Archive for the ‘Eats & Drinks’


Snacktrition - Now A Staple At My House

snacktritionDo you get enough fiber? Do your kids? (A quick way to find out…look in the toilet. If your poop doesn’t float, you need more fiber.) How about calcium? Do you know for sure you’re not contributing to your own and possibly your children’s future osteoporosis?

The (US) National Fiber Council reports that 95 percent of people do not get the recommended daily amount of fiber. The same can be said for calcium, as the Journal of the American College of Nutrition states that 80 percent of Americans do not meet the recommended calcium intake either.

To help address the nutritional needs of adults and children, Snacktrition, a new line of great-tasting nut and dried fruit snacks with added calcium and fiber, are now available to provide you with a simple, nutrient-rich cure for the common snack.

Snacktrition offers a tasty way to get you on the right nutritional track for daily fiber and calcium intake. Depending on the Snacktrition item, you will get 12 percent of your recommended daily fiber needs and approximately 10 percent of your daily calcium needs. Compare that to the stash in your cupboard right now and you will find that they provide approximately two times more calcium and three times more fiber per serving. Snacktrition dried fruit and nut snacks are “Health Baked” through a proprietary oven roasting process that adds valuable nutrients such as fiber and calcium, and they come in five delicious varieties - Sea Salt Cashews with Fiber, Sea Salt Almonds with Calcium, Salt & Pepper Cashews with Fiber (Oh my God AMAZING), Smoked Almonds with Calcium, and Fruit & Nut Mix with Fiber and Calcium (which my 2 year old and my husband barely let me taste because it was so delicious.) Snacktrition snacks are available in 3oz Bags ($2.99 each) or 8.5oz Tubs ($6.99 each). I recommend the tubs because the bags, though a better option for a low calorie and portion controlled snack for parents, will be gone in seconds. Spring for the tubs, which are reusable and dishwasher/microwave safe.

I love finding healthy kid snacks that all of us can eat. I’ll be seeking out Snacktrition snackies regularly from now on. Obviously, if you have nut allergies in your family you’ll want to take a pass on this one.

Win it! We’re giving away an 8.5oz tub of Snacktrition smoked almonds with calcium. To enter, just leave a comment on this post before noon MST on Saturday, July 5, 2008.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

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My Plate-Mate Keeps the Mess off the Table

my plate-mate reviewLearning to eat is a messy stage for even the most perfect child. No matter how anal retentive you are about cleanliness, you’re going to have a mess much of the time. When your child is ready to try his or her hand at utensils, you’ll want to check out My Plate-Mate. It helps a toddler learn how to successfully eat with a utensil and plate (or bowl if it’s the right size - 8″-9 1/2″…) while minimizing much of the mess.

My Plate-Mate is super Easy to use and is made of food grade plastic which is lead-free, BPA-free, PVC-free, latex-free and phthalate-free. They’re also dishwasher & microwave safe. It’s essentially a c-shaped piece of plastic that slips onto the edge of your child’s plate and helps your child successfully learn to use a utensil while preventing messy spills on the table.

We’re using a My Plate-Mate with our two year old and I love that he is showing increased confidence and independence with his utensils simply because I’m more relaxed and not chasing him around with a cloth.

They’re only $7.95 each and can be purchased from the My Plate-Mate website.

Save 10% with the code MESSFREE

Win it! We’re giving away a white My Plate-Mate to one lucky reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by noon MST on Jun 9, 2008.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

my plate-mate review

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Wupzey - It Catches What The Dogs Don’t

wupzey high chair food catcher reviewNow that my son is solely feeding himself “real” food, we have far less dropped food and a lot more launched food accompanied by the declaration that he’s “Sharing the puppies!” I don’t know that anything but time and patience will solve that issue, but I do know I would have LOVED to have a Wupzey high chair food catcher a year ago. I asked a friend with a newly self-feeding almost-toddler to check one out and let us know what she thought.

