A Better Bag of Groceries

Guest Blogger: Marisa From Trim the Fat

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 07:13 AM

In my role as the Mom Blogger for NuVal, I have had a chance to meet some amazing bloggers and mothers – sometimes virtually and sometimes in person.  Please meet my Twitter friend Marisa, a Philadelphia-area stay-at-home mother of two “hungry girls,” ages 7 and 12.   Marisa has a beautiful blog called Trim the Fat, where she chronicles her victorious and inspirational weight loss battle (she’s lost 71 pounds!).  Her blog is one that I turn to for new recipe ideas. 

Marisa of Trim The Fat

Snack Time With NuVal

When I first became aware of the NuVal scoring system, I was very excited about the prospect of this system coming to supermarkets in my area.  Although I have become accustomed to reading nutritional labels looking for the healthiest foods for myself and my family,  the NuVal scoring system would make this a much easier job!  All I would have to do is look for the NuVal sign and score on the pricing or shelf labels! 

From the NuVal website:

How the Scoring Works:

NuVal Scores summarize comprehensive nutritional information in one simple number between 1 and 100.  Each NuVal Score takes into account more than just the nutrition fact panel.  It considers 30-plus nutrients and nutrition factors – the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and the not-so-good (sugar, sodium, cholesterol).  And then it boils it down into a simple, easy-to-use number; a number you can trust to make better decisions about nutrition in just a few seconds..

Could you see how this might revolutionize the way you shop for groceries?

When Tina of www.carrotsncake.com joined the NuVal team and asked if I would be willing to try out the NuVal scoring system, I gladly jumped at the chance!  As a mom of 2 hungry girls, I find the most daunting task is searching the aisles for more nutritious snacks for them.  Ideally, fruits and vegetables are the best options, but it’s also nice to have convenient, shelf-stable items for them to choose from, too. I decided to challenge myself to come up with a cool afternoon snack that my daughters would love and that would include only ingredients with the highest NuVal scores.  Little did I know what a challenge this would be!  Our usual “go-to” picks for afterschool snacks turned out to be quite low- scoring, which signified that they were  not the most nutritionally sound choices.  After going through the database of scores and enlisting the help of Tina and the NuVal Team, I was able to come up with 2 great afternoon snacks that were easy, healthy, high-scoring and more nutritious alternatives than the usual box of Cheez-its (NuVal score 23) that they grab for when they come home from school!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

 1 container Dannon Activia Light Blueberry Yogurt (NuVal score 89)

1/2 cup blueberries (NuVal score 100)

1 large banana (NuVal score 91)

8 oz. Over The Moon Fat Free Milk (NuVal score 91)

Place ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Ice may be added for a thicker consistency. 

Serves 2.

Easy Cheesy Nu Nachos

16 Garden of Eatin’ No Salt Blue Tortilla Chips (NuVal score 52)

1/2 cup Galaxy Nutritionals Veggie Shreds (NuVal score 69)

1/4 cup Bush’s Best Black Beans ( NuVal score 53)

1 plum tomato, diced (NuVal score 96)
 

Place tortilla chips on a microwave-safe plate.  Layer black beans and cheese over tortilla chips.  Microwave on high for about 1 minute or until cheese is melted.  Garnish with diced tomato and serve.

Serves 2.
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To read more about the NuVal scoring system and if it’s available in your area, go to www.nuval.com.

Yesterday’s Winner:

Congratulations to Commenter #35, Meg of SunshineNSpice! You’ve won my Whole Grain Macaroni and Cheese GiveAway!

Now I’m off to make those Easy Cheesy Nu Nachos!!

Posted by: Melissa 4 comments

Posted in: Fruit Smoothies, Guest Bloggers

Tags: Fruit Smoothies, nachos, snacks