Product review: SunRice rice cups

September 12, 2018September 12, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

SunRice rice cups are made by one of the main brands rice available in Australia. Back in the day rice used to be just rice, and people would have whatever rice was common in their place of origin. For example, medium grain rice is the norm in Perú, and we use it for most things – savoury and sweet. Brown rice became popular as people got more interested in health and other types of rice started appearing on shelves as consumers got interested in trying other cuisines (e.g. basmati for Indian curries, glutinous rice for sushi, arborio for risotto, bomba for paella).

Similarly, a greater interest in consuming other grains considered highly nutritious, has created a market for blends of grains which can be used as a substitute for plain rice. In parallel, the convenience factor has driven a market of microwaveable foods which, as you will see, doesn’t necessarily mean hyper-processed unhealthy junk.

The cups

SunRice cups contain blends of rice and other grains that have been precooked and are ready to be reheated. I got the following samples at a conference:

SunRice Super Grains Gluten Free Tri Blend Cup with brown rice, red rice and quinoa
SunRice Super Grains Gluten Free Super Duo Cup with brown rice and riceberry rice
SunRice Super Grains Gluten Free Multigrain Blend Cup with brown rice, red rice, buckwheat, quinoa and chia

Pros

Convenience
Good portion size, particularly for people who have problems regulating their servings
Higher in protein and fibre than plain rice
More interesting flavour and texture than plain rice
All cups are gluten-free

Cons

Plastic. No matter what the manufacturer says, I don’t like to heat plastic in the microwave. Also more packaging that goes to landfill.
It can be too big of a portion size for people who need to regulate their carb intake, and the cup can’t be re-sealed when opened. If that’s the case, you might be better off eating cauliflower rice or mixing a small amount of rice with lupin flakes instead.
Higher in protein and fibre than plain rice
Apart from the cooked grains, the cups contain sunflower oil and stabiliser (471), presumably to improve the texture of the final product, but I find it gives the rice a chalky mouthfeel. Also, some people with food chemical intolerance can be sensitive to the stabiliser.

Nutrition

See the panels below for 2 of the SunRice rice cups that I tried:

Super Duo:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 125g

Servings Per Container 2

Amount Per Serving

Calories 214 Calories from Fat 38.7

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.3g 7%

Saturated Fat 1.0g 5%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 18mg 1%

Total Carbohydrate 39.9g 13%

Dietary Fiber 2.6g 10%

Sugars 0.9g

Protein 4.1g 8%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Multigrain Blend:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 125g

Servings Per Container 2

Amount Per Serving

Calories 220 Calories from Fat 35.1

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3.9g 6%

Saturated Fat 0.8g 4%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 16mg 1%

Total Carbohydrate 41.5g 14%

Dietary Fiber 3.1g 12%

Sugars 0.9g

Protein 4.8g 10%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The verdict

I think SunRice rice cups are good to have in hand if you absolutely have zero time to cook. If you are somewhat organised and have some spare minutes, you can batch-cook your own blend of grains, portion them up and freeze for later.

More info

Head to SunRice’s website to learn more about their steamed rice (and other) products:

Product review: Four Sigmatic

August 22, 2018August 16, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

Four Sigmatic is a brand of mushroom-based beverage blends. The company was born in Finland and now operates from the US. Their beverage blends are highly regarded in the biohacker community and are endorsed by influencers such as Tim Ferris, Ben Greenfield and Emily Schromm.

What are functional mushrooms

Mushrooms have been used for their nutritional and medicinal properties for centuries in several cultures (1, 2, 3). Thus, many mushrooms can be considered “functional”.

Nutrients in mushrooms

Mushrooms contain:

carbohydrates, mainly polysaccharides (i.e. many sugars) which act as dietary fibre and prebiotics (i.e. food for gut bacteria), etc. (3, 4)
amino acids (3, 4)
polyunsaturated fatty acids (3)
other molecules such as ascorbic acid, carotenoids, tocopherols (3), triterpenoids, nucleosides, phenolics, and flavonoids (4)
vitamin D, especially mushrooms that have been irradiated with UV-B and UV-C light

Benefits of mushrooms

There is evidence that mushrooms do or may have the following benefits:

antioxidant (1, 2, 3, 4), antimicrobial (1, 3, 4), anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties (3, 4)
help relieve fatigue in the muscular system, body antioxidant system, cardiovascular system, hormone system, and immune system (4)
protect the intestinal mucous membranes, support the immune system and help regulate blood lipids (3)

It’s important to note that most experiments have been carried out in animal models (4) and that not all mushrooms have the composition or properties.