Jen says:

Available in ten colours, the Wupzey attaches quickly and easily to my standard high chair. It’s made of 100% Rip-stop Nylon and retails for under $20. I’m here to tell you that’s a small price to pay for the drastic reduction in cheerios that I now clean up! I used to sweep five to eight times a day and that’s been reduced to one good sweep before bed thanks to the Wupzey. This product belongs in the category “things you didn’t know you needed but love” along with many other of my favourite items. Thanks, Johanna, for a great product that reduces my daily workload!

Save 20% on any order from the site with the code TOP

Win it! We’re giving away a Wupzey in your choice of colour. To enter, leave a comment on this post stating which of the ten colours you’d choose if you win. Contest closes at noon MST on June 3, 2008.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

Pomme Bebe - Homemade food sans effort

pomme organic baby food reviewI fully intended to make my son’s baby food. It was part of my overall plan to raise a green baby. I completely ignored the fact that my husband does 95% of the cooking when I went to great lengths to buy the baby food mill and the Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook. Seriously, how difficult could a batch of organic peas really be? What started out as a simple project ended up being a broadway production. I will never understand why my gourmet peas didn’t look or apparently taste as good as the fresh and frozen baby food I ended up buying for him at Whole Foods. While my culinary adventures ended before the peas got cold, I’m happy to share that my son can get fresh, homemade meals and I don’t have to turn on the stove.

The first thing I noticed when we visited pomme’s bébé bar was how fresh the food looked. I was immediately struck by the deep, rich color of their apple-blueberry puree, one of my son’s new favorites. Since he is still struggling with textures, we stuck to the basics and blends. We tried the carrots, green peas, pears, sweet potatoes, and apple-blueberry puree. The fruit and vegetable purees surprisingly look and taste like their respective counterparts, only blended. I have yet to find a brand that matches their unique flavors and blends.

pomme organic baby food reviewJarred baby food undergoes high-heat processing to attain a shelf life up to 2 years. This process depletes food of it’s color, and more importantly the nutrients that are so vital to your child’s growth and development. pomme’s bébé’s fresh and frozen organic meals are prepared by hand in small batches and simmered slowly to retain the maximum amount of nutrients. Their meals are purely organic which means they are devoid of preservatives, fillers, artificial flavors/sweeteners, chemicals, hormones, or antibiotics. With gourmet variations uniquely formulated for each of your tots stages of development and prepared by five-star chef Laurent Brazier, your baby will probably be eating better than you do.

If you are in the area, stop by their fab bébé bar complete with ultra-chic fresco bloom high chairs and a cool tasting bar. Moms and babes alike can indulge their taste buds in fresh food samples. Check out their local, seasonal, and frequently updated menus. Can’t get there? Visit their online store or or place your order over the phone. They’ll flash freeze your organic meals to lock-in the freshness and ship them directly to your front door in environmentally-friendly insulated containers over dry ice. Note that pomme’s bébé’s organic meals must be consumed withing 3 days if fresh and 2-3 months if frozen. - Caryn (Who I am intensely envious of for living so close to Pomme that she could review it in person.)

Snikiddy Takes A Huge Bite of the Organic Snack Market

snikiddy organic snack reviewSnikiddy is “a new line of organic food products designed to embody and encourage a healthy lifestyle for children. Packaged with fun activities that promote physical and mental wellness, these organic foods are healthy snack alternatives that parents can feel good about giving to their children (or eating themselves!).” The name Snikiddy is a shortened form of the word persnickety, meaning choosy or picky - a trait that embodies childhood eating!

snikiddy organic snack reviewFounded by Janet Owings and Mary Schulman ~ a mother and daughter team ~ Snikiddy snacks are only snacks in that they’re easy and quick to eat. They’re completely contrary to what most of us think of when we thing of pre-packaged snack foods. My son loved them, but he didn’t get very many because I’m a bad mom and I ate them myself. Oops! The cookies were definitely my favourite, but he preferred the cheese puffs. They were good, but too messy for my liking.

Snikiddy are currently available in 6 flavours. Read on to see what some of our reviewers thought.


