Try it Tuesday.....riceworks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps

I found a yummy treat! I'm always thinking of ways to add brown rice to my children's diet. They don't like it. Because it's brown. Simply because of that fact. Me? I love brown rice! I prefer it over white. Not just because of the nutritional reasons, but I just like it. It tastes good. It's really not that much of a difference in taste as the white anyway in my opinion. But it does have a bit of a different texture according to my kids. So they won't eat it. Well, I bet Ava would.

So I see this new chip at Wally World a few weeks ago. riceworks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps. And yes, the riceworks is spelled all lowercase and as one word. They look like a tortilla chip but I could tell they were smaller.

riceworks crisps have all these great benefits:



-Natural ingredients

-No preservatives or artificial flavors

-Wheat & Gluten free

-No transfat (0 grams)

-33% less fat than regular potato chips

-Vegan & Celiac friendly

-No cholesterol

-Kosher certified

-Zero sugar



The FDA claims that diets rich in whole grain foods such as brown rice and that are low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.



Great! But how do they taste? So I picked up the Salsa Fresca flavor. We all really loved these! I knew that because these were brown rice, they would probably be a bit more dense than a regular tortilla chip and I was right. They are kind of small, but still good sized and satisfying.



So then a week later, I pick up the Sweet Chili & later on the Sea Salt flavors. We love them all. Even my husband said they were really tasty. None are too strong in flavor. They are just right.



Now let's talk fat & calories.....



10 chips (remember, they aren't big) or 1 ounce have 140 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram fiber, 0 sugar, 2 grams protein and 110 mg salt.



I like that they have protein and at least 1 gram of fiber. I'm not too thrilled with 6 grams of fat and 140 calories. But like I said, they are more dense so they are filling. Plus with all the nutritional benefits, I'd say I would choose these over tortilla chips any day. Crush and sprinkle them on top of tomato soup...mmmm. They are still kind of a junk food though....It never says if they are baked or fried, but I'm guessing fried in canola oil.



In a dream world, these would be just as tasty if they were baked. Why promote a heart healthy chip and then deep fry it? I think baked would be better for us all. Just my opinion.



Besides the Sea Salt, Salsa Fresco & Sweet chili flavors, these brown rice crisps also come in Parmesan & Sundried Tomato, and also Wasabi and Baked Cinnamon flavors. I wonder if they really mean baked when they say Baked Cinnamon. I doubt it. I'm sure I'll get around to trying them all eventually.



One small set back for me- Sometimes I get a tiny allergic reaction to certain foods....raw carrots, banana, avocado and now brown rice crisps. My tongue itches! Weird, I know. But yes, my tongue itches a little bit after eating a few of these crisps. I love bananas and raw carrots, so I usually just put up with it and will with these crisps.



Now go ahead and buy some of these for yourself and let me know what you think.



Oh, want a coupon for $1 off a bag? Here is a link. Plus, you can learn more about this product at their site.





Would you like to read about the health benefits of brown rice? I found some great info at this site...



Benefits of brown rice

Try it Tuesday.....Alexia Crunchy Snacks

Have you tried these yet?! I didn't even know they existed! I spied them and had to grab them because truthfully, I've never met an Alexia product that I didn't like.

I am a huge fan of the Julienne Fries with Sea Salt and also the artisan breads. Mmm. Those are in the frozen line. I had no idea they had any products in the other aisles! Oh happy day!

I was in the chip aisle of all places when I saw the Onion Strips Crunchy Snacks & the Waffle Fries Crunchy Snacks. While in the chip aisle, I wouldn't expect to find this product. I'll tell you why......

The Savory Seasoned Onion Strips are TRUE, REAL onions! Just like you eat out of the oven only crunchy! Seriously, Alexia has me amazed and pleasantly surprised! I bit into one of these and it's like eating an onion ring from a restaurant! You know, the kind of place that serves a basket of them with that horseradish dip! Can I hear a YUM?! A coating with a real onion inside!

Yes, they are crunchy and probably deep fried. Yes, they are cold and not warm like the ones from a restaurant, but they rock! If I had some of that horseradish dip, I'd be in heaven.

Alexia says both the Onion Strips & the Waffle Fries are 100% natural and zero trans fat. There are no artificial preservatives, color or flavors.

Here are the nutritionals for the Onion Strips:
Serving Size: 28g 1 ounce (about 18 pieces)

Servings Per Container: 4.5
Calories [per serving]: 150

Calories from Fat: 70


Daily %
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated Fat
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 200mg 8%
Potassium 80mg 2%
Daily %
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Daily %
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%


Ingredients

Wheat Flour, High Oleic Canola Oil, Corn Flour, Modified Food Starch, Spanish Onions, Cornstarch, Salt, Less Than 2% Of: Dextrose, Egg White Solids, Malted Barley Flour, Spice, Sugar.