Four Sigmatic beverages

The sample pack that I bought contains the following beverages:

Beverage	Benefit(s)	Ingredients
Reishi	Sleep & stress	Reishi mushroom dual-extract (1,500 mg), rose hips, tulsi, field mint
Chaga	Antioxidant properties	Chaga mushroom dual extract (Inonotus obliquus, 30% polysaccharides, 2% triterpenes) (50%), Siberian gingseng (750mg), mint, rose hip
Cordyceps	Energy & performance	Cordyceps mushroom dual extract (Ohiocordyceps sinensis, 40% polysaccharides) (50%), mint, rose hip, gingseng (200mg), liquorice root, sweetener (steviol glycosides)
Lion’s mane	Brain & nervous system	Dual-extracted lion’s mane mushroom (1500mg), field mint, rose hips (300 mg), rhodiola (200 mg), stevia (50mg)
Mushroom coffee mix with lion’s mane & chaga	Productivity	Instant coffee powder, lion’s mane dual-extract, wildcrafted chaga dual-extract, wildcrafted rhodiola root extract
Mushroom coffee mix with cordyceps & chaga	Performance	Organic arabica coffee, organic cordyceps mushroom (150 mg), wildcrafted Siberian chaga mushroom (350 mg), organic eleuthero extract (100 mg)
Mushroom hot cacao mix with reishi	Relax	Cacao powder, coconut palm sugar, reishi dual-extract, cinnamon powder, cardamom extract, Reb A (stevia extract)
Mushroom hot cacao mix with cordyceps	Energize	Organic cacao powder, organic coconut palm sugar, organic cordyceps extract, organic chili extract

Taste test

I like the taste of all of the beverages taken with hot water. The mushroom coffee tastes like regular instant coffee to me; having said that, I have a pretty good tolerance to bitter flavours. A friend of mine tried the coffee with water but had to add milk to make it palatable.

The hot chocolates do contain sugar (coconut sugar is sugar), so they’re belong in the treat category for me. They are pretty good with hot water or unsweetened almond milk and, optionally, collagen peptides.

Functional test

I have bought a few boxes of Four Sigmatic products but I don’t take them consistently. Having said that, I must admit I have not felt any sort of supernatural powers after using them. However, I don’t discard the possibility of these products having beneficial effects on health, potentially upon regular consumption.

More information

To find more about Four Sigmatic and their products and/or to shop online, visit the links below:

US website
International website
On Facebook
On Instagram
Shop @ iHerb.com
Shop @ optimoz.com.au

References

Pennerman KK et al. Health Effects of Small Volatile Compounds from East Asian Medicinal Mushrooms. Mycobiology. 2015 Mar;43(1):9-13.
Sánchez C. Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant properties from mushrooms. Synth Syst Biotechnol. 2016 Dec 24;2(1):13-22.
Muszyńska B et al. Anti-inflammatory properties of edible mushrooms: A review. Food Chem. 2018 Mar 15;243:373-381.
Geng P et al. Antifatigue Functions and Mechanisms of
Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms. Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:9648496.

Product review: Feather and Bone organic beef mince with organs

August 14, 2018August 12, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

Feather and Bone is my favourite butcher in Sydney. They have the best quality ethically sourced meat in town, as well as pastured eggs and amazing charcuterie. One of their newer products is a mix of beef mince with organs, which contains 10-15% of heart, liver and/or kidneys.

