Lundberg Review and Giveaway
August 31, 2012

Lundberg Review and Giveaway

Lundberg Family Farms is a company that makes all kinds of rice products including pasta, rice chips, risotto, rice, brown rice syrup, etc. I have sampled their couscous and loved it.  This time, I requested a few products that I was interested in including short grain brown rice, porcini mushroom risotto, brown rice pasta, and country wild brown rice. The first product that I tried was the porcini mushroom risotto.  These products are organic and gluten free. I cooked this product in the microwave which cooks for 10 minutes, stir and then cook for another 10 minutes.  It was very simple to make which is great for a side dish since I was busy making the other parts of the meal. This product cooked to a nice texture. The flavor was alright. I was not very impressed and thought that it was a bit bland. I added some garlic powder and black pepper which helped some. I am someone who loves a lot of flavor so this one was not my favorite. I also tried the country wild brown rice whi

Dreaming Tree Wine Review
August 30, 2012

Dreaming Tree Wine Review

Dreaming Tree is a company that makes different kinds of wines. I was sent their three varieties to test out including chardonnay, crush and cabernet sauvignon. The first thing that I noticed was how nicely the wine was shipped. It was sent in a thick plastic almost bubble wrap. There was no way that these were going to be breaking on the way over! My husband and I had the most enjoyable experience sampling this wine.  We went to the Detroit Riverwalk which is right on the Detroit river. There is a nice walkway that we went to right around sunset. I had brought a bottle of the crush wine and we opened it up and poured us each a glass. We walked around on the Riverwalk while trying the wine. The wine was very flavorful. It was slightly sweet for a red wine. The crush wine is a mix of zinfandel and merlot. It is also said to have some smoky tones.  When we sampled it, it was actually slightly warm from sitting in our car but we did not mind. Here is some information about Dream

Purity Organic Juice Giveaway
August 28, 2012

Purity Organic Juice Giveaway

I first saw this Purity Organic juice when I was at a local sandwich shop with my mom. It looked interesting so I decided to contact the company to try their products. Come to find out, the owner actually used to live 2 streets over from where I live!  Also, his mom was the one who dropped off the juice to my house. Small world! I was sent a variety of their organic juices including lemonade, coconut water, grapeade, apple juice and more. I knew right away that my husband would like the iced tea & lemonade variety so I stashed that in the fridge for him. He has been studying for 4 tests this week and drank this as a little study treat. He really liked the tea. He said that it was slightly tart with the lemon and tasty. It has 160 calories per bottle or 80 calories per cup. I did think that this was bit high considering that most of the calories are from sugar. I really liked the lemonade. It was perfect mix between sweet and tart. Also, I enjoyed the grapeade which was refre

The Olive Press Review
August 27, 2012

The Olive Press Review

A tasty oil and vinegar combination can take a dish from okay to amazing. When I found The Olive Press and saw their flavored oils and vinegars, I knew that I had to try them.  I was sent the Multi Fiesta Pack which retails for $38. This pack comes with Champagne Balsamic, Mission EVOO, Limonato Olive Oil, Strawberry Balsamic, Blood Orange Olive Oil and Italian Blend EVOO. I love the wood case that these come in. It is pretty enough to store on your counter. The first one that I tried was the Limonato Olive Oil. I recently bought a ton of sugar snap peas on a great sale and decided to cook some of them up for dinner. I added about 2 teaspoons of oil to a non-stick pan, heated it up and added my pea pods. I cooked them for about 8 minutes on medium heat. They were very tasty! My husband and I were both a fan. It was slightly lemony and you could tell that it was a good quality oil. Limonato (lemon) olive oil The following night, I made us some giant salads with chopped rom

Planters NUTrition Peanut Butter Review
August 26, 2012

Planters NUTrition Peanut Butter Review

Planters makes a delicious peanut butter and when I was contacted to try the new Planters NUTrition peanut butter , I knew it would be tasty as well.  They come in three flavors including banana granola nut, cinnamon raisin granola nut and berry nut. These come in small 12 oz containers. The first one that I tried was the cinnamon raisin granola nut. The first thing that I noticed was a sweet cinnamon scent. The peanut butter is very chunky with peanut chunks, which I enjoyed. It also contains raisins and granola. I was shocked that it stayed crispy considering that it is within the peanut butter. The peanut butter was tasty and seemed more like dessert than regular peanut butter. I would use this in my plain oatmeal for some added sweetness and crunch.  Also, I think that it would be awesome on a banana. A two-tablespoon serving contains 180 calories, 6 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. It has rice flakes and crisped rice which gives it that granola crunch and flavor. Some

