Review: Blue Isle Mediterranean Spicy Vegetable Yogurt Spread

I mentioned in a previous review that representatives of Blue Isle sent me some samples of their flavors to try out.  Today's review is another one of those samples.  Like all of their products, Blue Isle proclaims that these can be used in smoothies, dips, spreads, mayo replacements, etc., so that's how I'm going to think of this 8.0 ounce container of  Blue Isle Mediterranean Spicy Vegetable Yogurt Spread.  There's eight servings in each container and each serving is two tablespoons that will measure out to 70 calories per serving.  The advertise the probiotic qualities of this front and center on the lid, so I guess I should point that out too.  Hooray for probiotics!

Review: Steve's Paleo Goods PaleoChef Ketchup

I've mentioned in my prior Steve's Paleo Goods reviews that they were kind enough to send me a box of free samples.  Within that box was a product that I've been kind of terrified to review because of my prior experiences with people trying to make ketchup more "healthy" or what not.  Now, I've mentioned before that I have an unrequited love for ketchup.  It's one of my favorite things in the world and I'll put it on anything...eggs, fries, fried chicken, pizza crust, hot dogs, hamburgers, crackers, vegetables, eat it straight out of a spoon, etc.  Basically, my ketchup love knows no bounds.  Anyway, past bad experiences and my high esteem for ketchup made me fearful of this bottle of Steve's Paleo Goods PaleoChef Ketchup, but ultimately life is about overcoming your fears, so here we are with today's review.  This bottle comes in at twelve ounces and has 24 servings (a half ounces per serving obviously) and each serving comes in at 15 calories.

Review: Van's Creamy Herb & Garlic Gluten Free Pasta

I wish I could say the life of a food review blogger is glamorous, but it really isn't.  Still, it does have some benefits and most of those benefits revolve around getting products for free.  The source of today's review is one of those instances and adds to my Van's review catalog, which incidentally is one that entirely consists of products that I've gotten for free.  So today's free product is a box of Van's Creamy Herb & Garlic Gluten Free Pasta.  The box is 7.2 ounces and each box contains three one-cup servings and as it is properly prepared, each serving is 320 calories.  The pasta is also whole grain and gluten free, so there's clearly some health benefits (or non-negatives if you choose to look at it that way) associated with this product.

Review: KIND Strong & Kind Thai Sweet Chili Almond Protein Bar

He's been mentioned here before but I'll mention again that Junk Food Guy runs a pretty damn fine blog.  Not only does he review products, but he also talks about sports, life, etc.  I've done a lot of reviews, but I only really do quick hitter-type reviews, so just looking the sheer volume of reviews and other things that he's done is astounding to me.  Anyway, I've learned via his Twitter feed that he's a big fan of savory snack bars, so today's review that adds to my KIND review series is an ode to him.  I was able to pick up this KIND Strong & Kind Thai Sweet Chili Almond Protein Bar at Kroger on sale for $1.25 and the bar is 1.6 ounces and has 230 calories and ten grams of protein.  It's also gluten free, among other things, so it's also got that going for it.  This one also shows up as right in the middle on the Spice meter on the wrapper, so I guess I shouldn't expect to be on fire when I'm done, so that's good.

Review: Slow Food For Fast Lives Thai Bar

I didn't really cover in my last Slow Food For Fast Lives review that I was very fearful of the product going in just based on the fact that it seemed like such an odd flavor profile and was really something that I had never had in a nutrition bar before, so the fear of the unknown hit me.  Well, despite the fact that I liked that particular bar, I'm just as afraid this time as I take a look at another free sample that I received in this Slow Food For Fast Lives Thai Bar.  The bar itself is 1.4 ounces, has 190 calories and also has six grams of protein.  It's also all natural, vegan and gluten free.

Review: KIND Strong & Kind Honey Smoked BBQ Almond Protein Bar

I mentioned in my last KIND review that the thought of a savory snack bar kind of frightens me.  Still, I'm always looking to try out new products, so despite my fears, I had a desire to try out this KIND Strong & Kind Honey Smoked BBQ Almond Protein Bar that I picked up in the same shopping trip as the last review for $1.25 at Kroger.  This bar clocks in at 1.6 ounces with 230 calories and ten grams of protein.  It's also gluten free, so it's more than just a pretty face...or something.

Review: KIND Strong & Kind Honey Mustard Almond Protein Bar

Generally, I like KIND bars and have shown in that in my numerous reviews.  On a recent trip to Kroger, I noticed they had introduced a new line of bars that seemed like they were focusing on savory types of ingredients and while intrigued, I admit that I was kind of afraid.  I typically like my snack bars to be of the sweet variety, so savory didn't quite jive with me.  Still, I was curious to give them a shot so that leads me to this review of this KIND Strong & Kind Honey Mustard Almond Protein Bar that I was able to pick up for $1.25.  Each gluten free bar is 1.5 ounces with 230 calories and ten grams of protein, for the record.

