Review of 'Florida's Natural' Nuggets (Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry)

Florida's Natural -- Nuggets (Cherry, Blueberry, Strawberry) (vegan, gluten-free)
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: Oh...wow! I was expecting something similar to the 'Strawberry, Banana, Orange' Nuggets I tried a little while back (reviewed here). This is way better! It's softer and less sticky, so there was no annoyance for me. The flavours were fantastically distinct and authentic...like biting into the actual fruits. I'm gonna highly recommend these for their taste, texture, and great ingredients.

Where to buy: Rexall Pharma Plus, Shopper's Drug Mart


Ingredients: fruit ingredients (contains concentrated pear and/or concentrated apple puree, concentrated fruit juices (pear, strawberry, blueberry, ascorbic acid [vitamin C])), cane sugar, tapioca starch, rice syrup, dextrose, apple powder, citric acid (acidulant), natural flavours (strawberry, blueberry, cherry), sodium citrate, pectin, black carrot concentrate, carnauba wax, corn maltodextrin.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 pouch
Calories: 50
Fat: 0g
Sodium: 10mg
Carbohydrate: 13g
     Sugars: 10g
Protein: 0g
Vitamin C: 40%

Well, it's difficult to say just how good these ingredients are because I'm unsure of the GMO position of the brand. If they are not on board, then the 'corn maltodextrin' would likely be an issue. Aside from that, though, everything is great -- fruit ingredients are the main star here and there are no artificial ingredients.

The calories are nice and low per pouch and the best part is the 40% of vitamin C provided. You seriously wouldn't believe how authentic these flavours are...especially in a children's candy! I probably won't be buying it again, though, since I'm not convinced that Florida's Natural is non-GMO.

Other 'Nuggets' flavours:

• Strawberry, Banana, Orange (reviewed here)

Brand:

• High in natural fruit content and vitamins
• Gluten free
• Gelatin free 
• Fat free
• Participates in 'Candies for Cause' with the Wildlife Conservation Society to help save wildlife and wild places
• GMO position not specified on website

Review of 'Nature's Path' Peanut Choco™ Granola Bars

Nature's Path -- Peanut Choco™ Granola Bars
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: wow, why this is most peanutty! I absolutely can't get enough of this bar...I have 2 in one sitting--it's terrible! It is so uber sweet and the peanut flavour has incredible depth. The bits of peanuts throughout really added to the flavour and gave nice pockets of crunch. I didn't think I'd be into the 'sweet and salty' flavours, but oh my goodness, it works! Trust me and go grab yourself these bars. You shan't be disappointed. The only mild annoyance was that the bar itself is really sticky and gets stuck to the wrapper...so of course I have to lick and chew on the wrapper, right? No grace when I'm eating these...no grace at all.

Where to buy: Bulk Barn



Ingredients: granola* (rolled oats*, evaporated cane juice*, soy oil*), tapioca syrup*, roasted peanuts*, chocolatey icing* (evaporated cane juice*, palm kernel oil* and/or cocoa butter*, cocoa*, natural flavor, soy lecithin*, sea salt, tapioca starch*), brown rice flour*, invert cane syrup*, peanut butter*, acacia gum*, sea salt, evaporated cane juice*, molasses*, tocopherols.
*Organic.
Contains soy and peanuts. Produced in a facility that uses tree nuts and dairy.

Nutritional Information
Serving size: 1 bar
Calories: 150
Fat: 6g
     Saturated: 1.5g
     Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 125mg
Potassium: 80mg
Carbohydrate: 22g
     Fiber: 2g
     Sugars: 11g
Protein: 3g
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 10%

Man oh man, just reading these ingredients are making me salivate...cane juice, tapioca syrup, roasted peanuts, chocolatey icing mmmmm

At 150 calories per bar, it's not a bad deal. I do wish it had a wee bit more protein for that count, but the amazing taste more than makes up for it. It has healthy fats, no cholesterol, and no added sugars. I'd definitely buy this again, but I think before I do that, I wanna try the Chococonut!

