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04-01-04 - Product Recommendation & Review:
We're all about making things easier... so every time a product we've come to love and rely on makes a change towards
extra convenience, we want to herald that!
We've been loving Keto's hot cereals for awhile now. They're a great
warm treat in the morning and give us all a very welcome break from eggs and bacon. But Keto's made them even
more convenient since they now come in single-serve envelopes, just like instant commercial oatmeal.
Each 11-oz box contains 8 single-serve packets, and they're only 5 grams of net carbs (after fiber.) And if you're
counting calories too, they're only 160 calories to boot. Most importantly, they taste good... really good.
If you were a fan of oatmeal, you'll love these.
The packets are currently offered in three varieties: Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Blueberry and Creme (with sweet blueberry bits), and Banana Nut (with a rich banana taste
and fresh chopped nuts.)
Mix them with boiling water, and add butter, cream, sweetener.. whatever you'd like. The Old Fashioned Oatmeal
flavor is great with either fresh berries, or a drizzle of maple syrup or brown Sugar Twin.
Take 'em with you to work, school, or on trips. Keto understands convenience and we appreciate that! They're available directly from Keto Foods.
05-03-03 - Product Recommendation & Review:
I wonder if Mrs. Tony Tiger would have found her husband, Tony, to
be less of an animal without all the carbs and sugar in his diet? I mean, if he'd had Keto's version of
Frosted Flakes, he'd still have something Grrrr...reat!
Okay, all silliness aside, it's pretty cool to be able to sit down and enjoy that comfort food experience of
a bowl of crispy sweet frosted flakes cereal without cheating on your low carb regime. Keto now makes
these sweetly glazed treats in Original, Honey Nut, and Apple Cinnamon flavors.
I'm a purist, and I personally really loved the Original Flavor the best. It's good with cream, half-n-half,
or a little almond milk. The majority of our group, however, chose Honey Nut as their favorite (it has sliced almonds
in the mix), and with that one, it's not surprising that the best way to enjoy it is with a mix of cream and
almond milk. But top these cereals with your favorite milk substitute (Keto milk, soy milk, even a mixture of half-n-half and lite coconut milk can be great on cereal.)
Each 3/4 cup serving of flakes are sweetened with only 4 grams of maltitol, so you're unlikely to experience any
bad effects from the small amount of sugar alcohols. The flakes are made of soy protein isolate, wheat gluten,
almond flour, corn bran, and corn meal, making them a nicely grain-balanced taste. They contain 2 grams of fiber, and 9 total grams of carbohydrate. So if you deduct maltitol from your counts (plus the fiber deduction), they come
in at 3 effective grams of carb per bowl. If you don't deduct sugar alcohols, your total is 7 carbs per bowl. Either
way, it's another great carb-bargain for such a satisfying treat.
Try 'em and see if you don't think they make you feel like a kid again... Oh, and those cut strawberries you
always see on the package (of these and many commercial cereals), are actually quite delicious on the Original
flakes! They're available from The Low Carb Dieter's
Page, from netrition, and
from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
03-08-03 - Product Recommendation & Review:
In November of last year, we reviewed Keto's first three flavors
of hot cereal. We loved 'em and still do... but now there's more to love! We finally got the chance to try their
newest flavors, Blueberry & Creme, and Banana Nut. And these are real winners!
The Blueberry & Creme allows you taste both the rich fruity taste of the blueberries AND the taste of a fresh
cream (how do they do that?!)
It's terrific, but our favorite was the Banana Nut (which is now our favorite of
all the flavors -- new and old.)
The banana is even better when you add a little spice! I like nutmeg, but several others
preferred cinnamon. Think about what your favorite spices are in a slice of fresh banana bread and you'll know what
to try!
As with the other flavors, you're looking at about 3 carbs (plus cream, etc -- whatever you add.) Breakfast just
keeps getting better and better! They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur
or from netrition.
11-05-02 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Ahhh, comfort foods. Usually the domain of high-carb fare, we still find we crave these
foods that seem to feed our feelings as well as our bodies. Personally, I was a huge
fan (no pun intended) of hot cereals like oatmeal and cream of wheat. Their warmth and
creaminess sometimes made the world feel like a friendlier, easier place to be. It's the
reason so many of us have come up with ways to imitate those foods with low carb versions.
