Keep up the BEET: Wholly Veggie Patties Review!

Wholly Veggie is a Canadian company (based out of my hometown of Toronto!) founded by two friends who love their veggies and want to make sure every table has access to them! Their mission is to create a more sustainable food system, which I think is very important considering the incredible population growth reaching now 7.8 billion in 2021.  How do we continue to feed everyone? This is definitely a challenge but they are up for it!

The company has a great line of veggie products to choose like their taco bites which has a sweet potato crust (yum!), Buffalo Cauliflower wings, veggie pizzas and more! 

Trying out the "Southwest Beet Burger" the ingredients and nutritional profile looked great.  Beets are loaded with various vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium and Vitamin C. 

Packaging

I sliced a beet patty into strips and added some dressing

on top underneath a mixture of zucchini and carrots.

My Honest Thoughts?

By themselves, these patties are fairly bland tasting and a bit more on the chewy side, as opposed to a softer texture that I was expecting. I'm not sure if "beets" are more of an acquired taste overall, but I don't like to turn down a healthy vegetable.  Since 4 patties come per package, day two of trying these out tasted a lot better. I enjoyed them more sliced up, instead of like a regular patty.

Although it does have some spice, it's pretty minimal, so it helps to add your favourite condiments!

They also check off the boxes of being:

✔vegetarian 

✔gluten-free

✔soy-free

✔dairy-free. 

So if those are labels that are important to you, then this would be a good fit!

Another awesome thing to know is that you can "donate a meal" by making a purchase on their website.

"For every meal you donate, we'll match it with another meal to Community Food Centres Canada. 

Your meal donation will go to Harmony Community Food Centre (CFC), one of 13 Community Food Centres supported by CFCC. Harmony CFC is a welcoming place in Toronto where people come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. Their programs support local families and individuals by increasing access to healthy food, skill-building, knowledge sharing, and providing leadership and advocacy opportunities."

I'm excited to try other products from this brand, and I'll be sure to fill you in on whether they'll make my shopping cart again or if they'll stay on the shelf.

Try them out and let me know your thoughts! You can leave a comment or send me a private email using my contact form!  I always love to hear your comments. 

💜Wholly Veggie Website

💜IG

💜Facebook

*Note: All opinions of this product are always my own.

Plant-based Review: Dr. Praeger’s Spinach Littles

As the summer starts to wind down, soon will be back-to-school for a lot families. This may mean less than optimal meals because of having to rush off to extra-curricular activities or facing another night of picky eaters who would rather go on a hunger strike than eat anything you’ve prepared.

Here, we don’t have any kids, but that doesn’t mean figuring out what to eat is any easier sometimes when we are both very busy and just need something to grab and go.   Also, who says that adults can’t love some fun shapes? We’re all kids-at-heart, so I was slightly giddy when I entered the grocery store and saw these Spinach Littles by Dr. Praeger in the frozen aisle section. 

These star-shaped and prehistoric munchies are made with minimal ingredients, including potatoes and spinach. They are easy to heat up and serve with any sides that you wish.  They are also soy-free/gluten-free, with no artificial flavours either, if those factors are important to you! 

Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods® Philosophy:

"We want to contribute to people’s ability to live their lives to the fullest! The biggest impact we can make is by delivering the most delicious recipes made from simple, nutritious and meatless foods that help encourage good eating habits that last a lifetime."

So what are my honest thoughts?

✔Great ingredients that meet my dietary and nutritional needs

✔Cooking time was minimal which is always a plus

✔They taste really good (just need something to dip as the spinach flavour is pretty potent!)

✔Another thing that is amazing about this company is that are extremely philanthropic, so good deeds deserve praise and you can visit their site to learn more about their latest partnership with Farmers Against Hunger –  a non-profit organization on a mission to reduce food waste by helping farmers and wholesalers to share their surplus produce with those in need while reducing food insecurity across New Jersey.