Snikiddy…what can I say to do them justice? I’ll start by saying that my 9 year old daughter is begging for more. They lasted only 10 minutes from the time they arrived in the mail!

We tried out the Grilled Cheese Cheese Puffs (Gluten Free) and the Chocolate Chippers Cookies. They were both wonderful! My 7 year old is extremely picky and even she loved them! They have already asked that these snacks be added to our grocery list. Too bad we have to go so far to get them though. The nearest store that carries them is over an hour away from us. I’ll be glad when they are more widely known and we can get them in our town. For now, I’ll settle for ordering them online. To get a 100% Organic snack that my kids will actually eat is amazing! I do not currently buy snacks at all but these are worth getting! I can’t wait to try out their other flavors, especially the Pizza Pie Puffs and the Banana Nibbles! Yum!

Thank you Snikiddy for considering the health of our children and making your products taste so great! - Gina


snikiddy reviewMy 3 ½ year-old son, Jonas, helped me check out Snikiddy Snacks . I was a little worried because I have a great love of health food but my son has never been much of an eater. He has been this way his entire life. Really, he only likes marshmallows and would eat them all day if allowed. [Ed: wouldn't we all?]

I gave him a bag of the Snikiddy Chocolate Chippers while we were riding in the car. His response? “CHOCOLATE! When I get home, I can get another bag!” When I asked if I could taste one, he replied very sweetly, “No, thanks.” These cookies got the picky child seal of approval!

I did sneak a taste out of another bag when he wasn’t looking and they are very good. They don’t taste like something is missing as a lot of healthy prepared snacks do. I can usually pass on a packaged cookie, but I could definitely eat an entire bag of Snikiddy Snacks! And that would be okay, because the entire (.85 oz) bag only contains 5g of fat and 120 calories!

We also tried Snikiddy Grilled Cheese Puffs. You know how many puffed cheese snacks pale in comparison to the original? These are actually BETTER. They are the right density, have a good flavor, and don’t leave a greasy aftertaste. I have seen my child pass on processed cheese snacks after only a few bites, but he steadily munched on the Snikiddy Snacks until they were gone! I was also impressed that one (.06 oz) bag of Grilled Cheese Puffs contains only 3g of fat and 80 calories!
So while you can feel good about giving Snikiddy Snacks to your kids (and being sure that they will definitely eat it), Snikiddy Snacks are also good news to us snackin’ parents out there who need to watch our waist lines! - Candice


When my daughter started eating table food I vowed she wasn’t going to be one of those kids who ate a lot of sugary snack foods; I was only going to offer her healthy choices. For the most part I’ve been pretty good about that. We don’t have a lot of sugar-loaded snacks in the house and she does like fruit. We have fallen into a “snack rut” with the same old stand-bys. Living in a small town with no health-food store, it’s hard to find snacks that don’t contain a lot of sugar, calories, or high fructose corn syrup.

I was excited to receive the samples from Snikiddy. My family tried the Chocolate Chippers and the Grilled Cheese Puffs. They put all of the good information right on the front of the package “low in sugar,” “no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, no corn syrup, no preservatives” and “USDA Organic” - wow, these sound like a great, healthy snack!

The Chocolate Chippers are mini-cookies; perfect size for small hands to hold. One bag’s serving size contains only 2 grams of sugar. My husband and I don’t normally care for crunchy cookies, and these are crunchy, but they were very tasty and we both liked them. My daughter had her own bag to sample and she really liked these cookies. “Mmmmm” was all I heard from her!

I’ve never given my daughter Cheese Puffs; they just aren’t something we buy as neither my husband nor I like them…and I don’t like the orange powder that gets all over your hands. These cheese puffs are little round balls (great for practicing the pincer grasp!) and come in a nice size serving bag. The white powder does come off on your hands, but it brushes off easily and doesn’t leave a huge mess on your fingertips (unless your kid is like mine and can make a complete mess out of any food!) My husband still doesn’t like the texture of cheese puffs, but he said the flavor of these were actually pretty good - I agreed and I shared the bag with Kayla who thought they were pretty good too.
You CAN have a great-tasting, healthy snack food without high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, perservatives, and ingredients you can’t pronounce! - Michelle


As a health-conscious mom, I am always scouring the market for new products that don’t contain nasty, unnatural ingredients. Not only are artificial and chemical additives suspected to cause hyperactivity in children (among other things), who knows what health problems they may be linked to in the future. I was uber-conscious about what went into my mouth during pregnancy, simply because I knew what I ate, baby ate, too. Why stop when baby’s born? Or even when baby’s done with pureed food? And why have to sacrifice flavor and convenient packaging just so be able to serve up natural snacks to your youngsters?

