Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 06:54 AM
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday, a popular day here at A Better Bag of Groceries, because I blog about a trade-up I’ve made since learning about NuVal and I give away something for free. Today, I’m thinking about snacks for energy – probably because I need them! As I mentioned yesterday, I’m out in Chicago working some long hours at the Topco Supershow. This is where we meet with lots of different supermarkets to introduce them to NuVal. It’s your typical convention kind of schedule – long days and long nights. So, before I left Boston, I went shopping for some high-energy snacks to bring along with me. I wanted something with a nice high NuVal score that would give me a good boost.
So, I turned to nuts!
I liked the Emerald 100 calorie packs, especially because those packs would travel nicely in my purse. They score an 81.
I also liked the small tin of Blue Diamond Almonds. So tiny, it fit nicely into my carry on bag. It scores an 81 also.
The Planters NUT-rition are a little bigger, but I am manning (or womanning) our NuVal booth with my colleagues Leslie and Laura, so I thought it would be good to bring some to share. Check out the difference in these scores though:
- Planters NUT-rition Heart Healthy Mix: NuVal score of 71
- Planters NUT-rition Omega 3 Mix: NuVal score of 36
Wow! The Omega 3 Mix contains sweetened dried cranberries and candy coated dark chocolate soynuts. So, we’ll save that for when we need our afternoon chocolate/sweet fix.
So, when I did this pre-trip shopping, I bought an extra one of everything so that I could package it up and give it away to one lucky A Better Bag of Groceries reader. After all, who doesn’t have a busy schedule? It’s that time of year, right?
To Enter
Just leave a comment below telling me why you could a high-scoring, high-energy snack (e.g., final exams, taking your kids to too many baseball games, too much work to do). I’ll randomly choose one winner at 8 AM Eastern time on Wednesday. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: almonds, Nuts, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 07:08 AM
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday, a weekly feature here on A Better Bag of Groceries where I tell you about a trade-up I’ve made since learning about NuVal and I give away free stuff. Today’s topic: Nuts! I am nuts about nuts. And since coming to work for NuVal in the Fall of 2008, and learning more about the benefits of nuts, I have definitely added them to my repertoire. These are the two that I eat just about every day.
My first nuts of the day come in the form of Walnuts. They get a fantastic NuVal score: 82! I love to sprinkle a few on my oatmeal. I vary my concoction, but here’s a good example of my breakfast:
1/2 cup Hodgson Mill Regular Oat Bran Hot Cereal: NuVal Score of 60
1 Tbsp Raisins: NuVal score of 91
1 Tbsp Walnuts: NuVal Score of 82
1 tsp flax seeds: not yet scored
1 tsp brown sugar: NuVal Score of 1
While this breakfast does hold me for a while, I do need a snack before I get to lunch. Blame it on that early morning Spinning class and the subsequent rush of getting two kids off to school and me to work, but I’m a hungry girl. So usually, by about 10 am, it’s Almond Time. Plain almonds get a super NuVal score, too. An 81! However, you need to be wary of what’s been done to your almonds. Remember the post where I found out that the roasted, unsalted almonds that I had been buying were roasted with oil? It was tragic.
To Enter:
You can win both bags of nuts plus a NuVal t-shirt! All you need to do is leave a comment below answering the following question:
One winner will be selected at random by 10 am EST Wednesday. So be sure to check back here to see if you’ve won. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: almonds, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: almonds, Nuts, Walnuts
Monday, February 8, 2010 at 06:58 AM
Healthy living bloggers everywhere are blogging about NuVal! One of my favorite posts was published last week by Jen who blogs at Healthy Laps. Jen lives in Boston but took the time to drive all the way out to Marlborough, MA to check out NuVal at a Price Chopper store. I’ve been working for NuVal for a year and a half now and blogging about NuVal since July of last year, and still Jen managed to shock me! That’s the way NuVal works. You’re always finding out something new.
You see, Jen took a picture of my favorite roasted unsalted almonds. Now, the score for plain almonds is an 81. So, I thought that by buying the roasted unsalted version, I would be choosing almonds with the same score. I mean, they even say “No Guilt” on the top of the container. Boy was I wrong! The roasted unsalted almonds only score 48! Oh no! All this time I thought I was being so virtuous!
