Finally, a company for picky eaters like me!

I love buying granola and having it for breakfast or as a snack, but the problem is that no matter which kind I try, there’s often something in the mix that I could do without. For example, I like Feed’s cranberry coconut granola, but I’m not a huge fan of the coconut flakes. (Their blueberry granola, on the other hand, is perfect.) I also like Bear Naked’s Continental Divide mix—chocolate granola plus nuts and banana chips—but I hate how the banana chips sometimes overpower everything else. Well, to all of you who are as picky as me, I have good news—finally, there’s a company that lets you put what you want into your granolas and cereals.

Me and Goji to the rescue!

The company is called Me and Goji, and here’s how it works: You go to their Web site, and you design your own cereal from 40 organic ingredients they have available, including corn flakes, rye flakes, oat flakes, dried cranberries, cacao nibs, pecans, brazil nuts, flax, soy nuts, and, of course, goji berries. Then, they make it for you and send it to you in the mail.

Their Web site is fun and interactive—you can see little pictures of the ingredients, and to select one, you drag it into your virtual bowl. The Web site is also very helpful because it shows you nutritional info about the ingredients and about your total combination.

The cereal starts at $4.90 (the price changes depending on the number of ingredients), and you get a container of it (they call it a “capsule”) that has about 600 g (21 oz). That’s not that expensive, considering the fact that I’ve been seeing a lot of $7 to $10 artisanal granolas at my local market these days. If you get a few days’ breakfasts or snacks out of the capsule, then it still comes out to be cheaper (and a heck of a lot healthier) than if you were to buy a $3 or $4 pastry from Starbucks every day.

(For those of you who are not good decision makers (ahem!), Me and Goji’s Web site does offer some suggested combos, such as the San Marino Sunrise, with artisanal cereal, corn flakes, crunch granola, banana, apple, strawberry, pecans, and pumpkin. These combos might at least give you some good ideas, even if you want to alter them a little.)

This new company reminds me of a breakfast cafe I’ve heard about called Cereality (a chain, but only a few locations across the U.S.), where customers pick which cereals they want mixed together, and then they choose a kind of milk, and then they get to dig in! (It’s sort of like going to a salad bar, but for breakfast.) I always thought that was brilliant, because sometimes I want to try a little cornflakes or something, but I don’t necessarily want a whole huge box of it. Cereality lets you try just a little of however many kinds you want. But I don’t live near a Cereality, and even if I did, I wouldn’t have time to stop there every morning. Me and Goji is more convenient because you can have your own mixes delivered to your door, no matter where you live.

Parents, this is a good way to get your kids to eat healthy stuff…

Parents, it might be a good idea to get your kids involved in trying Me and Goji, too. You want your kids to eat healthily, and kids are much more likely to do that if they think that it’s fun, and that they get some choices or some ownership in the matter. Let the kids go on the Web site and pick which fruits, etc. they want, and drag them into their “bowls,” and then they’ll be more excited to eat it. It’ll seem so fun that they made their own snack that they won’t even realize it’s a healthy one. And if you don’t like ordering things online, you can do a similar thing with your kids just by buying separate containers of ingredients such as walnuts, plain flakes, dried fruit, etc. and then let your kids mix their own combos. (Or, you can get fancy and make real granola in the oven, but that’s not necessary.) The ingredients your kids don’t choose don’t have to go to waste—you can eat them yourself or put them in a savory dinner recipe (cornflakes on chicken, walnuts in pasta, cranberries in salads…).

I think I’ll give Me and Goji a try and make an autumn granola with apples, walnuts, and more… or maybe a chocolately one with chocolate-covered cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and almonds… hmmm. Leave a comment and tell me your favorite combos.

—Lauren

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Allow me to state the obvious: kids love to snack. Their bodies are growing, their metabolisms are fast, and they’re always hungry. They’re starving in between classes, they’re famished when they get home from school, and they get the munchies late at night. A lot of schools (middle, not just elementary) are aware of this and have even built morning snack time into the schedule—this is especially common in districts where lunch periods are late, and kids have to wait a while to eat (and many of those kids skip breakfast, so their stomachs are really empty by lunch if they don’t get a snack…). Conversely, many kids have really early lunch periods and are starving by late afternoon. I remember that when I was younger, my hungriest time was around 3 pm, right when I got home from school. I would walk in the door, immediately raid the kitchen cabinets, and begin eating pretzels, peanut butter, cookies… anything I could find.