Ask the RD: Roasted Vegetables
August 24, 2012

Ask the RD: Roasted Vegetables

I'm guessing that most of you already know how to roast veggies but for those of you who do not, I wanted to share because it is one of my favorite things to make. It is so easy, tasty and lasts all week long. I've been loving to make roasted vegetables each Saturday or Sunday to eat in my lunches the following work week. That way I have healthy food prepared which helps me to include vegetables in my lunch daily. Some of my favorite roasted vegetables: - Green beans - Cook green beans at 350 degrees with a bit of olive oil. When finished cooking, toss with dijon mustard, vinegar and garlic powder. This is a family favorite that I make often. - Carrots - toss in about a tablespoon of olive oil and cook until slightly crispy. (pictured above before roasting). - Tomatoes - cut in half, sprinkle with pepper and a bit of salt and cook until soft. These do not even need to be flipped over due to the high moisture content. (pictured above) - Jalapeno poppers - This

Collage Review and Giveaway
August 22, 2012

Collage Review and Giveaway

Collage.com is a website that you can create large posters and canvas collages. I love decorating my new home and when I found this company, knew that it was something that I wanted to look further into. For my review, I created a 20" x 30" poster with my favorite pictures that I have taken in the last year. This poster retails for $29.99. It was very simple to create this poster. I just chose the pictures that I wanted to upload and then they were automatically added to the poster. I really like this feature because I don't like to spend a ton of time arranging pictures in something like a photo book. If you are not happy with the original arrangement of pictures, you can shuffle it or arrange them yourself. Cute sample collage from Collage.com I like that the pictures are made different sizes which makes a fun design. I chose the rectangle design but there are tons of other ones to choose from. There are animal shapes, words, people, holiday designs, etc. If

Le Palais des Thes Tea Review
August 21, 2012

Le Palais des Thes Tea Review

7 citrus Le Palais des Thés iced tea  Le Palais des Thés  is a company that sells all kinds of teas. For my review, I was sent 2 boxes of iced tea bags.  The leaves are in large muslin bags and brew in cold water in 1/2 hour (or less). I love tea and trying new flavors is definitely one of my favorite things to sample. This past weekend, I got to sampling and made a big mason jar of each flavor.  I tried them without sugar as that is how I usually drink my tea. I had my brother, dad and mom try both flavors. I made the 7 citrus iced tea and the minty iced tea. I really liked the minty iced tea. It was refreshing and not bitter at all. My brother liked this as well. My dad said that he is not the biggest mint tea fan but did like it. The 7 citrus tea was pretty good as well. My brother liked this one best. I added some milk to mine and enjoyed it that way. My favorite of the two is definitely the mint one though. Flavors of Iced Tea: •Thé du Hammam (green tea with

Boca Java Coffee and Tea Giveaway
August 20, 2012

Boca Java Coffee and Tea Giveaway

Boca Java is a company that sells different flavored teas and coffees. I love trying new kinds so when I had the opportunity to choose a few products to try, I tried to choose some that I had not had before.  When I saw the Maple Bacon Morning coffee, I knew that that was a must-try since it was so unique. Friday morning, I had had the day off of work so I brewed up some of this coffee for my husband before work and for my Mom and I for our errands that we were going to run.  I added 5 tablespoons for one pot since I like my coffee weaker than most people. I poured a cup to-go in a travel mug with some skim milk. The coffee was tasty but I did not taste much of a smoky flavor or a maple flavor. It was much milder than I would have expected. I liked it but wish that it had a stronger flavor of the bacon maple. The tea was excellent. As I type this, I am sipping a cup of the Caribbean green tea. It is very flavorful and naturally sweet without any added sweeteners. I am impressed

Ginger Mango Cocktail
August 18, 2012

Ginger Mango Cocktail

Typically, I am not the biggest cocktail fan but this one was tasty, sweet and refreshing. Try it! Ginger Mango Cocktail Makes 2 cocktails Ingredients: 1 cup mango juice (Juicy Juice is a good option) 1 cup diet Vernors (Canada Dry would work as well) 1 packet Sweet'N Low 3 oz tequila (I prefer the gold variety) Ice Combine all ingredients and enjoy! If you have a cocktail shaker, shake in there to make your drink extra cool for a hot summer day. This beverage is fruity and gingery. The flavors worked surprisingly well together. I definitely recommend this with a Mexican style meal. It is quite low in calories for a typical cocktail. The diet Vernors and Sweet'N Low gives it flavor without additional calories. Some people are on the fence about non nutritive sweeteners but there has not been any proven harm from these products. I think that they can be included as part of any healthy diet in moderation. Disclosure: This post is part of the 

