Welcome to My HouseWarming Party!
How do you like my new place? Pretty spiffy, huh? I packed up all my NuVal scores, my kids, my recipes, and all my old blogposts and moved on over here over the weekend. Many thanks to Blain Smith of 13-infinite for designing my new space and to all my friends at NuVal who put up with me helped me as we planned a new name and design.
New here? Let me catch you up. My name is Melissa and I’m a working mom to 2 kids: a boy, age 6 and a girl, age 4. Oh, sorry, that’s 4 1/2, she reminds me. I also happen to work for a great new company called NuVal. NuVal is a nutritional scoring system that rates foods from 1-100 (100 is best) based on their nutritional value. NuVal scores are on the shelf in Price Chopper, Hy-Vee and Meijer stores and they are coming to United Texas Markets in early 2010. I work with these supermarkets to implement NuVal in their stores. NuVal may not be in your neck of the woods yet, but here on my blog, you can learn about some scores. I love my job and I love being a mom too. Oh, and I love food and cooking and all things healthy, so it was only natural for me to start blogging about how NuVal has helped me to make better choices about what I’m putting on my kitchen table.
What’s Nu?
My new blog gives me a great opportunity to introduce some new things!
First, get ready for Trade-Up Tuesdays. That’s right, I want to hear from you about how you’re trading up for better nutrition. There will be fun prizes, so get ready to share some ideas.
Then, there’s Incredible Vegetables. One thing that I’ve learned since working at NuVal is that vegetables are Rock Stars. They are so packed with nutrients, that they almost all score between 91-100. So, every week, look to see my featured Incredible Vegetable along with a favorite recipe.
Don’t miss the BBG Awards. I’ve bestowed this honor on my favorite high-scoring foods. NuVal inspires me to try new things all the time, so there will be more awards to come.
And finally, Field Trips. I love finding new healthy and/or family-oriented places to visit. It might be a restaurant, a farm, a vacation spot, or maybe just one of my foodie friends’ homes so that we can get in the kitchen and cook together. The possibilities are endless.
So let’s get going! Here’s my First Trade-Up Tuesday Blog Entry:
The Ultimate Breakfast Cereal Trade-Up
I did it. I finally made the big Trade Up. The huge one. The Big Kahuna. That’s right. I’m eating Shredded Wheat. It is the almost perfect breakfast cereal with a score of 91. Now, let me tell you that I did not leap from Cheerios (34) to Shredded Wheat (91). No, it was more like I climbed the ladder of more nutritious cereal until I got to the top, stopping at Kashi Go Lean with Protein (47) and Special K with Protein (60) along the way. In the morning, I need something filling that I can eat quickly as I juggle getting the kids off to school and myself to work, hopefully with dry hair and at least a little make-up on. Shredded Wheat is doing the trick and I’ve given it a BBG Award. And this afternoon, my 4 (and a Half!) year old asked for some!?! We’ll see if she wants it instead of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the morning.
So, here’s where you come in. This Housewarming Party of mine is Pot Luck. I want you to bring me your Trading Up Stories. Now that you’ve learned about NuVal, how have you traded up for better nutrition? There’s a Door Prize involved. One lucky A Better Bag of Groceries reader is going to WIN my fabulous NuVal Breakfast Trade Up Bag.
Included in the prize is a NuVal shopping bag, a NuVal water bottle, a box of Shredded Wheat, a container of Quaker Steel Cut Oats and some roasted unsalted almonds. To enter the drawing, tell me one trade up you’ve made for a better NuVal score (or one that you plan to make) in the comments below. The contest will close Tuesday, November 17th at 11:59 P.M. and the winner will be announced on Wednesday.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like my new home as much as I do!
Posted by: Melissa 91 comments
Posted in: Uncategorized
Tags: Shredded Wheat, Trade-Up Tuesdays
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Looks great!! As an RD, I’m curious about NuVal. I haven’t heard a lot about it so far…I look forward to learning more!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Nicely done, Melissa! I just wiped my feet on the welcome mat so I wouldn’t get your new place dirty
.