That’s why I was tickled to find out about Snikiddy Snacks. There are so many health foods for kids popping up…but I must say that this company’s approach, packaging, and philosophy really grabbed my attention.

The first thing my 3-year-old son said when I handed him his first packet of their Grilled Cheese Organic Cheese Puffs was, “I really like that cool boy on the bag!” This company knows that kids are visually driven and can be marketed to most easily by attractiveness and likability. First brownie point scored!

That was even before the bag was opened. Hands down, we all adore the cheese puffs. They are just as good as…no, better than…the unhealthy fat-laden varieties available for years, and they have no artificial colors. (Read: No fluorescent orange powder staining everything in sight!) Hooray for “fanatically clean moms” everywhere! These snacks are also gluten-free.

Their Organic Chocolate Chippers are also a big favorite around here. Both of my children are chocolate lovers. (Perhaps “chocoloate snobs” is a better title….just like their mother,) I knew these cookies had to be great in order to win them over. I have to admit I was a little skeptical of whole wheat flour being among the ingredients. I’ve had quite a few baking mishaps when I’ve tried to substitute some of this for regular flour. No worries! The cookies were melt-in-your-mouth delicious, smooth, and tasty….they didn’t even taste “healthy.” [Ed: I use 100% whole wheat flour in everything and have never had a problem!]

All of Snikiddy Snacks’ products are certified organic by Oregon Tilth. They have no GMOs, no hydrogenated oils, no high-fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, and no preservatives. They are sweetened with evaporated cane juice (Rapadura), which unlike most sugar, is not separated from the molasses stream during the manufacturing process.

One of the best things about Snikiddy Snacks is their nifty packaging. Their snacks come in individual Snack Pack sizes (enough for one child), Adventure Packs (boxes of five Snack Packs), and Sharing Packs (four to five servings per container). Sharing Packs! How cute is that?

You owe it to your family to pick up some of these snacks next time you go shopping. “Delicious, Mom!” was my 3-year-old’s exuberant response to these tasty treats. I’m sure your kids would agree! - Meg


We are not 100% organic or 100% healthy at our house but I try to give the kids have a good balance between yummy junk and healthy snacks. I make sure apples and other fruits are washed and ready to grab from a bowl they can reach in the fridge and I usually keep the less healthy temptations up out of sight so I have some control over when they eat them ( I say some control because occasionally I have little monkeys that climb up to the top cabinets). I do like to buy some prepackaged snacks for when we are in a rush to get to school and its hard to find a variety of healthy choices with those. We get pretzels usually because they are one of the better choices but every now and then I buy things I’m sure have some not so great ingredients. I can never pass up a free snack so I was happy to test out Snikiddy Snacks with the kids. I never buy store bought chocolate chip cookies (I make my own) so I wasn’t sure what the kids would think of Snikkidy’s Chocolate Chippers. I thought they tasted good with a nice crunch and so did Ben and Jamie (we downed 2 packs in minutes). Ethan, my pickiest kid, didn’t like them and only ate one cookie, but remember he is only used to homemade cookies. I didn’t think they tasted healthy and thats just what you want in a cookie BUT they are organic and have no hydrogenated oils, no corn syrup and no preservatives. Definitely a good choice for those mornings when I am in a rush to pack the kids snacks, although I’d give Ethan the Snikiddy Grilled Cheese Puffs instead. These were a big hit with all 3 of the kids and me too. They also boast a healthy label while still being yummy and the bonus is that they don’t leave little fingers gross and cheesy like regular cheese puffs. Both of these snacks come in handy single serve packs or bigger 4-5 serving sizes. I will definitely look for these in my store to take the guilt out of purchasing prepackaged treats. - Heather


Finding nutritional (and yummy) snacks for my little man has been a real struggle since he was old enough to eat them. Every type of snack that is good for him, he hates…And I must admit, I’ve tried some of them and they are pretty bad! However, I think I have finally come up with a solution that pleases us both!

