The Nutritionist Reviews

March 31, 2011

Auric Blends Review and Giveaway

Auric Blends is a company that sells many different scented products.   I was sent this set of three perfumes. They all smell great and roll on which is perfect for travel. I am going to keep one in my desk at work in case I need a little perfume during the day. My favorite product that I received was the Love perfume.  It smells great and is one of the company's best selling perfumes.  Another thing that I like about this company is that they sell so many different scents that you can find a scent that everyone will love.  It is also very affordable. 1/3 ounce container of perfume costs $7.50 and since it is strongly scented, this will last awhile.  Thanks Auric Blends! Giveaway Auric Blends will be giving away 2 products (either the 1/3 ounce perfumes or the solid perfumes) in the scent of the winners choice to one lucky reader of my blog!  The giveaway is open until Midnight on Tuesday April 12th. Winner will be chosen on Wednesday...

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March 29, 2011

Meet the Family

Here is my family minus my hubby and three of the dogs: Dad, Mom, brother Edwin, my parent's dachshund Faith, sister Natalie, Me, and my dachshund Ava. This past weekend was very fun and exciting (more details to come on Monday!!). Also, in FIVE days I will find out if I get a dietetic internship and where it will be at (dear god, please help my sanity!). I will keep you all posted with all of the information. ***Also, don't forget to enter my three giveaways ending tonight at midnight!

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March 29, 2011

Hint Water Review

Hint is a brand of naturally flavored water with no calories, sugar, or artificial sweeteners. I was impressed with the variety of neat flavors such as mango-grapefruit and strawberry kiwi.  My favorite of these waters is the raspberry lime because it tasted like real fruit.  I have never tried a beverage before that actually tasted like real raspberries and this one did! I am not a fan of drinking your calories so this one is perfect for me because I can get the flavor without all of the added sugars. Also, for people who are trying to lose weight, this can help you get the flavor of juice or something else without those calories.  I am also not a fan of artificial sweeteners which Hint also does not have.  Thanks for sending me your great products!

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March 25, 2011

Edward & Sons Review

Edward & Sons is a company that makes a large variety of organic products. The companies goal is use as few ingredients as possible which is great.  I got to review everything from croutons to coconut water to peaches to miso soup to gravy!! Some other products that they sell that look good are panko breadcrumbs and organic unsweetened coconut. My favorite of the products is the organic peaches.  They tasted fresher than most canned peaches which was neat.  I had not heard of this brand of coconut water but it is quite good.  I know that a lot of athletes like to drink it before, during, or after exercise. Thanks Edward & Sons for sending me some of your products!

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March 25, 2011

Classic Foods Review

 I recently read a review of this companies vanillla frosting chips and was instantly intrigued by the brand. Classics Foods sells kettle chips and baked chips.  I got to try a variety of flavors including salt and pepper, sundried tomato and basil, and jalapeno. All of them were very good but my favorite was the salt and pepper.  They were very crunchy like typical kettle chips and had lots of large pepper flakes.  A bag has 260 calories so I divided it into two servings.  The baked chips have only 110 calories per bag which is perfect to go along with a lunch or to eat as a snack.  I am a big fan of eating healthy but I also believe that you need your chips too!

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March 23, 2011

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

 As another attempt to use up some ingredients, I made some delicious granola! It was not the healthiest recipe in the world but it sure is tasty! Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Ingredients: 8 packs instant low sugar oatmeal 1/2 cup steel cut oats 1 cup trail mix (had mixed nuts and fruit) 3/4 cup chocolate peanut butter 1/2 cup maple syrup Directions: Mix all ingredients together and flatten on a pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-35 minutes until crispy. Let cool completely and with a spatula, break into small granola sized pieces. Enjoy plain, with some milk, or on top of yogurt! Later that night, my sister came to visit us from 3 1/2 hours away! We had a great time : )

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March 23, 2011

Eve Organics Review

Eve Organics is a company that sells organic skincare and makeup.  I got the opportunity to review the All Over Color in Beautiful and the Mineral Blush in Joyful.  I love both of these products.  The Beautiful is more like a bronzer which helps to make my super pale face look better.  The Joyful blush gives my cheeks a nice pink sheen.  I really like this makeup and love how easy it is to use.  I actually did another review of this brand last year.  One of the blushes that I got last year was not the right shade for me so I gave it to my sister.  She absolutely loves it and asks me where she can buy it all the time now.  She likes to use a regular bronzer and put the blush over it for a more natural color.  It is a great quality organic makeup and I will be using it regularly!