As parents, you want your kids to eat healthy snacks and get the right nutrients, and not just reach for a Twinkie, a bag of Lays, or sugary Sweet Tarts. But how on earth do you get them to do that? Kids want things that taste good (and are fun to eat), not things that are good for them!

I have three tips that I think will help parents get their kids to eat healthy snacks (snacks that they take to school and/or snacks they eat at home).

1. Put thought into the presentation of the snacks. Make the snacks look good! Kids (and adults) do judge a snack by its packaging. I never thought I’d compliment a fast-food chain, but Wendy’s has the right idea with their apple slices shaped like French fries. They’re served in a French-fry shaped carton, so they’re really fun to snack on; much better than eating a plain ol’ apple. You can follow Wendy’s example and cut apples in slivers like that (put lemon juice on them so they don’t turn brown), or cut fruit and veggies in other shapes, or make really colorful trail mix blends and put them in cute containers.

2. Give your kids ownership of the snacks. Kids don’t want to do anything their parents tell them to do, and in the same way, they don’t want to eat what their parents tell them to eat. You have to give your kids a feeling of ownership with the snacks. Instead of stuffing a box of raisins into their lunch boxes, give them a few healthy options and let them decide which one to take. You might even want to bring your kids to the grocery store with you, point out some fun ideas, and let them choose what to buy. Or involve them in the kitchen—for example, make a healthy snack mix with them, and ask them if they want dried cherries or dried cranberries, walnuts or almonds? Cheerios or granola mixed in? Make your kids feel like chefs creating heir own fun concoctions. They’ll be proud of the result, have feeling of ownership, and thus be more likely to eat it and not toss it!

3. Model good snacking habits. Parents, if you’re always eating fattening snacks, your kids are going to pick up those habits from you. Try to get “caught” eating healthy snacks like carrots with hummus, or celery and peanut butter, and your kids will learn that it’s cool and “popular” to eat healthy snacks.

But I Have No Time…

Okay, okay. I know that my tips involve a lot more work than just sticking a pack of cookies into a lunch bag. And who has time for more work? On a Monday morning, as you’re scurrying to drink your coffee, walk the dog, and get your child out of bed, you’re certainly not going to have time to be packing carrots, much less making trail mix concoctions! But here’s the trick: do as much as you can in advance. Set aside time on a Sunday, take out five ziplock bags or other small containers, one for each day of the week, put your snacks in the bags, and stick them in the fridge or on the counter. (Only do this for snacks that don’t go bad in a week, of course.) Then you’ll be all set for the week; each morning, you’ll just have to grab a baggie out of the fridge/off the counter and stick it in your kid’s backpack; that’s it. I do this for myself with carrots—I buy a big bag of baby carrots, and then on Sundays, I portion them into five ziplock bags and stick them in the fridge, so that each morning, I can grab a bag and go! Sometimes I’ll also put hummus or peanut butter into small containers ahead of time.

Coming Soon: Back-to-School Snacks Your Kids Will Actually Eat

Now that I’ve given you some tips on how to get your kids to eat healthier snacks, my next post will get into some more specific ideas about what those snacks could be.

Happy fall!

Lauren

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In honor of Labor Day weekend, the last weekend many pools and beaches are open for the season, I thought I’d write about four of my favorite summery, healthy poolside snacks. Enjoy your last hurrah before the cooler temps kick in! (unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to live someplace warm year-round…)

• Strawberries with balsamic vinegar. I stole this idea from my favorite wine bar in New York City, ’ino. Just wash some strawberries, put them in a bowl, pour some good balsamic over them, and bring them out to the pool to nibble on. A healthy, seasonal, delicious snack!
• Popsicles. My friend bought rocket-shaped ice-pop molds from the kitchen store Sur La Table, and we love filling them with orange or grapefruit juice to make refreshing single-fruit treats. (Or, if we’re feeling lazy, we just head to the store and buy Edy’s All-Natural Fruit Bars—usually the lime, strawberry, and wildberry ones.) This Labor Day, however, I think I’ll be more creative. I just read a Daily Candy (NYC trend guide) newsletter about a group of New Yorkers who take seasonal fruits and herbs from local Greenmarkets and make them into unique popsicles to sell there; the group is called People’s Popsicle, and their blog lists some of their unique flavor combos with recipes… I think I’m going to try one of their ideas. I’ll either make their “Blue Velvet” (blueberries, yogurt and honey), Sugar Plum & Mint, Peach, Chamomile & Honey, or Watermelon, Cucumber & Hyssop. Yum!
• Smoothies. My favorite combos are strawberry-banana (strawberries, bananas, orange juice, and ice in a blender) or pineapple-peach (pineapples, peaches, orange juice, and ice in a blender). Frozen fruit works fine. Don’t forget to put a little slice of fruit on the rim of the glass to make your drink feel special!
• Watermelon. Cut it into cubes and eat as is, or try this Nigella recipe and make it as a light salad with feta, mint, red onion, and black olives, and lime juice. Are you thinking, yuck, watermelon with olives?? Just try it.

