Easy Peasy - Almond Breezy

Milk isn't something you necessarily need to swap when you want to lose weight, unless you are drinking whole milk. Which my grandma does. And my mom can't stand whole milk so she drinks 2%. And my roommate can't stand 2% and drinks skim. 
Personally, I like milk made from nuts.
No, I'm not nuts.   Har dee har  :)

Almond Breeze is made by the Blue Diamond company, who also package awesome regular nuts. It is a milk made from pressing almonds and is only 40 calories per cup. Yep. Ok, I'll give you a minute to collect yourself. 

Ok, good? So yes, 40 calories which is half the calories of a cup of regular skim milk. According to the website, Almond Breeze is:

• Gluten, cholesterol and lactose free
• Excellent source of calcium, vitamins D & E
• Good source of vitamin A

And it really does taste good. It tastes sweeter than regular milk. Even the unsweetened Original version which I used here. It does not have any aftertaste and is pretty creamy, too.  It works perfectly in anything you would use milk for; I use it in cereal, recipes, and coffee :)

Almond Breeze comes in Original, Chocolate, and Vanilla, and all of these come in either sweetened or unsweetened. The sweetened versions are higher in calories (about 60 for a cup of Original).  I have totally converted to Almond Breeze and use it in everything. I never reach for regular milk anymore and I never crave it or feel deprived drinking almond milk instead. The best part is - well, there's two best parts - first, it tastes subtly sweet and is AWESOME in cereal, and second, it has the EXACT same amount of calcium per serving as skim milk.  

And Grandma, even you will like it.

Just Do It, Donut

I love donuts. Or doughnuts. Either way, they are delicious and one of those things you swear off forever when you diet or switch over to healthy eating habits. Which is highly depressing.

But it doesn't have to be! Donuts seem to be the one food that no one has been able to replace in a low-calorie / low-fat form. I have tried a few and even tried to make my own. The end result is always the same: FAIL.

I recently stumbled upon Kinnikinnick's Cinnamon Sugar Donuts.  

These are Gluten free, Wheat free, Dairy free, and Soy free. WHEW!! And truthfully, it's not exactly "diet" food, meaning it's not super low in fat or sugar. 

BUT! For only 170 calories per donut, I think it's totalllllly worth it! The donuts are about the size of your palm (if you're a girl) and totally covered in cinnamon and sugar.  They really do taste good and TOTALLY satisfy a donut craving. They are a cake donut and when you bite into them the outer portion of the donut has a really great buttery taste. The cinnamon sugar coating is thin but covers the donut fully.  

These donuts come 6 to a pack and cost a little under $7. Not cheap, but for a really yummy donut swap, I think it is worth it. Plus, I've had this box for 3 weeks and usually eat one on Saturdays for breakfast. YUMMMM. 

 

If you absolutely have to have a donut, just do it. But maybe have one of these instead.

Don't Be So Vanilla

I have a friend whose favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla. Not vanilla bean, mind you. Plain old vanilla. When we would go out to the ice cream parlor, he would always order vanilla, without any toppings, and be perfectly happy. I thought he was nuts.
Or that maybe he should have added some nuts.

Well, eventually I convinced him to bump it up to strawberry. And soon after that, he opted to have strawberries on top!!
I was so proud...

Today I'm reviewing Arctic Zero "Ice Cream" - Vanilla.  I use quotations around ice cream because it isn't like normal ice cream and it certainly doesn't have all the fat and calories of normal ice cream.  According to their website:

Arctic Zero™ is:
• All Natural
• Low Carb
• Fat Free
• Gluten Free
• Kosher
• Lactose Intolerant-Friendly
• Made With High Quality Whey Protein Concentrate  

Because it is made with whey protein, it clocks in at only 32 calories per 1/2 cup. In other words, you can eat an ENTIRE pint of Vanilla Arctic Zero for only 136 calories. That in itself is amazing. TRULY! 

So how does it hold up to regular ice cream? Well the texture is pretty DARN close. It's creamy and smooth like ice cream, maybe more like a reduced fat version that you buy in the supermarket. It melts the same and doesn't have a dry or chemical taste. 

As for taste, it's really good!! It's not a really indulgent flavor, but it definitely tastes like vanilla and a touch of maple (which is advertised on the carton).  The only thing is that it doesn't leave much of an aftertaste. This is good and bad. Most foods leave you with the taste of that flavor in your mouth. A gross example would be a chemical aftertaste. A good example would be like chocolate cake. Arctic Zero doesn't have one at all. Suddenly, you've swallowed and it's gone. 
Onto the next bite then! Which is okay because you can have more bites without more calories. LOVE IT!

Arctic Zero™ has a handful of other flavors, too, including:
Chocolate
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Strawberry Banana
Mint Chocolate Cookie

I have seen all except the Mint Chocolate Cookie sold near me (at Sprout's Farmer's Market).  I will review Chocolate and Chocolate Peanut Butter soon. Overall, I would say this product is totally worth buying, especially if you have a hard time sticking to the portion size of 1/2 cup. 

I guess my friend wasn't so nuts. He just recognized that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  :)

Arctic Zero Website.  
First Photo from Arctic Zero Website above.

Why Review Health/Diet Food?

Because I already eat these things. 
Because I already spend my money, so why waste yours? 
Because I already review it in my mind.
Because I actually find it fun.
Because not every diet food is healthy, and not all health food tastes bad.
Because I happen to have some extra time on my hands.
Because I spend too much time thinking about food, 


So now you don't have to!