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March 23, 2011

Fresh Produce Clothing Review

Fresh Produce clothing is a brand that sells cute and comfy clothing .  I love the bright and fun colors that they sell.  I had the chance to review the lounge capris seen above. They are so comfortable! They were a little bit too long on me so I rolled them over once and that worked well.  They are stretchy and I would wear them to the beach, to bed, or to hang out around the house. I also reviewed this Rio Inspired Tunic in white. I love how it's long so that I could wear it with leggings or even jeans.  It also has a hood which is great for the rainy Spring season that we are in now. The company also sells other modern tunics and vacation clothes . My favorite part about this company is that the colors of the clothing are very fun and bright.  Thanks Fresh Produce!

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March 20, 2011

Nutrition in Red Fruits and Vegetables

  Source I have always loved learning about the different fruits and vegetables and what vitamins and minerals are in them. I thought it would be neat to share with you some of the information that I learned in school by doing different posts about different colored produce. Here is the first post about red fruits and veggies. Red Fruits and Vegetables : Many red kinds of produce contain lycopene which is high in tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, etc.  This is known to help reduce your risk of cancer (especially prostate). Also, many contain vitamins A and C which may help to prevent heart disease. Some great red fruit/vegetable choices: -Tomatoes -Raspberries -Cherries -Red peppers -Cranberries -Red cabbage (These last four PowerPoint slides are from a report that I did in college! I just found it on my computer.) What are your favorite kinds of red fruits and vegetables? Red: I love tomatoes and raspberries.

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March 19, 2011

Pier 1 Outdoor Furniture

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. Since having my own home, I have started to love outdoor furniture.  There are so many different neat couches, chairs, swings, etc.   Pier 1   just came out with some new very neat furniture that is perfect for Spring and Summer. A couple of years ago, my parents got my husband and I an outdoor couch and table which we love.  I would eventually like to get more outdoor furniture like a couple of chairs. A couple neat things about Pier 1 furniture is that it is versatile in the way that it can be used indoor or outdoor.  For people who have a sunroom in their home, they can bring the furniture in for the Fall and Winter and then use it outside for the Spring and Summer. Also, Pier 1 has many affordable options for those who don't want to spend a lot of money and this sunflower mosaic table . Also, Pier 1 has different Papasan chairs that are neat that...

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March 19, 2011

Manna Organics Review and Giveaway

Manna Organics is a company that makes sprouted, yeast free, organic breads.  They make a bunch of flavors of manna breads and also a few sourdough breads.  I did a review of this company last year and ended up really liking their products so I decided to review them again! This sourdough bread is not your typical sandwich bread.  It is very dense and filling which is something that is different.  One slice of the sourdough has 140 calories which is a lot for bread but it does have a lot of fiber and protein per slice.  It is also very low fat.  I really like this bread toasted with some butter on it.  I would eat a slice for breakfast with some fruit and coffee with milk on the side.  This time around, when I emailed the company asking to review more of their products, I asked for another loaf of the millet rice manna bread.  I like that this bread is not very sweet and is very soft.  What I love is that these products are so uni...

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March 18, 2011

Hotel Chocolat Review

Have you ever heard of Cocoa Nibs Balsamic Vinegar ? I have not so when I got the opportunity to review a product from Hotel Chocolat , this is what I chose. There are literally little tiny cocoa nibs in the vinegar! What did I think of it? I loved it! It is literally the taste of chocolate and balsamic vinegar, but without the sweetness. I think that this would be awesome on top of a salad with spinach, roasted nuts, and diced fruit.  Of course most of the products that this company sells is actual chocolate but I wanted to try something completely unique.  I have always been a HUGE balsamic vinegar fan and this takes the cake! If you are someone that loves chocolate, you can get your chocolate fix while being healthy.

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March 17, 2011

Chobani Greek Yogurt Review and Giveaway

Hi, thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I'm Amanda, a registered dietitian that does product reviews and giveaways, healthy recipes and more. Please don't forget to subscribe . For any nutrition related questions or other questions or comments, please email me at achernandez711@yahoo.com _________________________________________________________________________________ Ever since last year when I did a review of Chobani yogurt, I have been a big fan.  I had only tried the strawberry, blueberry, and peach until now.  Recently, my local grocery store just started to carry some of these yogurts so now I can buy them myself. Some of the flavors that I got to try are pineapple, raspberry, plain, vanilla, black cherry, lemon, mango, etc. I really like the pomegranate flavor especially because it has real whole pomegranate seeds in there! This yogurt is thick and tasty.  One six ounce container has 140 calories, 14 grams of protein, and 15% of your daily calcium....

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March 17, 2011

illumenature Review and Giveaway

illumenature is a brand of hand poured soy candles.  I was sent three scents: cherry tangerine, lavender, and banana nutbread.  They all pretty pretty good but my favorite is definitely the banana nutbread.  It smells like fresh baked banana bread! This candle burns very nicely and makes your home smell wonderful. The 8 ounce candles retail for $11.99 and come in many different scents. I really want to try the Buckeye scented one! Yum!  The company also sells soy tarts and 20 ounce candles.  I bet those 20 ounce ones last a long time! This company makes a candle that has a really cute packaging with a colored ribbon around it. I think that they would make nice hostess gifts or part of a birthday gift for someone! Giveaway illumenature is giving away one 8 ounce candle to 2 different winners. The giveaway is open until Midnight on Tuesday March 29th. Winner will be chosen on Wednesday March 30th using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to resp...