By the way, if you don’t have molds, don’t worry—People’s Popsicle say you can just use Dixie cups and put in popsicle sticks.

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Snack Review: Scrack’s Griss Pomodoro e Basilico (Tomato Basil)

I recently spent time in Italy, where, not surprisingly, I ate really well. One of the things that struck me most about the food was its simplicity.

Italians generally aren’t into complicated preparations—no fancy sous-vide cooking methods or heavy sauces; they prefer to just use a few high-quality, fresh ingredients, and let those ingredients speak for themselves. For example, to make a delicious margherita pizza, Italians basically just use flour, yeast, salt, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Forget the processed cheese blends and jarred sauces we use in the U.S.; they’re all about natural flavors and goodness.

This food principle, that beauty lies in the simplicity, doesn’t just apply to an Italian’s meals but to snacktime, too. When in Rome, I peered around some grocery stores, and I noticed there weren’t thousands of brands of processed snack foods like we have here. An Italian friend explained to me that they’re more likely to have “real food” as a snack, like a small sandwich, instead of a big bag of chips and dip. And if they do eat a packaged snack, it’s usually something pretty simple, like bruschetta or crostini crackers (which are the same concept as bruschettas you’d get in a restaurant–bread with oil, tomatoes, and basil—but in cracker form). I saw several brands of these treats in Italy, and when I returned home, I was happy to discover that similar kinds of snacks are sold in the U.S., too. I had just never noticed them before, amidst the twenty-thousand other chips, pretzels, cookies, etc. we have here.

While at my local Amish Market, I picked up a bag of one kind to try called Scrack–a play on the word snack, I’m guessing—made by the company Panealba.* Scrack are small crackers shaped like mini-loaves of bread, and they taste like tomato-ey basil goodness. My husband likes them, too—he says that they taste just like pizza. (He’s a pizzaholic; he should know!) If you’re addicted to pizza-flavored snacks like Combos, you should definitely try Scrack—they have a more natural taste, and they contain fewer than ten ingredients: flour, basil, tomatoes, olive oil, vegetable oil, brewer’s yeast, malt, so they’re much simpler and healthier than Combos (which have over 20 ingredients, including four kinds of food coloring!). Also, Scrack is low in calories—110 for half a cup, and they’re very low in fat–only 2.5 grams for that serving.

There is one downside, which is that they don’t contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, and they also lack protein. So they’re not bad for you, but they’re also not super good for you. They’re great for when you need quick carbohydrate energy, like before a run, but they’re not going to be as filling as something with a more balanced carb-protein ratio. So if you’re really starving and need something more satisfying, I’d suggest doing something like pita chips and hummus instead.

Still, you can’t beat having your favorite restaurant dish bruschetta available in portable snack form! Now if only the U.S. sold the mini-juice boxes of wine that I saw all over Italy (even in vending machines there!). Then I would really have the perfect snack.

—Lauren

* Editor’s Note: If you cannot find Scrack, there are other brands of similar, tomato and/or herb flavored crackers in the U.S., like Castellana, though I haven’t seen those other brands in small 1- or 2-serving bags like Scrack. You can buy a big bag and put it into your own small ziplocks.

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THSB was honored to be among those listed. Thank you very much, Kelly.

Definitely check it out - it’s a great resource if you are interested in healthy food and snacking.

Chris -

I recently started a new job and sadly, the new establishment does not have the smorgasbord of snacking options that the other was so kind to maintain. Luckily though, in this snacking void I have found one treat on hand that is perfect for the days when you need some serious crunch with a bit of spice.