Contains: EGG and WHEAT

Now for the Waffle Fries....again real potatoes! I chose to buy the Classic Ranch flavor and that might have been a mistake. Don't get me wrong. They are still good. But there is something about them that doesn't thrill me. I think it's because it has a little bit of spice or something. I feel the heat a bit. I don't like heat very much, so this isn't my favorite. I wish I had just tried the Aged Cheddar
Waffle Fries. The fries are cool looking with the cross cut look. They are thick and dense. A real potato and not air filled at all. I guess you will have to be the judge on these though. I'm sticking with the Onion Straws.

Here are the Waffle Fries nutritionals:
Serving Size: 28g

Servings Per Container: 5
Calories [per serving]: 140

Calories from Fat: 60


Daily %
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated Fat
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 200mg 8%
Potassium 190mg 5%
Daily %
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 0g
Protein 1g
Daily %
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%


Ingredients

Russet Potatoes, High Oleic Canola Oil, Modified Food Starch, Less Than 2% Of: Buttermilk Solids, Citric Acid, Cornstarch, Dehydrated Parsley, Dextrin, Distilled Vinegar Powder, Enzyme Modified Butterfat, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavor, Onion Powder, Potassium Chloride, Rice Flour, Salt, Spices, Sugar, Xanthan Gum, Whole Milk Powder, Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate (To Promote Color Retention).

Contains: MILK

Oh, I forgot to mention that they both come in different flavors other than those I mentioned.

Onion Straws come in:
Jalapeno
Savory Seasoned

The Waffle Fries come in these flavors:Aged Cheddar Cheese
Bold & Spicy BBQ
Hot Pepper
Classic Ranch

A yummy all natural snack that tastes just like they came from your favorite restaurant. Yes, they are a bit high calorie, high fat, but eaten in moderation, they are a yummy treat.

I'm interested in hearing what others think of the Alexia brand. Have you tried the brand? Did you like it? What appeals to you about the brand?

Tell me and I might just reward you.

Ok. No, not really. Hee hee. But that does give me an idea. I've never done a give-away. Maybe I'll think about doing one. What would I give away?? I guess it would have to be a Try It Tuesday product wouldn't it? *wink*

Try it Tuesday......Burger King Potato Snacks

Check your nearest vending machine! Or head to Walgreens. You have to try these. I went to Walgreens and stumbled upon these BK potato snacks. They were selling Ketchup & Fries flavor and Flame Broiled flavor potato snacks. The price was 2 for $3.00. Not too bad, but how would they taste? I was cautious to say the least. I always seem to get excited about a product only to be let down after tasting it.

Not this time! We tried the Ketchup & Fries first. I might add that we didn't even get the bag home before ripping it open for a taste test.

The BK snacks are a little thicker than a potato chip. The texture of these potato snacks are like Keebler Tato Skins. Remember those? I believe Meijer here in Michigan still sells them. The BK snacks are shaped like a flat french fry with a bit of red powdery season (ketchup) on them.

As for the taste? They kind of DO taste a bit like a french fry with ketchup! Shocker. It's not like actually eating a french fry, but it's close. My family really liked them. I had to hide the bag.

Next we tried the Flame Broiled potato snack.
We didn't jump up and down for this one. I could tell that they tried to make it taste flame broiled, but it didn't measure up to the ketchup one. It didn't have a meat taste, but the bag never implied that it did. I've never had a flame broiled french fry, so I'm not too sure what BK was trying to do. It almost tastes like a barbecue chip in a way. I doubt we will buy that one again. We will stick with the Ketchup & Fries and call it good. :)

By the way, each bag was 5.5 oz and are trans fat free. Not fat free, but I did hear they might market some 100 calorie versions soon. They also make a small bagged version for vending machines.

Sorry I missed Try it Tuesday last week. Christmas is a very busy time as you all know. I will be more diligent in the future.

Try it Tuesday......Pringles Restaurant Cravers

Wal-mart is the only store to sell these limited edition flavors of Pringles. The Pringles website makes no mention of these flavors. They also fail to mention anything about my favorite Honey Mustard flavor. Wal-mart is also the only place that sells the limited edition Honey Mustard.

I hear there are these flavors of the Restaurant Cravers:

Cheesy Fries
Onion Blossom
Mexican Layered Dip
Slow Cooked BBQ
Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara

There could be more flavors, but since they don't advertise them on the Pringles site, I really wouldn't know until I actually see them on the shelves.

