 200 calories, you'll get 3g fiber and 6g protein. Add your veggies and meat/meat substitute, and you've got more fiber, protein, and your vitamins/minerals...a wholesome meal.

Other Roland couscous products (all vegan):

• Barley Couscous
• Couscous (Quick cooking)
• Couscous (Israeli)
• Garlic Jalapeno Couscous
• Israeli Couscous, Tri-colour
• Porcini Mushroom Israeli Couscous
• Roasted Garlic Couscous
• Tuscan Herb Israeli Couscous
• Whole Wheat Couscous
• Whole Wheat Garden Vegetable Couscous (reviewed here)

Brand:

• Kosher
• Product recall (2014) for possible glass in products (read here)
• No significant and concrete social responsibility initiatives

Review of 'Nature's Path' Envirokids Leapin' Lemurs (Peanut Butter and Chocolate)

Nature's Path -- Envirokids Leapin' Lemurs (Peanut Butter and Chocolate) (vegan, gluten-free)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: super crunchy, but I didn't get as much peanut butter flavour as I expected. Further, it's not so filling, so can't carry me through the morning. There's only 2g of fiber and 2g of protein, so that may be why. For kids though...yeah maybe. I used this as a road trip snack...definitely not a meal. Check out the brand info below...Nature's Path delivers quality ingredients and their sustainability ethic is wonderful.

Where to buy: Bulk, Barn, Longos, Fortinos, US product locator



Ingredients: Corn meal*, whole grain corn meal*, cane sugar*, peanut butter*, molasses*, fair trade cocoa*, sea salt, soy oil*, natural flavor, tocopherols (vitamin E), tapioca starch*.

*Organic. Contains peanuts and soy. Produced in a facility that uses tree nuts.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 3/4 cup
Calories: 120
     Calories from fat: 15
Total fat: 1.5g
     Saturated fat: 1.5g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 115mg
Potassium: 55mg
Total carbohydrates: 22g
     Dietary fiber: 2g
     Sugars: 8g
Protein: 2g
Iron: 2%

Very low-calorie, so can't complain...if you double up to 240 calories, you could probably make a filling meal out of it (for an adult), with 4g fiber and 4g protein...some milk...voila!

Other gluten-free cold cereals (all vegan):

• Mesa Sunrise Cereal (reviewed here)
• Sunrise Crunchy Vanilla
• Gorilla Munch Cereal
• Qi'a™ Superfood - Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp Cereal Apple Cinnamon
• Qi'a™ Superfood - Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp Cereal Original Flavour
• Crispy Rice Cereal
• Whole O's (reviewed here)
• Mesa Sunrise® Flakes with Raisins
• Fruit Juice Sweetened Corn Flakes 
• Qi'a™ Superfood - Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp Cereal Cranberry Vanilla
• Panda Puffs™ Cereal 
• Koala Crisp™ Cereal
• Sunrise Crunchy Maple (reviewed here)

Brand (quoted from the Nature's Path website):

• Family-owned and operated
•  Certified non-GMO and organic; non-GMO Project verified
• Fairtrade certified
• "We source all our ingredients as locally as possible to our production plants."
• "...over 78% of the weight of ingredients we purchase comes from organic farmers in North America."
• "Some of the ingredients we have committed to purchasing are Fairtrade Certified cocoa, sugar cane, molasses, and spices." 
• Gardens for Good Project

Review of 'The Tea Room' Dark Chocolate Bar Infused with Red Raspberry Rooibos

The Tea Room -- 60% Dark Chocolate Bar Infused with Red Raspberry Rooibos (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: dark chocolate that's so rich and cocoa-y...you can actually taste the subtle tea and raspberry flavours and the pairing is exquisite. I love that the website is so exhaustive...there's info on ingredients, brand, where to buy, but they need info on nutritional profiles for all products. I recommend this bar.

Where to buy: Bulk Barn, in the US



Ingredients: Unsweetened organic chocolate, organic cane sugar, organic cacao fat, organic red raspberry rooibos tea, organic vanilla extract.

Soy Lecithin added as emulsifier. May contain traces of peanuts, soy, gluten, wheat and/or other nuts and spices.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 25.5g (half the bar)
Calories: 140
     Fat. Cal.: 80
Total fat: 9g
     Sat. Fat: 5g
     Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 40mg
Total Carb.: 14g
     Dietary fiber: 2g
     Sugars: 10g
Protein: 1g
Iron: 15%

So, the ingredients are clearly wonderfully simple and kinda sexy...I swear, just read it! The chocolate is hand-crafted in San Leandro, California using organic European chocolate and other organic ingredients from around the world. The calorie count is quite good for half a bar and it's low in sodium, with 15% iron. Not bad at all.