This week, our group got the chance to try the newest entry into this genre. Keto foods have
introduced hot cereals that are creamy and inviting. Coming in three varieties, Old Fashioned Oatmeal,
Apple Cinnamon,
and Strawberry and Creme, these cereals are not only low carb,
not only tasty, but also quite versatile.
First, let's talk about making these cereals. The package directions call for adding 2 scoops
of cereal to 3 oz boiling water. And this makes pretty good cereal. But we found that there
are far more options. Let's say we're making the Apple Cinnamon... my favorite (which contains real chpped
apple.) Try making it
with half water and half cream (heated, but not boiling.) Or try adding 1 tablespoon of ground
pecans, almonds, or walnuts to the cereal. Add a tablespoon of sugarfree maple syrup. Or a dash
of cloves. Add fresh butter or Crème Fraīche.
Whatever you do, the label suggests letting it stand
for 7 to 8 minutes after preparation before eating. You do need to allow it to have a 'stand' period,
but how long it stands before reaching desired thickness is dependent on what ingredients you
add and how thick you like it. (If you add the ground nuts, cut this time in half.) And when the
stand period is complete, zap it for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave to return it to a warm/hot
state.
If you're making the basic Old Fashioned Oatmeal variety, you can flavor it any way you wish. Keep it
plain, add some maple flavor and perhaps some brown Sugar Twin, or add some of the DaVinci Sugarfree
syrups (the Cookie Dough flavor makes it taste like you're eating a bowl of crushed oatmeal cookies,
and the Gingerbread makes it feel like holiday fare!) Feel free to heat the syrups and replace some
of the water with them. Thinly sliced toasted almonds are so good on the Old Fashioned Oatmeal variety.
The Strawberry and Creme variety (which contains bits of real strawberries) is ideal for adding cream to,
and is best when a little extra sweetener
is used. It goes without saying that adding strawberries to it is also a big hit. And one of our reviewers
went right to the fridge to grab some Keto strawberry jam to add to it. She was right... it was excellent
that way.
In short, for about 3 carbs (plus whatever add-ins you use) a really terrific comfort food awaits you.
Just the thing for these shivery cold mornings (or evenings before bed.)
They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
08-19-02 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
One of the things you'll see recommended on many of the "low fat" sites is granola,
either as bars, or as cereal and snacks. But "their" granola is usually composed of
honey, dates, raisins, hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, barley, brown rice
syrup, brown sugar... (actual ingredients on a brand package at our local health food
store, boasting "low fat".)
For the most part, granola is "out" for low carbers. But
it doesn't have to be, and as a former true-lover of granola, I'm pretty happy about
that! This week, we got to sample the new Cinnamon Nutrageous Granola Cereal from Low Carb Success.
Oh my goodness... We all just love
this stuff! It's so good, (though it can be really addictive, so please
pre-measure your serving and put that bag away!)
A 1/2-cup serving is 1 gram of carbohydrate after deduction of fiber and polyols
(maltitol.) (I'm counting each serving as 4 grams of carbs because I allow extra for
maltitol.) Still, a wonderful cereal or snack for an extremely low carb count!
They're made with pecans, almonds, wheat bran, flax seed, oats, and more. No preservatives,
no hydrogenated oils, and no sugar. Sweetened with Splenda and maltitol. So it's a great
source of those healthy essential fats, and gives you a great deal of fiber! All in
something this delicious.
You have to get this! It comes in resealable foil-pak bags (9-oz ea.)
You can order it online from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
09-15-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
I'm one of those people, that because I so loved traditional cereals before
low-carbing, always gets excited when I hear there's a new cereal that fits into
our way of eating. I first got word that a new line of hot cereals was going to
be debuting several weeks ago. I hoped they'd be great. But like all new offerings,
we waited to see. Obviously, since they've made our 'spotlight', we were not
disappointed. They were, in fact, quite worth the wait.
Dubbed Flax-O-Meal, these hot mix-n-eat cereals from
LowCarb Success are
filling, flavorful, easy to make, and exceptionally good for you -- on top of
being really low-carb of course! They come in hefty 14-oz foil bags (each makes 10
servings) and are available in four varieties: Butter Pecan, Vanilla Almond, Cinnamon & Spice, and Chocolate!
