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01.21.06 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Many of us have been making "cheese chips" for a long time (melting cheese in the microwave until
it gets crisp) as a low carb snack. So when I first heard about the "Gourmet Cheese Crackers" from
Kitchen Table Bakers, I wondered what would make these different (or better) than the cheese crisps
we could make at home. Then I got the chance to try them and I knew they were going to be
a favorite!
Made from baked cheese, their varieties include Aged Parmesan, Sesame, Garlic, Italian Herb, Caraway,
and Onion Poppyseed. They're perfect little cheese rounds, lacy and crisp and seasoned to perfection.
All natural and handmade, these little gems come in at less than 1 net carb per 3-cracker serving
and contain no transfats, preservatives, or other questionable ingredients.
But the most important thing is that they're delicious. We had a hard time testing them with the group
because no one would wait long enough to put them through various serving ideas... people kept munching them
as-is from the container. And I guess that illustrates their best attribute — quick delicious snacks.
Now I did try them with chicken salad heaped on a cracker, as well as crumbled over a salad. Both
were terrific and I think you're only limited by your imagination with these crisps. My personal favorite was
the sesame, but everyone quickly chose their own favorite. The Italian Herb was amazing with a cool sour
cream dip, and the Caraway was very good with thin sliced deli meats (especially paper thin corned beef!)
As the holidays approach, don't miss your opportunity to serve these to guests and watch them disappear.
They come in 3-oz clear plastic clamshell containers that protect the crackers.
They're available in health food stores,
and online at
Netrition
02.24.05 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Living in the Carolinas for a lot of years meant that many Southern treats became a part of my
dietary fare. One of my favorites was always authentic Cheese Straws... But even though most cheese
straws are based on the low carb goodness of cheese, they usually have a lot of carbs because they're
also made with a substantial amount of flour.
And here's where Geraldine's Bodacious Cheese Straws come in... they offer a low carb variety that
are just as delicious as the full carb ones. When you bite into these decadent little straws, you're met
by a burst of tangy Cheddar flavor that slowly gives way to a kicky, spicy finish. They're positively
addicting and were the hit of a gathering Low Carb Luxury hosted recently. No one could believe they
were low carb. We had to keep showing them the box.
These little snacks have quite an attitude... and their ingredients are all natural. So when you
discover that the net carb count is only 4 grams for a generous 12-piece serving, you feel like
you've found something amazing. (Click here to see
their nutrition panel.)
The first ingredient is aged cheddar cheese, followed by real butter. And they're spiced with cayenne and
white peppers, plus paprika. We're waiting for the Bodacious Food Company to make low carb versions of their
Key Lime Bites and their Gingerbread Bites. Thumbs up, Geraldine! They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
04.12.04 :: Product
Recommendation & Review:
Now here's a treat we're thrilled to recommend because we're kinda hooked
on 'em here at Low Carb Luxury. They're the new low carb (sugar free / Splenda sweetened) candied pecans
from Megan's Pecans. I think these qualify as our latest
obsession. ; )
We first discovered them while attending the Natural Foods Expo in Anaheim last month. And we
couldn't get enough, so we knew we had to have our reviewers try them. Everyone agreed they're
a winner!
Megan's Candied Pecans come in four flavors: Caramel, Cinnamon, Orange Spice, and Butter Rum. Everyone quickly found a "favorite flavor"
but the Butter Rum came out in first place with the Orange Spice a close second!
One 2-oz serving (1/2 of a 4 oz box) is 8 grams of total carbs minus 5 grams of fiber for a net
carb count of 3 grams. They contain no sugar alcohols or trans fats.
Their stylish little containers make them ideal for gifts or adding to gift baskets, and we
found they were a great snack for "on the road" or on a plane. They're delish; they're low carb,
and they offer up all the health benefits of pecans. So what are you waiting for?
They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
03-31-03 - Product Recommendation & Review:
More than 2 years ago our team first tried Plantation Roasters gourmet
in-the-shell nuts you roast fresh right in the microwave. (You can read the original review here.)
So we were really pleased to learn that Plantation Sales of Alabama have now followed those products with the next logical thing — a
sweet version! Sweet Delights Roasters are now available, and oh gosh, you have to try these. Sweetened with Splenda,
rich in fiber (leaving very little carb-wise), and lightly spiced, these are amazing right out of your
microwave!
They're available in both Walnut Sweet Delights, and Pecan Sweet Delights. We can't tell you which is best, because we couldn't decide, but we can tell
you that not a single nut was left from anyone's servings! Like their predecessors, they only take about a minute
to roast, and the smell and taste are to die for. But Plantation didn't stop there. They've also released a
really decadent version of their original Pecan Roasters called Buttery Southern Style Plantation Pecan Roasters. They're roasted with real butter and sea salt. If you're nuts about nuts, you've gotta
try these newest varieties!
Carbs run between 2 and 3 grams for the full bag. They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
03-07-03 - Product Recommendation & Review:
We all love crunch; something a little salty; something to take a dip
or a salsa. One of the products we got to try recently certainly falls into that category and there's something about
these chips... They're different, but quite delicious — especially with a spicy salsa or a hot cheese dip. They're
CarbSense Tortilla Chips, and they come in two varieties: Original Flavor, and Pico de Gallo.