Other bars:

• Macaroon Crunch
• Pumpkin-N-Spice™ Flax Plus® (vegan)
• Sunny Hemp™ Hemp Plus® (reviewed here)
• Honey Oat Crunch Flax Plus®
• Chococonut™  (vegan)
• Peanut Choco Drizzle™ Crispy Rice (vegan, gluten-free)
• Lotta’ Apricotta™
• Peanut Buddy™ (vegan)
• Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Bars (gluten-free)
• Chocolate Crispy Rice Bars (gluten-free)
• Peanut Choco™ Crunch Ancient Grains (vegan)
• Apple Pie Crunch Chia Plus™ (vegan)
• Berry Blast™ Crispy Rice Bars (gluten-free)
• Berry Strawberry™ Flax Plus®
• Mmmaple Pecan™ Flax Plus® 
• Fruity Burst™ Crispy Rice Bars (gluten-free)

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

Restaurant Review: Applebee's

Applebee's (vegan-friendly)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary (quick 'n dirty): friendly, attentive staff. Clean environment. Good flavours, okay presentation of my entree. Older, senior crowd (for a Friday night!). Not enough food (I was hungry). Not enough potatoes (really hungry). Not enough variety of vegetables for altering the dish to vegan. Positively speaking, everything perfectly seasoned. Potatoes were perfectly soft and tender (not mushy).
Menu
Price: entree ($15.99)

Address: Brampton, 60 Biscayne Crescent, L6W 4S1 (map)
Hours of operation:
Sunday to Thursday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Friday to Saturday 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM



Items ordered:
Grilled Dijon Chicken & Portobellos from the 'Under 550' menu selection

"Marinated chicken breast grilled and topped with roasted red peppers, red onions, Portobello mushrooms, Dijon sauce, and aged cheddar cheese. Served with steamed herb potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables."

This was modified to exclude the meat and dairy ingredients. Instead, I requested more veggies and mushrooms.

The final dish, after veganization, was really like getting 2 side dishes. It wasn't the size and scope of an entree. I got about a 3/4 cup of broccoli and red peppers in a little dish (cooked nice and lightly, not over-done). And the "main entree" was about a cup of mushrooms, red peppers, green peppers, and onions. There was about 1/2 cup of baked potatoes. That's it. Half a cup. Explain this! How do you replace chicken with 1/2 cup of baked potatoes? I was really displeased. It would have seemed like more of an entree if there were (a) a wee bit more potatoes and (b) more variety of veggies added, not simply adding more of what was already supposed to be in the dish. Like, what about carrots? Beets? Peas? Nuts? Zucchini? I suppose I should have requested it, so it's sort of on me as well :p

I'm grateful that our server was very open to switching it up for me and she was more than happy to attempt to veganize any meal that I was interested in. That counts for a lot.

Review of 'Vega' Recover Performance Protein (Vanilla)

Vega -- Recover Performance Protein (Vanilla) (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: This is a great, clean-tasting protein powder. It's sweet and mixes well with various types of milks, juices, and fruit. I haven't yet made a poor-tasting concoction. However, my main issues are (1) the high sodium content...like really high...(2) unfortunately, it's not quite as sweet as the chocolate flavour (reviewed here), and (3) I don't really get that strong vanilla flavour that I expected (the chocolate flavour is actually quite distinct). So, I would prefer to opt for the chocolate flavour next time.

Where to buy: Fortinos, Sobeys, GNC,Village Health Food, S & H Health Foods, Village Pharmacy, Vega e-store




Ingredients: yellow pea protein, SaviSeed sacha inchi protein, sprouted whole grain brown rice protein, help protein, alfalfa protein, natural french vanilla flavor, stevia extract, sodium chloride.*

*Additional ingredients (amino acid complexes and digestive blend) here.

Nutritional Information
Serving size: 1 scoop (1.3 oz)
Calories: 120
     Calories from fat: 10
Fat: 1g
     Saturated: .5g
Total Carbohydrate: 6g
    Dietary fiber: 2g
    Sugars: less than 1g
Protein: 26g
Sodium: 520mg

The 520mg is roughly 20% of the daily recommended intake for a 2000 calorie diet. This is high, and I don't follow a 2000 calorie diet (more like 1500), nor do I adhere to the recommended intake of sodium (I'd like to keep mine under 1500, as much as possible). Less salt is good for heart health, by reducing the workload of the heart. Read more about salt intake recommendations by dieticians here (pdf).