My photo above shows that my family tried the Onion Blossom and the Mexican Layered Dip. Not shown is the Cheesy Fries. We tried those, but the can came up missing when I went to take a photo of it. Macie tends to sneak food to her room, so I bet I would find it in her mini snack station if I looked hard enough. Her snack station is the outside edges of her bunk bed inbetween the mattress and the wood! I'm always finding wrappers, cups, boxes of crackers etc. For such a skinny person, that girl can EAT!

Anyway, here is what I think of the new Pringles flavors:

Onion Blossom: I liked these. They are a bit spicy because the horseradish flavor. It seems to be prominent. I love dipping deep fried onions in horseradish dip at restaurants. Mmm. So this one is something I'd buy again.

Mexican Layered Dip: Not a big fan. Too much jalapeno flavor. It's ok, but I doubt I'd buy them again. Especially since they are still in the cupboard mostly full. I guess everyone in the household feels the same as I do.

Cheesy Fries: These are good. Cheesy, but not too cheesy. I don't taste much else. They kind of taste like a plain old cheese chip to me, but I'd buy them again. My kids said they taste some potato-ey flavor that resembles french fries, but I didn't really taste that. Then again, they are a potato chip! Duh.

All of these new chips really have to be taste tested by you instead of taking my word for it. I tried to eat them at separate times so that the flavors didn't run together. I tried them in the morning so I could get a fresh perspective before I ate anything else. But I still think you will have to be the judge. I can't wait to try the other flavors offered, but my local store only had the 3 above.

Wanna know what flavor I think they should have made? Creamy Spinach dip! Mmm. That would be a good restaurant flavor. I could eat a bowl of that dip myself. Making it into a chip would be something I'd drive across town to buy from Wally World. Yum, yum, yummo!


Seen in an Ad: Pumpkin Spice flavored Hershey Kisses! Target is the only store exclusively selling them. I don't like pumpkin flavored anything, so that will be something someone else can review for me. Last year Target had the Candy Corn flavored Hershey Kisses, but I don't think I ever got around to trying them. Maybe I'll look for them again this year.

And speaking of fall and Halloween....While rummaging in the basement, I found Brycen's old Bee costume. It's soooo soft and cute! Another Target find. I think I'll put Miss Ava in it this year since she looooves The Bee Movie. At only 15 months old, she can sit thru probably half of it. Yes, I am a bad Mama letting her watch t.v. She loves it tho! She only watches it when Brycen does since he likes it too. I think she will make a cute little buzzing bee for Halloween. It will be her first year to actually do any trick-or-treating. Fun!

P.S.....I forgot to publish my blogoverary post, so if you feel like scrolling, there is a little blurp just below this post on September 15th. My blog has turned 1! Weeeeee!

Try it Tuesday.....Lays Cracker Crisps

Warning: This is a pick yer nose boring review. Quite simply, these cracker crisps are nothing special. I wanted to try them because the commercial made it sound like they would have all the taste of a chip, but in a baked cracker. I've never ever tasted a cracker that remotely resembles a chip. Still haven't. These crisps were "ok", but certainly nothing special. I tried the regular and the garlic parmesan. They also make a cheddar. The only thing I liked about them was the bag! I liked how the top comes right off instead of pulling apart the whole thing and risking them flying all over. When I first tasted them, they had an oddly familiar texture and taste to them. Then I figured it out. They tasted a bit like Flat Earth crisps. And then I found out why. Both are made by Frito-Lay! Figures. The Flat Earth has better flavors than the crisps in my opinion. Plus Flat Earth has veggies :)

My 3 WW pts wasted on the cracker crisps? (Original was 2pts)...I'd rather spend them somewhere else. Like on pizza flavored Pringles Stix or Ruffles cheddar and sour cream light chips which is also made by Frito-Lay). I can have a whole ounce of those for 1pt. The Pringles Stix are 2 pts and I did a review about them a while back. On the bright side....my 11 month old likes these cracker crisps, so all is not lost.

So what should I try next? Anyone have any thoughts? I might try some of the new Smart Ones Fruit Inspirations. I don't usually like to waste points on packaged meals like that though. They tend to be small with high sodium and low fiber. But once in awhile I find something I like regardless.

If you know of a yummy food product that I should try, pleeeeease enlighten me! How about some yummies in the freezer aisle since summer is on it's way? Well, I guess it doesn't have to be food. I can try other things like cleaning products etc. It gets tiring to see the same old things lately. I wish someone would come out with something that really makes me want to blog all about it. Time to research huh?!