They're made primarily of stone ground corn flour, rice flour, safflower oil, and non-GMO soy protein concentrate, but are
also filled with the goodness of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. If you ever liked the "Blue Corn" varieties of
high-carb corn chips, you'll likely be a fan of these. They're a bit more rustic than your typical "Dorito" type chip, but
are very good in their own right. A single serving is considered 18 chips (more than I'd ever have), but for the 18-chip
serving, you rack up 8 grams of carbs after fiber.
They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur or
The Low Carb Dieter's Page.
01-06-03 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Now here's a treat that you can enjoy no matter what phase of low carb you're doing. In fact, they're less than
a gram of carbs per serving. We're talking about the new Sweet Cinnamon & Butter Crunchies from Gram's Gourmet. A couple of years ago, we posted a recipe for
Cinnamon Crispas...
pork rinds that you coat in butter, cinnamon, and Splenda. While I still love these treats, I rarely have
time to make them. This week, our little group discovered we don't always have to make them from
scratch, as we had a chance to try these Sweet Cinnamon & Butter Crunchies for ourselves. We give them
our stamp of approval. Very tasty and super, super low carb... with no sugar alcohols.
While we do wish they'd made them without using hydrogenated oils (otherwise they'd be a perfect product), we
found them to be definitely worth picking up a few bags to keep onhand. Lightly sweet, and very cinnamon-y,
they don't taste like pork rinds at all. They're available from netrition.
01-02-03 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
If you're like most of us, you are always looking for some extra "crunch" to add to your
low-carb day. We all kind of "grew up" on potato chips (of course, "grew OUT" is more like
it.) But knowing those potato chips are bad for us, and not still missing them are two very
different things indeed.
At a recent holiday get-together (that included both low carbers and non-low carbers), we
served both potato chips, and a bowl of the new Atkins Crunchers. We were surprised how many people ate the
crunchers when they weren't even low carbers. Some kept calling them "potato crisps" and
several people commented on how they were much crunchier than regular chips. The point is,
they're really quite good, don't get soggy, and hold up beautifully to dip!
Atkins Crunchers come in 4 varieties: Original (a plain chip most like a plain potato chip)
Nacho Cheese
Sour Cream & Onion
Barbeque
Our favorite is the original because they're easiest to serve with a variety of dips,
from bacon cheese dip to french onion. The Barbeque is also quite good with a very
tomato-ey slightly smokey taste. And the Sour Cream & Onion is spiced just enough to be
enjoyable without being over powering. The Nacho Cheese are VERY cheesey, so if you liked
that in regular chips, you'll like it here. I find them too cheesey for my tastes, but others
here really liked them.
They come in at only 4 carbs for an entire bag (I could never eat a whole bag) for the Original
and the Barbeque, and 5 carbs per bag for the Nacho Cheese and the Sour Cream & Onion. And only
about 100 calories per bag as well. They're made from soy protein concentrate, tapioca starch,
and sunflower oil (plus some spices), but none of us could really detect any "soy taste". In
fact, they taste more like potato chips than "soy chips" in our opinion.
They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
09-08-02 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
If you haven't tried the new Keto Chocolate Chip Biscotti cookies, you're really
missing something special. We have favorably reviewed their other flavors of
Biscotti (Vanilla Nut, Chocolate, and Lemon Nut), but these are even better.
Slightly more moist, and a bit sweeter, these seemed to us more a marriage of
classic biscotti with bakery-style crisp chocolate chip cookies. Try dunking
them -- they're to die for.
People are always wondering about items to take with them for packed lunches,
on airplanes... even to a day at the zoo. These are a super choice, and yes, they're
individually wrapped (and well-sealed.)
They're actually made with real eggs and butter and it shows in each bite. We
just loved 'em. They come in at 4 carbs per cookie after deducting for fiber. So,
what's not to love?
They're available from
Life Services.
06-28-02 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
As you know, we're real fans of Low Carb Cookies from Pleasantville Cookie
Company! And now that they've come up
with some great new flavors, and an even more delicious formula, we wanted to
call it to your attention.
Our favorite of the new flavors is without a doubt their Chocolate Crème de Menthe Cookies! The mint is cool and,
well... minty. And the chocolate is deep and rich. Bet you'll love 'em too.
Other new flavors we're enjoying are Vermont Maple Pecan, and
All American Peanut
Butter (that
now contain a hint of cinnamon ... delish!) And more new flavors are
right around the corner. Join their Cookie of the Month Club and you'll be in line to
get flavors like Wild Cherry,
German Chocolate,
Pumpkin,
Strawberry
Cheesecake,
and Red
Velvet.
And notice (in the photo above) the cute little foil-paks their new "Snack Packs"
now come in, making them super-fresh whenever you want a few cookies! Keep them
in the car, your desk at work, or pack them in lunches! We're nuts about these cute
little paks.
You can read more about them or place an order from Pleasantville Cookie Company.
A small portion of the revenue from sales of these cookies will help to support
our site. We think you'll truly love 'em. We do!