Other 'Recover' products (all vegan):

• Chocolate Recover Performance Protein (reviewed here)
• Berry Recover Performance Protein
• Tropical Recovery Accelerator 
• Apple Berry Recovery Accelerator
• Chocolate Coconut Recovery Protein Bar
• Chocolate SaviSeed Recovery Protein Bar

Brand (quoted from vegasport.com):

• Ecologically- and socially-minded
• "Ingredients are sourced as locally as possible, efficiently grown, minimally processed, non GMO and organic and raw where available."
• "Vega’s head office is 100% wind-powered (via Bullfrog Power) and our building also features sustainable and energy-efficient materials such as daylight sensor light fixtures, earth-friendly recycled modular carpet system, rapidly renewable bamboo floors and low-emissivity glass windows."
• Sustainability Initiatives
• Community Initiatives (e.g. athlete sponsorship, support of activist organizations, support vegan and vegetarian societies, support and partner with eco-friendly events and groups)
• A host of other great information is available at myvega.com. Please check it out.

Review of 'Laughing Giraffe' Goji, Cacao, & Maca Snakaroons (Energy Snack)

Laughing Giraffe -- Goji, Cacao, & Maca Snakaroons (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: I'm not sure if it was supposed to have the smell I got, but I found it to be a little staleish of an aroma. It was perfectly moist and tender, so no problem with texture. The flavour on the other hand...it confused me a bit...I wasn't sure if I liked or really disliked it. I've never had goji berries before, so I thought that the spicy taste I got was coming from them. But I read that goji berries are tart, so that doesn't quite fit. There are definitely pockets of something spicy and it really drives a wedge in the whole tasting experience. Other than that, I liked the sweet, savoury flavour, but I'd much rather the Pineapple Macadamia Snakaroons (with Coconut and Cacao) (reviewed here).

Where to buy: Home Sense, Bulk Barn


Ingredients: unsweetened coconut, agave, almonds, extra virgin coconut oil, vanilla extract, cacao, goji berries, maca, himalayan sea salt.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 piece
Calories: 170
Fat: 13g
     Saturated: 9g
     Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 30mg
Total carbohydrate: 12g
     Dietary fiber: 3g
     Sugars: 9g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin C: 25%
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 4%

I always feel satisfied after having one of these snacks, despite the 170 cals for such a small piece. This is because the ingredients are clean and simple, and the fats are healthy. You can read about the  health benefits of the saturated fats derived from coconut products here.

*disappointment face* I opened the seal and took a whiff and it kinda smelled staleish. Nevertheless, I remained positive! It flavour did grow on me, despite the odd moments of spiciness. I'm hoping to try the Banana Coconut Snackroons next time.

Other flavours (all vegan):

• Cherry Ginger Granola (with Walnuts and Pecans)
• Cranberry Orange Granola (with Cacao, Cinnamon, and Raisins)
• Banana Coconut Snakaroons
• Pineapple Macadamia Snakaroons (with Coconut and Cacao) (reviewed here)
• Vanilla Almond Snakaroons

Brand:

• Certified Organic
• Raw Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Handcrafted

Review of 'Continental' Dark Chocolate

Continental -- Dark Chocolate (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 3.5/5 I had to revise this rating after I tried the chocolate again last week. I noted a slightly artificial aftertaste that I hadn't noticed before. Bummer! Still pretty good, though.
Summary: mm, much better than I anticipated. After all, I did pick it up at the Sears outlet store for $1.00! It isn't at all brittle or overly hard. It gives a creamy, very sweet chew with a subtle bite of darkness/bitterness. I would recommend this--it's inexpensive and a much healthier choice than your regular chocolate candy bars. I probably wouldn't buy it again simply because I prefer buying brands that are more transparent and more engaged with consumers.

