Review of 'Kraft' All Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter

Kraft -- All Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: love the crunchy peanut butters! I have this in the mornings with Mary's Original Seed Crackers and I love it. It's creamy, yet crunchy with fresh, rich peanut butter flavour. The ingredients and nutrition are good, but the brand...not so great, at least as recent as 2014. I would prefer to try MaraNatha's No Stir Organic Peanut Butter, which I am to try very soon!

Where to buy: Fortinos, Sobeys, Metro



Ingredients: 100% SELECT ROASTED PEANUTS.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 tbsp
Calories: 90
Fat: 7g
     Saturated fat: 1g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 0mg
Carbohydrate: 3g
     Fiber: 1g
     Sugars: 1g
Protein: 4g
Iron: 2%

Well, I sure can't argue with the ingredients or nutritional profile...simple and wholesome. The fats are healthy and there's a nice dose of protein. The only issue is the brand, which I wouldn't recommend. I wouldn't personally buy this product again.

Other Peanut Butter products:

• Smooth Peanut Butter
• Smooth Light Peanut Butter
• Crunchy Peanut Butter
• Crunchy Light Peanut Butter
• Extra Creamy Peanut Butter
• Unsweetened/Unsalted Peanut Butter
• Whipped Peanut Butter
• All Natural Peanut Butter

Brand:

• Some products contain GMO ingredients (more information here)
• Class action lawsuit filed against Kraft  by employees resulted in a settlement (read 2012 article here)
• 2007: sued for falsely labelling Capri Sun as 'All Natural' (read article here)
• 2011: class action lawsuit filed against Kraft's pollution in Attica (read article here)
• 2014: lawsuit against Kraft on inappropriate labelling (read article here)
• There are more lawsuits, though too many to list here! You get the picture...
• Work with American Red Cross for humanitarian efforts

Review of 'Worthington Loma Linda' Cutlets Choplets

Worthington Loma Linda -- Cutlets (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: this is decent. I used these choplets as a substitute for burger patties and it worked pretty well. It's thick like a patty, but the texture is not authentically meaty; it's very simple rather than complex. There's a slight rubberiness, which I actually enjoyed. There's no special seasoning, but it's tasty, albeit a bit salty. I didn't actually try it with the broth, since I used it as a patty, so not sure if it would have been better. I wouldn't recommend this product because of the ingredients that aren't so fantastic (see below).

Where to buy: US store locator


Ingredients: Textured vegetable protein (wheat gluten, soy protein concentrate) and caramel color.

Broth: Water, hydrolyzed soy, corn, and wheat protein, autolyzed yeast extract, and salt. Contains 2% or less of dextrose, natural flavors from non-meat sources, caramel color, and corn oil.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 2 slices
Calories: 90
     Calories from fat: 10
Total fat: 1g
     Saturated fat: 0g
     Trans fat: 0g
     Polyunsaturated fat: .5g
     Monounsaturated fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 500mg
Potassium: 40mg
Total carbohydrate: 4g
     Dietary fiber: 2g
     Sugars: 0g
Protein: 18g
Iron: 2%

The soy ingredients are not identified as organic or sustainably sourced, so there is a risk that they are from sources that contribute to tropical deforestation and climate change. The caramel colour is linked to harmful effects on health. The corn ingredients aren't labelled non-GMO.

The nutritional profile is much nicer than the ingredients. It's super low-calorie, super low in fat, and is packed with protein. The major downside is the high sodium.

Other Worthington Loma Linda canned products:

•    Loma Linda Redi-Burger™ (vegan) (reviewed here)

•    Loma Linda® Big Franks (vegan)

•    Loma Linda® Fried Chik’n with Gravy

•    Loma Linda® Linketts™ (vegan)

•    Loma Linda® Little Links (vegan) 

•    Loma Linda® Low Fat Big Franks (vegan)

•    Loma Linda® Swiss Stake with Gravy

•    Loma Linda® Tender Bits (vegan)

•    Loma Linda® Tender Rounds™ with Gravy

•    Loma Linda® Vege-Burger® (vegan)

•    Worthington® Chili (vegan)

•    Worthington® Diced Chik

•    Worthington® FriChik™

•    Worthington® Low Fat FriChik™

•    Worthington® Low Fat Veja-Links™

•    Worthington® Multi-Grain Cutlets® (vegan)

•    Worthington® Prime Stakes™

•    Worthington® Saucettes®

•    Worthington® Super-Links™

•    Worthington® Vegetable Steaks™ (vegan)

•    Worthington® Vegetarian Burger (vegan)

•    Worthington® Veja-Links™

Brand:

• 1939, founded by psychiatrist Dr. George Harding
• May contain GMOs

Review of belVita Crunchy Breakfast Biscuits -- Chocolate

belVita Crunchy Breakfast Biscuits -- Chocolate (vegan)
Overall rating: 3/5
Summary: these are super chocolatey and medium sweet! They are crunchy and are thin but pretty filling biscuits. Save for the enriched flour (not as nutritous as all whole grain) and non-specified GMO status of the canola oil, the ingredients are quite good. Although it's quite good, I wouldn't buy it again, simply because the brand isn't so ambitious with giving back, social or environmental initiatives (which is really the name of the game when it comes to competitive advantage for me).