I have to say you and your interior designer did a beautiful job with the redesign of your site.
There have been many changes to my bag of groceries
since I’ve started shopping the NuVal way. Most recently, I’ve stopped buying yogurt with fruit already mixed in and have started buying plain and mixing in my own fresh fruit. One of many changes for the better.
Congratulations!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 7:57 am
CONGRATS!!! You did such a wonderful job!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Hi! This is my first time on the NuVal site, I found you on twitter. I don’t think you are in any of our grocery stores here in NYC, but maybe soon?
I’m not that familiar with Nuval scores, but I recently traded up from instant rice to the slower cooking kind (brown) That’s a trade up right?
Also, I just started a new blog too! We are an all women’s gym in Brooklyn, New York called Silhouette Urban Mind-Body Fitness. Here’s our website: http://silhouettenyc.com/
I’m trying to keep my members informed on cutting edge fitness and nutrition info. Check out the blog at:
http://silhouettegymchick.blogspot.com/
This blog looks like a great resource!
Thanks!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:24 am
I traded in my life cereal for All-bran!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Oh wow! What a great website…thanks for sharing! I’m sure my current cereal of Frosted Mini Wheats can be replaced, and I’m eyeing the Kashi Strawberry Fields. Sounds yummy!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:29 am
When I need a salty chip for dipping (with salsa or hummus) I have traded up from baked Lays (25) to Garden of Eatin’ Blue Chips (40).
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:32 am
[...] This post was Twitted by CarrotsNCake [...]
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:35 am
In canada , we have price chopper but havent seen nuval scores.
Ive been switching stuff up on my own though WHite flour tortillas out and whole wheat ones w/ flax are IN!
Added u to my reads
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:39 am
I traded up to sweet potatoes! I was raised in a “meat and russet potato” family and thought sweet potatoes were just for Thanksgiving in a sweet potato casserole! Boy was I wrong! Now, they’re one of my favorite foods and I swear, I could eat them everyday!! I always bake extra so I have them for lunches throughout the week. Sweet potatoes ROCK!!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:39 am
I found out about your blog from carrotsncake, which I LOVE!!!I used to eat baked lays chips because I thought they were the most nutritious chip out there, but after oing a little research on Nuval, i found that the Garden of Eatin’ Blue Chips All Natural Tortilla Chips, were more nutritious . As a college student, chips are a big part of my life, so im happier now that at least im picking a better option. Thanks NUVAL!!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:48 am
I should probably change to Shredded Wheat. I think I could handle it if I topped it with some fruit
I’ve started buying Ryvita Rye & Oat Bran Whole Grain Rye Crispbread instead of traditional wheat crackers. I noticed it has a NuVal score of 89! It’s hearty and tastes great topped with a little low fat cottage cheese.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Hi. I just found your site and started reading about this scoring system. While it’s not confusing at all, it is something new to get used to. A trade up that I have made is switching to whole wheat pasta. I love the taste!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:08 am
I was playing the nutrition by numbers game yesterday and I found out that Garden of Eatin’ blue corn chips scored incredibly high. This makes me happy because I’m pretty much obsessed with tortilla chips and salsa! Definitely will be switching to these guys next time I go shopping.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:10 am
I traded regular whole wheat bread to sprouted grain bread. Also a few years ago I traded natural Peanut butter for skippy – now I can’t believe I used to eat that stuff!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:11 am
I’m trading my regular Jif peanut butter for Naturally More peanut butter with Omega 3/Flax seed and I’ll be eating it with an apple instead of on bread.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Welcome to your new home- it looks great!
I would have never guessed that Shredded Wheat is better than Kashi Go Lean nutrition wise- very good to know because I eat Kashi go lean a lot. I think this will be the trade up that I’ll try!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:27 am
For breakfast, I’ve traded bagels, toast or high sugar cereals for some classic plain oatmeal with banana. I often add on top another trader up – from Skippy to peanut butter that’s just nuts and salt.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:30 am
I traded up from frozen french fries to fresh, hand cut, plain, baked sweet potato “fries”.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I really want to find a good frozen pizza (pepporoni). My boyfriend LOVES pizza and eats it several times a week. I’d love to find a high scoring one that’s also not too expensive! I haven’t been to my local Meijer (metro-Detroit) in awhile, so I’m not sure if they have the NuVal scores, but I really hope they do!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Hello Melissa!
