Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 07:11 AM
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday! Every Tuesday, I blog about a trade-up I’ve made since I learned about the NuVal scoring system and I give away something for free. It’s a great day and lots of people tune in. Today is a special edition of Trade-Up Tuesday because I wanted to celebrate! I just discovered that this little blog is shattering its readership record! Yup, it’s true. The top number of readers ever (in a month’s time) used to be a little over 12,000. And usually, the monthly readership hovers somewhere around 11,000. Well, this month (January 1st through January 31st, 2012), we broke that record. As of yesterday, 13,991 people had read A Better Bag of Groceries in the month of January. So, thank you all for reading – and for recommending ABBG to your friends.
I’m pretty sure we’ll go over the 14,000 mark by the end of the day today. So, to celebrate, I put together some of my favorite things for today’s giveaway. They are all high-scoring foods in their categories and they are all something that I discovered thanks to NuVal.
There are LaraBars…
Kind Bars
and Chocolate Twilight Delight
LaraBars are a staple in our kitchen pantry, but just a couple of years ago, I was asking, “Lara Who?” After my co-worker Tina introduced them to me, I was hooked. And they get great NuVal scores for a snack bar. In this giveaway, there is:
- Apple Pie LaraBar: NuVal score of 53
- Pecan Pie LaraBar: NuVal score of 40
- Cashew Cookie LaraBar: NuVal score of 32
My kids now love LaraBars too – especially the Apple Pie flavor.
Kind Bars are the snack that I am most likely to grab when I am at an airport or convenience store. I like them for a quick energy boost on the go. These also get great NuVal scores.
- Kind Nut Delight Bar: NuVal score of 66
- Kind Fruit and Nut Delight Bar: NuVal score of 28
- Kind Almond and Apricot: NuVal score of 23
To put those scores into perspective for you, the average score for a snack bar is a 24. So, all of these scores are at just about average – and some are much higher.
And then, there’s my favorite food group: chocolate! I need to have a little nibble every day. I remember the day that I found these Twilight Delight bars at Price Chopper with a NuVal score of 21. I was so excited! After all, the average score of candy is a 4. Here was a dark chocolate (my favorite kind of chocolate) bar with a NuVal score of 21. I was jumping up and down with excitement.
Now to continue my blog celebration here, I threw in one of our new NuVal long-sleeved t-shirts and a NuVal water bottle.
Isn’t this a great giveaway?
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky reader will win today’s giveaway with all of the goodies included. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what favorite goodie you would have included if it were your giveaway. In honor of the blog record-breaking today, I’m also asking readers to “pass the blog” on to a friend, relative or neighbor who may not know about A Better Bag of Groceries or NuVal yet. It’s an honor system kind of thing, but you can let me know if you passed it along. I’ll choose one winner at random at 8 am Eastern time on Wednesday. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 07:09 AM
Welcome to Trade Up Tuesday! Every Tuesday, I blog about a trade-up I’ve made since learning about NuVal and I give away something for free. This week, I was looking through my kitchen pantry and perusing what I store in there these days. I was thinking that I wanted to host a giveaway that consisted of products that are completely new to me since I learned about NuVal. I’m talking about products that I had never purchased (or even heard of) before.
- Quinoa: OK, full disclosure here. When I first came to work for NuVal in the fall of 2008, I thought that you pronounced it like it is spelled: “quin-oh-ah”. Wrong! It’s “keen-wah.” The NuVal dietitians taught me all these incredible things about quinoa. This seed is one of the few plant foods that contain all the essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Quinoa is technically a seed not a grain! As a complete protein it is equivalent to the quality of animal protein – providing the amino acid building blocks needed to support your immune system, wound healing, tissue repair, hair growth, and building hormones. In addition to protein, Quinoa is also a good source of B vitamins and other minerals. The seed is gluten free, making it a great food for those who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Most quinoa is grown in South America and the Inca Indians have been eating the seed, which they call “Mother Grain”, for over 5,000 years. This Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa scores an 82 on the NuVal scale.
- Flaxseed: I had heard of flaxseed, but what I didn’t know is that you need to eat it ground in order to reap the benefits. Yup. That’s another nutrition wonder that the dietitians here at NuVal taught me. Yes, flax is very nutritious. Two tablespoons of ground flax has about 3 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of health-benefiting unsaturated fats – most of which are omega-3’s. Your body can only get these fantastic fats from the ground form of flax. So when you see the seeds floating around on your bread or in your cereal – know you’re getting a great fiber kick, but the body simply can’t break them down to extract the omega-3 fatty acids. Also, try to avoid purchasing already-ground seeds as the fats are highly sensitive to oxygen and will go rancid quickly. The dietitians I work with suggest grinding them with a blender or coffee grinder as you go. This Bob’s Red Mill Natural Raw Whole Flaxseed scores a 91.
