First off, let me just say I’m pretty happy the Eagles finally did it again. I heard fireworks and people hooting and hollering in the neighborhood! But….. that doesn’t mean I watched any of it. I was refreshing the score a tad obsessively near the end though…Wait, I lie! I watched this Chris Pratt commercial…twice, and I’m not apologizing. He makes me happy. Just following my bliss…hah.
It’s not news that I’m obsessed with grocery shopping. The food, the endless new products, the coffee bars, , the mini carts with cupholders to carry the coffee I just bought…The only thing I don’t love is the freezing temperature that somehow is not just in the frozen aisles. Another recent trip to Whole Foods was as delightful to be expected.
Also unsurprisingly, I love trying new healthy products and want to share whatever I learn. As much fun as it is to do some testing, it’s not great fun to spend my hard-earned money on something I don’t like and end up ditching. Thus, I’m a nerd who reads food reviews. Here are some of my own! Most of my new purchases are snacks. You know snacks are the best.
Ripple Half and Half
I’m usually into black coffee but lately I’ve been wanting just little bit of milk to smooth it out. If I ever add something to my coffee, I prefer real half and half for the richness it adds without the sweetness. There are a lot non-dairy creamers out there and I am underwhelmed by most of them. I recently discovered Califia Farms line and enjoy it but I’m not settled enough to stop trying new ones. I’ve seen Ripple milk for awhile but never saw the half and half until this weekend. Pleased to say it’s great for a creamy touch with only 1 gram of sugar per tablespoon and clean, pea protein.
Verdict: Great as a non-dairy sub for half and half. Not so great if you’re into sugary creamers.
Whole Foods Americano
Wow, I can’t believe I waited this long to get an Americano from the WF coffee bar. It was delicious just straight up, no cream. I’m still finishing it up cold because I’m weird and drink coffee any way I can get it.
Verdict: Bold. Yes, please. Trading it in for the Costa Rican blend I usually go for.
Black Sesame Rice Snaps
I love salt. I used to be a cracker addict. I could finish half a box of Cheez-Its in one sitting. The problem with that is it’s all chemicals, gluten, and artificial dyes. These rice snaps are not low sodium but they are gluten-free, crispy, and richly flavorful. The first word that comes to mind when I try to describe the taste is umami. According to Urban Dictionary, it’s definition is the pretentious way of saying the 5th human taste (salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and savory, aka “umami”) Sorry, I watch a lot of Top Chef…
Verdict: Satisfying as lunch topped with tuna and good with hummus or avocado as a snack.
Hail Merry Sea Salt Caramel Bites
I am doing a gluten detox for at least three months to get it out of my system and I really wanted something cake-like yesterday. It’s not that easy to find, even at a Whole Foods. No, this wasn’t the heavenly WF carrot cake that I was craving but these little, refrigerated cookies were good. Butttt, these were an impulse buy, fueled by hunger so I didn’t realize they were coconut macaroons. I was hoping for more of a crumbly/pastry-type cookie.
Verdict: I’d buy them again if I’m looking for a coconut taste and texture. The sweet caramel flavor was nice and I only needed one to feel like I had dessert.
P.S. This Cookie Dough Is Good Ror You
It’s edible, protein-packed, chickpea-based cookie dough. Um, duh. And, it’s in a nice little container for 190 calories. This is nice because I’ll admit I’ve bought those terrible, break-off pre-made cookie dough packs and popped them like candy…like you haven’t. I’m glad this is one serving. No need to have an endless supply of dough in my fridge.
Verdict: Peanut Butter Cookie Dough flavor was pretty amazing. If I didn’t know it was chickpeas, I don’t think I would have guessed it was conventional cookie dough.
Very enlightening! I love that you do all the reading and research so I don’t have too!
Thanks for reading as always! I think you’d like the cookie dough!