Snyder’s Honey Wheat Sticks Pretzels are salty and slightly sweet with the crunch of a serious pretzel.

Are these things healthy?

• Serving Size – 1 ounce
• Calories – 120
• Total Fat – 2 grams
• Carbohydrates – 24 grams
• Sugar – 2 grams
• Dietary Fiber – 2 grams
• Protein – 3 grams

The calorie count here for one serving seems about average, and since it’s a filling serving, no real damage done. It’s also great to find a snack with some sweetness without breaking the sugar bank. As for fiber, I’m certainly glad it showed up for the party, but since the recommended daily allowances for fiber are around 25 grams, the two grams here are no big revelation, though they are appreciated. The 3 grams of protein are also nice to have in a snack, so overall, I think it’s a pretty safe bet. I wouldn’t rely on them for my nutritional needs, but they have contributed, while doing little harm as a snack.

How I like ‘em

Brown mustard is just the kick that these subtly sweet sticks need. It’s just a bonus that this dipping condiment is low in calories (1 tablespoon contains about 15 calories) and has no fat and no sugar! The natural grazer within is calmed as these delicious sticks can carry me from one meal to the next.

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There’s nothing like a good multi-tasker to make you feel on top of things. And in the spirit of multi-tasking, I bring you a kid-friendly, grownup-friendly, HEALTH-friendly snack that satisfies my hunger pangs with little inconvenience.

Let’s examine it as a three parter, shall we? First I’ll hit the health angle, then move on to convenience (because let’s face it, rarely do we have time to get all gourmet at snacktime), and finally, taste. As for the kid-friendly stuff … well, that’s mostly advertising. As you can see, this is a snack with some personality - Dora the Explorer’s personality, that is. I’m talking about individual packets of Frozen Edamame made by Seapoint Farms.

These edamame snacks come shelled in packages of eight, each one containing a 1 ½-ounce serving, perfect for carrying around. If you don’t have little ones, never mind the picture, it’s what’s inside that counts.

Is it healthy?

Here’s what’s inside a 1 ½ ounce (43 grams) pack:

• Calories – 59
• Total Fat – 2 grams
• Sodium – 17 grams
• Carbs – 5 grams
• Dietary Fiber - 2 grams
• Sugar – less than 1 gram
• Protein – 5 grams

Not too bad, huh? I was impressed by there being only 59 calories in each pack because they actually are satisfying. And only 2 grams of fat – phew, plus no trans fats and no cholesterol. And to wrap it up, there are 5 grams of protein per pack, which is especially good news if you’re buying these for your kids, because protein is an essential building block for bone, muscle, and cartilage. Protein also helps to fight hunger, which is an important part of your snack’s job. I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed, these edamame packs are good for you and utterly guilt free.

Is it easy to prepare and eat?

I’m also happy to report that they’re very simple to prepare, in fact, you have three options of execution so you can choose the one that best suits your schedule.

1. You can put a still frozen bag in your purse, backpack, etc, and have it thawed and ready to eat by afternoon (they come pre-prepared).
2. You can pop it into the microwave for 1-2 minutes, at the end of which time you’ll hear a faint "pop" as the bag splits open neatly. (No, the edamame doesn’t fly all over the microwave…as funny as that might be).
3. You can also put a pack into the fridge overnight, and have it nicely thawed and ready to go by morning.

Any way you look at it, either you’re doing nothing at all to prepare them, or you’re spending two minutes with the microwave.

How does it taste?

I know, I know, what we all really want to know before we try any new food is how it tastes. Frankly, at first, I found it to be a little dry and even a bit tasteless, but it’s certainly a snack that’s grown on me. Like most of you, I’m drawn to snacks with lots of flavor, snacks that are salty or sweet, so sometimes when it’s been a while since I’ve had something pure, it can throw me off. After a few more test runs, its refreshing simplicity became attractive. The bottom line is that it is what it is. It tastes like veggies, plain and simple. No other flavors, no bells and whistles, just shelled edamame, ready to be eaten by you!

Good luck, enjoy, and HAPPY SNACKING everyone, as always!

Some more on Seapoint Farms

They also make a unshelled version of these with a picture of SpongeBob SquarePants on them, if shelled edamame and Sponge Bob are more your style.

Then there is their Ready-To-Eat Edamame, but this pack contains two and a half 75 gram serving, and unless you’re going to eat all of that, I’d stick with the 45-ounce pouches, which make for a more practical snack.