Snikiddy snacks are certified USDA organic, but have the same yummy taste as all those “bad for you” alternatives! They are made from original family recipes and the finest natural and organic ingredients available. Every Snikiddy treat is absolutely free of hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives! In my book, it doesn’t get much better than that!

We had the chance to try the Chocolate Chippers and the Grilled Cheese Puffs, and were very pleased with both. The Grilled Cheese Puffs taste very similar to a yummy grilled cheese sandwich, a favorite of my little man. So needless to say, they were gone in just seconds! They are gluten-free and are the only USDA certified organic puffs on the market. These were very yummy to everyone in our house! The Chocolate Chippers were a BIG hit as well for our family! They are the only commercially available cookies made without refined sugar. My little man has a sweet tooth, so I have to say that these were his favorite! I was able to snag one from him before he gobbled them up and I was impressed as well…They taste just as good as those “bad for you” snacks, and leave me feeling much less guilty!

Thanks, Snikiddy Snacks for introducing such an awesome “snack-time solution” for our family! I recommend these snacks to all families, but especially those who have picky toddlers! Snikiddys have really mastered a snack that is nutritional without losing great taste. My little man loves them, and I feel good in offering him a snack that is much better for him! - Sara


When it comes to food, do you have persnickety kids? Are you looking for Certified Organic and Certified Kosher snacks that are delicious and healthy to feed those persnickety kids? If you are, then Snikiddy Snacks may be for you!

Snikiddy Snacks were started in 2005 by a mother and daughter team. The mom (now a grandmother) formulated the fantastic recipes in her kitchen, using only high quality, organic ingredients. Snikiddy offers sweet and savory varieties of their snacks to please even the most “snikiddy” of kids! My 2 year-old daughter and I tried the Chocolate Chippers and the Grilled Cheese Puffs.

The Chocolate Chippers were the perfect little bite size cookie for us! They are crispy and crunchy, yet their flavor is sweet but delicate. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the sugary sweetness that I find in most “store bought” cookies. By using organic Rapidura sugar in their recipe, Snikiddy is able to provide a rich sweetness with a hint of molasses flavor. I was in love the minute I popped one in my mouth. My toddler felt the same way. She was asking for cookies all night long!

The Grilled Cheese Puffs are yummy too! While they don’t appear to be overloaded with cheese, you can tell very quickly that they are addictive. My daughter and I ate the snack sized bag very quickly, eventually licking our fingers because we wanted more! She liked them because they were easy to chew and tasted very cheesy. I liked them because they were delicious and made with wholesome ingredients. I can’t wait to try the other flavors!

Check out the freebies that you can get by collecting UPCs to send in. You can get T-Shirts and Art Supplies for your little “Snikiddy Snacker”. - Christy


snikiddy organic snack reviewAs an experienced mother of two, I am fully aware of the extreme importance of bribes. When shopping or attempting finish any task having healthy snacks at my disposal is of the utmost importance. We put Snikiddy Snacks to rigorous testing and this is how our family graded them.

Taste - A-
Ingredients - A+
Packaging - C
Mess Factor - D+

Becca was very excited to try a new snack. As a preschooler she is forever hungry and loves “snack” food. The Organic Cookies disappeared very quickly (I helped!). We both agreed that they were really yummy! We tried the Organic Cheese Puffs and decided they were great but not as good as the cookies. Becca even chose to save some for her Dad, something she would not been able to do if they were more than good.

I really like the fact that the ingredients are organic, free of artificial colors and flavors. As a family we are trying to do our part in supporting organic foods and farmers, so knowing we can do that with these snacks makes me happy.