Where to buy: Sears outlet

Ingredients: chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and natural vanilla flavour.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 6 pieces
Calories: 200
Fat: 12g
     Saturated: 7g
     Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Carbohydrate: 21g
     Fibre: 3g
     Sugars: 20g
Protein: 2g
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 40%

For 6 pieces, 200 cals is pretty darn good. It's got a hefty dose of sugar, but you could go halfsies and opt for 3 pcs at 10g of sugar and 100 cals. It's a great source of iron and a pretty great source of protein and fibre. This bar is a much better bet than your average candy bar (e.g. no trans fatty ingredients. no cholesterol, dark chocolate). It would make a great chocolate frosting, I think. Imagine melting it with coconut milk and frosting a chocolate cake!

Other flavours:

• Milk Chocolate
• Extra Dark Chocolate

Brand:

• Unfortunately, I could not locate *any* information on this product online. Is that even possible?? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
• From the wrapper, I gathered that it's imported by 'Premier Brands' 77 Nantucket Blvd., Toronto, ON, M1P 2N5
• Product of Germany

Review of 'Nature's Path' Spelt Flakes (Fruit Juice Sweetened)

Nature's Path' Spelt Flakes (Fruit Juice Sweetened)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: perfectly crisp and crunchy, these are. It softens a bit in milk, but still maintains a fresh crunch. It's lightly sweetened (I paired it with an unsweetened almond milk). Honestly though, I would have added some more sweetness so that the cereal maintains flavour in unsweetened milk, however I appreciate the lower sugar content for those on low-sugar diets. I'd also prefer a cereal with more fiber and protein (someone who's into strength training and needs protein desperately).

Where to buy: Bulk Barn, Fortinos, Longos



Ingredients: Spelt wheat flour*, grape* and/or pear* juice concentrate, instantized spelt wheat flakes*, barley malt extract*, sea salt, honey*. *Organic. Contains wheat. May contain peanuts, tree nuts or soy.

Nutritional Facts
Serving size: 3/4 cup
Calories: 110
Fat: 1g
     Saturated: 0g
     Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 150mg
Carbohydrate: 22g
     Fibre: 3g
     Sugars: 4g
Protein: 3g
Vitamin C: 2%
Iron: 6%

Alright, let's face it, this is a 'grown up' cereal. Fat chance getting your children to eat these willingly. The ingredients are those only an adult could admire. Clean and free of sugars that can attack the waistline or spike sugar levels, depending on what your individual concerns may be. My concern regarding sugars is a history of diabetes in my family...on both sides! So I do appreciate that Nature's Path has a variety of low-sugar cereals...

...ssssstill, I do have a huge sugar obsession so this cereal just won't do for me, unless I pair it with a sweetened milk or add a honey drizzle (or bananas!). Under these circumstances, I did quite enjoy it. And the low-calorie, very low-fat, and low-sodium aspects were appealing. However, the protein and fiber content just doesn't make the cut.

I prefer the reduced-sugar Flax Plus® Flakes (reviewed here) cereal, which has a better taste *and* more fiber and protein.

Other 'reduced-sugar' cold cereals:

• Qi'a™ Superfood - Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp Cereal Apple Cinnamon (vegan, gluten free)
• Flax Plus Cinnamon (vegan)
• Crispy Rice Cereal (vegan, gluten-free)
• Whole O’s™ Cereal (vegan, gluten-free) (reviewed here)
• Qi'a™ Superfood - Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp Cereal Original Flavour (vegan, gluten-free)
• Heritage® Flakes
• Mesa Sunrise® Flakes (vegan, gluten-free)
• Qi'a™ Superfood - Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp Cereal Cranberry Vanilla (vegan, gluten-free)
• Rice Puffs (vegan, gluten-free)
• Fruit Juice Sweetened Corn Flakes (vegan, gluten-free)
• Millet Rice™ Fruit Juice Sweetened (vegan, gluten-free)
• Multigrain Oatbran Cereal (vegan)
• Corn Puffs (vegan, gluten-free)
• Honey’d® Corn Flakes (gluten-free)
• KAMUT® Puffs (vegan)
• Oaty Bites® (vegan)
• Millet Puffs (vegan)
• Flax Plus® Flakes (vegan) (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