I really like how cheerful your blog is!
Enjoy!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:40 am
The new blog looks awesome! Very professional.
I only buy plain yogurts now, which always score higher than their counterparts. If I want vanilla, I add liquid vanilla stevia. If I want a fruit flavor, I mix in some jam(which I make sure have fruit as their first ingredient). And sometimes there’s just nothing better than plain, unsweetened low-fat or cream top yogurt
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:49 am
I am going to start using egg substitute instead of real eggs…seems like a pretty easy trade up!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:04 am
I would definitely swap my kashi for some shredded wheat! I love shredded wheat too
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:04 am
I shop at HyVee and was excited when they started putting the NuVal scores on the price tags, so my boyfriend, Ben, and I were looking around to see if we could find the best & worst products. I found Combos with a score of 1, so when Ben got some at the airport the other day I chose not to eat any because of the low NuVal score!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:15 am
After reading the Kashi GoLean doesn’t score all that high, I am considering switching my cereal to Shredded Wheat as well!
First time for me on your site–Tina at Carrots and Cake mentioned it on her blog. Glad I found it!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:18 am
I’ve traded a banana for oatmeal for breakfast – love it!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:32 am
One “trade up” I’ve made is to trade the lettuce on my sandwiches to spinach or chard leaves.
And oatmeal and shredded wheat are my “go to” breakfasts…please pick me!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:44 am
I traded up a couple of things…plain yogurt instead of flavored..kale is a new veggie for me and I love it.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:51 am
My two biggest trade ups have definitely been switching to 100% whole wheat bread, and buying salt free all natural peanut butter.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I traded in my egg and cheese breakfast sandwich for oatmeal and also my nightly pudding snack w/whip cream for organic nonfat Greek yogurt.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Most recently, I traded in half & half in my coffee for 1% milk. I’ve also begun expirmenting with soy milk. I love it in my coffee, but not so much with my cereal.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:04 am
I don’t know if it’s a trade up, but I definitely check the scores of supposedly harmless foods, like wheat crackers. Kind of an eye-opener!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Recently I have been trying to subsitute egg whites for eggs, and broccoli and carrots with my hummus rather than pita chips and cucumbers. I have come to really like soy milk in my cereal even though I used to love skim!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:11 am
This weekend while my family was enjoying filet mignon, I elected to have a piece of grilled fish
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Hi, Love your new blog! I also traded up flavored yogurt for plain.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:23 am
trade up from Special K Strawberry to Oatmeal!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Great blog, cant wait to see how it develops!!
My best trade up is from Lucky Charms to oats for breakfast….started about a year ago and now I cant get enough !!!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I traded up to non-fat plain yogurt from flavored and artificially sweetened “light” yogurts. It’s so much better!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Congratulations on your new home! I’m looking forward to all of your new features and to NuVal becoming a staple in every grocery store. Its a great eye-opener for all of us who are bombarded with nutritional claims from all directions.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Hi there – I found your blog via Tina @ Carrots n’ Cake.
I am considering trading my cereal for shredded wheat – I had no idea it was that healthy!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Love your new website..great design and so informative!
I’m a newbie to Nuval and I’m so excited about learning more about the foods I buy. It’s really eye-pening! One of my recent trade-ups has been ditching ground beef and using only ground chicken or turkey. I have a family full of picky eaters and not one of them has complained about this change!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:50 am
HI! I followed your old blog and I’m LOVING this new look!
I’m super excited to get NuVal in TX. There is a united market close by –not close enough for everyday shopping, but I will be stopping in occasionally to check out the products.
Since learning about NuVal from CnC, I’ve upgraded my yogurt from low fat (light) store brand to chobani (when i can find it) or greek in general.