Where to buy: Walmart, Target



Ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, ENRICHED FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID], SUGAR, HIGH OLEIC CANOLA OIL, WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, DEXTROSE, COCOA BUTTER, SOI LECITHIN, VANILLA EXTRACT), WHOLE GRAIN RYE FLOUR, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, BAKING SODA, DISODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, DATEM, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE (IRON), NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN MONONITRATE (B1).

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 pack
Calories: 230
     Calories from fat: 70
Total fat: 8g
     Sat Fat: 1.5g
     Trans Fat: 0g
     Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.5g
     Monounsaturated Fat: 4.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 220mg
Potassium: 190mg
Total Carbohydrates: 35g
     Dietary fiber: 3g
     Sugars: 11g
Protein: 4g
Iron: 10%

The ingredients are okay...would prefer all whole grains and non-GMO canola oil though. The calories are a bit high for the fiber and protein count, but it does have healthy fats and is quite filling.

Other belVita crunchy flavours (all vegan):

• Cinnamon Brown Sugar (reviewed here)
• Golden Oat (reviewed here)
• Blueberry (reviewed here)
• Apple Cinnamon (reviewed here)

Brand:

• Nationwide voluntary recall by Mondelez Global LLC, East Hanover, NJ of belVita Breakfast Biscuit products, apple cinnamon and chocolate varieties. The recall was issued due to the possible presence of fragments of flexible metal mesh caused by a faulty screen at the company's facility (read here)

Review of 'Taste of Nature' Organic Snack Bar (Nova Scotia Blueberry Fields)

Taste of Nature -- Organic Snack Bar (Nova Scotia Blueberry Fields) (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: This is a decent bar with lots of tart berries, however!! I personally prefer sweeter vs tarter bars; the rice crisps make for a very nice texture, as do the crunchy nuts...I did find at least 2 instances where I encountered some stale nuts...not fun. The nutritional profile is great and the brand is quite impressive (see brand info below).

Where to buy: Shopper's Drug Mart, Fortinos, Bulk Barn, Costco, Highland Farms, Metro, Wal-Mart, Wanigan



Ingredients: agave nectar*, almonds*, peanuts*, whole grain brown rice crisps*, blueberries*, brown rice syrup*, cranberries* (cranberries*, apple juice concentrate*, sunflower oil*), pumpkin seeds*, flax seeds*, sunflower oil blend* (sunflower oil*, mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract*), raspberries*, blueberry flavour, agar.

* Certified Organic. May contain sesame, tree nuts, and soy.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 bar
Calories: 150
     Calories from fat: 90
Total fat: 10g
     Saturated fat: 1g
     Trans fat: 0g
Omega-6: .5g
Omega-3: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Carbohydrate: 20g
     Fiber: 4g
     Sugars: 9g
Protein: 5g
Vitamin C: 4%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 8%

I love the ingredients! They are mostly organic and simple and wholesome. The nutritional profile is great! It's low-calorie, high in healthy fats, low in sodium, and has a solid amount of fiber and protein.

Other 'Organic Bars' Varieties (all vegan):

• Argentina Peanut Plains
• Brazilian Nut Fiesta
• California Almond Valley
• Niagara Apple Country (reviewed here)
• Quebec Cranberry Carnival (reviewed here)

Brand:

• Certified Gluten Free
• Certified Vegan
• Eco Cert
• Non-GMO Certified
• Nothing artificial, no fillers and no chemicals 
• Organic ingredients are supplied through a network of family farms and businesses
• Bars are made in facility in Markham, Ontario, Canada
• Green business practices in manufacturing, packaging and shipping
• Sources Bullfrog green power for processing products
• Recycle food waste to farms for use as animal feed
• Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence
• Alive Awards of Excellence
• LIVERight Award
• No additives/artificial flavours/artificial sweeteners/animal products/dairy/preservatives/simple sugars/Sulphur Dioxide/cholesterol/wheat/gluten; low sodium

Review of 'KIND' -- Almond & Coconut

KIND -- Almond & Coconut (not vegan)
Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: this was quite nice, though it had maybe a tad too many coconut shavings for me, as they were slightly drier than I'd like. There were lots of whole almonds and it's a very sweet, crispy, crunchy bar! Made for a nice mid-morning snack and was quite filling.

