I’m always on the lookout for new products that taste good and are nutritious and easy. Here’s a look at eight of my latest finds.
Nature Valley’s new protein bar is a far more nutritious option than its granola bar.
These products are relatively new, so if you don’t see them at your local grocery, ask your store manager to carry them.
South Beach Meal Bars and Protein Fit Cereal Bars
Big news, South Beach fans. These bars are back on shelves after a brief hiatus. The Meal Bars (in chocolate and chocolate peanut butter) and Protein Fit Cereal Bars (in chocolate, peanut butter, and cinnamon raisin) have long been among my favorite grocery-store nutrition bars, in part because each has more protein than sugar (with 12 grams of protein per 180-calorie Meal bar and 9 grams of protein per 140-calorie Protein Fit Cereal bar).
And while the flavors may look the same as the now-discontinued Kraft-branded South Beach Living bars, one major difference is that, unlike the original line, which contained sucralose (Splenda) and/or maltitol, this new line of South Beach Diet bars boasts no artificial sweeteners, flavors or sugar alcohols.
Nature Valley Protein Bar
Nature Valley granola bars may be made with “100 percent natural” ingredients, but with 11 to 15 grams of sugar and a mere 2 to 5 grams of protein per serving, I’ve generally only recommended these products to people who can use the extra sugary carbs, like athletes engaged in extended endurance exercise. That’s changed, thanks to the introduction of Nature Valley’s Protein Chewy bar, with 10 grams of protein and just 6 grams of sugar per 190-calorie bar. So far, I’ve only seen one flavor (Peanut, Almond Dark Chocolate), but fingers crossed that more flavors hit the shelves soon.
Life Choice Protein Bar
A couple of things set these protein bars apart from others with similar nutritional stats: For starters, it’s rare that a bar with this high of a protein-to-sugar ratio (20-21 grams of protein and 7-8 grams of sugar per 190-210 calorie bar) doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols, which can wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal system. The second point of differentiation is price. This Walmart-exclusive protein bar is $3.68 for a box of five bars, or74 cents per bar – a bargain compared to the $1.69 to $3 or more that’s typical for a comparable protein bar. Careful, though: It’s just the Life Choice Protein bars that are my faves. The brand’sMeal bars, Wellness bars, and Energy bars have more sugar and less protein.
Oikos Greek Yogurt, in Chocolate and Caramel
Even if you don’t usually love Greek yogurt, you’ve gotta try these two flavors by Oikos. With the thick ribbon of chocolate or caramel stirred through, they’re creamy and sweet – more like pudding than Greek yogurt. Their sugar-to-protein ratio is higher than I usually like (16 grams of sugar and 10 grams of protein per 110-calorie carton), so consider these a dessert or sweet-treat alternative, not so much a breakfast or a snack that you’re relying on to sustain you for hours.
Chef Paul Prudhomme’s No Salt No Sugar Magic Seasoning Blends
Bold flavors, locally made, with no salt, sugar, MSG, or preservatives. … What more can we ask for in a seasoning blend? This latest addition to the Magic Seasoning Blends lineup is available in five gluten-free varieties: Six Spice, Seven Herb, Toasted Onion Garlic, Lemon Cracked Pepper, and Sweet Spicy. All of them make it easy to add a punch of flavor to your favorite foods without ratcheting up the salt or sugar.
Morningstar Farms Veggie Meatballs
There’s no doubt that it’s ideal to make your own meatballs from scratch with extra-lean ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken breast), but not everyone has the time, or wants to make the time. Frozen meatballs are typically loaded with calories and saturated fat. Enter Morningstar Farms Veggie Meatballs. Ounce for ounce, they have 40 percent fewer calories and 95 percent less saturated fat compared to popular frozen meatballs. And, unlike some meat substitutes, these veggie meatballs aren’t loaded with starchy fillers. Afive-meatball serving has 15 grams of protein with just 7 grams of (fiber-rich) carbohydrates.
NOW Foods Hot Cocoa
For years, the only options for lower-calorie hot cocoa have been to use artificially sweetened mixes or to make one from scratch with cocoa powder, milk and a low-cal sweetener of choice. So I was thrilled to discover NOW Foods’ hot cocoa mix. It’s sweetened with stevia, a natural plant-based sweetener, and has just 35 calories and 4 grams of sugar (from natural milk sugars) per serving.
Chick-Fil-A Grilled Chicken Nuggets
Fast food is never something that tops my list of “diet-do’s,” but I was happy to see a drive-thru kids’ menu that extends beyond fried chicken nuggets and hamburgers on white buns.
Every four-piece serving of Chick-Fil-A’s Grilled Chicken Nuggets has 80 calories, 1 gram of fat and zero carbs, compared to 130 calories, 6 grams of fat and 5.5 grams of carbs for four of their fried nuggets. Plus, these grilled nuggets are made with real boneless, skinless chicken breasts, not pieces and parts pressed together in the shape of a nugget.
And who says they’re just for kids? Adults, if you have to swing through the drive-thru in a pinch, don’t let the fact that these nuggets are listed on the kids’ menu stop you – but you might need a double order.
Molly Kimball is a registered dietitian in New Orleans. She can be reached at eatingright@timespicayune.com .