Rice Dreams Bites Vanilla Flavor

Taste	Value		Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Sustainability	Total
29	15		15	15	5	5	4	1	89

  This product is a HIT!

Portion control is where it is at and ever since Dreyer's introduced us to bite-sized ice cream the world has never been the same. Now Rice Dream makes a non-dairy bite that is absolutely delicious, with just 1 g of fat and 1 g of sugars per piece. The chocolate coating which is made with coconut oil rivals just about any chocolate coating I have had on ice cream. This plastic tab is great for tamper resistance, but I would still like to see a plastic or foil lid inside to prevent moisture build up which could create freezer burn.

Retails for $4.10 - 4.99.Total Score 89

Imagine Foods
Melville, NY
800 434 4246
tastethedream.com




McCormick Recipe Inspirations Apple and Sage Pork Chops Flavor

Taste	Value		Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Sustainability	Total
28	18		15	15	5	5	5	0	91

  This product is a HIT!

I wish I had thought of this idea! People are bored with their food, people want more excitement from their food and McCormick's new Recipe Inspirations make it so easy. Take a look, the spices you need pre-measured and labeled on the back, a very well-written recipe card that tells you what you need, how to prepare and even the time that it takes, and then a photo along with the nutritional info. How easy is that? This is so smart and will pave the way for other similar concepts that can expand our palettes. It is a $1.99 per recipe, however the recipes are between 4 and 8 servings.

Retails for $1.99.Total Score 91

McCormick & Co, Inc.
Hunt Valley, MD
800 632 5847
mccormick.com




Wasa Whole Grain Crispbread

Taste	Value		Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Sustainability	Total
30	17		15	15	5	5	4	0	91

  This product is a HIT!

I have not had a Wasa Crispbread in twenty years. Their new Whole Grain includes 2 g of fiber, 12 g of whole grains and no fat per slice. The original Wasa was less flavorful and the texture was less palatable. This recipe gets it right, but the packaging does not - how about a re-sealable package?

Retails for $3.09.

Wasa North America LLC
Bannockburn, IL
800 924 9272
wasa-usa.com







Joyce Chen Spicy Peking Ravioli Dipping Sauce

Taste	Value		Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Sustainability	Total
30	19		15	15	5	5	4	1	84

  This product is ALMOST a HIT!

So what is a dipping sauce? Bottom line is you need chopsticks, you need a little bowl and you need potstickers or dumplings. The idea is not to smother your food with sauce, but just to enhance its flavor. This variety is the Spicy Peking Ravioli which is a nice blend of vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, cayenne pepper and ginger. And remember with dipping: a lot of the sauce actually runs off, so it can be low sodium and low sugars.

Retails for $3.99.

Joyce Chen Foods
Acton, MA
978 929 9797
joycechenfoods.com



Laughing Giraffe Organics Vanilla-Almond Snackaroon

Taste	Value		Health	Ingredients	Prep	Appearance	Packaging	Sustainability	Total
30	19		15	15	5	5	4	1	94

  This product is a HIT!

Remember when your grandmother used to give you macaroons? These Vanilla-Almond Gluten Free Snackaroons put those to shame! They are raw, organic, vegan and delicious. Yes, I know they are 18 g of fat and 10 g of sugars per macaroon, but eating just 1 is very satisfying. So the product is fabulous - but what is with this package? The marking for the re-closeable opening is in the wrong place, putting the words 'nature's technology' makes it sound like it came from a lab when it is just the opposite, and the giraffe is not laughing and actually looks sad. Clean up the package, this is a terrific product.

Retails for $10.00.

Galaxy Nutritional Foods
Orlando, FL
407 855 5500
galaxyfoods.com


Phil taste-tests and judges each product based on the following 8 criteria:

1. Taste (30 points): the most important attribute of any food
2. Value (20 points): is it worth it?
3. Health (15 points): based off the nutritional information, is it nutritionally balanced?
4. Ingredients (15 points): what's in it, how natural is it?
5. Preparation (5 points): when applicable, how accurate or good are the directions *
6. Appearance (5 points): is it appetizing and does it resemble its photo or description
7. Packaging (5 points): Is it appropriate for the product and does it have any benefits such as resealability, added freshness, better storage, etc.
8. Sustainability (5 Points): is the packaging biodegradable, is it wasteful, is the company endeavoring to offset their carbon footprint?

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

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