06-13-02 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
In January, we published our review of the original Keto Italian Style Biscotti
Cookies (Vanilla Almond and Chocolate.)
We still love 'em, so we were happy to hear a new flavor was on the horizon.
At long last, the new Keto
Lemon Biscotti are here! They're lightly
sweet, crisp and tender, and refreshingly lemon-y. They're a delicious grab-and-go
snack, but are also yummy with my personal favorite "dip" -- sweetened mascarpone
with a drop of lemon extract. The double lemon decadence is so good. Try
it and see if you agree. (It works with Double Devon Cream, or Crème Fraīche also,
but then I'm a sucker for the rich European butters and creams.)
But just like the other Keto Cookies, the lemons are superb crushed and mixed with
melted butter to make a great pie shell. It's especially great with cream pies.
At 4 effective grams of carbohydrates per serving, these are both a great
carb bargain, and delicious. We highly recommend these cookies!
They are available from The Low Carb Connoisseur, Greenbeanz, and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
02-07-02 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
We originally ran this review
April, 2001, but hearing of improvements to these chips, we tried them again. They
are super-crisp now (even more than before!) and hold up better to drizzling with
hot cheeses or sauces. The flavor is enhanced as well. In fact, we found such an
improvement, as is our usual practice, we are re-newing this review with a stronger
recommendation. This is true for their Keto 4-Cheese Pizza Chips as
well. See that review here.
Forget what you might expect from a low-carb chip. Forget that it will lack
crunch. Forget that it will be dry and tasteless. Instead, remember what it
was like to indulge in a big plate of nachos covered in seasoned beef or steak,
tomatoes, green onions, sour cream, perhaps some peppers, and lots, and lots, and lots of
cheese? That's the dish our group indulged in this weekend. And we enjoyed every
bite. The reason? The new snack chips from Keto -- aptly called Keto Chips. They're crisp, thin, FRIED
little rounds (think Frito-Lay's Tostidos) and come in three varieties:
Classic Corn Tortilla
Flavor, Nacho Cheese Flavor, and Cool Ranch Flavor. And like high carb chips, these
things are addictive!!
Okay, first the nachos -- here's what we did. We made a "run for the border"... that's
right. A trip to Taco Bell, where we bought a buncha (that's the technical term) orders
of Nachos Bel Grande -- no beans, extra meat. We got half with regular seasoned
ground beef, and half with their mexican steak. Then we hurried them back to the
Low Carb Luxury kitchen, and tossed the original high carb chips. Instead we indulged
in this delight with the Keto Classic Corn Tortilla chips. Absolutely fabulous.
I plan to make this a regular part of my diet from now on.
Then there's the flavored ones -- the Nacho Cheese and the Cool Ranch. The Nacho
were the favorite by 2/3, but it should not diminish that the Cool Ranch was also
good. It's just that the Nacho Cheese is so good. I have to hand the bag
to my husband at some point and say, "don't let me have any more" because I won't
stop popping them into my mouth. But I'm allowed quite a few since 1/5 of the [large]
bag is only 3 grams of carbs. We all preferred the flavored ones as-is rather than
with dips, but the plain ones made excellent dippers, so if you've been looking for
a great chip to use with all these great low-carb dips, here ya go.
Now, let's look at why they're so good. It's really two things that
stand out in plain notice -- first, they are not fat free. In fact, they'll
leave you with the same oily hands that any good chip will. It makes all the
difference... And second, they do contain corn. They taste like
corn because they are corn. Just enough corn to make them authentic, not enough
to make them high carb. The addition of sea salt (the really fine-textured stuff that's
the mild-kind of salty) is also a big bonus with us. They're full of fiber and protein
and contain NO trans fats (the real Tostidos are not only high carb -- they contain
trans fats [hydrogenated oils] as well!) Keto Chips do contain soy.
We highly, highly, highly recommend these chips. Did I mention we loved 'em?
All varieties are available from The Low Carb Connoisseur, and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
02-04-02 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Looking for a little treat that's super-crunchy and sweet?
Look no further than the little foils paks from Lean Protein Bites. If you were one of those
people that liked carting around a mini-box of sweetened cereals and munching
on them dry, these are pretty close to the same thing. (I used to be a real
cereal-crunch junkie, so I so relate to this!)
They come in three varieties -- Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, and Peanut Butter. They contain no glycerin, and
come in at either 1 or 2 carbs per 1-oz foil pak serving (depending on flavor)
as well as giving you 14-16 grams of protein.
They're handy, they're crunchy, they're tasty, and they're very low-carb. What's
not to like? They're available online at The Low Carb Connoisseur, at netrition,
and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page, and
at Greenbeanz Low Carb
Superstores.
01-09-02 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
With a surge in popularity over the last decade via their appearances
in Epicurean cafes, specialty gourmet retail shops, coffeehouses, and tea-rooms,
it's likely you are already familiar with Biscotti, but in case you aren't...