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Made with the goodness of ground nuts, wheat bran, flax seed meal, and other
wholesome ingredients, they come in at 2 carbs per serving after fiber reduction
and are unsweetened, so you can add your own personal favorite. The instructions
say all you add is water -- and indeed it comes out fine this way, but we tried
adding a Tablespoon of cream as well for a really rich result. Once made, you
can sweeten and eat as-is, add butter and half-n-half, butter and cream, or whatever
your favorite milk substitute is.
Our favorite as a group was the Vanilla Almond, then the Cinnamon & Spice and the
Butter Pecan and Chocolate varieties were tied, but pick your favorite -- you
aren't likely to be disappointed.
Lastly, yes, it's true, you can bake with these mixes too. Here's what we tried...
We took the recipe for Downeast Maine
Pumpkin Bread and substituted 1/2 cup of the Cinnamon & Spice Flax-O-Meal Cereal for
1/2 cup of the whey protein powder and it was delish! So we kept cookin ....
In the Gabi's Bread recipe we used
Vanilla Almond Flax-O-Meal Cereal in place of the 1/4 cup flax seed meal, and
1/4 cup wheat bran. It added a new dimension to the bread and came out great.
Lastly, to the Almond Cookies recipe,
we subbed 1/2 cup of the Butter Pecan Flax-O-Meal Cereal for 1/2 cup of the Almond Flour
and upped the Splenda by an extra 1/4 cup. Yum! Use your imagination.
You should be able to find these at stores like Whole Foods soon, and online from
The Low Carb Dieter's
Page and from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
09-04-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Were you a fan of Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies®? We were...
Of course since the original is filled with sugar, hydrogenated oils,
and high fructose corn syrup as well as being packed with carbs, it's not
exactly an option for a healthy diet anymore, now is it?
Once again,  comes to the rescue with
their new Cocoa Crisp cereal! It's super crispy,
VERY chocolatey, and hits the spot so well you'll fear you're cheating... but
you're not! At 3 grams of carbohydrate per generous serving, you can enjoy
being a cereal-loving "kid" again. Depending on your personal tastes and
carb tolerances, you can have it with either half-n-half, a cream/water mix,
Keto Milk, or Almond Milk. We personally have a new favorite here now -- we
mix 2 Tablespoons Keto Milk mix, 5 oz cold water, 8 oz plain almond milk,
and 1/2 cup heavy cream (plus a squirt of liquid sweetener or a packet of
Splenda.) I keep this mixed in the fridge at all times for an excellent "milk"
mix that's low-carb, low-dairy, and just delish. It goes GREAT with the new
Keto Cocoa Crisp cereal! Several of our "regulars" already swear they are
"hooked" on this cereal.
Like sugarfree/low-carb ice cream? Next time you make up a batch of vanilla,
sprinkle some Keto Cocoa Crisp cereal over the top before serving. Yummy...
Keto Cocoa Crisp cereal is available from
Low Carb Connoisseur, The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and Life
Services.
10-14-00 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
You might just utter an "I can't believe this!" the first time you
open, then pour, then taste, the new Keto Crisp Cereal. If you've gotten the impression they're
supposed to be like Rice Krispies , you'll be shocked
to discover just how right you are. Unlike the "real" Krispies that pack an
insulin shattering load of carbohydrates, these new crispy soy morsels
offer up a mere 2 carbs per 1/2 cup serving. But like "the real thing", they
are super crispy and will indeed live up to your cold cereal expectations.
But, do they taste like soy? Nope. I'll bet you could pour a bowl of these for
any child without letting them see the box, and they'd assume they were the usual
high-carb fare. I think our panel was more impressed with these than we've been
with any product in a long while. If you've been craving your snap, your
crackle, and well, you know the rest... buy this cereal. The folks at
 have really outdone themselves this time.
(And
as an added bonus, you can re-live the days when you sat at the breakfast table
mindlessly reading the cereal box as you eat. [grin] Yes, as you can
see, it's in a traditional cereal box with inner sealed liner... We had to
giggle when we realized a few of us were sitting there clutching and reading the
box as we ate!)