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March 17, 2011

Naturally Nutty Review

Naturally Nutty is a brand of nut butter that I have seen all over the healthy living blog world. I have been dying to try it for some time now.  I emailed the company and they agreed to send me some of their unique products.  Best of all, I found out that they are a Michigan company (Traverse City) not too far away from where I live. I got to review the Cinnamon Vanilla Almond Butter which was very good.  It has some crunch to it from the chia, flax, and hemp seeds.  It is not too sweet which is a plus.  My favorite was definitely the Pepita Sun Seed Butter.  It tastes a lot like pumpkin pie to me and is one that will be eaten in spoonfuls out of the jar ; )  I also got to try the Trail Mix which is amazing.  It is a mix of pumpkin seeds, raisins, dried cherries and cranberries, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and dark chocolate.  This is one of those treats that are going to have to be hidden from me because I could probably eat half a ...

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March 15, 2011

Peanut Butter Granola and Granola Bars

On Friday night, my hubby had to work late so I was all by my lonesome. I decided that I wanted to get creative in the kitchen and came up with this recipe that turned out wonderful. Peanut Butter Granola and Granola Bars Ingredients: 2 cups of rolled oats 1/3 cup almonds 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Krema smooth) 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar free maple syrup 2 tablespoons chia seeds (optional) 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used a mixed berry combo) 2 tablespoons water 1. Heat PB in the microwave for 15 seconds or until melted. 2. Pour all ingredients together in a baking pan and mix well. 3. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes depending on how chewy or firm you want your bars. 4. Take out of the oven and let cool completely. Cut into portions. 5. These bars will be crumbly so any extra pieces left behind (I had a lot) can be eaten as granola. I have never made granola or granola bars before and was very impressed on how easy it was and how gr...

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March 15, 2011

Supreme Protein Review

My husband and I are a huge fan of Supreme Protein bars.  We first tried these bars last year when I was sent FIFTEEN (yes, fifteen) boxes of these bars for review. Well, the company came out with a new kind called peanut butter and jelly and I got to review them.  When I first got the box, I saw that the bars have over 400 calories which for my husband is a good thing (he is trying to gain weight) and for me, too many calories for one bar.  When I opened the box, I realized that the bars are really double the size of any usual bar.  Therefore, I just cut one in half and went to town on it.  My husband and I both love these PB & J bars.  They are our favorite variety of this brand.  They taste like a candy bar and have 30 grams of protein (15 grams for 1/2 a bar).  There is actually a layer of gooey jelly which is awesome.  This bar is salty and sweet. I can almost guarantee that this box will be gone within two weeks.  Tha...

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March 14, 2011

Krema/Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter Review

Source Last year when I first started blogging, I had the pleasure of reviewing Krema and Crazy Richard's peanut butter. Well, I finally used up my stock and asked the company if I could review some more. Both brands of peanut butter are much more liquidy than most PB that you buy in the grocery store.  It is very fresh tasting and is 100% natural.  I love it! I used the Crazy Richard's smooth peanut butter this past Friday night to make peanut butter granola and peanut butter granola bars (recipes to come later this week!).  It turned out amazing! Can't wait to share this must try recipe with you all. Thanks Crazy Richard's and Krema from replenishing my peanut butter stock!

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March 14, 2011

Zak! Designs Review

I have seen many reviews of Zak! Designs products and was very intrigued by the bright and beautiful colors of the different kitchen products.  I chose to review this 4 piece rose bowl set, the condiment heart bowl set, and the rainbow mini bowl set.  I absolutely love the rose bowl set.  The bowls are perfect for my mini portions of snacks. Last night, I served myself a little bowl of homemade cranberry sauce in one of them and last week, I had a little bowl of cereal.  I also love the rose bowl set. I think it would be great for entertaining and I love how the bowls fit perfectly together to make a pretty flower.  I would use them for a Mexican themed party because of the bright and beautiful colors. These products are food and dishwasher safe but cannot be microwaved. This company sells tons and tons of products and it took me forever to choose which ones to review. I love my new bowls and will probably be able to use at least one of them each day. T...

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March 10, 2011

Vegetarian Lent Fridays

As a Catholic, I do not eat meat on Fridays during Lent.  I wanted to give all of you Catholics out there some great meat free options that are also healthy and simple. Enjoy! Here are some of my favorites: Healthified Tuna Salad Hummus and pita chips with cheese and a big salad Shrimp and Couscous Stir Fry Grilled Portobello Burgers and Strawberry Balsamic Salad Pumpkin Soup Vegetable Lasagna Spicy Healthy Alfredo Skinny Mexican Layer Dip What are some of your favorite vegetarian meals?