I cannot think of anything negative to really say about these Spinach Littles aside from the price is definitely higher than your traditional frozen nuggets, but I personally feel it's a better health investment when seeking frozen-food options, but as always, you make that choice for you and your family. 

Here's a few photos:

Cute packaging!

From frozen - cooking them up!

Finished! Spiralized some green/yellow zucchini

and dipping sauce is honey mustard.

💜 Make sure to visit Dr. Praeger’s website to see all their products and stay updated with new product launches! 

💜 Facebook

💜 IG

*Note: Thank you to Dr. Praeger's for sending me complimentary coupons!  All opinions of this product are always my own.

NO Whey! Review on Powerbar Plant-Protein Bars

Just a few things to mention before I start into the review.

Fat often gets a bad wrap, but we need certain types in our diet. Usually it’s the trans fats and saturated fats that many tend to stay away.  Then there are the “healthy” fats, like avocados, which can be an acquired taste and taste great whether tossing a few slices on bread, in a salad, or blending up to make guacamole for dipping veggies and another snacks.  Careful though, if you have a sensitive digestive system, eating too many per day will give you uncomfortable bloating.

Next up, protein. Most of us probably think we are getting plenty, but chances are, we are not getting enough. One main source is meat. For ethical or even health reasons, as well as the higher costs of purchasing good quality meats, this is not a top choice for many people.  Another big source is beans. You know the tune, “Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot.”  Pinto, kidney, chickpea, lima, etc... These are all excellent sources of protein, but not everyone can tolerate huge amounts in their diet.

Next we have our friend, fiber, which includes: soluble and insoluble. You can read about the differences with the links I provided.  Fiber is your digestive system’s best friend! You can get it in meats, grains, fruits, various vegetables and other sources of proteins, like nuts and seeds (especially flaxseed).

Then we have sugar, which I think we could all use less of overall. If you look at a lot of different protein bars, you’ll see they do contain a lot of good ingredients, but it is surprising to know how much sugar some of them have.

On with the review! Xy Stuff sent out 3 flavours of Powerbar Plant Protein bars to try out, in return for honest feedback! Thank you so much guys. :)

I know how much Bill loves the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, so I was quite excited to have him give his thoughts on that one.

The generous amount sent! #gotitfree

These bars have the following labels, if you care about them:

-No artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners 

-Non-GMO Project Verified

-Gluten-free

-No soy ingredients (they use rice and pea protein) 

I dig my cute planner and often I am snacking at my desk doing work. :) 

*Just so I don’t repeat myself – all had good amounts of protein and fiber, just wish less than 10 grams of sugar per bar!

• Almond, sea salt and dark chocolate - It had a good chewy texture and no aftertaste. A perfect on the go snack that will keep you filled. I really like the sea salt and chocolate taste.

• Dark chocolate peanut butter  -  There was no aftertaste, but even with the tempting combo of chocolate and peanut butter, it still tasted quite bland. I would have enjoyed a more chocolate and/or peanut butter flavour.  With the high amount of sugar, you’d think it would be sweeter. Bill was very underwhelmed by it.

• Cashew, salted caramel and dark chocolate -  the holy grail of deliciousness! They sure got this flavour spot on with the salted caramel. It has a nice chewy texture, no aftertaste and satisfied any desire for anything sugary the rest of the day.

Overall, these protein bars have some merit. They definitely keep you full and have a good amount of nutrition.  The price is comparable with many other brands. On their site it is approximately $30US for 15 bars. You can find them cheaper on other online shopping sites. The big deal breaker is the amount of sugar at 10 grams per bar.

The biggest test for me was having to wait at the specialist for over 3 hrs. Side note, I had a good appointment and will blog about that later. I made sure that I had a cashew/salted caramel and dark chocolate bar with me and I only started to get a bit of an appetite after I left. So it definitely curbs those afternoon hunger pains – but in no way would replace a meal, at least in my opinion.


What kind of protein/nutritional bars do you grab? Leave me your comments below or feel free to email me!  