When one looks-up the word for "biscotti" in the Italian dictionary, one finds
the definition is 'biscuit' or 'cookie'. The word biscotti means:
"bis =twice"; "cotti=well done". Traditionally, biscotti are twice-baked, in a loaf and then by
the slice, to make them dry, crisp and hard enough to be dipped without getting soggy.
Biscotti is similar to its European cousin "kamishbrot" or "mandelbrot" (which
translates to "almond bread"). Mandelbrot is usually oil based (a concession to
Jewish dietary laws). Biscotti can be butter based or oil based. Mandelbrot is
usually filled with walnuts or almonds and flavored with a bit of cinnamon.
Biscotti is usually crispier than mandelbrot due to a longer second baking.
All that said, coffee-house biscotti is pretty high in carbs and sugar, so if
you fell in love with these crisp little gems, you might be sorely missing them
now. I know I was. Once again, the folks at 
come to the rescue with a remarkably identical low carb version of
Italian Style Biscotti
Cookies that come in at only 4 carb grams
apiece.
Keto Biscotti are currently available in two rich flavors --
Deep Chocolate, and Vanilla Almond (with substantial pieces of toasted
almonds inside.) Just plain or dunked in coffee or cocoa, we liked the Vanilla Almond
best (and they're more traditionally crisp.) The chocolate (slightly crunchy on
the outside, but chewy on the inside) are best with an accompaniment. Our favorite
was to soften and warm cream cheese with a hint of sweetness and one of the following:
Mint (fresh or extract), Orange (we used Keto orange marmalade), or raspberry (fresh or
sugarless raspberry preserves.) These three flavors married effortlessly with the
rich semi-sweet chocolate of the biscotti for a heavenly treat.
Been missing Oreo-Crumb crusts? Crush 4 chocolate biscotti with melted butter and
a little Splenda and press into a pie plate or cake plate. Then add your
favorite low-carb filling for pie or cheesecake for a chocolately treat!
The biscotti store and travel well and are great as snacks on long flights or drives or
anytime you don't want to deal with purchased food. Each carton contains 8 - large
34 gram cookies (approx. 6.5 inches), individually wrapped for freshness.
Keto Biscotti Cookies are available at Life Services and soon from The Low Carb Connoisseur, CarbSmart, netrition,
The
Low Carb Dieter's Page,
and Greenbeanz Low Carb
Superstores.
11-08-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
The good folks at Keto Foods couldn't have found a better time to debut
their newest snack treat. The holidays are always a time of challenge -- both to
stay true to a sugarless lifestyle, and to find treats to serve at parties
and to give and share. This season, you're going to want to try the new
Nuts!
They are scrumtiously
delicious chocolate coated gems that come in at only 2 carbs per serving
(1/4 of the jar) after fiber. And before you start thinking, "great ... more sugar
alcohols...", think again. They've actually managed to make a slick, rich
chocolate coating without the use of sugar alcohols (maltitol, lactitol,
sorbitol, etc.) Nope, no glycerine either. They are sweetened with sucralose
(Splenda) and are made with rich cocoa powder. Offered in Almonds, Macadamias, and Pecans.
My personal favorites are the almonds, but then I have a "thing" for almonds.
Choose your favorite nut and you won't be disappointed. The jars are even "cute"
and will not only make them easier to carry in your purse or keep in your office
desk drawer, but will also display well in a little gift basket of low-carb or
sugar free goodies. Add all this to the fact that nuts are amazingly healthy
(fiber, vitamin E, and rich in monunsaturated oils), and you have a can't miss
treat to stock up on this holiday season.
Keto Nuts are available at Keto Foods - Life Services and soon from The Low Carb Connoisseur, and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
11-04-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Here's a must try product that I dragged home from California (yes, they made
it past airport security) for my review group to sample. Everyone was as
impressed as I was, so we hope you'll also love the new Sunkist® Almond Accents from
Paramount Farms as much as we do.
Almond Accents come in six tangy flavors, so there's something for
everyone: Bacon Cheddar, Garlic Teriyaki, Italian Parmesan, Ranch Style, Nacho Cheese, and Roasted Garlic Caesar.
So is it a snack food, or a recipe ingredient? Or perhaps a garnish? Well, it's
all three! These thin little almond slices are "frosted" with spices and rich
flavors and retain a respectful crunch no matter how you use them. They're
ideal as a crouton stand-in for your salads, delicious as a topping on stir frys,
and add a whole new dimension crumbled over chinese dishes (try the Garlic Teriyaki
on Moo Goo Gai Pan -- it's to die for!) But they're wonderfully crunchy little snacks
all by themselves too. And since they come in recloseable foil-paks, they're ideal
for on-the-go snacking.
They do contain a trace of sugar (it's after salt in the ingredients) and come in
at ONE carb gram per Tablespoon serving. (If you ate 1/4 of the bag you'd get less
than 5 carbs after fiber.)
We found them in the produce area nestled with lettuce and other salad veggies.
Several stores had them in the same location, so I'd guess this to be standard.
As I said, we found these in the Los Angeles area, (and we've since found out they're
available at some or all of the Dominick's stores in the Chicago area), so check
to see if they're in
your area too. They provide an 800 number for additional help and
information: 1-800-528-6887.
