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!

USA-Fish: California Wasabi Ginger Salmon

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	18	13	15	10	5	5	96

This product is a HIT!

We found this product at the National Grocers Association annual convention when we were blown away by the aroma of sauces as we walked by. Clearly this company is “on trend” by using the microwave steaming technology to ensure the fish and rice are properly cooked. Our complaint is that they are so on trend that the label is far too busy with 8 different logos, each with a different proponent. We love that this product has all these attributes: “Wild Caught Certified”, “Proudly Made in the USA”, “Low Carbon Footprint” and more; we just wonder if the label is saying so much that it’s hard to actually see what it is saying. We found the plastic seal on the packaging hard to remove after cooking, but appreciate the benefits of a strong seal: no freezer burn, no leakage and perfect cooking. Available in other flavors.

Retails for $7.99 / 12 oz.

Pucci Foods
Hayward, CA
800 427 8224
freshlywholesomegourmet.com

Rocks and Rolls French Munching Cookies: Raspberry Chocolate Chip Flavor

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	18	15	15	n/a 10	5	3	96

This product is a HIT!

What first attracted us to this unique-looking cookie was its petite size and shape. One bite of these “French Munching Cookies” and you immediately taste raspberry, not sugar or the artificial flavors typical in other cookies, a pleasant surprise for your palate and also a pleasant surprise to see that these cookies are low fat, low sugar and no cholesterol or dairy. Our only complaint is that once you open the package there’s no way re-seal it - although we doubt there will be many of these original mini cookies left once you open the package! Available in other flavors.

Retails for $3.99 for 10oz.

St Amour
Stanton, CA
714 903 5366
frenchcookies.com

Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked Potato Chips: Hand Picked Jalapeno

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
29	19	14	13	n/a 10	5	5	95

This product is a HIT!

We love kettle chips … we love natural chips … we love jalapenos and we even love the taste of these chips. We would, however, love to see an explanation of how Miss Vickie makes the “Jalapeno Powder” listed on the ingredients, while on the front and back of the package the jalapenos are cited as being “Hand-Picked”. We need more details. Lastly, this is another instance where we would love to see a re-sealable bag to keep all that great flavor and crispness. Available in other flavors.

Retails for $2.49 / 5 oz.

Miss Vickie’s Brand
C/O Frito Lay, Inc.
Plano, TX
877 984 2543
missvickies.com

Virgil’s Diet Rootbeer

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
30	16	14	15	n/a 10	5	5	95

This product is a HIT!

There’s no caffeine in this product, which is great. The flavor’s great too! Americans just love their soda and it’s unfortunate that major soda companies are so far off track from meeting consumers’ taste and health needs. Virgil’s Diet Rootbeer contains no artificial sweeteners (they use Xylitol and Stevia) and does contain a perfectly tasty variety of herbs and spices. Our only concern is that the intense flavor might interfere with the flavors of some foods that you may be eating at the same time. No question that this particular soda would make the perfect rootbeer float! Different flavors available.

Retails for $4.99 - $5.99 / 4 bottles of 12 fl oz.

Reed
LA, CA
800 99 REEDS
www.virgils.com

Think 5: Red Berry Flavor

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
15	10	10	14	n/a 10	3	5	67

On the plus side this nutrition bar is rich in fiber and dense and, therefore, filling, but unfortunately the taste leaves a lot to be desired. We find a few things about this product confusing: the illustration on the front depicts three veggies and two fruits and suggests to us that that is what is contained in the bar, but the ingredient list is much more complicated and we have to wonder about the relevance and/or implication of the description of the founder of the company: CEO, mother of two, former model. Available in other flavors.

Retails for $2.79 - $3.29 / 72 g..

Think Products
Ventura, CA
866 988 4465
thinkproducts.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.

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