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! (Points system explained below the products!)

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

Mix 1 Protein and Antioxidant Drink

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	18	15	14	10	5	5	97

This product is a HIT!

Here’s the problem we have with Mix 1: on the package they talk about their co-founder “Dr. James”, who developed this line of protein drinks, but who is this James and what exactly is he a doctor of? It’s only when you go to the website that you eventually discover that Dr. James Rouse is a licensed naturopathic doctor (but not an MD). Health marketing 101 is BE UPFRONT; we just wish we could have been given his full name and background somewhere on the label. We like this company’s relaxed style, but consumers demand (and deserve) details. Unlike so many others in this genre this product actually tastes GREAT! With a nice, clean tangerine flavor and none of the usual “off” aroma of whey based drinks! Available in other flavors.

Retails for $2 / 11 oz.

Mix 1
Boulder, CO
303 442 6200
mix1life.com

La Loo’s Goat Milk Ice Cream Company: Rumplemint Chocolate Chip Flavor

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	18	15	14	10	5	5	97

This product is a HIT!

When we first tasted La Loo’s a couple of years ago we were impressed with how this company was trying to expand the market for goat’s milk-based products and this latest Rumplemint flavor is a fabulous addition that could easily compete with any full fat cow’s milk ice cream. According to the package: “Goat milk ice cream is easy to digest and can be enjoyed by many people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow milk products”. We still love this company – keep those yummy flavors coming! Available in other flavors and frozen yogurt.

Retails for $6.99 / pint.

Goat Goodness
Petaluma, CA
No phone listed
goatmilkicecream.com

Wholemato Organic Agave Ketchup

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	16	13	15	10	4	4	92

This product is a HIT!

This is a great new product from Wholemato – finally a more healthful option in the condiment aisle. We like the taste of this organic ketchup a whole lot, but the only problem we think the makers of this product might encounter is that the consistency is not what people, especially kids, might be expecting: it’s a much thicker product - which we actually prefer, and is much richer and darker in color - which we also prefer; we’re just not sure if it will convert users of conventional ketchups that are loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup to this superior product.

Retails for$4.99 / 13oz.

The Blevins Group
New York, NY
646 853 4283
wholemato.com

Starkist Albacore Creations: Tomato Pesto Flavor

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
27	17	11	10	10	5	5	85

We were very pleasantly surprised by the nice fresh taste of this new tuna product from Starkist – thanks to the pouch packaging that allows the fish to be packaged closer to the time it’s caught as opposed to the lengthy canning process - the flavor’s actually very good, which we weren’t really expecting after a look at the ingredients list. From a taste stand point this is a very good product. We’re not too thrilled about the sodium, oil content and additives, but it is good value and we love the country of origin labeling. Available in other flavors.

Retails for $1.99 / 4 oz.

Starkist Seafood Co
Pittsburgh, PA
800 252 1587
starkist.com

Private Harvest Simmering Sauce: Orange Dijon Flavor

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
20	10	5	5	10	2	4	56

This product is a MISS!

These simmering sauces from Private Harvest are packaged in an attractive tall and narrow glass bottle – very appealing until you try and coerce the separated ingredients back together and get a bicep workout in the process. The next hurdle is getting the plastic wrapping around the cap off as it doesn’t have the usual perforated tab. Okay, now that we’ve actually opened the bottle the aroma is much more vinegar than orange, but it does taste like orange marmalade. There are two reasons we were disappointed with the product: the first is that the first ingredient is High Fructose Corn Syrup and the second is that the nutritional analysis is hugely misleading as it states a serving size is 1 tablespoon for a product that instructs you to use the ENTIRE bottle… so just go ahead and multiply all the nutritional info by 23 (the number of servings in a bottle) and you’ll be getting the right info (and 690 calories). Available in other flavors.

Retails for $8.50 / 11.4 oz.

Private Harvest
Lakeport, CA
707 263 0694
privateharvest.com

Points System:

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.