Review: Van's Natural Foods Mighty Good BBQ! Simply Awesome Baked Multigrain Chips

My run on Van's Natural Foods continues as my free sample parade leads me to another review of their multigrain chips with a look at another product with a "cute" marketing name with these Van's Natural Foods Mighty Good BBQ! Simply Awesome Baked Multigrain Chips.  Now, that name is being a bit presumptuous on two fronts, don't you think?  First, they claim that the chips are mighty good.  Then, they claim that they are simply awesome.  Also, don't you think that could be viewed as contradictory?  Are they mighty good or simply awesome?  To me, those are two different descriptions, but I take things too literal.  And yes, I've just wasted several sentences on something that is completely idiotic to discuss.  Anyway, this 5.5 ounce bag has about five servings of chips and each serving is 130 calories.

Review: Smartfood Feta Herb Hummus Popped Chips

With this final review of my Kroger clearance section binge, I'll touch on the one chip that I found to have the most interesting flavor combination of the three in this small 0.8 ounce sized bag of Smartfood Feta Herb Hummus Popped Chips that I picked up at half price.  Normal price is $1.00 and each bag has 110 calories of garbanzo bean based fun.  As I've said in previous Smartfood reviews, hummus can sometimes be a controversial food because a lot of people really, really do not like it.  I am not one of those people and I'm honestly intrigued by it.  Plus, I think hummus based popped chips serve as a good base because since hummus is such a neutral flavor, it's a great base to really showcase other flavor combinations and that's what it'll be trying to do here.

Review: Green Giant Garden Ranch Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips

I mentioned in a previous Green Giant chip veggie chip review that it just seemed to me that Green Giant (General Mills) was directly taking a shot at Doritos under the auspice of being a "healthy" chip.  When I saw these new Green Giant Garden Ranch Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips in the store, I once again had the same thought.  If you take a second to think about it, these are basically a direct shot at the Cool Ranch flavor of Doritos.  That's fine as chip companies compete on flavors all the time, but I just find it funny that these are "healthy" while Doritos are junk.  In reality, the are all junk.  Anyway, I got this bag on sale for $2.49 at Kroger and it is 5.0 ounces and contains five servings of about ten chips each.  Each of those ten chip servings are 130 calories as well.

Review: Smartfood Garlic Tomato Basil Hummus Popped Chips

I mentioned in my last (and also first) Smartfood review that I picked up a bunch of these mini bags of chips in the clearance section of Kroger for half their original price.  That splurge leads me to the source of today's review of these Smartfood Garlic Tomato Basil Hummus Popped Chips.  Typically, these lunch sized bags run at about $1.00 per bag and they are 0.8 ounces and 100 calories.  I know that a lot of people are creeped out by hummus, but I find it tasty (along with the tomato basil flavor combination), so I was more than ready to try these chips out for today's review.

Review: MorningStar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea Veggie Burgers

I've eaten my fair share of MorningStar Farms products for the blog, but the funny thing is that I rarely think to purchase them when I am at the store, so I don't eat them at all except when I do reviews. I guess I don't get them often because they are at the opposite end of the freezer case (let's call it the Netherworld) from where I usually frequent. Recently, I just happened to be strolling thought the Netherworld and I glanced in and saw the "NEW" label on these MorningStar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea Veggie Burgers and being that I'm a sucker for new stuff, I hurriedly reached in and grabbed a box. This box set me back $2.99 at Kroger and each box contains four frozen veggie burgers. Each burger is 2.36 ounces and has 110 calories with 10 grams of protein.

Review: Patak's Original Korma Curry Simmer Sauce

I've got to say, I've had some real successful experiences with Patak's products here on the blog. Some have been better than others, but as a whole, they've been quite good. It's those positive experiences that led me to pick up this twelve ounce jar of Patak's Original Korma Curry Simmer Sauce at Kroger for $2.99. I like reviewing these not only because I've had good experiences, but also because they help me expand my culinary experiences with Indian food, which is a cuisine that I had zero interaction with for my entire life up until these past few tears. Since this curry is cream based, it's a little higher up on the calorie scale compared to some of its brethren at 280 calories per half cup serving, but that's fine in the grand scheme of things.  If the heat of Indian food scares you, there's not much to fear here as this one score's as "Mild" on Patak's heat scale that they conveniently place on all their jars.

Review: Saffron Road Chana Saag with Cumin Rice

Saffron Road has been generous with me on the blog and has kept me well fed in several reviews as I've already covered several of their crunchy chickpeas snacks flavors.  Now, they've started sending me some of their frozen food products to try out and that leads me to this review of the Saffron Road Chana Saag with Cumin Rice frozen entree.  This one is eleven ounces of joy and clocks in at 420 calories and has twelve grams of protein.  It's Certified Halal and in case you were wondering (because I was), Chana means chickpeas and Saag means spinach.  There's our language lesson for the day.