09-25-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
This past April, we reviewed the crispy new low-carb corn chips from Keto
that changed the way we snack. Now, five months later, Keto has released
a scrumptious addition to the line --
4-Cheese Pizza Chips! Rich with traditional pizza
seasonings (tomatoes, cheeses, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and more), these
chips deliver big-time, but still at just 3 carbs per serving (after fiber).
A serving is 1/5 of the bag, so it's a generous serving, too!
You might want to think about making Baggies full of these for adding to
lunches or for snacking in the car. They might make another great take-along
for movie going as well.
If you love that mix of Romano, Parmesan, Cheddar and Jack cheeses, this is
the chip for you. For a real treat, try these dipped into cool ranch or
bleu cheese dressings, or melt some shredded mozarella over them (hey, that
would make them 5 Cheese!) 
Keto 4-Cheese Pizza Chips are available at Keto Foods - Life Services or from The Low Carb Connoisseur, and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
07-25-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
One of the things I talk about a lot when evaluating new products is a need
for things that offer "crunch" and "dip-ability" (okay, so that's not a word,
but it should be!) And now to our list of favorites (Keto Chips, Low Carb Chef
Crackers, and Keeters), we now add a newcommer.
They're Racquet Chips from Ultra SSnacks (no, not a typo -- it's a double-s.)
Made primarily from wheat and oil (non hydrogenated, thank goodness), you'd think
it would be higher carb, but because it contains no sugar and is so super-puffed
with air to give tons of c-r-u-n-c-h, it manages to fit nicely into a low-carb
diet when you need a little something to serve with a favorite dip.
They're surprisingly tasty and you can serve 'em to anyone. The carb count is
4 carbs per (5.2 gram) 6-chip serving. So at 2/3 of a carb per cracker, don't
go crazy, but enjoy a few when you want something crispy and different!
Racquet Chips are available online from The Low Carb Dieter's
Page or The Low Carb Connoisseur.
07-18-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Since 1936, the two most popular Girl Scout Cookies have always
been the shortbread trefoil and the thin mint. And while I can't help
you with the Thin Mint right now, we just have to tell you about
the new Shortbread Cookies from Low Carb Chef that rival their Girl Scout counterparts to
an eerie degree of accuracy -- but without the sugar and carbs!
Soft, delicate, lightly sweet
and rich with a butter flavor, no one served these would guess they were
anything but "regular" cookies. If they were in the traditional trefoil
shape, rather than these cute little stars, people might believe them to
be the original Girl Scout variety. (And yes, we are talking about the original,
soft, buttery version of the GS cookies, not the later, more commercial one.)
These remind me of the cookie-press cookies my mother and I used to make
for the holidays when I was little. They come in at about 1 carb per cookie
and have a subtle hint of orange and almond flavor, but most strongly boast
their butter taste. They are sweetened with less than 1 gram of maltisorb per cookie
(maltisorb is a brand name for maltitol.) Try dipping them in a bit of the
Walden Farms Chocolate Syrup we just reviewed. MMMMMmmmm...
As always, Low Carb Chef bakery items are available
online from The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
07-02-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Hot on the heels of their last snack chip success (Keto Chips), those little
low carb food elves have now come up with another innovation --
KeetersTM
! Long, crispy snacks
that are eerily reminiscent of Fritos®, these little gems come in the same
familiar flavors:
Original Corn Flavor
Hot N Spicy
Bar B Q
Billed as "Soy-Corn Chips", (and they do contain corn meal for a rich real
corn flavor), they also contain almond meal and whole grain to achieve a
great snack taste and lots of crunch! The Bar B Q were our favorite (as we
really liked the seasonings they use,) but all were good and the plain variety
made super little dippers (for everything from Salsa to French Onion.) The
Hot N Spicy are just that. So if you go for a bit of heat, these are for
you.
Each bag contains 2 servings at 3 carbs each. Now you can have crispy
chips with your burgers and chicken through grilling-out season!
KeetersTMare available from
Keto Foods - Life Services or from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
05-18-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
I spent a few minutes looking at a blank page trying to decide how to describe
how amazingly good these new low-carb crackers are without "gushing" and
sounding silly. Okay, I give up. I wasn't two bites into these crackers before
I'd decided these were some of the best crackers I'd ever had. I asked Richard to
hide 'em in the cabinets until our review group arrived so I wouldn't just eat them
all myself. This particular meeting -- a midweek one -- was shorter than most
and it's just as well. We ate all the "evidence". What crackers are these?
They're the new Low Carb Chef Crackers. (The label modestly calls them "Sugar
Free Plain Good Crackers".) You'll note the back of the package lists garlic as
an ingredient, but don't take that to mean they taste like garlic. It's more
of a subtle "trace" -- you can pick out a slight distictive taste, but if you
don't check the ingredients, you're unlikely to realize it's garlic. They are
super-crisp and lightly salted with a hint of sweetness to them. Made with a
mixture of whole wheat (unbleached, unbromated!) and soy, you won't taste the
soy. If you think you are turned off by things with a soy taste, this one will surprise
you. Serve them as you would any other cracker -- with cheeses; with dips; with deli
meats. Each bag offers up approximately four 7-cracker servings that amount to
4 total carbs per serving -- less after reduction of fiber and small addition of
maltisorb. My only concern now is that you guys will go buy all the crackers and
there won't be any left for me. : (
These amazing crackers are available online from The
Low Carb Dieter's Page
or The Low Carb Connoisseur. Order lots. If you don't, you'll wish you
had.