Right away, I checked in with Rachel Rodek, MS, RD, LDN and Nutrition Communications Manager for NuVal. She investigated the almonds for me. Apparently those roasted unsalted almonds contain some peanut oil. Who knew?
I went home and checked out the label. Yup, there it is – peanut oil. And some other oils too!
Now, if I had a store with NuVal on the grocery shelves, I never would have fallen into this trap. The products would be clearly marked with the NuVal score. I can’t wait until I have those scores handy!
So, now I knew that I had to buy raw almonds and roast them myself. And that meant that this weekend, I undertook the Great Almond Experiment. It was a little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
All three times, I put the almonds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and added nothing – no salt, no oil.
The first time (at 450 degrees for about 13 minutes), they came out too burned.
The second time (at 45o degrees for about 7 minutes), they were still too raw and chewy.
Finally, the third time (at 450 degrees for exactly 9 minutes), I got it just right.
This last time, I took them out of the oven as soon as I could smell them. Once they were out, I loved hearing them crackle as they cooled. I have to admit, they still are not as tasty as the Roasted Unsalted Almonds I was buying. A little oil makes everything taste yummy. But I am thankful to Jen for spotting this little NuVal fact at Price Chopper. A little knowledge goes a long way.
Question of the Day
What surprises has NuVal uncovered for you? For ideas, check out nuval.com, Trading Up Downtown, or Nutrition Outlook.
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: almonds
Tags: almonds, healthy living bloggers
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 07:02 AM
Welcome to Trade Up Tuesday. It’s my weekly feature where I tell you about a Trade Up I’ve made for better nutrition since I started working for NuVal. I also ask you to tell me about trade ups you’ve made (or plan to make) and everyone who comments is enrolled in a drawing for a prize giveaway. Cool, huh?
Today’s Trade Up is Almonds. Usually in this weekly feature I tell you about a product I traded in for a new product that I’m eating now. In this case, I didn’t really trade anything in. I just started eating almonds – sans guilt.
I credit my boss, Leslie, for getting me hooked on almonds.
Leslie is a super-healthy eater and it shows: she has incredible energy, awesome hair and beautiful skin. And I’m not just saying that because she is my boss. 
She does all the right things: she drinks her water, takes her vitamins, gets her exercise, you name it. And she is always munching on almonds. Now, almonds (or any nuts really) were something that I kept away from for the most part because I was always thinking in terms of Weight Watchers points, only. Almonds are not low in calories, nor are they low in fat. 23 almonds = 4 Weight Watchers points. Ouch. However, almonds are super-nutritious. They get an 81 on the NuVal scale. My husband and I have been snacking on roasted, unsalted almonds for about a year now. And the amazing thing is that I easily maintain my happy weight while including them in my diet. About halfway throughout the morning, I find myself incredibly hungry and a little handful of almonds does the trick.
So, hip hip hooray for almonds.
How about you? What have you traded up since learning about NuVal? I’d love to hear about your go-to foods when you are feeling like a hungry, hungry hippo. Leave a comment below. One lucky winner will receive my Almond Prize Pack.
- 2 containers of my favorite roasted, unsalted almonds
- A suprise goodie from the NuVal marketing closet (we have water bottles, shopping bags, magnetized shopping lists)
Just leave a comment by midnight tonight (11:59 pm EST to be exact) and you could win!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: almonds, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: almonds
Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 08:20 PM
As I learn more about NuVal scores, I am rethinking what I put in my mouth. When I walk in the door some nights with 2 kids, lunchboxes to unpack, dinner to make and everyone starving, I’ve stopped reaching for a handful of Cheez-its or pita chips. With their low scores, they’re just not worth it. As I approach my one year anniversary of working for NuVal (which I love!), I realize that I have a new Top Ten Favorite Food List that is different than what it was one year ago. Here it is:
1. Chobani Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt: Score of 94
I love this plain, thicker-than-regular yogurt so much. I mix in some fresh nectarine and blueberries. I also put it on baked potatoes. And when my neighbor called looking to borrow sour cream for a recipe she was making (none in my fridge), I gave her the yogurt instead and she said it turned out great. This yogurt is filling and substantial. It’s my quick fix on Monday afternoons when I need an energy boost before teaching my 6:30 pm Pilates class.