Why buy beef mince with organs

There are people who cringe at the thought of consuming organs (or meat, for that matter) and, on the other end of the spectrum, there are people like me (my favourite meals as a kid include my grandma’s liver soup and my mum’s liver with onions; I also enjoyed having liverwurst as a spread on my breakfast roll). I realise most people fall in the middle of the bell curve, and they might need a bit of encouragement to buy and consume this product. Here are some reasons you might want to give beef mince with organs a go:

It’s more convenient than mixing your own, especially if you don’t have a food processor or similar tool to grind the organ meats
Good quality organ meats can be hard to find
Organ meats (a.k.a. offal) are nutritionally superior than muscle meats (e.g. steak); more about this below
Less food waste as more parts of the animal are being used
Organ meats are, at least in theory, cheaper than muscle meats
The mix might be more palatable for people who are not used to the taste of organ meats
The taste might be more interesting than that of plain beef mince for people with adventurous palates

Nutrients in organ meats

Organ meats are nutritional powerhouses. History seems to indicate that our early ancestors ate the organs of dead animals first, presumably because they intuitively knew those were more nutritious than the muscle meat. Similarly, most traditional cuisines incorporate offal in their menus.

Organ meats are rich in:

Protein, important for tissue growth and repair
Iron, important for the transport of oxygen and enzymatic activities
Zinc, important for many enzymatic activities in the body
Vitamin A, important for vision, growth and development
Vitamin B12, important for preventing megaloblastic anemia and demyelination of the central nervous system (myelin is the fatty sheath that protects and insulates neurons)
Vitamin D, important for bone and immune health
Folate, important for the development of the nervous system

It is important to note that different not all organ meats have the same levels of particular nutrients. The graph below shows a nutrient comparison between beef mince, heart, kidney and liver.

How to use beef mince with organs

You can use it instead of regular beef mince in casseroles and stews (such as cottage pie, chilli con carne, Bolognese), burgers, meatballs, meatloaf, etc. There’s a recipe coming soon!

More info

To learn more about Feather and Bone and/or shop online, follow the links below:

Website
On Facebook
On Instagram

Product review: Spud Lite lower carb potatoes

July 30, 2018July 24, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

Spud Lite is a brand of lower carb potatoes available in Australian supermarkets. While I generally advocate for buying fresh produce from farmers markets and the like, I can see the benefit of having this product available.

The Spud Lite process

Spud Lite potatoes hail from South Australia and are produced using a cross pollination process, making the growing period shorter and the shelf life longer. In addition, the growers claim these potatoes contain 25% less carbohydrates than the average potato. According to the label, this means 8.9g of carbohydrate per 100g, compared to 10.9-14.2g for other potato varieties (1). This should be pretty obvious but please note these potatoes are not “low carb” or “keto”.

At the moment, Spud Lite potatoes are available in regular size (1.5 kg bags) and in baby (smaller) size (750g bags).

Taste test

I’ve had these potatoes boiled, steamed, roasted and twice-cooked (boiled and then pan-fried) and I’ve found they work well in all situations. Having said that, I am Peruvian and find these, as most Australian potatoes, a bit boring in taste and texture. On the bright side, this is a great excuse to get creative in the kitchen!

Nutrients in Spud Lite

Besides carbohydrate, Spud Lite potatoes contain 1.4g fibre, 370mg potassium and <10mg vitamin C per 100g.

Potatoes that are cooked and cooled also contain one of four sub-types of resistant starch (RS). This is a type of fibre that cannot be digested by the small intestine, so it reaches the large intestine where it can be fermented by certain bacterial species. The fermentation produce, among other metabolites, short chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are fuel for the cells in the colon. Hence, RS may help improve health conditions involving the colon (e.g. colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and diverticulitis), as well as lipid and glucose metabolism; however, the science is not conclusive yet (2).

Spud Lite as part of a healthy diet

For the majority of the population, I would stick to the general recommendation of meals containing 1/2 non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 starch (e.g. potatoes) and 1/4 protein. If you have metabolic issues, such as insulin resistance or diabetes, you might need to cut down on the starch portion. Consult with your dietitian for a personalised meal plan.

More info

To know more about Spud Lite, follow the links below:

Website
On Facebook
On Instagram

References

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (2014). AUSNUT 2011–13 – Australian Food Composition Database. Canberra: FSANZ. Available at www.foodstandards.gov.au
Nugent, AP. Health properties of resistant starch. Nutrition Bulletin. 2005;30(1):27-54.