So... what's cereal without milk? Up until now, most of us have been satisfying
our milk needs with a cream/water or half-n-half mixture. In some places
unsweetened soy milk or coconut milk will do -- but certainly not for over cereal
where you really taste the milk! The answer is Keto Milk! It's in powdered form, but makes
up easily in a blender or a shaker. I've wished for a low-carb powdered milk for
some time now as all "non-fat dry milks" in the grocery are loaded with
carbs. The fact that this comes in a powder form and mixes in just a minute means
this is great for portability too. Several of the panel members intend to start
taking the cereal and milk to keep in their offices at work. With a shaker cup,
some plastic bowls and spoons, and a little Splenda to shake over the top, you
can have a bowl of cereal any time of day. By the way, want to see a close-up
of the cereal itself? We thought you would. Here's
a shot of it with milk and here's a shot
without milk. Look good?
 We made up the milk according to package instructions -- 1 scoop (the scoop
is included) for each 8 oz of cold water (the colder the better!). It's really
the perfect taste and consistency to match skim milk for your cereal in these
proportions. For drinking, we had mixed reactions. About half of us liked it
the way it was, and the other half prefered it with 1 Tbsp half-n-half added
to give it a little extra creaminess and dairy trueness. You'll have to decide
how you like it best, but at 1 gram per cup, you can add a little something if
you like. We did try this milk as Chocolate Milk (we used a packet of
Swiss Miss Splenda-sweetened Diet Hot Cocoa Mix), as Vanilla Milk (a little
vanilla extract and Splenda), and as Strawberry Milk (blended a couple of real
strawberries with Splenda.) I'm telling you, we loved them all! Get your
imaginations in gear, people. Use it anywhere you used to use milk and
the powder anywhere you used to use powdered milk.
products are available from
Low Carb Connoisseur, The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and Life Services.
03-25-00 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
One of the more interesting products to enter the scene for we cereal-challenged
individuals is Nutlettes! They are very crunchy little
soy based morsels that keep their
crunch through to finish and don't get soggy in
"milk". (Well, for most of us, that's the half-n-half we splash on, or a bit of
diluted cream.) They are dense, so a 1/2 cup serving is extremely filling. (You
know - one of those cereals that seems to "grow" as you eat it?) It comes in at
15 carbs per serving, but 9 of those are fiber, so we're left with 6 usable carbs
for a very satisfying treat indeed. I actually like these better than Grape
Nuts. They're a product of Dixie Diner and are available
from
The Low Carb
Connoisseur.
02-11-00 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Been missing cereal?
Before I began the low-carb way of life, one of my favorite things was cereal. I
loved it hot; I loved it cold. And while most of the things that I used to eat
have been easy
to replace or delete, cereal was the exception. I continued to miss it.
Now - I have some great substitutes that are simply wonderful.
First - for Hot
Cereals, here's
what I do. Open a package of Expert Foods' "not/Cereal" and prepare according
to directions. This amazing product -- made entirely from vegetable gums and
egg whites -- is a great source of fiber, very smooth and resembles cream of
rice. When it's nearly ready, add 1-2 Tbsp Gerber Dry Barley cereal for babies - yes, for babies!
An entire 1/4 cup is only 10 grams carbs (after fiber), so working in 1-2 Tbsp
is a breeze. It really makes the entire LARGE bowl of cereal taste like traditional
hot cereal! I add a bit of Splenda or Brown Sugar Twin and a splash of very cold
cream or half and half. Viola! A very low-carb bowl of creamy satisfying hot
cereal. Terrific for comfort food! The not/Cereal can be purchased online at
The Low Carb
Connoisseur.
What about Cold
Cereal? I've
discovered a fabulous cold cereal for only 4 grams per bowl! And
it's delicious.
The folks at Nutritional
Assistance, Inc.
have created Protein Crunch Cereal that can best be described as a cinnamon
flavored Grape Nuts-type cereal. It comes in
individual pre-measured 1/3 cup servings (the 4 grams of carbs per serving size),
and it
now also comes in a larger 10-serving size package. It's also great as a sweet,
cinnamon-y sprinkle of crunch to use over your low-carb ice cream, puddings, custards,
etc. But I think it can't be beat as a cereal. I empty it into a bowl and add
half and half and a smattering of very cold water. I also sprinkle a bit more
Splenda because I've always liked my cereal sweet. With your half-n-half, this
usually adds up to 5-6 carbs per serving. And boy, is it worth it!
For variety add strawberries, raspberries or blueberries to your cereal.
For a low carbohydrate, high protein pie crust blend Protein Crunch slightly in
blender and use in place of graham crackers in graham cracker/pie crust recipe
(do not add sweetener). Protein Crunch Cereal can be ordered online
from
The Low Carb
Connoisseur.
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