Review: Patak's Original Tikka Masala Curry Simmer Sauce

When I was in the process of moving a while back, I was trying to go through my cabinets and eat as many of the things that I had stored up for reviews as possible.  Among those things, were a few jars of Patak's simmer sauce that have led to some reviews and also this most recent review with this jar of Patak's Original Tikka Masala Curry Simmer Sauce that I picked up at Kroger for $2.99.  Each jar is fifteen ounces and contains three servings at 130 calories per serving and clocks in at a medium on the Patak's heat scale.  My prior experiences here on the site with Patak's products have been very positive, so I had some fairly high expectations heading in.  Tikka Masala is also more popular in Great Britain than it is in India, so maybe I should consider this a new ethnicity of foods instead of classifying this as Indian like I usually would.  What do you think?

Review: Saffron Road Wasabi Crunchy Chickpeas

Some people just love Wasabi, for some reason.  My brother, for example, eats Wasabi peas like they are candy and I don't quite get it.  I've had it several times and it's fine (I'm more than fine with hot food), but it's not something that I actively seek out like he does.  So, these Saffron Road Wasabi Crunchy Chickpeas would probably be right up his alley.  The question is, will they be up my alley?  I guess that's what the review will find out!  Like the other Saffron Road products I've looked at, I got this one for free from their publicity agent and also like the others, it's six ounce bag with six servings at one ounce apiece and 120 calories per serving.  Since it's Wasabi, it's bound to be hot and in case you didn't now that, Saffron Road makes sure to point it out by fully filling the temperature gauge on the front of the bag.  Yikes.

Review: MorningStar Farms Mushroom Lovers Veggie Burger

With each passing day, I find myself becoming increasingly more of a vegetarian.  I still eat meat, but I only eat it maybe twice a week (usually it's one time or less).  I'm not sure why I'm making that transformation, but it's because of that transformation that I'm increasingly seeking out more vegetarian friendly foods in my grocery store aisles.  Now, I've done plenty of MorningStar Farms reviews on the blog, so it's not a new product line for me, but today's review is of one of their veggie product that I've never tried before but sounded incredibly delicious to me for the same reasons that they gave this product its name with this MorningStar Farms Mushroom Lovers Burger.  Yep, I'm a lover and I picked up a box of this on sale for $2.99 at Meijer.  Each box contains four frozen veggie burgers and each burger is 2.25 ounces, ahs 110 calories and also has seven grams of protein.  These veggie burgers are a mushroom lover's delight because they are made with ample amounts of mushrooms and in the case of this burger, those mushrooms are Portabellas and Buttons.  These burgers are also cholesterol free and 59% less fat than a typical beef burger, so there's clearly some health benefits to eating these.

Review: Patak's Original Rogan Josh Curry Simmer Sauce

My experience with ethnic food, specifically Indian food, has been very limited here on the blog even though reviewing those types of foods was one of my original missions when I first started that blog.  Still, I have done some reviews relating to one or both of those things and it's an increased focused on that mission here in 2013 that leads me to do another Patak's review with this review of a fifteen ounce jar of there Patak's Original Rogan Josh Curry Simmer Sauce that I picked up at Kroger for $2.99.  Each jar contains three servings and each serving is a relatively budget-like (in my mind) 100 calories.  On the Patak's spice scale, this rated as a medium as well.  Rogan Josh is typically served with lamb, but I decided to use it like a lot of Indians would, meaning that I stuck to being strictly vegetarian and mixed it with plain Ramen noodles (not something a typical Indian would do).

Review: Saffron Road Falafel Crunchy Chickpeas

Despite the fact that I'm not the world's largest fan of chickpeas (but I do like hummus; go figure?), I was pleasantly surprised in my last Saffron Road review of one of their crunchy chickpeas products.  Like the last time, I obtained this Saffron Road Falafel Crunchy Chickpeas via a publicity agent for Saffron Road, so now I've got another review!  Exactly like the last review, this is a six ounce resealable bag with six servings with each one ounce serving coming at 120 calories.  It's a high source of protein, it's gluten free, certified Halal, organic and just a generally healthy snack.  Yay chickpeas!

Review: Van de Kamp's ParchmentBake Garlic Butter Tilapia

I've mentioned before on the blog that I did not become a fan of seafood, specifically fish, until later in life.  For the purposes of this blog, I've only reviewed Gorton's frozen fish products and I've even reviewed the same flavor as this Van de Kamp's ParchmentBake Garlic Butter Tilapia.  Because of that, I'll be able to draw a comparison as to which company puts out a better product in this flavor.  For the price and nutrition hounds out there, I picked up this box at Meijer on sale for $3.99. There are two frozen fillets per box and each fillet comes in at roughly 3.6 ounces with 80 calories and fourteen grams of protein.