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!



The Kashi TLC Soft-Baked Cereal Bar Blackberry Graham Flavor

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
28	18	13	14	n/a 10	5	5	93

This product is a HIT!

For most people in America TLC means “tender loving care”, but for Kashi, one of the more healthy divisions of Kellogg's, TLC means "Tasty Little Cereal" Bar! This bar is a great alternative to a lot of the cookies on the supermarket shelves, but at 110 calories and 9 grams of sugar we think this product could be much more satisfying, especially since it touts its whole grain heritage. In fact it is so unsatisfying that as you finish one you find yourself reaching for another and then with double the calories and double the sugar the health profile is not nearly so rosy. That being said, I do applaud the lack of HFCS and artificial ingredients. Available in other flavors. Retails for $3.79 / 6 x 1.2 oz bar.

Kashi Sales L.L.C., La Jolla, CA
877 747 2467
kashi.com

Campbell’s Select Harvest Light Vegetable and Pasta Soup

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
29	18	13	12	10	4	5	91

This product is a HIT!

I love soup and the more vegetables and pasta in a soup the better! Campbell's has done a good job of upping the flavor for "light" soup. It doesn't taste salty at all and the whole wheat pasta gives the soup a great mouth-feel. There is only one thing about this soup that was a disappointment: there is way more celery and way more carrots and way less ... green beans, which I love! Available in other flavors. Retails for $2.39 / 18.6 oz.

Campbell Soup Company, Camden, NJ
800 257 8443
campbellselect.com

Mezzetta Vinaigretta Southwestern Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
27	10	14	15	n/a 10	5	5	86

This product is a HIT!

P.S. Who thinks of these brand names anyway? And hey, who thought of this one: "Just add lettuce" (on the label)? At first blush it made me chuckle, what a wacky idea ... but the more I thought about it and the more I tasted it - the more I like this concept. Don't get me wrong, the idea of spending $5 for 12 oz. of marinated vegetables is not something that thrills me, especially since it's also adding 3 grams of sugar. However, what I do like about this product is that it only adds 6 grams of fat per 2 tablespoon serving, which is far less than typical salad dressing and typical dressing doesn't have the added veggies and the restaurant-style presentation. But I have to wonder: is a 2 tablespoon serving really realistic? Available in other flavors. Retails for $4.99 / 12 fl oz.

G.L. Mezzetta, Inc., Napa Valley, CA
800 488 2267
mezzetta.com

Promise Activ Supershots Strawberry Flavor

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
22	15	14	14	n/a 10	3	4	82

Nutraceuticals are so 2008 ... and I mean that in a good way! Promise is trying to be one of the leaders in the category and with its "Promise" of removing cholesterol and helping to control blood pressure, that's a good thing. But I do have a couple of problems with these "Supershots". First, the name itself: "Supershot" gives the impression that this is a magic bullet instead of an everyday product (and the recommended dose is twice a day ) and secondly, I find the color and strawberry flavor very artificial and so sweet that there is no real yogurt taste left. The candy bar taste belies the fact that this product does deliver 2 grams of plant sterols per serving and with 1-2 grams needed per day to make a difference, this product actually does deliver on its promise when used daily. Available in other flavors. Retails for $4.79 for 4 "shots" (3.3 oz).

Promise Activ, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
877 671 6724
promisehealthyheart.com

Nestea Diet Green Tea Citrus Flavor

Taste	Value	Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Total
20	17	8	12	n/a 10	5	5	77

I love green tea and I love the antioxidants in green tea. What I don't love is a product that takes a "naturally healthy product" (according to their own label) and then loads it up with 3 artificial sweeteners; which they do presumably to mask the true flavor of green tea in order to make the taste more acceptable to the pseudo-healthy. One good move is that Nestea actually lists the amount of antioxidants: 160 mg of flavonoids per bottle. Available in other flavors. Retails for $1.39 - $1.49 / 20 fl oz.

The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, GA
800 488 2267
nestea.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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