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: If you haven’t checked out my Catherine Katz recipe collection yet, you must do so. They are right up there under the recipe tab. Catherine has her own section and all of her recipes are winners. Her recipes for baked goods often call for “soft wheat flour” or “pastry flour”. This was something I could not find at my run-of-the-mill grocery store (not a NuVal-retailer, mind you). But once I found a retailer with a huge line of Bob’s Red Mill products, I found it! And now it is what I bake with all the time. I’ve replaced white flour with this whole wheat pastry flour in classic recipes, like toll house chocolate chip cookies and banana bread. And I’ve used it in new recipes, such as The Cleaner Plate Club’s Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies, Runner’s World’s Sweet Potato Muffins, and Harry Potter’s Pumpkin Bread. This Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour scores a 91 on the NuVal scale.
- Steel Cut Oats: I had made a lot of oatmeal before the Fall of 2008. And I made the real kind (in a pan, not instant). But I had no idea what Steel Cut Oatmeal was. Not a clue. Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled. They take longer to cook and they have a different texture. I actually have made them overnight in the slow cooker. There is nothing like waking to the smell of steel cut oats wafting through your house on a cold winter’s morning. For a moment, you feel like you’ve woken up in a cozy English cottage. These Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats get a NuVal score of 58.
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky reader is going to have a great chance to stock their pantry with some fabulous high-scoring foods. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me something that’s been new to your palate over the last year or two (or three). How did you learn about it? How do you cook it? How do you enjoy it? I’d love to hear. I’ll choose one winner at random at 8 am Eastern time on Wednesday January 25th, so don’t delay. Good Luck everyone!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Bob's Red Mill, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 06:58 AM
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday! Every Tuesday, I blog about a trade-up I’ve made since learning about NuVal scores and I host a giveaway. It’s a great day to stop by and visit.
I can’t believe I haven’t hosted my Hot Cereal Giveaway yet this fall! I guess it’s because we’ve had an incredibly warm autumn here in New England. Yes, we’ve been spoiled! We’ve been enjoying temperatures in the 50s and 60s during the day, so I haven’t really been breaking out the hot cereal too much just yet. However, I just checked the forecast and the cold is coming in by the end of this week. Even though I am not a big fan of cold weather, I’m almost a little glad. We have some favorite traditional holiday activities coming up this weekend, and it would be weird to do them in 60-degree weather. It’s hot cereal time!
NuVal definitely opened my eyes to some new hot cereals. First of all, notice that I say “hot cereal” and not just “oatmeal.” That’s because there are so many different varieties out there.
I grew up on Quaker Instant Oatmeal, the maple and brown sugar kind (NuVal score of 24) - for a very practical reason. My mom was (and is still) a nurse and she worked first shift – which begins at 7 am. So we went to our neighbors at some very early hour – it must have been 6:15 am – with our little packets of Quaker Instant Oatmeal in hand. And that’s what we had for breakfast. It was a habit that I carried forward. When I traveled a lot in my 20s, and the hotel buffets were ladened with croissants and ginormous bagels, I always kept some Quaker Instant Oatmeal in my work bag. And I still keep instant oatmeal with me at work. But when I do have time to make a real pot of oatmeal (or, excuse me, hot cereal), these are three that I have come to know and love.
- Hodgson Mill Oat Bran: NuVal score of 58
- John McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal: NuVal score of 55
- Hodgson Mill Multigrain Hot Cereal: NuVal score of 82
For the record, while I was researching the scores for this blog post, I discovered that Quaker has come out with a hot cereal called, quite simply, “Quaker Multigrain Hot Cereal” and it scores a 91 on the NuVal scale. I will have to try that one!
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky commenter will win all three of my favorite hot cereals. All you need to do is tell me something that you like to eat or do when the weather first turns cold. I mean really cold, like winter cold. I’ll choose one lucky winner at random at 8 am Eastern on Wednesday December 7th. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Hodgson Mill, McCann's, NuVal, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 06:55 AM
Summer, Summer, Summer!
My favorite season may not officially be here yet, but in our household we’re already getting an early start on enjoying it.
We’ve been to our favorite playground…
My son got to attend a clinic with the Pawtucket Red Sox and sleep overnight at the stadium in a tent. (So cool!)
And we even made an early trip to the beach in Newport, RI. (Yes, the water was c-c-c-old).
I mean there are things that I love about all the seasons, but summer is definitely my absolute favorite – hands down! So, for today’s Trade Up Tuesday giveaway, I thought I would giveaway my favorites when it comes to summer breakfast. And you know what? These are definitely brands that I did not know about until I started working at NuVal!
