Copyright
© Copyright 2006-2010 blackbeltmama dot com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Wild Animal Crunch
When I was little, my parents would take my sister and I to the local soft-serve ice cream stores, the kind you walk up to and order through a tiny, greasy window. My sister and I would get the chocolate cone with chocolate jimmies, my mom would get an ice cream sandwich, and my dad would get a large, daddy-sized vanilla cone. I always thought it was so weird that my parents wouldn’t get a giant chocolate cone. They were, after all, the adults and could get any size or flavor of cone they wanted. But my dad, when questioned, would always just say, "but I like vanilla." As I got older, I began to associate vanilla with old. It’s not quite up there with Butter Pecan, but it’s getting pretty darn close. Flash forward twenty some years later. I often find myself ordering just vanilla, but always, deep down, I am a chocolate girl.
This vanilla-chocolate love must go beyond my little world. Kellogg’s has launched a new cereal, Wild Animal Crunch. This whole-grain cereal has the best of both worlds…vanilla AND chocolate. It is shaped in cute little animals which made them a hit with my son. And while they are adorable to look at, they are delicious to eat. All three of us have been eating them, and I know when this complimentary review box is gone, everyone will be begging for more. I’m not a huge fan of sweet cereals, but Wild Animal Crunch has just enough sweet, but not too much. I love it dry to munch on while I commute to work, my son loves it dry or with a ton of milk. Either way, it’s a crunchy, yummy cereal.
Not only does this serve boast whole-grains and a great taste, the packaging is equally enticing. With a cuddly-looking panda bear on the front of the box, how can you pass this box by? On the back are some cool Animal Planet facts and games. You can check out more info on Wild Animal Crunch. For the taste, nutrition, and great packaging, I give this a
Flipsides
A pretzel. . . no, a cracker. . . no, a pretzel. . . a cracker. Guess what? Now my little one doesn’t have to decide and neither do you. Keebler’s Flipsides Pretzel Crackers are here and they are pretty fabulous. They look like an elongated Ritz cracker. One side is pretzel; the other side is a cheddar cracker. We’ve only had a day or two to review the product but they’re already a hit in this family.
Of course, my one daughter prefers that none of her food touches anything else, so pretzel crackers happen to be an issue for her. My little one and the adults in the house absolutely adore them though. On the side of the box, they recommend three additional ways to eat the pretzel crackers other than just plain munching out of the box: dunk it, drizzle it, top it. I have to say that I am really looking forward to trying some of their oh so yummy looking suggestions.
For those who are diet conscious, a Flipsides serving is five crackers. In those five crackers there are 70 calories and 30 of those calories are from fat. The thing I’m happy about? 0g Trans fat. There are approximately 9g of carbs in one serving which would have made my day back when I was a gestational diabetic and trying to find something under 15 grams of carb for a snack.
For more information about Keebler’s Flipsides, you can go to their website. For being two really good snacks in one, BBM gives Flipsides:
Whole Grain Pop-Tarts
I’m the Mom who asks for whole wheat bread for grilled cheese sandwiches at restaurants. I don’t do it to torture my kids. I ask because if I don’t, they will both complain that their sandwiches don’t taste right. Both of my girls have been whole wheat girls from the time they started eating food. It’s just how we do things around here.
However, my girls have always been willing to forgo the whole wheat goodness for some starchy white Pop-Tarts. They don’t have to anymore!
I am so excited to tell you about Whole Grain Pop-Tarts! We were given two flavors to try, Strawberry and Cinnamon, and the girls are devouring them morning, noon, and night (I’m a Mom who chooses my battles wisely and I’m not choosing the Pop-Tart battle).
The Whole Grain Pop-Tarts are super tasty! I couldn’t help but try one myself and they are divine. In the toaster, they get super crunchy on the ends and the overall flavor is so much better. It doesn’t seem like just sugar dissolving in your mouth. The best part is that one Pop-Tart counts as a whole serving of whole grains.
In addition to the improved flavor, the Pop-Tarts are only drizzled with a little icing, not a big slab of it like on the traditional kind. It’s just enough sweet to keep you interested without sending your body into sugar overload or as we like to call it around here, "spaz-mode."