04-16-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Here's another product that's been on the review schedule for some time. The
Just The Cheese Snacks from Specialty Cheese Company of Lowell, Wisconsin really are
a cheese-lover's dream. You get the very robust flavor of cheese with the crunch
we all adore. And there's a variety for just about anyone.
Choose from: |
|
- White Cheddar
- Lower
Sodium (Salt) White Cheddar
- Herb 'n Garlic
- Sour Cream 'n Onion
- Jalapeno
- Nacho
- Pizza
- Honey Dijon
|
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It almost goes without saying that they're super low in carbs... there are no
fillers here. These little crispy bits are just 100% natural cheese and spices.
There are no preservatives, no colors, nothing but cheese. At less than 1 carb per
serving, packed with protein and calcium, and filled with oodles of taste, these are
must-haves at our house. Some of us like 'em crumbled in salads and one of our
favorite things is to coat strips of roast beef in soft cream cheese and then
roll in crushed honey dijon Just The Cheese pieces. Yum! They come in both crunchy
strips and little puffy "rounds" (kinda like mini-rice cakes, but crunchier and
healthier!)
All varieties are available online
from The Low Carb Connoisseur, and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
04-16-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Continuing with our project to evaluate some of the products that have been
around for awhile (but that a surprising number of people don't know about),
we included an off-beat little treat appropriately called Psyllie Snax to our testing. And while
it was no surprise to me personally (I've been enjoying them for over a year),
many of our members had never tried them.
So, what are Psyllie Snax?
Well, they're crisp (VERY crisp) little crackers made from fiber-rich
psyllium husk powder! That means their fiber content nearly equals their
carb content so they're extremely low-carb, yet bursting with taste.
Now, don't be alarmed -- they're ugly little things that look like they've
been burnt to a crisp because they're dark brown. But since a generous, (dozen-chip)
serving of Psyllie Snax offers up less than two grams of bioavailable
carbohydrate (carbs minus fiber), they're worth a little ugly -- because they
taste really good.
My personal favorite is by far the Sweet Butter Crisps (they're such a treat for me!), and
my next favorite is the Onion with Seasame & Flax (I think they taste like French Onion Dip),
but others in the group were fond of the Garlic Parmesan (you have to really like garlic),
and the Spicy Sesame (a sort of a curry/pepper taste).
They're tasty with a sour cream or cream cheese dip, and I like the Onion ones
with a robust bacon dip! They contain no chemical preservatives, no soy,
no MSG, and of course, no sugar. Psyllie Snax come in handy little resealable
pouches, so they're exceptionally portable.
They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur, and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
03-12-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Now here's a really fun snack, though we'll tell you from the outset, it's
not for those with a sensitivity to soy. Dixie Diner, the innovator in
soy snacks, brings us "Chocolate Lover's Soy
Rocks" -- fun
little clumps of sweet and crunch. Imagine dark chocolate covered
Rice Krispies and you pretty much have it. Except that these are
sugar free and lower in carbs. Now, if you adore dark chocolate, be careful
with these. You might get carried away and eat way too many - I did. It's
a good thing I had to share with everyone else or I'd have eaten them
all. They're "munchable" like potato chips (eek!) so be careful not to eat
the whole package. What they consider to be a serving is pretty hefty. It
would come in at 9 carbs after fiber reduction, but you won't need to eat
that many, would you? [smile] Seriously, they might be a tad high
if you're in induction or need to stay super-low, but if you can work in
the carbs, these little treats are a good way to "spend them". We found
them to be scrumptious.
They're available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
03-09-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
A week ago we reviewed the Jolly Rancher Splenda Sweetened ready-to-eat
gelatins. This week, we're reviewing the Canadian version -- the Hunt's Juicy Gels -- also Splenda sweetened
and also both tasty and handy to grab on the run.
Canada's gel-treat has a few advantages over ours, though. Theirs don't
contain ANY sorbitol and are a tad lower in carbs (they're 1.2 grams per
1-pkg-serving.) They do contain a bit of real fruit flavor (hence the 1.2 carbs
rather than carb free), but the taste makes it worth it. Their second advantage
is that they don't need refrigeration like the Jolly Ranchers. And lastly,
they offer two varieties, not just one. They have Strawberry, as well as Orange. The flavors are intense since
they market to kids (as you can see from the packaging.
So as with the Chapman's Ice Cream, if you live in Canada, or can make the trip,
stock up on these!
02-27-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
I could not be more pleased to be bringing you this review! I have
been wishing for a ready-made sugar free gelatin for as long as I can remember.