Thanks for your site!!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Definitely will try the Shredded Wheat, no idea it scored that high!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Hi there! I found you from Carrots N Cake. I’m excited to read about all your adventures.
My one big trade up recently is cooking brown rice or wild rice instead of using instant rice. I have also started soaking and cooking my own beans and lentils. My family is (so far) loving the new menu. We’ll see how it goes as I continue to add in more healthy stuff.
Thanks for inviting me to your new home:)
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Great site! Funny how you “think” you are eating healthy due to the marketing labels they put on packages these days like “made with whole grains” and “no sugar added”, but until you read the ingredient list you don’t really know what you are eating. My biggest trade up would have to be from those packets of flavored instant oatmeal to making my own with whole oats, fruit, and milk! YUMMMM!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
definitly the upgrade from kashi ceral to oatmeal & “light” yogart to greek style– add more nutrion and gained a lot better flavor!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I’ve traded up from Yoplait yogurts to Fage 0% yogurt and I’m soooo much happier!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
We don’t have NuVal here in VA, but I wish we did! It would be great to have a simple score that I can use to compare items.
I’m trying to eat healthier, and my recent trade ups include making sure I grab 100% whole wheat instead of just plain wheat and plain yogurt and adding fruit, instead of getting the one with the fruit and fake sugars included.
Great site!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I am familiarizing myself with NuVal (I first heard of it on Carrotsncake.com, Tina’s blog) – very cool system!
Silk Light soy milk gets a score of 80! Though I don’t see regular plain soy milk on the scale, I am assuming this is a higher score due to less fat.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I have traded my old peanut butter for new natural nut butters!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by CarrotsNCake: Housewarming at A Better Bag of Groceries!!! http://www.abetterbagofgroceries.com/2009/11/welcome-to-my-housewarming-party/...
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I’m a long time lover of the old blog, love the new site…I’m definitely considering the shredded wheat trade up!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Way to go!! I love the All-bran crackers from Kellogg’s … if i could find the Ryvita Rye & Oat Bran Whole Grain Rye Crispbread, I’d definitely try them!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Over the last 3-4 years I have made many trade ups in favor of better nutrition overall. Some of my favorites are from regular peanut butter, to all natural “just peanuts” peanut butter, making my own tomato sauce, and flavored yogurt to plain.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I have ‘traded up’ from regular corn chips to blue chips and my 6 year old enjoys them too! Thanks Melissa!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
i had no idea that shredded wheat would beat out kashi go lean! i’ll definitely consider this next time i buy cereal
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I have started making my own juices with vegetables and fruits. I think this is a trade-up from buying juice at the store- it just feel healthier!
*Amanda
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I used to eat Dannon Light and Fit (with fake sugar! eep!) and now I eat fat free greek yogurt ALL the time
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I’m eating more Greek yogurt. I also stopped using 2 packets of Equal and started using 1 packet of Truvia to sweeten my coffee.
I’m new to NuVal and I can’t wait to explore the site and learn more info.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
It’s not original, but like your sister, I’ve started eating the Chobani(sp?) yogurt and am a complete convert. I also notice the difference in how the baby responds to it versus the other yogurts I had been eating, which probably had too much sugar. Does that count as two testimonials?
I also alternate between plain Cherrios and Shredded Wheat, instead of always eating just the Cheerios or Special K.
