Love at first Bite

A few weeks ago I made a sort of impulse/test purchase in the snack aisle. I tend to stay away from this aisle in general because I try to spend my money more on food and less on snack. Nevertheless, snacks are important, especially at work. I saw that these new Keebler Wheatable crackers were on sale and that they claimed right on the packaging to be "better than Wheat Thins". I happen to like Wheat Thins so I thought I'd test this claim. The nutrition facts were decent as well so it seemed like a win-win.

I tested them out and thought they were decent. I'm not sure I'd say better than Wheat Thins, but definitely similar and tasty. The following week I was in the store again and saw that they Wheatable Nut Crisps. The flavor they had that day was cashew, which is not really my favorite nut, but I certainly don't dislike it either. Again they were on sale so I bought them. I opened them at work the next way and was completely blown away.

They tasted nothing like the original honey wheat flavor. At first I felt like I was eating pancakes. There was a definite syrup like taste going on. After a few more I decided that they were equivalent to eating french toast - at least in flavor. The weird thing is that there really isn't a whole lot of sugar in them, nor is there anything resembling syrup in them. There is also a distinct lack of cashew taste, which doesn't bother me at all.
These little snacks are highly addictive. I've managed to get my whole department hooked on them. My boss decided that 'malt' is the ingredient giving these tasty treats their syrup flavor since a comparison of both boxes showed that the original flavor only has a hint of malt. I'm on my second box and I bought a box for my co-worker who couldn't find them at Stop and Shop ( which by the way is where I found mine).  While they aren't the greatest thing for you, they certainly aren't so awful as snacks go. They also have a Pecan flavor, which I'm eager to try since I actually really do like Pecans. I wonder if those taste like any sort of breakfast food. Guess I will have to let you know.

A chain worth blogging about

Lots of good things to talk about in food news like the free range eggs I recently purchased from a local Civic Council, or the intriguing new Sol sunflower milk I've seen in the supermarket or the Thai tuna casserole I just made, however, today I'd like to talk about a recent restaurant find called Energy Kitchen.

When I'm not at work, most of my time is being taken up by massage therapy school. This means I find myself in Sysosset several times a week. Here's what I've learned about Syosset: There's a LOT of money there and there's an alternative, new age, trendy sort of vibe that seems to govern at least certain parts of the town. As a result there are some interesting food choices. I had been getting food from a sort of 'healthy deli' where they had nice salads, sandwiches and wraps and frozen yogurt but no red meat. It was probably the best option and they are open late, which is helpful when you get out of class at 8 or 9pm.

About a month back however, I saw another place when I stopped at the Kinkos up the road. It was called Energy kitchen but there was paper all over the windows so I figured they had closed down. I discovered a few weeks ago that they were opening rather than closing ( I think, or maybe remodeling?).  Anyway, I saw that they were open and then a teacher recommended the place so I decided to give it a shot. They are also open late, even later in fact than the other place. Apparently this chain started in the Financial district and has branched out across the city to include 11 locations. There are also 2 in NJ and 2 in FL.

I tested them out a few nights ago and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I won't say that they aren't somewhat deceptive ( every good thing has a catch right?) but I do believe that their food is genuinely more healthy than a lot of places that claim to be healthy.  Here's what their website says about their food:
We take the guesswork out of eating healthy by offering a completely guilt-free, fail-proof menu. There are no hidden temptations, no hidden calories and, best of all, no regrets. Everything on our menu is grilled, baked or steamed, never fried, and always under 500 calories.

I ordered a turkey burger with 2 sides, which is one of the meal deals they offer. Their side dish choices blew me away, but I ended up getting the mashed sweet potatoes and the corn and edamame salad. I was also definitely intrigued by the black bean and mango salad and the baked fries. That I will have to save for next time. The burger comes on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomato and here's my only problem with this restaurant; the burgers are tiny. Actually, they are probably what a normal burger should be, but as Americans we are so used to eating giant portions of everything. So the secret to their 500 calories in partially size. But I can forgive them. Between that and the sides I felt full afterwards, so no harm done. It also comes in a cute little tray that looks like wood.
Since I was sitting there for a little while I also scored a free  protein brownie which has sort of an odd sticky consistency but overall was pretty decent. 
This afternoon I once again found myself hungry in Syosset and opted to try out something other than a burger. This time I chose the Thai Chicken wrap, sans sides. It was also good. I can't really describe it any other way than to say it tasted healthy. Some people might think of this as a negative, but I think it's a positive. It tasted fresh, even the wrap.  The best part about Energy kitchen is that it's reasonably priced, by New York standards anyway. My burger and 2 sides cost $9.50, which is basically what you'd end up paying for Wendy's these days, and this is a hell of a lot better for you than that is ( although the fast food is delicious). On the opposite end of the spectrum, I passed a Smash Burger the other day and was tempted to stop for some fried pickles. Somehow I restrained myself.