The only choice until now has been either sugar free Jell-O (made with aspartame,
so they're out for me and many others who avoid all aspartame), and the
Cottee's sugar free gelatins (very tasty and sweetened with Splenda, but not
convenient for on-the-go.) Now, we have our answer! Hershey -- in a license
with ConAgra's Jolly Rancher brand -- bring us their new
Jolly Rancher Sugar Free Raspberry
Gel Snacks ! These ready-to-eat gelatins
come 6 in a pack and are
sweetened primarily with Splenda (there's a bit of Ace-K and sorbitol too, but
it's tiny.) They boast a very intense Raspberry flavor (much more fruit
flavor than in Jell-O brand!) and don't have the "soupy" consistency you sometimes
see in Jell-O.
They come in at 2 carbs per serving rather than zero, but you'll soon see they are
totally worth that measley 2 carbs. Delicious. Have them with whipped cream
and they are simply a delight. They are made by the folks that bring you Hunt's
Snack-Packs, so their little pull-off packs are the same - a stiff heavy plastic
with a better sealed top than Jell-O's. The same people also make the Swiss Miss
products, so we're keeping our fingers crossed for more Splenda sweetened sugar
free versions of these convenient snacks. At the present time, Jolly Rancher
Sugar Free Gel Snacks come in Raspberry flavor only. Remember to keep them
refrigerated for long-term (it's okay to have them out for short times like
carrying in your lunch!)
So far, we've seen them in Safeway, Giant Food Markets, Albertson's, and
Wal*Mart Supercenters. We expect they'll be most everywhere soon. Try 'em!
01-30-01 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
If you're anything like us, snacking on nuts is a regular part of the low-carb routine.
And why not? They're pretty low in carbs, tasty and versatile, and rich
in vitamins and minerals. But now, there's a new way to enjoy
your snack-nuts, and we found them to be delicious!
Plantation Sales of Fairhope, Alabama has introduced
their new line of
Plantation Roasters -- gourmet in-the-shell nuts
you roast fresh right in the microwave!
They come in paper packets sealed and "ready to nuke" just like microwave
popcorn. They take only about a minute to roast, and smell heavenly. But
these fresh roasted gems are head-and-shoulders above standard (cold) jarred/canned
nuts from the store. They are available in Pistachios, Almonds, and Peanuts (they
also have cashews, but there are substantially higher in carbs so we did not
review them here.) They're salted in the shell (don't ask us how they do this!)
If you're a nut-snack fan, you gotta try these! And don't feel guilty just because
you remember nuts were a no-no in your old low-fat days. Nuts,
are whole
foods and are actually nutritional powerhouses: they are one of the best plant
sources of protein and a good source of fiber. One ounce of almonds, for example, contains
more than 35% of the daily value of vitamin E, one of nature's most
powerful antioxidants, which is believed to play a role in preventing certain kinds
of cancer.
They're rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium, and they provide folic acid.
Plus, they contain a number of phytochemicals that may be associated with
prevention of major chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease
and hypertension.
The almonds are your best carb bargain, coming in at 3 carbs per serving. The
pistachios come in at 6 carbs, and the peanuts are 4 grams. All three varieties
are available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.
09-30-00 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Just in time for the holidays comes Cheeters Diet Treats
Crackers ! Made
with a blend of nut flours, these crackers -- which are really big
pack a lot of crunch and flavor for less than 1 gram of carbs per cracker (after
fiber.) They don't fall apart when you add spreads to them, and they actually
taste like the flavors they say they are. They come in six robust flavor
varieties: Onion, Garlic, Rye, Sesame, Plain and Sweet Cinnamon. ( I should note here that
the Garlic ones were the least favorite and some people did not like
them.)
You can use these just like you would have used their high carb grocery store
counterparts in your pre-low-carb days. For instance, the savory herb crackers
are ideal to serve on holiday or appetizer platters of cheese and crackers or
little cracker-wiches. They can also be crushed to make crispy coatings for
chicken or fish. Or have them with a bowl of soup or cool salad. Are you starting
to remember the ways you used to have crackers?
Then there are the uses for the sweet cinnamon variety. These ideas are even
more fun because they feel more decadent. I know your own imagination will
fly with these, but here are some suggestions: Try them broken into a small bowl with a splash
of cold half-n-half (these are very reminiscent of cinnamon graham crackers). Or
try crushing to make a "graham cracker crust" for your favorite pie or cheesecake
recipe. Add sugarfree buttercream frosting or Chocolate Hazelnut TWIST spread (see
our review of Twist) to make sandwich cookies. Or break and add them to low-carb
cinnamon-vanilla ice cream five minutes before the ice cream maker is done. The
list goes on and on because these crackers are so tasty and sturdy.
Cheeters Diet Treats are available online from The
Low Carb Connoisseur,
and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
08-13-00 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
This week we got the chance to try some new snack chips with a look and feel
similar to the familiar (high carb) triangular Doritos. From Breakthrough Nutrition comes the new Lean Protein Chips - little triangles of nearly pure protein
crispness that restore some of that great snack food "crunch" you've probably been
missing. They come in Cool Ranch and Sour Cream 'n Onion flavors and are great for packed
lunches, a movie snack, or on a
platter with your favorite dips!