For taking a guilty pleasure and turning it into something that’s actually nutritious, BBM gives Whole Grain Pop-Tarts. . .
All Hail Whole Grain Pop-Tarts
When the opportunity came up to review Whole Grain Pop-Tarts, I jumped at the chance. I used to love Pop-Tarts…the way you toast them up and get that hot, gooey, sugary filling (okay, that usually burns your mouth, but it just doesn’t matter…) and the way you eat mostly the inside where the filling is and the yummy icing on top and leave the "crusts" for the birds. I haven’t had one in years and my son has never experienced them. Mostly because we eat too much sugar throughout the day, I just didn’t want to start his day with that. But, when you add Whole Grain to the package, I’m willing to be persuaded.
Sometimes, adding the whole grain element can change the texture and flavor for the worst. In this case, well, it’s just not the case. I like the Whole Grain Pop-Tarts far better than the classic Pop-Tarts. The icing is drizzled on the top and not in one solid chunk of sugar…the less sweet flavor makes the rest of the Pop-Tart taste delicious. The best part of them? When you toast them up, they get kind of crispy and it really brings out the taste of the filling.
We tried both the Brown Sugar Cinnamon and the Strawberry. I am a huge cinnamon fan with anything, so this was my favorite, but the Strawberry was yummy, too. My son, who usually favors strawberry, liked the Brown Sugar Cinnamon more, too.
The biggest negative to the product is that the second and third ingredients are corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. If you’re trying to avoid those, you’re out of luck on this one.
Although I haven’t yet looked in my local grocery stores for them, you can search on their website, www2.kelloggs.com, to find a store near you. In my area, the local chain grocery store carries it as well as our local Target. So, it’s apparently out there and easy to get. And I will be getting…
So, while it still may not be the most healthful breakfast food on the market, with 1 1/4 servings of whole grains in it, it’s a better alternative to much of what is out there. Just talking about it makes me want one and I think I will indulge.
I give Whole Grain Pop-Tarts Brown Sugar Cinnamon and Strawberry a
Breakfast Breaks
I admit…at three years of age, we are already doing breakfast on the go. Well, not on my watch, but when I am at work and my Hubby has to do the morning duties, breakfast is more often than not on the go. Usually it consists of dry cereal or a waffle, no syrup. This phenomenon may be a thing of the past.
Breakfast Breaks is here. This nifty new product is perfect for families on the go (or daddies who sleep too long and don’t have time to fix their kiddos breakfast). Packaged in these cute little briefcase-like boxes, my son loved playing with the box and pretending to be daddy. Included in each box are a variety of breakfast foods. We received two boxes…one had a strawberry Fruit & Grain bar, a package of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and an Minute Maid Apple Juice box. The other contained an Apple Cinnamon Fruit & Grain Bar, Honey Nut Cheerios, and a Minute Maid Apple Juice Box. These are all staple breakfast foods for us so to have them all in the same place is super convenient. Each box also includes a spoon, a napkin, and a moist towelette. Great for eating and cleaning up on the go!
The downfall to these little packs is twofold-the juice is warm and there’s no milk for the cereal. While these are problems, my son didn’t comment on the juice’s temperature and we more often than not eat cereal dry in our house. I also think that school-age children would be able to buy milk before school since most schools have a breakfast program now.
I’m excited to have the Breakfast Breaks for any road trips. My little guy is not a morning person and usually waits to eat breakfast. When we leave on an early morning trip, he won’t eat and then will be "so hungry" once we are on the road. This is the perfect way to have breakfast without having to stop and take more time out of our travels.
You can get lots more info on the Breakfast Breaks website http://www.breakfastbreaks.com/. You can check out where to buy Breakfast Breaks and the kids can even play some games. This is a great concept, but because of the couple of downfalls, I give it:
Getting Rave Reviews
BlogHer Review
Go Shopping
Macho Warrior Sparring Gear Set
$69.99And see the rest of our Sparring Gear
at MartialArtsSupplies.com
Martial Arts Pagoda
