Tag Archives: goodeats

Better than Nutella?!

nutrition

I may have found something I love better than Nutella:

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Disclaimer: I won $100 of Justin’s nut butter products thanks to their sponsorship of the weekly #bibchat on Twitter, run by the fine folks at BibRave. I’ll be reviewing my stash over the coming weeks so I wanted to be upfront about the source of my products. If you ever wanted to know what $100 of Justin’s looks like…

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But I digress. So, after unpacking everything into my pantry, organized by expiration date so I could prioritize what to try first, the Chocolate Hazlenut Butter squeeze pack was up first.

I was greeted with this text on the box: “Quick question: Do you eat cake frosting for breakfast? I didn’t think so. Neither do I. Yet some chocolate hazelnut butters have more sugar than cake frosting. Really. You can check. I’ll wait… see? So this is a warning that my chocolate hazelnut butter may not taste like what you’re used to – sugar. What it will taste like is a delicious combination of premium hazelnuts and organic chocolate for an addictive, skip the bread and eat it with a spoon delicacy.”

I was already intrigued! The description is right on though. Of course, I couldn’t get the idea of frosting out of my head as I squeezed my first taste out, as that’s what it looks like. That changed to, “this tastes like healthy frosting” on my first bite. Then halfway through the packet…”duh, Nutella is chocolate hazlenut spread!”

Except this was not as sweet, which was a plus. Because I love Nutella, but it can be too darn sweet sometimes. A quick analysis of nutrition labels clued me in to why: sugar is the top ingredient in Nutella. The hazelnuts are the top ingredients in Justin’s spread. Sugar is #3, and it’s organic cane sugar at that. The oil is farther down on their list than Nutella’s too. Also, Justin’s is gluten free and vegan as it skips the milk of Nutella, so that makes it possible for my friends with those dietary restrictions.

Nurition facts wise, calories and fat are fairly even between the two, and Justin’s has a little more sodium (due to sea salt). But Justin’s is a clear winner with less carbs, more fiber, less sugar and slightly more protein per serving.

One product down and 8 more to try. It’s my goal to try each one solo first, and then on other foods (breads, fruits & veggies, etc., though Justin is right here, you can skip it on this flavor!) … and I’d love to hear your ideas for how you would use each flavor!

Trying new things!

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I tried pizza crusts made with rice and tapioca flour tonight. I do not typically seek out products with the “gluten free” label. I don’t have celiac issues. I know people who do have to do this, and I know it is definitely a challenge for them. But in seeking an easy dinner option for a semi-busy week, there were two options at my local Sprouts for a pre-made pizza crust: one with enriched flour, and this one. And there were plenty of them in stock, so I was hoping I didn’t take away from anyone who truly needed it.

Even though I’m not currently on my challenge, I am trying to eat as close to the rules of it as I can when I have a say-so. That means minimizing processed foods, hence the choice on the pizza crust.

It definitely has an interesting flavor, much like the almond nut crackers I have started to enjoy snacking on (even before my challenge!). I’ve noticed the less I eat white flour, the less I crave it and when I do eat something made with it, it doesn’t taste as good (that is, except for desserts…desserts still taste good…but I can get by with a few bites only!).

This may not become part of my regular menus, but I’m glad I tried something new so I knew what it was like. And I have a serious respect for those who must eat this way and am glad we are starting to see more options for them!

(PS-also on the pizza is organic tomato sauce, skim mozzarella, uncured turkey bacon, mushrooms and green onions. Roughly 500 calories for one…way less than frozen or delivery!)