Other Organic Chocolate Bar Infusions, Non-GMO:

• White Chocolate Bar with Chamomile Tea & Honey
• Milk Chocolate Bar Infused with Bedouin's Mint Tea
• Pina Colada Milk Chocolate Bar
• Milk Chocolate Bar Infused with Jasmine Tea
• Milk Chocolate Bar Infused with Black Masala Chai Tea
• Milk Chocolate Bar Infused with Honeybush Caramel Tea
• 60% Dark Chocolate Bar Infused with Mayan Pepper Chai (vegan)
• 60% Dark Chocolate Bar Infused with Green Earl Grey Tea (vegan)
• 60% Dark Chocolate Bar Infused with Almond Caramel (vegan)
• 60% Dark Chocolate Bar Infused with Lapsang Souchong Tea (vegan)
• 72% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar with Green Mate, Star Anis & Nibs (vegan)
• 72% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar Infused with a Rich Arabica Espresso (vegan)

Check out their recipes here.

Brand:

• Certified organic by: Organic Certifiers and the State of California
• Non-GMO and Gluten-Free
• Recent Press
• Awards, Certifications

Review of 'Clif Bar' Sierra Mix

Clif Bar -- Sierra Mix (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: mmmmm, filling, very soft, moist, and sweet (especially the raisins), nice and chewy...but! ...missing enough nuts/seeds. The ingredients are mostly good, but the non-organic soy is the biggest issue...if one ingredient should have been organic, it should have been the soy. The nutritional profile is pretty good, with lots of fiber (5g) and protein (10g) and packed with vitamins and minerals, typical of most Clif bars. I'd buy this again.

Where to buy: Fortino's



Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Barley Malt Extract], Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour), Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Peanuts, Chocolate Chips (Dried Cane Syrup, Unsweetened Chocolate‡, Cocoa Butter‡, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Extract), Organic Raisins, Organic Cane Syrup, Organic Peanut Butter (Organic Peanuts, Salt), ClifCrunch® (Organic Oat Fiber, Inulin, Organic Psyllium), Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Roasted Sunflower Seeds (Sunflower Seeds, Sunflower Oil), Organic Date Paste, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Natural Vitamin E (Antioxidant).

ALLERGEN STATEMENT: CONTAINS SOY AND PEANUTS. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF MILK, WHEAT, AND TREE NUTS.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 bar
Calories: 250
     Calories from fat: 70
Total fat: 8g
     Sat. fat: 2g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 230mg
Potassium: 260mg
Total carb.: 40g
     Dietary fiber: 5g
          Insoluble fiber: 3g
     Sugars: 22g
     Other carbs.: 13g
Protein: 10g
Vit. A: 30%
Vit. C: 90%
Calcium: 25%
Iron: 10%

Other Clif Bar flavours (all vegan, baby):

• Apricot
• Banana Nut Bread
• Black Cherry Almond (reviewed here)
• Blueberry Crisp
• Carrot Cake (reviewed here)
• Chocolate Almond Fudge (reviewed here)
• Chocolate Brownie
• Chocolate Chip (reviewed here)
• Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch
• Coconut Chocolate Chip (reviewed here)
• Cool Mint Chocolate (reviewed here)
• Crunchy Peanut Butter
• Gary's Panforte
• Iced Gingerbread
• Maple Nut (reviewed here) 
• Oatmeal Raisin Walnut (reviewed here)
• Peanut Toffee Buzz
• Pecan Pie (reviewed here)
• Peppermint Stick (reviewed here)
• Spiced Pumpkin
• White Chocolate Macadamia (reviewed here)

Brand:

• No artificial preservatives or trans fats
• No artificial colours, sweeteners or flavours
• Non-GMO
• Clif Bar Family Foundation
• Commitment to Zero Waste
• Climate Action Approach
• Partnerships with American Forests and Trees for the Future
• Organic farming strategy
• Certified Sustainable
• Community involvement (e.g. collaboration with other businesses, volunteering, sharing products, philanthropy)
• Kosher Dairy
• No high-fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils

Review of 'Casbah' Couscous (Nutted with Currants and Spice)

Casbah -- Couscous (Nutted with Currants and Spice) (vegan)
Overall Rating -- 3/5
Summary: love the simple, clean ingredients and good nutritional profile. However, this needs more seasoning for me. I really like the nice additions of currants and nuts, but a few currants were a bit sandy in texture. This is really, really easy and quick to make, so it's a good product to keep around for lazy days. I'm disappointed in the website, which contains little information on the brand itself (e.g. where the organic couscous comes from, how it's certified, no ingredients or nutritional profile of products, etc.).

Where to buy: online



Ingredients: Organic Couscous (Semolina Wheat Flour), Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, Pine Nuts), Currants, Salt, Granulated Onion, Yeast Extract, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Spices, Green Onion Flakes, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Oil.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 cup
Calories: 170
Fat: 2.5g
     Sat. Fat: .2g
     Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 400mg
Carbohydrates: 31g
     Fibre: 2g
     Sugars: 2g
Protein: 6g
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 4%

The ingredients are no problem at all...very good! The nutritional profile is good as well, with 2g of fiber and 6g protein...only there's a lot of sodium for only 1/4 cup.

Other Cashbah Couscous:

• Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil
• Wild Forest Mushroom
• Lemon Spinach

Brand:

• No MSG
• 100% animal-free ingredients only
• Both Casbah and Niles and Health Valley and Breadshop packaging print comes from soy based ink