Where to buy: Bulk Barn, Pharma Plus, Fortinos



Ingredients: Almonds, coconut, honey, non GMO glucose, crisp rice, chicory root fiber, soy lecithin.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 bar
Calories: 190
     Fat calories: 100
Total fat: 12g
     Saturated fat: 5g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 25mg
Potassium: 150mg
Total carbohydrate: 21g
     Dietary fiber: 3g
     Sugars: 12g
Protein: 3g
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 4%

Simple, clean ingredients make for a nice nutritional profile, with healthy fats from coconut, low sodium, and a decent dose of fiber and protein (3g). I would recommend this!

Other 'KIND' Fruit & Nut bars:

• Almond & Apricot (reviewed here)
• Peanut Butter & Strawberry
• Apple Cinnamon & Pecan
• Fruit & Nuts In Yogurt
• Nut Delight
• Fruit and Nut Delight (reviewed here)
• Blueberry Vanilla & Cashew

 Brand:

• Part of the PeaceWorks® group (based on a “not-only-for-profit” business model), founded by Daniel Lubetzky
• Non-GMO
• Winner of Men's Health 'Best Breakfast Bar'; Today 'Blue Ribbon for Best Bar'; Women's Health 'Best  Packaged Food for Women'; Time 'Responsibility Pioneer'; and a host of others
• Gluten-free
• Certified Kosher
• 'Do the KIND thing' Mission

Review of belVita Crunchy Breakfast Biscuits -- Cinnamon Brown Sugar

belVita Crunchy Breakfast Biscuits -- Cinnamon Brown Sugar (vegan)
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Summary: wowww super duper brown sugar flavour; light cinnamon; super sweet and packed with flavour. Crunchy and fresh. I love these but the ingredients are just okay; not a big fan of the enriched flour, non-GMO-free canola oil. Because of the lack of clarity on sustainable sourcing of the canola oil, I wouldn't buy this again...but, man is this delicious! The brand itself isn't all that impressive...not much going on by way of social or environmental responsibility.

Where to buy: Walmart, Target



Ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN BLEND (ROLLED OATS, RYE FLAKES), ENRICHED FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (B2), FOLIC ACID], HIGH OLEIC CANOLA OIL, SUGAR BROWN SUGAR, WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, MALT SYRUP (FROM CORN AND BARLEY), INVERT SUGAR, BAKING SODA, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, DISODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE, CINNAMON, DATEM, NATURAL FLAVOR, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE (IRON), NIACINAMIDE, MOLASSES, PYRIDOXINE, HYDROCHOLRIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1).

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 package
Calories: 230
     Calories from fat: 80
Total fat: 8g
     Saturated fat: .5g
     Trans fat: 0g
     Polyunsaturated fat: 2g
     Monounsaturated fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 220mg
Potassium: 90mg
Total carbohydrate: 35g
     Dietary fiber: 3g
     Sugars: 10g
Protein: 4g
Iron: 10%

Enriched flour is not so great, but at least it's mixed with the whole grain blend.

The nutritional profile is okay. It basically has the calorie count of a Clif bar, but without the high protein content, which is a bummer. The fat content is a tad high for me too.

Other belVita crunchy flavours (all vegan):

• Golden Oat (reviewed here)
• Blueberry (reviewed here)
• Apple Cinnamon (reviewed here)
• Chocolate (reviewed here)

Brand:

• Nationwide voluntary recall by Mondelez Global LLC, East Hanover, NJ of belVita Breakfast Biscuit products, apple cinnamon and chocolate varieties. The recall was issued due to the possible presence of fragments of flexible metal mesh caused by a faulty screen at the company's facility (read here)

Review of 'Roland' Whole Wheat Garden Vegetable Couscous

Roland -- Whole Wheat Garden Vegetable Couscous
Overall Rating: 2.5/5
Summary: great texture...slight chew and hearty. The flavour however, is just okay...slight bitterness to the seasoning, seasoning itself is not exciting thought I'm not sure what would have improved it. Anyway, I wouldn't buy this particular flavour again and the brand itself isn't so impressive either (read brand info below).

Where to buy: buy online



Ingredients: Cous Cous [wheat flour (contains gluten), rosemary extract], dehydrated vegetables (carrot, onion, tomato, garlic, spinach, parsley and celery), maltodextrin, tomato powder, sea salt, onion powder, yeast extract, pinto bean flour, lemon juice solids.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/3 cup dry mix
Calories: 220
     Calories from fat: 20
Total fat: 2g
     Saturated fat: 1g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 300mg
Total carbohydrate: 45g
     Dietary fiber: 5g
     Sugars: 2g
Protein: 7g
Vitamin A: 25%
Vitamin C: 4%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 10%

The ingredients are all simple and nutritious. This translates into a great nutritional profile. For 220 calories, there's 5g of fiber and 7g of protein with a nice amount of vitamins and nutrients. Really great. It's relatively high in calories, but very nutritious.

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

Brand:

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