Product review: Saltverk artisanal sea salt

July 24, 2018August 11, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

Saltverk is a new brand of artisan sea salt hailing all the way from Iceland. In a world where the word “artisan” has lost its meaning, companies like this truly preserve traditional manufacturing processes. As a result, Saltverk salts are not only unique but also sustainable.

The Saltverk process

The manufacturing process takes pristine sea water from Reykjanes and hot geyser water. Given this geothermal source of energy is entirely natural, the manufacturing process yields zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The manufacturing process has leaves zero carbon footprint, although there is an environmental cost to get it shipped to your door.

The salts

I was fortunate enough to receive a package with 90gr jars of the current 5 flavours: flaky sea salt, licorice salt, lava salt, birch smoked salt and Arctic thyme salt.

Flaky sea salt: comes in crunchy, yet light flakes ideal for finishing any dish. Comes in 90gr jars and 250gr refill pouches.
Licorice salt: mixed with Persian licorice root, recommended for porridge, chocolate, desserts, cakes and popcorn. Comes in 90gr jars.
Lava salt: this is a black salt thanks to the addition of activated charcoal. Whether you believe in activated charcoal as a detoxifying agent or think it is new age-y BS, you can’t say crunchy black salt looks pretty awesome on anything, especially meat, seafood and fruits, according to the manufacturers. Comes in 90gr jars and 125gr refill pouches.
Birch smoked salt: this salt is pretty unique, as it’s dried over birch smoke and not just “smoked-flavoured”. Pairing suggestions include fish and salads. Comes in 90gr jars and 125gr refill pouches.
Arctic thyme salt: another unique salt, paired with wild Icelandic Arctic thyme, which grows on gravel soils and in dry heath lands. It’s meant to be good with meat, especially Icelandic lamb. Comes in 90gr jars.

The taste test

I tried each of the salts with the following foods:

boiled eggs (as per Diane Sanfilippo’s tip)
mini Roma tomatoes
prawns
potatoes
steak
unsalted butter on GF bread
bocconcini
dark chocolate (85%)
grapefruit

Being the geek I am, I’ve tabulated my observations on how well the salts paired with the different foods:

Food	Flaky sea salt	Licorice salt	Lava salt	Birch smoked salt	Arctic thyme salt
boiled eggs	***	**	***	***	***
mini Roma tomatoes	***	**	***	***	***
prawns	***	*	***	***	**
potatoes	***	**	***	***	***
steak	***	**	***	***	***
unsalted butter on GF bread	***	**	***	***	**
bocconcini	***	***	***	***	***
dark chocolate	***	***	***	***	*
grapefruit	***	**	***	**	*

More info

To know more about Saltverk or to shop online, follow the links below:

Website
On Facebook
On Instagram

Recipes

Click on the links below for some recipes using Saltverk salts:

Arctic thyme lamb meatballs with roasted swede mash
Smokey poached salmon and potato salad
Licorice salted chocolate mousse

Product review: Keep Tone bread

July 4, 2018July 22, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

Keep Tone bread is a new brand of keto/paleo/low carb bread currently available at selected health food shops and cafes in NSW (I bought mine at Mr Vitamins Ashfield).

Health claims

The bread claims to contain “only wholefoods, no nasties”. It is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, yeast free, grain free and has no added sugar. I know most people would think this is no bread… until you try it.

What’s in Keep Tone bread?

Keep Tone bread currently comes in 3 flavours: rosemary blast, super seeds and divine chocolate. Below are the ingredients for the 2 savoury varieties:

Rosemary blast: Almond meal, golden flax meal, coconut flour, free range eggs, extra virgin olive oil, psyllium husk, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, Italian herbs, sea salt flakes, gluten free baking powder, Himalayan pink salt
Super seeds: Almond meal, golden flax meal, free range eggs, organic coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds, psyllium husk, gluten free baking powder, xanthan gum, Himalayan pink salt, stevia

All ingredients are Australian and most of them are organic, which drives the price a little high: $14.95 for the rosemary and $15.95 for the seedy one.

Below are the nutritional labels for the 2 savoury breads: rosemary (top) and seeded (bottom). Based on the provided numbers, I’ve calculated the total kilocalories per slice to be 79Cal for the rosemary and 173Cal for the seeded bread.

Taste test

The bread loaves, which are smaller than commercial sliced gluten-free bread, come whole in a resealable bag with a desiccant packet. The bread has a great texture – it can be sliced easily and doesn’t crumble. Both savoury flavours are tasty – the seeded one is a bit sweeter so keep in mind when deciding what to eat it with.

I chucked the leftover bread in the freezer to test how it toasted from frozen. As expected, due to the fat content, it doesn’t toast the same as regular gluten-free bread (i.e. it doesn’t dry as much). Also, the seeds in the seedy variety tend to burn, so be careful.

Who is this bread right for?

People who are following a low carb diet/ketogenic diet for body composition or health reasons (e.g. people with insulin resistance), people who can’t eat gluten and do well on a lower carbohydrate diet.

I would also add the caveat that bread should not displace veggies out of your plate. Eat a piece of toast here and there but don’t use bread as an excuse to not eat vegetables.

The man behind Keep Tone bread

Gurpreet, the founder of Keep Tone, was kind enough to share his story:

“I’m a person who always thinks about the healthy lifestyle and keeps learning and searching for new research and any topics about health. About 2 years ago, I found a new lifestyle which is ketogenic. So I researched a lot about it and I studied health coaching where I learned about hormones and how the body uses fuel.

I’ve been doing a ketogenic lifestyle since then and also coached lots of people into this lifestyle including cyclists and weight trainers. My clients were perfectly enjoying all the benefits that keto has to offer but all of them missed one thing and that was BREAD. Being a problem solver and troubleshooter it got me thinking that how I can come up with the recipe of bread which will give bread-like pleasure but without spiking insulin, which is grain, dairy, gluten, yeast and soy free. Which is all natural just made from wholefoods no synthetic or preservatives or colours. So me and my partner chose all superfood ingredients that goes well with KETO, PALEO and all other low carb diets. After doing lots of taste testing on friends and clients we have received an outstanding response.

Now we have created a company known as KEEP TONE which has made Australia’s first Ketogenic superfood breads.

There are lot of other exciting food products coming along the way because I believe ketogenic was first type of lifestyle mankind knew and its very healthy lifestyle and KEEP TONE promises to offer the BEST.”

Want to know more?

Follow @keeptone_aus on Instagram.

Product review: YoPRO high protein yoghurt

May 2, 2018May 1, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

YoPRO is one of the latest additions to the ever-growing yoghurt section of most supermarkets. As I mentioned in my Mayver’s Protein+ Peanut Butter review, at the moment many consumers are looking for high protein products to suit their lifestyles. While all yoghurts are a source of complete protein, YoPRO’s selling point is the high content of protein per serve (15g-17g) achieved by the straining step during production.

What’s in YoPRO?

Apart from milk and live yoghurt cultures, YoPRO also contains lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose), making it suitable for people with lactose intolerance. All the fruit flavours (mango, passionfruit, strawberry, blueberry) contain actual fruit purée and all flavours (except for plain) are lightly sweetened with stevia. There are a few more ingredients in the flavoured varieties but nothing nasty as you can see in below (for the flavours I tried):

Plain: fresh milk, enzyme (lactase), live yoghurt cultures (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus)
Vanilla: fresh milk, water, rice starch, enzyme (lactase), lemon pulp, natural flavours, live yoghurt cultures (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus), stevia leaf extract, vanilla bean (0.012%), sea salt, natural colour (caramel), milk minerals
Passionfruit: fresh milk, passion fruit purée (5%), rice starch, enzyme (lactase), milk minerals, live yoghurt cultures (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus), natural flavours, stevia leaf extract, sea salt
Blueberry: fresh milk, blueberry purée (5%), rice starch, enzyme (lactase), black carrot and blackcurrant concentrate, lemon pulp, live yoghurt cultures (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus), stevia leaf extract, natural flavours, milk minerals, sea salt

And these are the nutritional panels (for the flavours I tried):

Plain:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 160g

Servings Per Container 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories 99 Calories from Fat 2.7

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.3g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 64mg 3%

Total Carbohydrate 6.7g 2%

Dietary Fiber g 0%

Sugars 6.7g

Protein 17g 34%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Vanilla:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 160g

Servings Per Container 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories 95 Calories from Fat 2.7

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.3g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 66mg 3%

Total Carbohydrate 7.4g 2%

Dietary Fiber g 0%

Sugars 6.1g

Protein 15.2g 30%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Passionfruit:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 160g

Servings Per Container 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories 96 Calories from Fat 2.7

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.3g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 67mg 3%

Total Carbohydrate 7.5g 3%

Dietary Fiber g 0%

Sugars 6.6g

Protein 15.4g 31%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Blueberry:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 160g

Servings Per Container 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories 97 Calories from Fat 2.7

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.3g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 66mg 3%

Total Carbohydrate 8.0g 3%

Dietary Fiber g 0%

Sugars 6.9g

Protein 15.2g 30%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

As you may know, yoghurt’s nutritional contributions also include calcium and probiotics. You can find more information about the health benefits of dairy in this article I wrote a while ago.

What about the taste and texture?

The reason YoPRO is high in protein is that it is strained further than other yoghurts, which results in a thicker, creamier product. Not as thick and creamy as our favourite yoghurt, but close enough.

Taste-wise, if you’re used to the sugary desserts labelled as “yoghurt”, you will probably find YoPRO’s flavour too mild. If, on the other hand, you regularly consume unsweetened plain yoghurt (i.e. real yoghurt), there’s a good chance you enjoy YoPRO in its plain and flavoured versions.

For more information head to YoPRO’s website.

Product review: Mayver’s Protein+ Peanut Butter

April 17, 2018April 17, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

Mayver’s Protein+ Peanut Butter is the new awesome spread from the makers of awesome spreads. Their regular peanut butters (smooth, crunchy, dark roasted smooth and dark roasted crunchy) are among my favourites, as well as their other spreads. Yes, they can be a bit more expensive than other peanut butters but they tick all the boxes ingredients- and taste-wise.

The new Protein+ range has entered the market riding the wave of high protein diets popularity. The three varieties, Mayver’s Protein+ Peanut Butter, Mayver’s Protein+ with Hemp Seeds Peanut Butter, and Mayver’s Protein+ with Super Seeds Peanut Butter, follow the brand’s philosophy of minimal ingredients lists, without any added oil or sugar.

Where does the Protein+ come from?

The three flavours have added peanut flour to achieve extra protein without added fat, plus seeds in the case of the hemp and super seeds varieties. Check out the ingredients lists below:

Natural: roasted peanuts, peanut flour & salt
Hemp: peanuts, peanut flour, hemp seeds (5%) & salt
Super Seeds: peanuts, peanut flour, (chia seeds, linseeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, quinoa) (5%) & salt

And these are the nutritional panels:

Natural:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 20g

Servings Per Container 19

Amount Per Serving

Calories 97.1 Calories from Fat 75.6

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8.4g 13%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 79mg 3%

Total Carbohydrate 2.6g 1%

Dietary Fiber 1.8g 7%

Sugars 1.4g

Protein 6.4g 13%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Hemp:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 20g

Servings Per Container 19

Amount Per Serving

Calories 97.5 Calories from Fat 76.5

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8.5g 13%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 75mg 3%

Total Carbohydrate 3.2g 1%

Dietary Fiber 1.8g 7%

Sugars 1.2g

Protein 6.4g 13%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Super seeds:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 20g

Servings Per Container 19

Amount Per Serving

Calories 96.7 Calories from Fat 75.6

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8.4g 13%

Saturated Fat 1.0g 5%

Trans Fat g

Cholesterol mg 0%

Sodium 75mg 3%

Total Carbohydrate 2.7g 1%

Dietary Fiber 1.9g 8%

Sugars 1.3g

Protein 6.4g 13%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

What about the taste and texture?

Taste-wise my favourite is the natural flavour, followed by the super seeds, followed by the hemp. Nothing wrong with any of the flavours, it’s just a matter of personal preference.

While not super thick, these peanut butters are definitely on the thicker side and the mouthfeel can be a bit gritty, particularly in the natural flavour. If smooth silky peanut butter is your thing, stick to the regular smooth options.