2. Almonds: Score of 81
My boss and friend got me hooked on these. I opt for the roasted, unsalted brand and my husband loves them too. Since I work out early (5:30 am), I often need a post-breakfast, mid-morning snack. These do the trick.
3. Frozen Grapes: Score of 91
Someone brought frozen grapes this year to the 4th of July cookout. And boy did it bring back memories. I ate a lot of frozen grapes back in my obsessive Weight Watcher days (circa 1996) because they kept me from eating ice cream. My husband affectionately called them frozen eyeballs. So I resurrected them this summer. They are so easy – just rinse and throw them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. They still look like frozen eyeballs, but they are so tasty and the kids love them too. But this post is about MY top ten. The kids’ will be next week. Moving on…
4. Special K with Protein: Score 0f 60
As I mentioned in my Adult Rated Cereal post, I don’t have time for a lot of munching in the morning. So bye-bye to some of my more laborious cereals and hello Special K with Protein. But it MUST say Protein on the box. My DH has mistakenly bought the regular one (which scores only a 23) and we had to return it. It is a little sweet, very filling, and it lasts me until Almond Time.
5. Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Flour Pita Bread: Score of 65
These very flat pitas are so satisfying. We go through at least two packages of these a week because everyone in our house seems to like them. And the score is much better than most other breads or pita products.
6. Skim Milk: Score of 91
This is just one of those perfect foods. You get some protein, your Vitamin D and your Calcium. I’ll admit, I probably was not getting the recommended number of dairy servings per day until we switched to milk delivery in glass bottles. I was even able to get the kids to switch to skim. There I go talking about them again. This post is about MY favorites.
7. Tropicana 50 Pulp-Free with Calcium Orange Juice: Score of 81
This is a recent find from when I blogged about juice. We were drinking Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice with Calcium and Vitamin D with a score of 51. Now we’re drinking 30 points higher because the Trop 50 has less sugar. I really think they should change the name though. It makes me think that it is juice for people over age 50. And I’ve got 11 years before I get there. Note: Make sure you buy the one that says “with Calcium and Vitamin D”. The other Trop 50 right next to it scores much, much lower.
8. Quaker Steel Cut Oats: Score of 60
They take a long time to cook, so I often make a big batch and reheat them on busy weekday mornings. These oats are for Mommy only. My daughter loves oatmeal, but not this kind. Even the purple container could not win her over. But I love their sticking power. It’s all about getting me to Almond Time.
9. Chick Peas: Scores vary
And this is why I need NuVal in my grocery store. Because while I do have access to the scores because I work there, I can’t remember them when I am trying to pick out the chick peas that have the best score. Progresso chick peas get a 58, but the Food Club organic brand that I can buy at my local Roche Brothers store, get an 82. Yes, I’ve had a long-time love affair with chick peas. A friend and colleage of mine dubbed me the Queen of Leafy Greens and Chick Peas back in the ’90s. They are just the protein you need on salad.
10: Vegetables: Scores vary, but they are really high
Yes, I am a veggie lover and I have been one since early childhood. I used to ask my mom, “Can I have lettuce for my treat tonight?” and she’d say, “Well, OK. Only if you’re good.” When I get back from traveling or a vacation where veggies were scarce, I feel the difference. And it makes me crabby. My favorites are asparagus (100), arugula (100), broccoli rabe (100) and brussels sprouts (94). My husband knows to just let me order that $6 plate of one of these when we go out to dinner. The good news is that frozen vegetables without additives score really well too. I always have a bag of frozen brussels sprouts in my freezer in case we run out of fresh veggies before that weekly shopping trip.
So that is what is on my shopping list each week. Next week, I’ll post on my kids’ Top Ten list. What’s on your Top Ten List? I’d love to hear about it.
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: almonds, chick peas, Chobani, Special K, steel cut oats
Tags: almonds, chick peas, Chobani, flax pita, frozen grapes, Greek yogurt, skim milk, Special K, steel cut oats, Top Ten (Mommy), Trop 50