I love your updates. They keep me thinking healthier than I normally would and I love the new site. Keep the info coming, you inspire me.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I started out by trading regular spaghetti for whole wheat spaghetti. And now, to add more volume and still come out with a resonable amount of calories, I combine whole wheat pasta with spaghetti squash
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I’ve switched to eating sprouted grain bread from my standard sourdough, and I’ve started eating more Greek yogurt with natural sweeteners like cane sugar from my old aspartame- and splenda-filled light yogurts. Thanks for the giveaway, and I love the blog!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Shredded wheat doesn’t look so bad, I’ll have to try it! I’ve recently swapped out beverages with artificial sweeteners for water.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I like shredded wheat:) Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and berries. Yum! I just got my hubs to switch to whole wheat bread. I am not sure on the points cause we make it homemade but I know it is better than the white stuff:)
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I’m new hear but I recently started eating Quaker one-minute oats in the morning with cinnamon and a banana instead of a Poptart!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I haven’t decided yet, but I definitely need to find a better alternative to my constant pretzel snacking.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
honey wheat bread (not 100% whole wheat) to Ezekiel. It’s growing on me!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Hi Melissa – hands down my biggest trade up is Chobani greek yogurt. Love it – so when I ran out to the local supermarket to stock up my supply a fellow NuVal fan saw my stash and wanted to know if I had left any on the shelf for her – opps!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I’m new, so I’m not completely familiar with the scoring system, but now that you mention this nearly perfect cereal, this may be my next Trade Up! Love the blog, btw!!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I am a soup guy (Progresso, not Campbell’s) especially when it is cold. I have traded up my Progresso Vegetable Chicken and Rice which scores a 25 for Progresso Minestrone which scores a 45.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
I love the NuVal site. I am learning more and more everyday about what I think is healthy vs what is really heathly!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I recently traded up my regular chips for Garden of Eatin’ Blue Corn Chips.
And I have switched to greek-style yogurt.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
If I “have” to have chips, I only eat kettle chips now instead of regular or baked chips..
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I got my boyfriend to upgrade his cereal to Shredded Wheat, too! He finally listened to me when I said Fruit Loops weren’t cutting it.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I traded up to sweet potatoes and radishes from plain ole’ taters…
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I have traded up to Cascadian Farms Organic oven fries . It is a hit when the Grandkids visit !
Web site looks great.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Thanks so much for the opportunity. I recently traded my multi-grain Eggo’s for Kashi’s Heart to Heart kind! They are soo much better and they fill me up more
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
This post is great. I have def. cut out a lot of the cookie products like teddy grahams. I have changed my cereal, I used to love puffins! and changed my yogurt habits.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Your blog looks great! I actually JUST bought a box of Shredded Wheat which I was going to replace my Kashi cereal with. I still love Kashi, don’t get me wrong, but I had just recently visited the NuVal site and thought it would be to my benefit! Thanks for the great door prize!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
I always used to eat Baked Lays, but when I started reading Carrotsncake and I found about NuVal and saw that blue chips were more nutrious, I made the switch. LOVE THEM soo much. I can’t believe that I have gone so long w/o trying them. As a college student who is surrounded by SO many not-so-healthyy snacks its nice to have NuVal ratings to guide me.Thanks so much!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I’ve traded salty snack for fresh fruit for a quick fix up. Love it so far.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Love the new site!! looking forward to the next post…
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
I’ve traded up regular yougurt for organic and regular milk for organic almond milk!! Love this website, by the way.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
I made the trade up in the cereal aisle as well. I traded up from Cheerios to Kashi Autumn Harvest!
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Traded up chips for microwaved homemade potato/sweetpotato chips!
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 12:38 am
I just found your site (through Tina at Carrots ‘N’ Cake) and look forward to your future posts. My biggest upgrade was from two liter bottles of Pepsi every day to two liters of water daily. That was huge! As far as cereal, I do love Shredded Wheat (not the Frosted Mini-Wheats.) When I eat cereal, probably about every other day, my favorite is Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats. I had something similar as a child and still love it. I’m lucky to have the time to fix whatever I want for breakfast so sometimes it’s a good bread with cheese or peanut butter. Fresh fruit. It’s probably the healthiest meal of my day. I’m one of those who was told that breakfast is the most imporant meal of the day. Of course, there’s the days when I eat a bowl of French Onion Soup for breakfast. And occasionally eggs for dinner. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway, My birthday is the 18th, so maybe I’ll get lucky. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 12:50 am
I’ve traded white for wheat bread… and I like it!
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 12:51 am
no fair… I’m in a different time zone
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
I traded up on several things. Instead of toast for breakfast I now have fruit and oats in the morning. No more white pasta only wheat!
on Nov 19th, 2009 at 3:25 am
I replaced white pasta with whole wheat pasta…organic too!