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Like many of you, I often find myself grabbing breakfast on the run. But this can lead to trouble: high fat, high-sugar trouble; muffins, egg and cheese sandwiches, sweet sugared rolls, bagel with cream cheese trouble. Thankfully, though, my latest food find is a quick and simple snack that’s high in protein, not in fat. Its cottage cheese and cut up fruit. I like mine with strawberries and pineapples. I dip the fruit in and use it to scoop up the cottage cheese, but I know many people who just mix it right in, and that’s tasty too.

Friendship Dairies makes a great tasting cottage cheese using skim milk, so it’s a non-fat product. To my surprise, it tastes just like other cottage cheese varieties made with more fat. There goes the myth that fat-free foods don’t taste good. Friendship Dairies even offers two varieties of cottage cheese mixed with fruit, one has pineapple and the other has peaches, but since I usually use the fruit for dipping, I stick with their plain cottage cheese.

The Good

A serving of non-fat cottage cheese will get you 80 calories; pretty light considering that 80 calories have 15 grams of protein, almost 30% of your daily-recommended intake. Truth be told, I usually eat two servings of this at a time, which doubles your protein intake and is still less than 200 calories. Not only is protein an important component in the growth and maintenance of all your body’s cells, it also takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, which means that you feel full longer, which is a good thing to know for anyone trying to shed some pounds. According to The United States Department of Energy, protein helps support our skin, our bones, our blood vessels, tendons, and ligaments since they are made of collagen, which is a fibrous protein. Also, fat is a big thing to look out for with cheese, which is why I’m so psyched that this fat-free cheese actually tastes good!

Strawberries give the snack its sweetness, not to mention they brighten up your plate and add some brilliant color. One cup of strawberries has just 49 calories and 149% of your recommended daily value of vitamin C, which certainly helps with your vitamin intake. A cup of cottage cheese really only needs ½ cup of strawberries (25 calories), keeping this snack still under 200 calories, I love getting a filling snack packed full of nutrients for just a few calories! Vitamin C has a wide range of benefits, including acting as an antioxidant and strengthening your immune system, but vitamin C is also involved in the production of collagen, the protein that I previously mentioned .

Add some pineapples and you’ll be adding even more vitamin C, along with their tart and sweet flavors that keep your mouth happy. Pineapples have a lovely, bright, sparkly taste, and since they can be found canned, are available all year round. Nothing beats fresh ripe pineapple, but if you are going to get it in a can, make sure it’s packed in juice, not syrup that has extra sugar. Dole offers canned pineapple chunks in %100 juice which are fat free, low in sodium (unlike cottage cheese – a point we’re coming up to soon), and only 60 calories for their two slice serving. They are a little high in sugar, but that’s from the sugar naturally present in the fruit. Also, when you eat pineapple with cottage cheese it is less likely to cause a sugar spike, because its digestion is slowed by the cottage cheese. I think the pineapple tastes great, plus I end up with some juice to drink as well.

And The Not-So-Good

Let’s discuss sodium. I don’t want to, but we must. There are 380 milligrams of sodium in a ½-cup serving of my non-fat cottage cheese, which means that when I double my serving (which I usually do) I’m taking in 760 milligrams of sodium, ahh! That is a lot considering that the Mayo Clinic recommends between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams a day for healthy adults. They also say that too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and even lead to cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

I am happy to say, though, that Friendship Dairies does offer a low fat cottage cheese with no salt added. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any salt; it still has 50 milligrams per serving, but that’s a huge improvement to the 380 milligrams in their other varieties. This makes it a bit blander, but you’re mixing it with that delicious fruit, which renders the lack of salt pretty inconsequential.

How I Do It…

There is some prep work involved in this snack. So that it’s ready for me in the morning, I like to take care of the work ahead of time. I buy a 16-ounce container of cottage cheese, which has four servings. Then I put two servings of it in a Tupperware case that I will take to work the next morning, which leaves me with two servings in the original container for the following day. Then I cut up the fruit and mix it together in another in another container (but you can just add it to the cottage cheese if you’d like, then you only have one container to take to work).

So there you have it, a snack that manages to be sweet, salty, filling, and can wake-up your mouth and refresh your body. At first I thought, “No way this is going to fill me up”, but I stand corrected, and most happily so! Try it out and perk up your morning while indulging in a little sweetness.