Snack Review: Living Snactive with Mediterranean Snacks

I hate the word “diet” when it is referred to people's weight loss regimes because as everyone knows, it's short-lived and usually meant for short-term success. It's the same routine, you go on a health kick and feel great, like you can conquer the world, but then it goes downhill because the motivation weens and you're back to the very start. The miserable beginning where it all feels hopeless.  So what do you do?

Well for starters, you can ditch the sugar-laden sweets, salty chips that make your hands glisten from all the grease, but don't be duped, even the “health” snacks can be loaded with sugar and tons of sodium, plus other ingredients that may be problematic, based on your individual circumstances.

We need to Live Snactive! Nope that's not a spelling mistake. Going on the philosophy of Mediterranean Snacks, having a Healthy Attitude + Nutritious Snacks + Active Lifestyle = Living Snactive! Everyone has their marketing buzz word, but I can say this really meshes well with me, and I think many others can relate.

 Now there is a full line of products by a great company called Mediterranean Snacks that offers a glorious amount of options for people who have specific dietary needs or just choose a different way to eat.

Here is the assortment that I received in the mail. I was blown away at this big haul. I will go into more detail on what we liked and ones we probably wouldn't buy again.  I ended up sharing these with my boyfriend and the rest of my family.

Before that, I need to talk about how much I love the bold packaging. It's full of vibrant colours, plus the fonts are easy to read, so you don't have to sit and squint wondering what flavour you're getting or what the main features are of the product. All the ingredients are also listed on the back, which is great because I'm a label reader.

So here we go.  I have also taken a bunch of photos, so you can get an idea of what some of the products look like.

Vegetable Medley – An absolute favourite and as you can see, you get a lot of them per bag. I love how they are slightly rounded, so ideal for dipping, or still worth munching on without any extras. Oddly enough, they are seasoned with sea salt, which I usually don't like, but these are a winner.

Baked Lentil Chips (Rosemary) – Baked not fried which is a huge plus. They were also very savoury and crunchy. My parents raved over these, especially my Dad. Due to his condition, his sense of smell has been impaired, so I was pleasantly surprised that he could taste the Rosemary.

Baked Lentil Chips (Roasted Pepper) - A personal favourite and a great chip to dip into some homemade guacamole.

Bean Stalks (Sea Salt, Cheddar and BBQ) – A whole lotta crunch to these babies! Since the number one ingredient is actual beans, they are packed with fibre and protein. Unfortunately, i'm not a fan of sea salt to begin with, so that bag was the least favourite of the bunch.

Cheddar ones were great on their own (think of a healthy version of a cheesie!) and my boyfriend liked the tangy BBQ ones.

Tapaz 2 Go – Mixed feelings here. Although these are meant to be eaten without refrigeration required, I would personally recommend refrigerating them, before taking on-the-go.  For me, it was just awful at room temperature. It had a strange off-putting taste. On my second attempt, I decided to stick it in the fridge for a while and that really made a big difference. It had a nice cooling taste. A good serving size too.

The classic hummus is very mild, the garlic hummus tastes pretty much the same, but I couldn't really taste a very strong aroma of garlic at all. The red pepper hummus has a real kick, my mouth was kind of on fire, but if you like spice, this one is for you. Keep in mind, you'll need to swirl around the mixture a bit. The pretzels were ok, but if you're watching your sodium, probably best to pack a little container and toss in some of their lentil or veggie chips.

I am truly blessed to have my Dad still with us today.  He has made huge strides in improving his health, both physically and mentally.  We all struggle in different ways and it's good to know there is a company looking out for us and providing healthier options.

I am grateful for companies like Mediterranean Snacks that exist and will probably be leading the pack for naturally-based nutritional health snacks for many years to come.

If you would be so kind to excuse me now, I have the munchies and eyeing a bag of Vegetable Medley Straws that are calling my name!

UPDATE 2018: I am not sure what has happened to this company or their website!
You can still purchase from here though: