With over 40,000 products in the average supermarket, people don't have time (or the money) to test every product on the shelves – so we do it for you!

Each week we will post the latest reviews and I hope you will log in to see what’s hot…and what’s not!

Each product is judged and taste-tested based on the following seven criteria:

1. (30 points) Taste: The most important attribute of any food

2. (20 points) Value: Is it worth it?

3. (15 points) Health: Based off the nutritional information, is it nutritionally balanced?

4. (15 points) Ingredients: What's in it, how natural is it?

5. (10 points) Preparation: When applicable, how accurate or good are the directions?*

6. (5 points) Appearance: Is it appetizing and does it resemble its photo or description?

7. (5 points) Packaging: Is it appropriate for the product and does it have any benefits such as reseal ability, added freshness, better storage, etc?

*Products that do not require any preparation will have the full value of these points included in their total score.

Ruth’s Chia Goodness for Breakfast

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
24	17	15	13 (not all organic)	10	5	5	89

Remember in the 70’s when everyone wanted a Chia Pet on their kitchen window sill? Well it turns out those seeds not only grow amazingly quickly, but are also amazingly good for you to eat – containing lots of easily digestible protein, essential fatty acids, (particularly omega-3s), vitamins, soluble fiber, antioxidants and minerals. This is a healthy new product that is packed with nutrients and is a great low-calorie, filling breakfast alternative. The only thing we didn’t really love about it is the taste: Celtic Sea Salt is the last ingredient on the list, but the first one to hit your taste buds! The texture is good and all the other flavors merge well, just the initial saltiness is unexpected for a breakfast food – although we have to note that it’s not high in Sodium and is definitely worth trying for the health benefits. Retails for $7.50 / 12oz.



Ruth’s Hemp Foods Inc
Toronto
Canada
800 359 4508
ruthshempfoods.com

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers – Beef Merlot

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
12	20	9	5	10	2	5	63

Here’s the problem we have with these types of “healthy” dinners - the companies are so concerned with touting the number of calories per portion and how low the fat content is, yet at the same time they are not bothered about balancing this out with nutritious ingredients. One look at the long list of ingredients and you have to wonder if this is indeed a “Healthy Choice”? The flavor of the meat left a lot to be desired, although the taste and texture of the vegetables were good. The package instructions for preparation are accurate and easy to follow – so in terms of convenience at least it hits the mark, if nothing else. Retails for $2.99 / 10oz.

Con-Agra Foods, Inc
Omaha, NE
800-323-9980
healthychoice.com

Ivar’s Tartar Sauce

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
22	18	10	8	10	5	3	76

We think the opportunity exists for someone out there to create a tartar sauce that tastes good and isn’t loaded with preservatives (this one even has MSG), which really is a No!No! these days! The taste is very vinegar-y and very egg-y, with vinegar third on the ingredient list and eggs fourth – not too surprising. The bottom line is we just feel they could do a lot better. This product has been on the market since 1938 and as much as we love tradition and appreciate old favorites we think that in 2008, 70 years later, consumers don’t want to eat this way anymore. Would a few improvements to the recipe be that difficult? Also, for today’s market we’d love to see this product in a squeeze bottle, thereby avoiding spooning from the jar which could create food safety issues. Retails for $3.79/ 12.75oz.

Ivar's, Inc.
Seattle
WA
206 587 6500
www.ivars.net

Bali’s Best Coffee Candy

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	19	12	13	10	5	4	93

This is a new candy with a nice, sophisticated flavor. In fact, it doesn’t really taste like candy. It has a natural coffee flavor which is pleasing for all the coffee lovers out there – a candy for the adult palate. The first thing we noticed about this candy is that it is a product of Indonesia and the second is that cane sugar is the first ingredient – not the usual high fructose corn syrup. It would be really great to see how much caffeine content there is in a serving from the coffee extract which is giving the candy its rich coffee (instead of sugar) taste (which we love!). It would also be great to see this product in a re-sealable bag – although each piece is individually wrapped we think it would be a nice touch. Retails for $2.19 - $2.95 / 5.3oz.

Fusion Gourmet, Inc.
Gardena
CA
310 532 8938
fusiongourmet.com

Grana Padano Cheese

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	15	14	15	10	5	5	94

This delicious cheese is a great alternative to Parmigiano Reggiano with a very similar look, texture and mouthfeel, but without the salty tartness of Parmesan. It actually has significantly less sodium, (161mg per oz. compared to 454mg per oz. in Parmesan) so it's good for those watching their salt intake, or looking for an alternative that won’t compete with the flavor of a pasta sauce for Italian night! There is also less cholesterol (14mg compared to 19mg) so it’s more heart healthy and with more calcium than Parmesan (388mg compared to 336mg) and with significantly more than double the calcium in American cheese (162mg) we think this is a great choice, not just for its smooth, flavorful taste. The only draw-back is it’s a little on the pricey side: retailing at $14.99 per pound it’s a luxury, but a healthy one nonetheless and a little goes a long way.

Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano
Brescia
Italy
030 910 9811
GranaPadano.it