Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 07:11 AM
Welcome to Trade Up Tuesday! It’s everyone’s favorite day here at A Better Bag of Groceries because there’s a giveaway at the end of today’s post! I could think of no more fitting food to give away to celebrate the New Year than Special K. Everyone is in the New Year’s frame of mind right now. The gyms are packed! Everyone I know spent Sunday and Monday cleaning out their houses of the remnants of holiday cookies and treats and making plans to get back on track nutritionally.
On December 31st, my little family enjoyed New Year’s Rockin’ Eve together – all four hours! We loved the “best of” over the past 40 years and Florence and the Machine; our kids loved LMFAO and Justin Bieber. Our only “trade up” that night was that we made chip dip with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. And every other commercial was for Weight Watchers (one of my favorite weight loss and maintenance programs of all time). Yes, it’s January all right.
When I describe the power of NuVal to new people, Special K is one of the examples that I often use. Special K is one of those foods that you think of when it’s diet time, right? Well, did you know that regular, original Special K scores a 23 on the NuVal scale. Remember that the average score for cold cereal is a 27, so that means that original Special K scores a little below average for cold cereal. However, Special K Protein Plus scores a 53! That’s well above average! It has extra fiber and protein, so it will help you feel full longer.
Included in today’s giveaway is one of our new NuVal long sleeved t-shirts.
I love long-sleeved t-shirts, especially when layering for winter running and outdoor sports. We have these in all sizes, so anyone can win.
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky reader will win both boxes of Special K Protein Plus and a NuVal long-sleeved t-shirt. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what new healthy thing you are hoping to do in 2012. I’ll select one winner at random at 8 am Eastern time on Wednesday January 4th. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Special K, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Special K
Monday, March 7, 2011 at 07:25 AM
I talk about food. All. Day. Long. I like food – a lot – so this is a good thing. But when you’re in the business I’m in, you never really leave your work. I am always, always talking about food and nutrition and recipes and NuVal scores. Good thing I love what I do, right?
It’s always been this way. When I worked for a really big supermarket company, I would find myself at cocktail parties listening to people tell me all the things they did (or didn’t) like about their store. I would grin and bear it. Things are different now. With my NuVal job, I’m so passionate about what I do, that I want to talk about it 24/7, so it’s all good.
So, last week, in three separate conversations, I discovered a very interesting phenomenon. People are mixing it up in order to trade up for better nutrition. By that I mean, sometimes it’s hard to get all the way to the high-scoring food. So they are mixing their food to eventually get to the better score.
Here’s what I mean:
Getting to Skim Milk
My very vocal friend Ed announced at our dinner party that “we are an all blue-cap household now!” By that he means that he, his wife, Liz, and his two girls are all drinking skim milk. Yay for them! Skim milk scores a 91 on the NuVal scale. Other kinds of milk score lower:
- Skim milk: 91
- 1% milk: 81
- 2 % milk: 55
- Whole milk: 52
By “blue caps”, Ed is referring to the color of the caps that come on the milk bottles delivered by our beloved Munroe Dairy.
So, how did they get there? Mixing of course. Mix skim milk with either 1%, 2% or whole and increase the percentage of skim until you finally become an all blue-cap household! By the way, my friends Ed and Liz, and their two girls, made this switch in a three-day time period! So, you can do it too.
Improving Your Chocolate Milk
My spinning instructor, Alicia, is also a Munroe Dairy fan. While she likes them for their skim milk and Rhode Island farm eggs (just as I do), she does indulge in a little chocolate milk for her girls. (My son loves chocolate milk too!) Most chocolate milks that we’ve scored at NuVal score a 26, which is quite low when you consider that the average score for milk is a 60. So, to make it a little more nutritious, Alicia mixes it with skim milk. Great idea! I always think that flavored milks are a great way to get milk into a kid. Alicia’s trick is very creative.
Getting More Protein in Your Morning Cereal
In yet another conversation last week, this time with my friend/neighbor/morning babysitter Eileen, she told me an interesting story about Special K. She has been trying to switch her husband from regular Special K (NuVal score of 23) to Special K with Protein (NuVal score of 53). Problem is – he’s not crazy about the taste of Special K with Protein and really prefers the original. So, to make it more palatable for him, Eileen mixes the two. What a great idea! I wonder if my daughter influenced her. She loves to make cereal mixes. Or perhaps it was her own three kids. Nevertheless, it’s a great way to get to one of those higher-scoring cereals. Don’t think you can stomach a whole bowl of Shredded Wheat? Throw a few into your regular bowl for extra fiber.