Skinny Pop Popcorn Review
August 18, 2012

Skinny Pop Popcorn Review

Skinny Pop is a healthy popcorn that helps to make snacking guilt free. It contains only 39 calories per cup which is quite low. It is also very tasty. My family and I opened a bag and really liked it. It is slightly salty, slightly buttery and filling.  I like to eat it plain and also created a simple, tasty recipe which I will share below.  Popcorn is a good choice for a snack because it is full of fiber and whole grains. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends making half of your grains whole grains and this popcorn helps to get some of your daily needs in. I love that the serving size is much larger than any other snack. The serving size for Skinny Pop is 4 cups for only 155 calories! Skinny Pop Popcorn Balls  Ingredients: 1 tablespoon light margarine (I used Smart Balance light) 10 full sized marshmellows 6 cups Skinny Pop popcorn Directions: 1. Microwave marshmellows with margarine for one minute. 2. Stir popcorn into marshmellow mixture. 3. F

EcoSmart Review
August 16, 2012

EcoSmart Review

EcoSmart is a company that sells eco-friendly and safe products to get rid of bugs and help with weeds and fungus.  I was sent a variety of products to try inluding ant and roach killer, insect repellent, weed and grass killer, and garden fungicide. Here is some history on the company: EcoSMART Technologies makes safe pesticide solutions. Their mission is to create the world’s safest, most effective pesticides based on natural ingredients. They have 15 years of scientific research done on their products. They make the only 100% safe insecticide that is proven to work and offer the only complete line of EPA exempt pesticides sold in the US. I was able to put the organic insect repellent to use when my husband and I had a bonfire at our house. A good amount of mosquitoes were flying around so we sprayed on some of this repellent.  It worked like a charm! We did not get bit at all that evening which is great. Here is some information about the repellent: EcoSMART keeps

Farm Weekend
August 15, 2012

Farm Weekend

It's been awhile since I have taken pictures at my parents farm and shared some of the gorgeous pictures of their land. Since I love taking these pictures and sharing some of my personal life with you, I thought that I would post some. My sister and I right before the bonfire, complete with raindrops. Dad- the bonfire starter My dad's cousins and my parents Tractor ride! Fresh picked edamame and wild blackberries Wild blackberries The tractor driver And Dad's giant wood pile. It was a great weekend! I love the beautiful farm land. Especially when I find little tasty treats like the blackberries and edamame!

August 14, 2012

What the RD Means for The Nutritionist Reviews

Now that I am a registered dietitian, I have been thinking about the direction that my blog should go. In most ways, it is not going to change at all. I love doing product reviews/giveaways- they have become part of who I am. It is my number one hobby. Becoming a dietitian though has changed my views on a couple of things though.  I have always been honest with you guys. If I hate a product, I am not going to lie and say I loved it.  Sometimes though, I do not want to be mean to the company though and hurt their feelings so I back a negative comment with 10 good ones. I have been thinking that I need to be more true to my readers and if something is not very good, I need to be a bit more honest about it. In my upcoming reviews, I make sure to tell you anything that I do not like. Also, I will continue to do some paid posts. I really like Social Spark so I will continue to do those as well as stuff like FoodBuzz posts. What I will not do is silly, almost spam like ads. There is no p

Prime Snack Review
August 13, 2012

Prime Snack Review

Of course I love to review different products and trying different snacks is one of the most fun things to try. Prime Snack is a company that sells all different types of snacks in different packages so that you can try an assortment. For my review, I was sent the SnackPack to try which comes with a bunch of different snacks. It comes with 24 healthier snacks for $24.99. When the package arrived, I was impressed by the variety of snacks that it came with. With 24 different products, I had a lot of tasting to do. Good thing I love to snack ; ). Some of the products that I was sent are not pictured because I tried them before I took the picture. Some favorites include the following: - Mareblu Naturals Almond Crunch - I had never tried these before and ended up loving them. They are little chunks of almonds stuck together with a bit of sugar. Very tasty as a midmorning snack! - BBQ PopChips - love these! They are a healthier version of chips that taste amazing. My o