First, there is Alpen Muesli. This all natural Muesli with no added sugar gets a score of 81 on the NuVal scale! And I love Muesli! It’s like granola without guilt. I like to add blueberries or slices of nectarine. Yum!
Second, there is Nature’s Path Organic Heritage Heirloom Whole Grains Ancient Grains. These crunchy flakes score a 32 on the NuVal scale (above the cold cereal average of 27). I love them with ice cold skim milk and native strawberries.
And in the middle there is my favorite from Dunkin’ Donuts: Dunkin’ Dark. I was so happy when Dunks came out with this variety of darker-than-their-regular coffee. And the nice thing about this coffee is that you can enjoy it hot or cold. This coffee (or any coffee, for that matter) does not have a NuVal score, because we’re not scoring coffee since it does not have nutrients. But that does not mean I can’t give it away. 
Because for me to keep up with my kids this summer, I need two things:
- Energy (thus the muesli and the whole grain flakes)
- Caffeine (not too much, of course. just enough to get me going)
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky reader will win my Summer Fav Breakfast Giveaway. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me either:
- What you’re doing to kick summer off early
or
- Your favorite summer breakfast
I’ll choose one winner at random at 8 am Eastern on Wednesday June 8th, so don’t delay. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Breakfast, Summer, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 06:57 AM
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday! Every Tuesday, I blog about a Trade-Up I’ve made since learning about NuVal scores and I give away something for free! It’s a great deal. And today, I’m giving away a whole bag of groceries!!!
I was inspired to do this give away for two reasons. First of all, I like the idea of stocking up for the summer. We talked about it last week. Why spend time in the summer shopping? Instead, stock your pantry now, so you can just grab the ingredients you need when you need them.
My second inspiration for this giveaway came at exactly 5:40 am last Wednesday morning, while taking my friend April’s Muscle Class. I was seated in a wall squat holding a big heavy weight. Next to me was my friend Patty. “Hey, ” she said in the middle of her exhale. “I made that Chinese Vermicelli from your blog. It was awesome! I have another party this weekend. What should I make?”
“Avocado Salsa,” I grimaced. “Bring half to the party. Keep the other half for yourself. Cover it with plastic right on top to reduce browning and use it in wraps and on salads throughout the week. Do you think we can get out of this wall squat now?”
It was then that I realized that here on A Better Bag of Groceries there is a pretty extensive library of recipes that you can use all Summer long - for all those cookouts, parties, family gatherings and picnics. I suggest you stock up on a few shelf-stable items for your pantry, including those in the photo above.
And here is how I would use these items:
If you are going to a Big Cookout, bring Avocado Salsa. You will need the Lindsay Sliced Olives, NuVal score of 6. Don’t worry, the rest of the ingredients are very nutritious. This recipe, from my hair stylist, Karen, is to die for. It also makes a HUGE amount. So, as I told Patty, keep half for your own kitchen.
If you are going to a Small Evening Gathering (Like Book Club), bring Sarah Ferguson’s White Bean Dip. OK, we know that her daughterBeatrice missed Hat Class at finishing school. But this old recipe (and let’s face it, Sarah probably didn’t write it herself) is scrumptious. And you can whip it up easily after a busy day and serve it at room temperature. Use the Goya Cannellini Beans for this one, NuVal score of 57.
For Dinner with Friends, bring ice cold Chinese Verimicelli. They will like the spice. You will need the Barilla Plus pasta (NuVal score of 91). Again, save a little to bring for your lunch the next day. The protein in the pasta will keep you going!
For a Traditional Family Gathering such as Father’s Day or Grandma’s Birthday, I recommend Grandma Wood’s Potato Salad. See how I make this old-fashioned recipe more nutritious by reducing the mayonnaise and adding Greek yogurt. Grandma Wood taught me to add zing with a little bit of red wine vinegar. Vinegar does not get a NuVal score, however, because we are not scoring vinegar. Vinegar has no nutrients.
For Lunch With the Ladies, I have a special recipe coming from Catherine Katz this week. You’ll have to come back and see what she has in store, but (hint, hint) you’ll need that No Salt Added Corn, NuVal Score of 91.
For The Neighbors Who Drop in For Cocktails Unexpectedly, it’s always good to have a salty snack on hand. These Terra Chips score a 32. Not only do they score better than your average chip, they sure are prettier!
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky reader will not have to go shopping! That’s right. If your comment is chosen, you will get all of these ingredients mailed right to your house! Just leave a comment below telling me what special events you have coming up this summer. I’ll choose one winner at random at 8 am on Wednesday June 1st Eastern time. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Trade-Up Tuesday
