Trade-Up Tuesday: Hodgson Mill
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday, my weekly feature here on A Better Bag of Grocerieswhere I tell you about a Trade Up I’ve made since learning about NuVal. I also ask you to share your Trade-Up stories and I give away free stuff. What a deal!
Let’s face it, for many people, grocery shopping is a mindless chore. It’s all about replenishment – putting the same products in your cart week after week. Yawn……
And for some people – especially moms with small children – grocery shopping is a stress-inducing battle that must be fought. Week after week, you just try to make it from your car, through the store (without a potty break in those restrooms, without a meltdown, without junk-food) in one piece.
For me, working for NuVal, learning about NuVal scores, and blogging about it all has made grocery shopping fun again. Where I used to routinely throw the same old, same ole in my cart each and every week, I’m now branching out to try new things – especially high-scoring new things. It’s like a little adventure. I know, I know – I live such a wild and exciting life!
A year and a half ago, I had never heard of Hodgson Mill, the Illinois-based company that manufactures flour, corn meal, cereal, pasta and baking mixes. But when I started working for NuVal, the name came up again and again. They package some pretty high-scoring stuff. Most recently, I’ve tried two of their hot cereals:
Hodgson Mill Regular Oat Bran Hot Cereal scores a 60.
Hodgson Mill Milled Flaxseed & Soy Multigrain Hot Cereal scores an 82.
Both of these cook up quickly and are just what I need on a cold January morning in New England. My husband has been enjoying these too. Sometimes we add walnuts and raisins. Other times we add a teaspoon of peanut butter. Next, I’m planning to get my daughter, a 4 1/2 year old Quaker Oats fan to try out Hodgson Mill. The Quaker Old Fashioned Oats that she eats score a 57. I know it’s only a 3-point improvement, but really my motivation is in getting my kids to branch out and vary their eating as well.
This week, I also picked up some Hodgson Mill Cornbread and Muffin Mix. Unfortunately, we have not yet scored this one, but we will get to it. I’m curious to see what it scores. The brand that I usually buy, Jiffy, only scores a 3.
Today’s GiveAway
One lucky winner will receive my Hodgson Mill GiveAway – Oat Bran, Multigrain Cereal and Cornbread Muffin Mix. All you need to do is leave a comment and tell me about a brand or a product that you’ve tried (or that you’d like to try) since learning about NuVal scores. For ideas, check out this blog, Tina’s blog at www.tradingupdowntown.com or www.nuval.com. The contest ends at 11:59 pm Eastern time tonight so don’t delay!
Posted by: Melissa 42 comments
Posted in: Oatmeal, Trade-Up Tuesday, corn meal
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 8:39 am
plain greek yogurt! I love it.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Kashi cookies, which are very, very tasty and, although they’re not perfect, they’re a lot better than the, um, chocolate chip ones I used to buy
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:22 am
different brands of bread!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I still haven’t had the Kashi cookies that you posted about last week, but seeing their score of 40 (for a COOKIE! wahoo!) makes me want to try them!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:33 am
I’d really like to try the Teddie Peanut Butter, but they don’t sell it at my HyVee. I plan to turn in a product request card and see if they start stocking it!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:40 am
I recently tried the Arnold natural flax and fiber bread. It was pretty good. I also continue to buy my regular products that have scored well while incorporating more vegetables too!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Hodgson Mills products are great! I would like see how different types of nut butters score with Nuval.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Shredded wheat is my new cereal
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:45 am
The Teddie peanut butter is my most recent trade up, it’s delish and I feel better with the score!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:47 am
I’ve traded up to Teddy All Natural No Salt Peanut butter – scores a 49 I think!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:52 am
I’m looking for Kashi cookies too!!!! Great score for cookies and look tasty!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:07 am
I am going to add more pinto beans into my meals. Yea for the score of 100!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:10 am
I’d like the try the Ryvita Rye & Oat Bran Whole Grain Rye Crispbread (87) probably with some hummus on top
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:19 am
Avocados! I’ve always stayed away from them before.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I love Teddie unsalted PB on my kashi waffles for breakfast.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Kashi! I knew it was good for you but didn’t realize how much so.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:33 am
Will have to try the Hodgson Mill oats – I am a Quaker lover too
On the grocery list to ‘trade up’ Kashi Go Lean Crunch (Nuval score: 33) for Kashi 7 Whole Grain Cereal Puffs (Nuval score: 90)
I enjoy Kashi products, but do wish the cereals had more vitamins and nutrients in addition to the whole grains and protein.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I recently tried Teddies chunky peanut butter – its fabulous!! I never really noticed how sugary the other peanut butters taste until I tasted this one.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I have both of those Hodgson Mills hot cereals and love them but probably only eat them once a week. I’ll probaby increase my intake of those but also trade up my Cheez Its with the Kashi Bruschetta ones.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:49 am
I swapped to whole grain cornmeal. I didn’t even know that cornmeal could be whole grain!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:55 am
I would love to try the teddie’s peanut butter, but I dont think that they stock it anywhere around where I live!!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 11:05 am
It isn’t a brand but a thing – I actually tried avocados since reading this blog
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 11:06 am
I looked for Teddy PB, but couldn’t find! Instead, I traded my Skippy Natural for some even MORE natural PB. Only ingredients: Peanuts and Salt!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 11:35 am
I have recently tried plain greek yogurt and I love it!!! Great trade-up!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 11:37 am
I would also love to try teddie’s peanut butter, heard such great things about it, but unfortunately I do not think they have it near me.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Food for Life sprouted grain bread – I believe it scores an 81!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 11:39 am
I want to try the Arnold’s Flax and Fiber.I used to be a solid sprouted grains bread eater until I saw they weren’t as high up as Arnold’s.I was really surprised. cc
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
I really want to try the Hodgson Mill Unprocessed Wheat Bran. It sounds a little boring, but I want to try something with a score of 100!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
After seeing how high sweet potatoes scored, I’ve been cooking (roasting) them more often for dinner. I love sweet potatoes and now I feel I can and should have them when I want!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Kashi crackers. Yum!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
I mix canned pumpkin with plain greek yogurt for an incredible afternoon snack!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
I’ve traded up from regular, sugary yogurts to thick and yummy greek yogurts!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
I too have tried greek yogurt and was pleasantly surprised by the amazing flavor!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Kashi crackers…and I would love to try the Teddie PB but can’t find it locally.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I have been wanted to try Tina’s favorite, Teddy’s Natural Peanut Butter!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
I have rediscovered sweet potatoes!! I have also learned more about different nut butters.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
I don’t have Teddie PB around here in WI but after seeing Tina rave about it I would love to try it!
…and I’d also reeeally love to try those Hodgson Mills products too
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I am going to try to eat more pinto beans.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Kashi products! I love the bars.
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
I want to give greek yogurt another try!
on Jan 19th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Even though it’s not rated on NuVal, I bought Hodgson Mill whole wheat lasagna noodles at the grocery store over the weekend. I thought of what I had learned from the NuVal website (b/c we don’t have the ratings where I live) and chose that brand because they were rated high with the nutritional value of their products.
on Jan 21st, 2010 at 10:53 am
Hy-Vee lite icecream Fudge bars. They score a 100. If you like chocolate you’d love them. 3g fiber, fat-free, no added sugar and 35 cals per bar. Eat 2 bars and still only 70 cals.