Happy snacking.

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“Who says indulgent can’t be healthy?” ask the makers of Sahale Snacks. And there is no better way to describe their nut-based snack packs: indulgent and healthy.

My healthiest snack intentions are sometimes derailed. Bananas and nuts are great, but after a month or so – YAWN. Sahale Snacks provides something a little more exotic to fill your tummy and your taste buds. Plus, Sahale has a wide diversity of snacks, which is great for anyone who has ever been in a snack rut.

My favorite is the Soledad Almond Blend – which has a serious cayenne punch to it, but I also really like the Socorro Macadamia Nut Blend – a smoother, more savory blend of macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, papaya, and mango.

Stats (Soledad Almond Blend):

• Serving Size – 1 ounce
• Calories – 130
• Grams of fat – 9 grams
• Sodium – 60mg
• Dietary fiber - 3 grams
• Sugars - 7 grams
• Protein – 4 grams

The Ingredients:

• Almonds: protein, vitamin E and a crunch.
• Flax Seeds : omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid; big on protein and fiber.
• Dates: fat-free, cholesterol free sweetness with energy from carbs, plus a good source of antioxidants and fiber.
• Balsamic: low-calorie, fat free flavor that may help boost calcium absorption and aid digestion.
• Cayenne: Mainly here for the kick, but in larger quantities has been suggested to improve blood flow.

Pros

Taste, nutrition, and diversity. This is a great addition to your snack regimen. The nuts are healthy and add a good crunch factor, while the dried dates add a sweet and chewy counterbalance. Plus, the flavors are really unique for a snack, balsamic vinegar and cayenne aren’t your typical snack ingredients. I also really like their ingredient list, which other than the main ingredients I listed above, only includes tapioca syrup, organic evaporated cane juice, organic white distilled vinegar, sea salt, and honey; a list that is not too complicated and doesn’t include anything I wouldn’t usually eat.

The nutrition stats are something I am happy with too. Not too many calories (considering it’s a nut snack), good amount of fiber and protein, and low in carbohydrates and sodium too. Seven grams of the carbohydrates come from sugar, but that’s still low enough for me. This looks pretty darn good.

Cons

This is a rich snack –in terms of taste, fat content, and price. This is definitely a gourmet investment for an afternoon snack. It costs about $5.00 for a 5 oz snack pack at health food or gourmet shops. But, that does include five servings, each one ounce. A dollar a serving isn’t so bad, but I tend to eat half the bag, and at 130 calories per ounce, that’s 325 calories, 200 of which are from fat, that’s a lot – but at least they are those good omega fats found in nuts!

Conclusion

It certainly feels like an indulgence to snack on such sweet fruits and delicate nut mixes, but one that is well worth it. You can get Sahale Snacks at most high-end health food stores, or see their website to get them online. Although I really enjoy these snack mixes, their high price makes them a rare treat. I’d love to serve something like this at a dinner party, but I think for now I will consider them an occasional, spicy snack solution.

Here is a list of their other five snack combinations:

• Dauphine Walnuts with blueberries, banana, coconut, ginger, and lavender
• Ksar Pistachios with sesame seeds, pepitas, fig, and Moroccan harissa
• Sing Buri Cashews with pineapple, peanuts, lemongrass, and mild Chinese chili
• Socorro Macadamia Nuts hazelnuts, mango, papaya, and southwestern chipolite
• Soledad Almonds with apple, flax seeds, dates, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper
• Valdosta Pecans with sweet cranberries, black pepper, and orange zest

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Justin’s Peanut Butter and Almond Butter Squeeze Packets

Come on, ’fess up: How many of you can’t buy peanut butter because you know that once you open it, you won’t be able to get your finger out of the jar?

I’m very guilty of the above-mentioned crime, so I was psyched to see that a new company called Justin’s sells single-serving 100-calorie squeeze packets (.6 oz) of organic honey peanut butter and natural maple almond butter. Now I can have my much-loved healthy snack of peanut butter and pretzels or peanut butter on an apple without having to worry I’ll eat a whole jar. I suggest bringing a packet with you to school or work, along with a small bag of celery, whole-wheat rice cakes, pretzels, or apple slices, for a great mid-morning or late-afternoon snack.