If there's one drawback to these, it's that they strive to be (as the name implies)
"lean", so they are low in fat and lack one of the things we have come to like
about snack chips - a buttery, satisfying "mouth-feel". Many of our group didn't
miss it a bit, but for those that did, we tried an experiment. We sprayed the chips
with Butter Flavor PAM and popped them in the oven for a few minutes spread
out on a cookie sheet. It restored that familiar "leaves a little grease on your
hands" snack chip experience [wink].
Lastly, we tried crushing them to small crispy bits and tossing them over the top
of a casserole (we used an oven cheesy chicken casserole we were making for dinner)
and here I thought they were quite excellent (we used the Sour Cream 'n Onion flavor.)
They were also really good broken in pieces over a salad to add crunch in place
of croutons. In the future I think I'll try them on other things as well.
Whether "out of the bag", with a dip, crisped in the oven, or as an ingredient in
cooking, all of us found a way we liked them best, so for most of you, we think
you'll be pleased with these chips.
They come in 2 oz bags and each bag (2 servings) offers 19 grams of protein
per serving, but zero carbs. They are available online from The Low Carb Connoisseur, and The
Low Carb Dieter's Page.
08-03-00 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Are you a peanut fan? A lot of low-carbers are - they're satisfying,
low carb, easily portable, and nutritious. Even if you only kind of
like peanuts, you'll want to check out Whitley's Virginia
Peanuts ! My husband always loved
peanuts - in almost every form - but I was one of those people that could
take 'em or leave 'em. Now I'm thinking it's probably just because I never
really had great peanuts. These, however, are great peanuts!
As you can see from the illustration at left,
they're quite a bit bigger than 'ordinary' peanuts.
But more than that, while some peanuts can be "mealy" or bland, these are
uniformly crunchy. And the salted variety are not overly or under salted.
They are lightly dusted with a fine powdery salt that's just right. The
only problem will be trying not to overeat them!
They work out to 3 grams of carb per 1-oz serving after fiber. If you
haven't tried Whitley's, you haven't had a superior peanut! I'm lucky in that
my local grocer carries them, but if yours doesn't, you can order them
online at their
website. Their site also offers up club plans, case-buying, and other
foods including Virginia Hams and Bacon.
07-24-00 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Remember back in your low-cal days how you were told to chew gum to keep
you from nibbling? It's not a bad idea with low-carbing either. If you
enjoy chewing gum, or chew it out of nervous habit, it's a good idea to have
some on-hand that's a good quality sugar free variety. There are a lot of
sugar-free gums on the market. Most are filled with nutrasweet and/or
sacharrin, but we found a favorite for taste that's also Splenda sweetened.
The new Dentyne Sugarless Gum in traditional Mint flavors, and Cinnamon taste just like the sugared variety
and contain no sugar and no carbs. Look for them to start showing up in your
local stores. In the meantime, they can be ordered online from The Low Carb Dieter's Page.
06-26-00 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Starting on a low-carb way of life always means leaving behind those items that
are packed with sugar. This is a given. One thing I had not realized I'd miss
was a simple thing we take for granted. A sweet-pickle! While I was always a big
fan of a dill spear with a grilled sandwich, there were times when a sweet tiny
gherkin would really hit the spot. And my husband always made a terrific party
dish with paper thin beef, cream cheese and sweet pickles. I loved it. And now
that we've discovered these great new Splenda-sweetened
pickles from
Riviana Foods of
Australia, we're
back in business! Richard made up a batch of his "beef roll ups" (recipe to
be posted soon!) for our panel group, and everyone loved 'em. Sure proof that
these little gems couldn't be told from the "real" thing. They're great to
snack on too because they're not overly sweet, are very crisp, and have
a bit of "spiciness" to them as well. They work out to approximately 1/3 of a gram
of carbs per pickle, so are practically "free food".
These pickles are sold under the "Always Fresh" brand and can be ordered from
The
Low Carb Connoisseur.
12-29-99 - Product
Recommendation & Review:
Blue Diamond
that brings us all those great nuts (especially almonds) that so many
of us low-carbers enjoy, has a line of crackers out called Nut-Thins.
They're thin little crackers with a very buttery taste. The almond ones
(my favorite) remind me very much of buttered popcorn. They come in
Almond, Pecan and Hazelnut varieties. They contain no sugars or white
flour, but they are not "free" food, as they
do contain rice flour.
Before you see the nutrition label and have a heart-attack when you see the
carb count, it's because their "serving size" is for 16 crackers!
They work out to about 1.2 grams per cracker and I have found that 3-5
crackers is just right as an accompaniment -- especially when topped with
mounds of low-carb goodies. They are excellent with creamy butter,
chicken and tuna salads, seafood or french onion dips, cream cheese,
or soft cheddar. I'm sure you'll think of more uses. They have a very
rich, decadent taste so just a few will satisfy you. If you can't find them
in your local stores (they are sometimes with snack nuts and sometimes in
the snack-cracker aisle), try your local health food store. Nearly all
of them carry these nut crackers (or will by request.) You can also get them from
Sugar Free Marketplace (click on Low-Carb and then go to
the third page of items. It's under "Additional Foods".)
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