The Gluten Free Bar Review
August 10, 2012

The Gluten Free Bar Review

For my review, I was sent four samples of The Gluten Free Bar (GFB).  I was sent one of each flavor including peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate, oatmeal raisin, and cranberry toasted almond.  This company was created in 2010 in attempts to create a gluten free nutritional bar. Each of these are about 220-240 calories.  The first bar that I tried was the oatmeal raisin one.  There were some characteristics of the bar that I liked, and some that I did not like. I also tried the cranberry toasted almond and enjoyed that flavor. Pros -12 grams of protein per bar -Good flavor- liked the whole raisins in it -Filling -Good for people who are gluten free -2-3.5 grams fiber -Vegan/dairy free (for those who need it) Cons -18 grams of sugar per bar -220-240 calories- I prefer my bars to be about 160 or less -Was not a huge fan of the texture- weird mouthfeel Overall, I would give this bar a 3 out of 5 stars. For someone who needs a gluten free bar, this

Ask the RD: Nutrition in Melons
August 09, 2012

Ask the RD: Nutrition in Melons

Melons are a sweet and tasty fruit that can help satisfy your sweet tooth. Melons contain about 1 gram of fiber per serving which is less than many other foods. They do offer other important nutrients that the human body needs. Melon can be included in a healthy and high fiber diet. Fiber and Vitamins in Melons Each of the most common melons -- watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe -- contain 1 gram of fiber per serving. Compared to other fruits, this is relatively low. Many fruits have 2 to 4 grams of fiber per serving. However, melons contain many important vitamins that make them a healthy choice. They are full of water, which helps with hydration. Melons are a good source of potassium, folate, niacin and vitamin B6. Type of Fiber in Melons The edible part of melon contains soluble fiber. This type of fiber slows down digestion and helps to keep you feeling full longer by forming a gel in the intestines. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, women should

Snack Like an Olympian
August 08, 2012

Snack Like an Olympian

Hello! I was emailed this information from YouBeauty about what olympic athletes eat and I thought that you would find it very interesting as did I. Athlete : Dominique Dawes Credentials : Former U.S. Olympic gymnast and FOXSports.com 2012 Olympic Games analyst Favorite snacks : Pretzels and dried fruit, Hormel Natural Choice peppered turkey deli meat Why she loves it : Dawes admits that she’s not a natural snacker. “I’ve conditioned myself to eat small, healthy snacks throughout the day to keep my energy up and my mind sharp,” she says. “My hectic schedule sometimes prevents me from getting three full meals a day, so snacks are essential.” What nutritionists are saying : The salt on the pretzels helps athletes replenish sodium losses that occur from sweating, while the dried fruit’s simple sugars provide fuel for activity, notes Zied. The turkey is a good source of lean protein, which keeps blood sugar levels steady and helps with muscle growth and repair. Athlete :

Snackle Mouth Granola Review and Giveaway
August 07, 2012

Snackle Mouth Granola Review and Giveaway

Snackle Mouth is a company that makes granola nut clusters in different flavors. I love granola and I love nuts so I knew that this would be a good product to try out. One of the things that first made me interested in this company is the unique boxes. As you can see in the picture above, they have some fun and crazy looking boxes! I was sent 5 boxes of these granola nut clusters to try.  Some of the flavors include bacon maple, peanut cranberry, and almond pecan maple. Of course I always want to try the one that seems the most unique first so I tried the bacon maple.  It was very good. The clusters are a nice size and do not crumble apart like you might expect with granola. Each piece contained a whole almond which I thought was great. These were crunch and tasty. I also tried the peanut cranberry which was perfectly sweet and a bit salty. These are made of all natural and organic ingredients. One serving of the bacon maple is 180 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 3 grams of

Rubbermaid Lunchblox Review
August 06, 2012

Rubbermaid Lunchblox Review

I take my lunch to work every day of the week. It is always hard for me to find plastic storage containers because the top gets lost or I can't find the right size, etc.  I was contacted to try out the new Rubbermaid Lunchblox Sandwich kit.  I was sent this product for free but was not obligated to write a positive review. The lunchblox is a set of little storage containers that make taking your lunch to work so much easier. They snap together which is awesome so that they are not bouncing around in your lunchbag.  I packed some pasta salad in the bigger container and some homemade peach butter in the other. Neither leaked at all!! This is quite rare for me and storage containers so I was happy to not have a wet lunch bag.  Here is some information about the Lunchblox: Modular containers snap together in to save space in your lunch bag  Kit includes specially designed Blue Ice™ pack that works with LunchBlox containers to keep lunches chilled on the go  Containers are p