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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Food companies introduce over 19,000 new food products each year, but very few are still on the shelf a year later. Why do some products succeed while others fail? Taste, has always been the biggest driver of food acceptance, followed by nutrition, product safety and price. I am always looking for and tasting new food products. Join me to see what’s new at the supermarket?
Almost everyone has a bottle of vanilla in their cupboard. We take this humble flavoring for granted but adding vanilla to a recipe can have a marked effect on the end product. Not only does it add the distinct vanilla flavor but it boosts other flavors as well. In small amounts it enhances chocolate, coffee, fruit and nut flavors. When used with citrus it covers the acid bite. Nielsen-Massey produces excellent vanilla products and they are a brand worth trying.
Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract does not contain bourbon. The term is a geographic reference to the Bourbon Islands – Madagascar, Comoro, Reunion, Seychelles and Mauritius – off the coast of Africa. These islands are one of the four major vanilla producing areas in the world. This product has a vibrant vanilla flavor and aroma. It is USDA certified organic, gluten free, and kosher (cRc).
Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder is a very interesting product. It simply contains maltodextrin (to keep the product free flowing) and vanilla bean extracts. It can be substituted in equal amounts for liquid vanilla extract and it is alcohol and sugar free. It is gluten free and kosher (cRc).
Fruit snacks are flooding the market as the government and policy making agencies are encouraging Americans to eat more fruits and veggies daily. All-fruit bars are a natural alternative to cereal and energy bars.
That’s It bars are just that, 2 ingredients pressed into a bar. Apple Apricot is tangy sweet, Apple Cherry pleasantly sweet, and Apple Pear has the mildest fruit flavor. All 3 are far less sweet than most products in this category because there are no sweeteners or fruit juice concentrates added. Each flavor has 100 calories and 3 grams of fiber. They are kosher, vegan, and gluten-free.
Orchard Bars are fruit and nut combinations. The addition of nuts boosts the calories per bar as well as providing protein and omega-3 fats. They are available as Blueberry Pomegranate & Almond (180 calories, 6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fat), Pineapple Coconut & Macadamia (190 calories, 5 grams of protein and 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of which are saturated from the coconut), and Strawberry Raspberry & Walnut (190 calories, 6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of which are saturated). This brand is kosher, vegan and gluten-free. These bars do have added ingredients in addition to the fruits and nuts that punch both taste and sweetness. Added ingredients are natural and there are no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors added. All the bars had an excellent fruit-nut taste reflective of the ingredients included.
Crazy Cuizine is a brand of Day-Lee Foods which produces a small quality line of Asian frozen foods. I recently tasted three of their products all of which were excellent.
Potstickers are Asian style gyoza dumplings. The Chicken Potstickers from Crazy Cuizine are filled with chopped boneless chicken, cabbage and onions. They come with a traditional soy dipping sauce. A 5-ounce serving, 8 pieces, which is a very generous portion has 240 calories, 7 grams of fat (1.5 are saturated fat), 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 32 grams of carbohydrate (including 1 gram of sugar and 1 gram of fiber), 14 grams of protein, and 580 milligrams of sodium. If you use the soy dipping sauce, the sodium per serving goes to 790 milligrams.
The Teriyaki Chicken and Mandarin Orange Chicken include only chicken breast meat. They are both all meat entrées which can be easily coupled with vegetables and rice to make a complete meal. When coupled with vegetables and rice, a 1 cup serving, recommended on the package, is a very adequate portion size. All of the Crazy Cuizine products are trans fat free and contain no preservatives or MSG.
For more information go to: www.nielsenmassey.com, www.thatsitfruit.com, www.orchardbar.com, and www.dayleefoods.com.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Diabetes Counter, 4th Ed., 2011
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Calorie Counter, 5th Ed., 2010
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: Food Counter
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: TheNutritionExperts
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