3.10.2010

Product Reviews: 365 Products




I am a fan of whole foods on Facebook, and they were looking for people to review their 365 everyday value products, so I signed up! I went to the store and a bag of fun products was waiting for me - Organic Macaroni and Cheese, Organic Double Chocolate Chip cookies, and Organic Soy Milk. Out of the three products, the only one that I would normally think about purchasing would be the soy milk so it was good to try a few different things.

1 - ORGANIC Mac and Cheese




I have not purchased store bought Macaroni & Cheese in a very long time. It was an easy process just like Kraft Mac & Cheese - boil water, add the pasta, cook the pasta, add the sauce mix with milk and butter. The directions were fool proof.

How did it taste?
The taste was similar if not the same as what I remember Kraft to be. It was creamy and cheesy. I made it ahead of time so it was sitting for a while, so reheating it lost some of its creaminess, so I would recommend eating it right away. The bonus here is that it is all organic, so although still not the healthiest meal addition, it would be great for a quick one that isn't processed.

Would I purchase it?
This is great if you are looking for a quick side dish in 15 minutes or less. I do prefer to use whole wheat pasta, and add in my own healthy additions - beans, flaxseed, and vegetables with fresh cheese.



2- Organic Double Chocolate Chip Cookies


The packaging was similar to other store bought non organic cookies, which I have not had in my house since I was growing up. Each cookie has 75 calories which was definitely on the higher side.

How did it taste?
These cookies are thicker than other store bought ones I've had in the past, but not as hard - though not soft. I found them to be dry or lacking something. Given that they are organic, they were ok - I feel better giving these to my family over non organic cookies, but, if I were going for a sweet treat, I would want something more tasty than these (currently all natural (but not organic) 365 brand Duplex cookies (pictured below)). I think they would be a good choice if you are lookingfor a replacement for processed cookies - but they did not satisfy my sweet tooth.
Would I purchase it?
No. I will definitely continue to buy my duplex cookies**- these are better than oreos without any crap in them, AND!! you get half vanilla and half chocolate. I love them! They are so sweet.



3 - Organic Vanilla Soymilk


This comes in a container that does not have to be refrigerated. I started buying almond milk in these containers and recently, soy milk but in the past I was kind of turned off by the non-refrigeration! Being a vegetarian, soy is definitely a part of my diet. I was purchasing soy milk for a while, but decided to cut back on soy and stopped buying it. In general though, I do like soymilk.

How did it taste?
The taste was sweet and creamy. I like the vanilla flavor. It stacks up at 90 calories and 6g of protein. I drank it after dinner for a sweet treat. Paired with the Duplex cookies - yum.


Would I buy it?
If I was purchasing soymilk, yes, definitely! It was tasty, it's organic, and I suspect it is cheaper than name brands but tastes just as good, if not better.



**Duplex cookies - just a quick note on them - I find them to be super sweet, yet not too sweet, and love the combination of vanilla and chocolate with vanilla cream. They come in at 65 calories per cookie.

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8 comments:

  1. How fun! I really wish I had a Whole Foods close by!

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  2. that mac n cheese looks fabulous!

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  3. Sounds like some fun taste-testing!

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  4. If I can, I buy the 365 product over the name brand each time. I am usually not disapointed and save a few pennies. Cookies would not be one of them though - we just don't buy them.

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  5. Good reviews. Mac and Cheese always looks good to me....

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  6. have you been to the new whole foods in plymouth meeting? it's really nice!

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