I am not a huge fan of individual packages. I like to control how much snack food the kids get. Plus if I buy one package then package it myself there is less waste as an end result. The individual packages are not recyclable.

These snacks were very messy. Not only was my preschooler coated with crumbs and chocolate, so was my coffee table and carpet! We both had to wash up once we finished our snack. This is not my ideal for an on-the-go snack. I would not allow either the Organic Cheese Puffs the Organic Cookies, in the car for example.

Overall, Snikiddy Snacks are a great concept, with a lot of potential. They taste great and my preschooler gobbled them up. They could create less waste and mess for this mom. I am not sure about availability, but I will be watching for them at my grocery store! - Chelle


Snikiddy Snacks aren’t yet available in Canada (let’s get working on that Snikiddy!) so we hope our American readers enjoy them! And if anyone feels like sending me some cookies in a care package, I wouldn’t object.

Cuisinart Ice-45 Mix It In

Guest review by T.O.P. reader Heather. Pay her a visit, won’t you?


cuisinart soft ice cream makerFor no particular reason my aunt sent us a gift of a Cuisinart Ice 45 Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker and it was a great surprise. Unfortunately, it may have been a little too great since I have been making it 2-3 times a week and I’m trying to lose weight. We already had a more basic ice cream maker that rarely got used but this one is a soft serve one that lets you mix in candy toppings and even has a cone holder. The kids think its a ton of fun and every time we have their friends over we make it.

The kids can even do it themselves (with a hovering adult ready to prevent an overflow). The kids and I win out about 90% of the time and I make chocolate but my husband loves vanilla. I’m selfish and have gotten the kids to prefer chocolate so I get my favorite flavor!

If you get one of these you have to add some time onto the recommended cooling time, I think it tells you it takes 12-15 minutes to be ready but we let it run at least 20 minutes or it is too runny. Thats its only flaw, otherwise its the tastiest, most fun thing in our kitchen!


Buy it from Amazon. It’s on sale now for $100 (from $235) and ships free!

Organic Convenience

We’re primarily organic folks here at TOP. We spend a lot of time preparing food for our son so that we can be assured he’s eating high quality, pesticide free food that not only tastes good but won’t give him cancer in 40 years. After several late night steaming sessions trying to get enough food prepared for the next day, we knew it was time to have a convenient backup plan but highly processed jars of food don’t quite meet our standards. Luckily, my local grocer carries BOBOBABY products.

Burnaby, BC mom Kalpna Solanki has a public health and environmental background which led her, like us, to strictly evaluate everything that entered her daughter’s mouth. She quickly realized how much work it is to feed our children this way and decided to offer her high quality foods in age-appropriate and convenient portions to other parents. BOBOBABY is a proud supporter of ‘Success by Six’, an agency that is devoted to provide all children with a good start in life.

Frozen in recyclable cube-like trays and sealed tightly, BOBOBABY foods are all certified organic with no salt, preservatives or colour added. Every dish is free of the top nine allergens (eggs, nuts, soy, dairy, wheat, fish, shellfish, meat and poultry) and they’re all certified kosher. Feeding BOBOBABY is completely worry free.

There are twelve available products, separated into 6+, 7+ and 9+ months. We love that the ingredients are fully disclosed and are all organic, fresh and easily pronounced - just like we’d make if we always had time. We tried two from each category and, I’m embarrassed to say, some of them actually looked and tasted even better than my homemade foods because of the creative combinations. The lentils and mixed vegetables is so good I copied the ingredients and made a similar dish for my husband and I. It wasn’t quite as good, but he knew better than to say it!

The only problem? They’re so good that you may want to thaw an extra cube or two. You know you’ll be sampling.

Win a high quality, snap closure BOBOBABY 100% cotton embroidered bib. We have ten to give away! Email theopinionatedparent[at]gmail[dot]com with BOBOBABY in the subject heading and the answer to the question How did BOBOBABY get it’s name? Contest closes at midnight MST on Friday, March 9, 2007.

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