Question of the Day
What strategy have you used to trade up (or to get your kids/spouse/significant other) to trade up for better nutrition?
Baby Update
For those of you following the baby watch, my sister-in-law, who comments here almost daily as “c neroni” gave birth to a healthy baby boy last night. Benjamin David weighed in at a sturdy 8 lbs. 6 oz. I’m sure that Christine’s nutritious eating had something to do with it!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Milk, Special K
Tags: cereal, Cereal for Grown-Ups, Milk, Special K
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 06:52 AM
Hello Bloggies! Welcome to Trade Up Tuesday! Every Tuesday, here at A Better Bag of Groceries, I blog about a Trade Up I’ve made since learning about NuVal scores and I give away something for free. It is a great day to visit! Today, in honor of the new year and all those Special K and Weight Watchers commercials that come around at this time, I am hosting a Special K/Weight Watchers Giveaway. This is a fantastic giveaway!
First, in this giveaway, there is a Weight Watchers Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipe Cookbook. It’s brand new, so it has the all new PointsPlus values on every recipe. I flipped through and the recipes look amazing. The Weight Watchers staff who wrote the cookbook suggest Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Red Wine-Mushroom Sauce, Cheese-burger Penne, Spinach-Artichoke Pizza and Italian Wedding Soup. The Chicken Scaloppini on the cover looks pretty amazing too. Who couldn’t spend a couple of weeks counting a few Weight Watchers Points – especially after the holidays? I know I hop back on that wagon every now and then just to make sure everything is in check.
On to Special K. NuVal is one of the the greatest myth-busters when it comes to food and Special K is no exception. Special K (the Original Special K) has long been thought of has a “healthy” cereal. It’s one to turn to when you want to “go on a diet.” And while the Original is low in calories, it only scores a 23 on the NuVal scale.
Most of the other Special K varieties score rather low as well:
Special K Red Berries scores a 20:
Special K Chocolatey Delight scores a 21.
Special K Granola scores better with a 30
But if you really want a Special K cereal that packs some punch – and some nutrition – you should try Special K Protein Plus. It scores a 60 on the NuVal scale!
To Enter
To Enter today’s Giveaway, all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me something you resolve to do in 2011. (It does not have to be food-related and it is OK if it is just to continue one of the great habits that you have already mastered!) I’ll choose one lucky winner at random at 8 am Eastern Time on Wednesday January 5th so don’t delay! Good Luck Everyone!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Special K, Trade-Up Tuesday, Weight Watchers
Tags: New Year, Special K, Trade-Up Tuesday, Weight Watchers
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 06:55 AM
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday, my weekly feature where I tell you about a Trade-Up I’ve made since learning about NuVal and where I give away Free Stuff! Today I’m featuring two products that were not in my pantry on January 1st of 2009, but will most certainly be there on January 1st of 2010.
First, what would a New Year be without Special K? Have you turned on the TV lately? December 26th begins the unofficial “Diet Season” and all the commericials begin. I don’t watch a lot of regular TV (I’m a Netflix fan) but I suspect that this Special K commercial will be airing. Did you know that Special K, while low in calories, only scores a 23 on the NuVal scale. Special K with Protein, however, scores a 60! I find it to be much more filling and satisfying too! That’s why it made my Top Ten Favorite Foods. So, if you’re getting sucked in my seductive Special K commercials, be sure to pick the box that says “protein plus.”
Next, since it’s a holiday and all, I’m throwing in my favorite pita: Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Flour Pita Bread. This Super-Pita, which also made my list of Top Ten Favorite Foods, gets a NuVal score of 65, better than most whole grain wheat breads. My husband and our kids love this pita also and we go through at least 2 packages every week.
Today’s GiveAway:
Since I’m giving away not one but TWO fabulous prizes on this Give Away, I’m asking you to do Two Things. To enter the drawing, just:
- Tell me one of your New Years’ Resolutions
- Go to www.nuval.com, find a score that you find interesting, and come back here to tell me about it
Enter both of these things in the Comments section and you will be entered to win TWO boxes of Special K Plus Protein and TWO packages of Joseph’s Pita. The contest closes at 11:59 pm Eastern Time tonight! Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Special K, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: New Years' GiveAway, Special K, Top Ten (Mommy)
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