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March 09, 2011

Bar Review: Wings of Nature and Luna

Wings of Nature is a company that makes 8 ingredient bars tha are organic and gluten free. They are made of fruit and nuts and come in three different flavors.  My favorite of these bars is the Cranberry Crunch Bar.  It contains peanuts, raisins, sesame seeds, agave syrup, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. The bar contains 170 calories, 5 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 9 grams of sugar. I really enjoyed this bar crumbled on top of caramel flavored yogurt with some sliced fresh strawberries.  It made an excellent breakfast! I've reviewed Luna bars in the past and really liked them.  This time, I got to review their chocolate dipped coconut bar and their chocolate chunk.  I really especially like the chocolate coconut one. It tastes similar to a candy bar. The bar has 190 calories, 9 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and 11 grams of sugar. This would be great to eat in place of a candy bar. Also, all of the ingredients are natural and they contain...

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March 08, 2011

Cambodian Threads Review

Cambodian Threads is a company that makes beautiful and colorful scarves. These scarves are handmade. fair trade silk scarves produced in a sweat free environment in a small Cambodian Village!  For each scarf that is purchase, 10 necessities are bought for children for their education.  This is a great company with strong values. I got this pink and purple scarf to review which can be seen in the picture above.  I really like the scarf! It is comforable and stylish.  I could wear it to work or on a dinner date. These scarves come in many different colors and cost from $20-26 based on the color. I would definitely recommend this company mainly because of what a great cause it is.

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March 08, 2011

Pravana Review

My husband is always looking for new hair products to use and Pravana was a great new line of products that he got to try for review. I chose the Pravana Detail and Twist to review.  He likes both products and said that they held his hair in place like he wanted.  The only thing was that the products were kind of greasy which he didn't like. The Detail product gives your hair a wet and sleek look.  It retails for $16 in stores. These products are a nature based formula also which is nice. I liked the way that my hubby's hair looked after using these products and would recommend them to others. Thanks Pravana!

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March 08, 2011

Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna

I have always been a huge fan of lasagna. It is one of my parent's specialties.  I decided to make it to use up some frozen cooked zucchini and eggplant. It turned out wonderful and we have had tons of leftovers from it. Ingredients: 1 12 oz box whole grain lasagna noodles 1 Large Container of pasta sauce (Maybe like 48 oz?) (I chose Ragu because I like the taste and it only has 60 calories per 1/2 cup serving) 2 cups low fat cottage cheese 3 cups cooked vegetables (I used zucchini and eggplant. Also good would be onions, mushrooms, peppers, celery, etc.) These can be sauteed in a pan, steamed, or boiled. 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1. Cook pasta according to directions and cool to touch. 2. Layer pasta sauce, then pasta, then vegetables, then cottage cheese in a large glass pan. *Please note: it does not really matter what order you put the ingredients in; it will turn out delicious no matter what! 3. For the final layer, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. 4. Bake ...

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March 06, 2011

Free Product Coupon Giveaway

I have some free product coupons that I do not have use for since they are not sold in my area. I thought that someone else could use them so I am giving them away to one of you. This giveaway ends on 3/15 and the winner will be chosen through Random.Org. -1 Coupon for FREE FisherBoy Fish ($7 Value) -3 Coupons for FREE Finlandia Cheese ($5 each value) -1 Coupon for FREE Harvest Bay Coconut Oil ($14 value) -2 Coupons for FREE Brat Hans Sausages ($7.50 value each) -2 Coupons for $1 off Martinelli's Gold Medal Cider Here is how to enter:  Just become a Google Follower of The Nutritionist Reviews. Extra Entries: "Like" The Nutritionist Reviews on Facebook (2 entries).

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March 06, 2011

Strawberry Carrot Smoothie

Like what you see? Subscribe to The Nutritionist Reviews blog for more healthy recipes. __________________________________________________________________________________ Yesterday, I wanted to use up a few ingredients that were going to go bad so I made a delicious and filling smoothie. This smoothie is high in vitamins A and C from the strawberries and carrots. First, I laid out the ingredients. Missing from the picture is skim milk and Healthy Balance Juice. Then, I got started. Ingredients: -Large handful of raw baby spinach -5 medium sized strawberries -about 1/2 cup Arctic Zero Vanilla Maple (Greek yogurt, regular yogurt or any kind of ice cream would work as well) -1/2 cup carrot sticks -about 1/4 cup skim milk -about 1/2 cup Healthy Balance Blueberry Pomegranate juice (or any juice) Put in all in a blender... And blend on pulse for about a minute.  I was not sure how I would like the carrot in there but you could not taste it at all.  It wa...

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