Usually, I prefer almond butter to PB (peanut butter), but Justin’s 100-calorie almond butter is maple-flavored, and I’ve never been a fan of maple-flavored things (though I do like maple syrup on pancakes), so I prefer the honey PB packets. Peanut butter is not quite as good for you as almond butter, because it has less monounsaturated fat (good fat) and more polyunsaturated fat (bad fat), but both nut butters are great sources of protein, Vitamin E, and niacin. Plus, they help you feel full longer and give you long-lasting energy, which is why I particularly like to eat them in the morning (on whole-grain toast) or before I run. (See this Runner’s World article for more info on why PB is a good pre- and post-workout snack.) Also, Justin’s peanuts are USDA Certified organic and tested aflatoxin free, and the butters don’t contain any added oils or refined sugars.

If the 100-calorie packets aren’t enough for you, they also come in slightly larger squeeze packets of 1.15 oz each. These bigger packets come in more varieties—honey PB, cinnamon PB, and regular PB; or honey almond, maple almond, or regular almond (the last one is my favorite). Buy them on their Web site, or in some grocery stores such as New York’s Amish Market. (Justin’s Web site doesn’t have a store locator list yet, but the site promises that it’s coming soon.)

Jif’s Peanut Butter Tubs

A more familiar name in peanut butter—Jif—is now also selling single-serving portions of peanut butter in little cups that come in six packs.

Pros:

• The Jif cups are easier to find at grocery stores than Justin’s.
• Some people like the smooth, familiar taste of PB like Jif better than natural, grainier brands.

Cons:

• Jif peanut butter cups are not as healthy as Justin’s packets. They’re not organic, and they contain fully hydrogenated vegetable oils. Fully hydrogenated oil doesn’t contain trans fat, but it’s still highly processed which is not necessarily good for you.
• Jif’s single-serving packets are a bit too big! The cups contain 64 grams of PB, which has 390 calories, as opposed to Justin’s 100-calorie packets. That’s fine if you’re making a meal out of it, but too many calories for just a snack (and who has the willpower to only eat half of a tub that’s called a single-serving tub?). If you do buy them, my trick is to scoop one big tablespoon of it out into a small plastic container, seal it, and put it into the fridge right away. Decrease the portion a little in the beginning, or you’ll never do it later.
• Tanya Taylor is a PhD and a food chemist for a food ingredients company. She also runs the excellent blog I Ate A Pie.net. She knows her stuff! (And she’s very nice, too.) In her review of Jif Creamy Peanut Butter To Go she says that "Jif To Go is an absolute no-no." Check out Tanya’s site - it’s really great.

Packaging Close-Up: Do the Justin’s Squeeze Packets Really Work?

I told you about the taste and nutritional value of Justin’s nut butters, but how easy are the squeeze packets themselves? Here’s my photo story review.

Introduction

I bought the 1.15 oz squeeze packets of classic almond butter (the .6 oz 100-calorie packs are just not enough for me), and I took one of them with me to work, along with a whole-grain roll. My plan was to make a little almond-butter sandwich.

Step 1

First, you’re supposed to knead the package. The natural oils in almond butter cause a little separation, and kneading ensures you get a well-blended product.

Step 2

Rip open the packet. (It was easy to open; no teeth or scissors required.)

Step 3

Once you rip open the packet, you’re supposed to squeeze out the almond butter and enjoy. HOWEVER, when I was done squeezing it onto my bread, I could feel that there was a bunch of it left that I couldn’t seem to get out. So I grabbed a knife and dug in to the package.

Step 4

I started getting frustrated. The knife method wasn’t working that well—I couldn’t seem to scrape out that last bit stuck in the bottom. And I am not one to waste delicious food! I was still hungry. I needed to get that last drop.

Finally, I savagely ripped the whole package apart with my hands. Victory! I got you, almond butter!

There was even more left in the package than I had realized!

I guess I hadn’t kneaded it as well as I thought. All the moist almond butter had squeezed out, and this drier stuff was left at the bottom of the package.

The remaining part may have been dry, but it was still tasty.

Of course, this is when my boss walked in to ask me a question, and there was almond butter all over my hands and keyboard…

Verdict

The packets aren’t perfect—they’re harder to use than a tub or jar—but they’re so small and they fit so easily into your bag that they’re worth it. (Plus they’re such a big help with portion control.) Just bring a small plastic knife or spoon with you to work, to aid your squeezing.

Enjoy!

Lauren

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