Can I use this peanut butter in recipes?

Absolutely. I made a test batch (recipe coming soon) of bliss balls with the natural PB and it worked perfectly.

You can find more information in the following links:
Mayver’s Protein+ Peanut Butter
Mayver’s Protein+ with Hemp Seeds Peanut Butter
Mayver’s Protein+ with Super Seeds Peanut Butter

Product review: Primal Kitchen chipotle lime mayo

April 7, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

It’s been a few weeks since I opened my jar of Primal Kitchen mayo and I’m happy to report that its texture and flavour remain untouched. This is why I decided to try Primal Kitchen chipotle lime mayo.

What is in Primal Kitchen chipotle lime mayo?

Just like the original version, try the chipotle lime mayo is all natural, sugar/soy/canola/dairy/gluten/grain-free, etc. The ingredients list is relatively short and all of them are recognisable as “food”: avocado oil, organic cage-free eggs, organic cage-free egg yolks, organic vinegar, water, sea salt, organic lime juice concentrate, chipotle powder, lime granules, organic garlic powder, organic rosemary extract.

I enjoyed both the creaminess and taste of this mayo. It’s not too spicy but it does have a bit of heat that pairs well with the smokey chipotle and the tangy lime.

What is chipotle?

Chipotle is a smoked dried jalapeño chilli. It’s one of my favourites because it’s not super hot and imparts a nice flavour to many foods. You’ll find it most often in hot sauces and, more recently, in mayonnaise. In a sense, chipotle mayo is the new(er) aioli.

Why avocado oil?

(This is copy-paste from my previous Primal Kitchen mayo review). Avocado oil, like olive oil, is high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). There is evidence to suggest that MUFAs are beneficial for cardiovascular and metabolic health, and that they are more stable than polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). I’ll be writing a more in-depth post about this in the future.

Bottom line

If you like flavoured mayonnaise, and especially if you enjoy spicy flavours and Tex-Mex cuisine, this is a good product to try. As far as I know, it is only available online from US stores such as iHerb.com.

Product review: Future Whey

April 1, 2018March 29, 2018 Gaby MoraLeave a comment

Future Whey is a newish sports supplement. I decided to try it mainly because I got a free sample, but also because the packaging got me intrigued. It looks like detergent. It looks like a prank product. It is not.

The name implies this is a whey powder product, but it claims to be dairy-free – this is confusing. Future Whey is really a collection of amino-acids, including the branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs, which are the ones preferentially taken up by muscle cells.

What is in Future Whey?

From the website: essential amino acid blend (L Leucine, L Threonine, L Valine, L Isoleucine, L Lysine, L Methionine, L Phenylalanine, L Histidine, L tryptophan), L Glutamine, L Glycine, L Alanine, flavouring, L Tyrosine, malitol, citrulline malate, citric acid, L Taurine, sweetener (sucralose).

I’m not sold on the “flavouring” and sweeteners (malitol and sucralose) but I guess they have to make it taste good somehow. The two currently available (and very unorthodox) flavours are cola and lemonade.

(Yes, “glutamine” is misspelled)

From the nutrition panel:
Per Serve (25g)
Energy (kj): 387
Protein (g): 22.8
Carbohydrates (g): 0
– Sugars (g): 0
Fats (g): 0
– Saturated (g): 0
Sodium (mg): 0

The taste test

Given I only tried one serving of the product, I can only comment on taste and not results. My sample was lemonade flavour. They suggest taking it with sparkling water but I drank it with room temperature tap water. It was not horrible but a) it did not taste like lemonade to me and b) it was a bit salty. Not that this bothers me, but just FYI.

Future Whey or regular whey?

I think this comes to individual preferences and results. Personally, I am not 100% comfortable with not knowing the source of the ingredients in the supplements I consume. Plus, I have no gut or moral issues with good quality whey protein. In addition, there is evidence that the cysteine content in whey protein may increase glutathione levels in the body (glutathione is a powerful antioxidant). For all of those reasons, I choose whey over Future Whey.

Want to learn more?

Head to Bulk Nutrient’s website.