Duck..... Duck......

GOOSE!

I spotted this beauty on the road today near school. The only logical conclusion I could reach was that this is related to Easter. Otherwise, I have no idea.

The Milk Update

Just wanted to give a brief update on the search for the next milk. I know you've all been waiting breathlessly for the results.

I tested out the soy creamer and it was no good. It just tasted like soy milk, which, as I've said, I really dislike. I opened the coconut product I had bought and it was ok. Kind of neutral but nothing fabulous. I then bought the So Delicious brand of coconut drink ( unsweetened) and it's not bad. It's not nearly as good as the creamer was, but it has some potential. The consistency is a bit gelatinous, for lack of a better term. Not that it's like pudding but it has that bounce to it a little.

It wasn't bad in cereal, but unlike with milk I don't want to drink up the last bits of it sans cereal at the bottom of the bowl. It was even decent with a cookie, but again, more to provide moisture and less as a tasty treat. Still, it's definitely beating all the other candidates as a viable for multipurpose usage. I really need to go back and find the creamer again since that was ideal, but I'm glad I gave the milk version a try too. So for now, So Delicious Creamer is the winner!!

I can't say I've been doing a good job of going dairy free though. I've still had half and half in my coffee when I buy it instead of making it, and I've been having cream cheese on bagels, however, I've pretty well stopped eating cheese, which is impressive. I have sinned on occasion, but I'm doing much better! Even at Chipotle ( which I frequent far too often) I've been getting sour cream but no cheese. It's a work in progress. In other news, gas prices are insane and that makes me sad.

PEEPS SEASON!!!

Walking down the grocery store aisle with the Easter candy and St. Patty's stuff absolutely destroyed my willpower to eat well. When peeps come to town, and I'm talking about the original, not weirdly shaped or covered in something or whatnot, then it's time to celebrate.
Chocolate is always great, but Peeps are an age old Easter tradition. I succumbed to pressure and bought a pack of yellow and a pack of orange. They are currently hardening up with open air, although I already are some before the air had a chance to get to them. Who can resist those brightly colored beauties?
I also indulged in a pack of Cadbury Eggs- the original of course. The next section that got to me was the demo area where they were giving out samples of Irish soda bread with Irish butter. Of course, I had to buy that since it's a special treat only for this time of year.

So all I'm saying here is, it's a great season for sugary foods! So get excited!!!!

Oh Snap!

Yesterday I discovered a new super snack! I was on the road for work, dying for lunch at 2:30 when I finally found a Subway. Got a relatively  healthy sandwich and I was going to indulge myself in some chips, possibly sunchips, when I can across Snapz, crunchy premium apple crisps.

I was intrigued, although I suspected that like most fruit snacks they would be either loaded with sugar or loaded with fat or both. But lo and behold, neither!

Snapz are fat free, cholesterol free, only have 45 calories in a pack ( though yes the packs are a bit small) and only 8 grams of sugar, which isn't much in the scheme of things. The only ingredients are apples and lemon juice. The process is to dry them, not fry them.

The best part of all though, is that they actually taste good. Better than good actually. I may have to reevaluate when I'm not starving, but still, they are pretty awesome. They have the crunch of a chip but a nice appley flavor.

Good texture + good flavor + healthy = 3 for the win!!

The problem is, where do you buy these things besides Subway? The company seems to be pretty new and their website  offers information about purchasing them online or how to become a vendor. The website also states that besides Subway, they have products at some Target stores. There are also other types of chips made by Snapz, including beets and carrots. The website notes that more vendors will be coming aboard in 2012 so I guess it's time to wait. No Target store in NY carry them although some in PA and NJ do. The problem seems to be that this company is based out of the UK, so they haven't gone mainstream into America yet. So my friends, it's up to us to bring this product into the mainstream. Goooooo apple chips!