Category Archives: Product Review

Product Review

Italian Style Pasta Bake Is Lacking

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Product Review: Atkins Italian Style Pasta Bake Frozen Meal

While I am usually a fan of most of Atkins’ Nutritionals Products, the Italian Style Pasta Bake is lacking in both pasta and flavor. When I saw this product in the freezer section, I was excited to try it. I mean, look at the photo! Doesn’t it look absolutely delicious with lots of pasta, cheese, and sauce?

I admit it. Pasta is a difficult food to have on a low carb lifestyle. When Dreamfields Pasta came out with their pastas that they alleged were the equivalent of 5 net carbs in a serving, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, that didn’t turn out to be the case and they had greatly misstated the actual carbs. Although I did try them in several dishes and had no ill effects or weight gain from one serving and I still use the product. Atkins had a pasta on the market also, which I think has since been discontinued, but I never tried the pasta because it was still too high in carbs to fit into my lifestyle.

So, I saw this one and thought it would be the answer to a dream. It only has 7 net carbs in the whole meal and generally, Atkins meals are pretty generous for the average eater. I popped it in my microwave to cook and pulled it out to stare at it in disappointment. If there is 1/4 cup of pasta in this dish, I would be surprised. The sausage is plentiful though and the flavor of the sausage is very good, but the sauce lacks spice and is just too bland to really make a hit with me. The actual cooked product bears little resemblance to the picture on the box. I wish I’d taken a photo of the actual dish, but I didn’t and I don’t plan to buy it again in order to get the photo. Take my word, this is not one of Atkins better products.

Now, Atkins has often improved on their products when the feedback and sales aren’t that high and it’s possible they will try to improve this one as well. So, if I see a “new and improved” label on it, I might try it again. For now, I’ll stick with my pasta sauce on spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. I also have pasta flour from LC Foods that I just might try making one of these days soon. Stay tuned for that!

Nutrition Info per box (Atkin)
Calories: 360 Fat: 21 g Net Carbs: 7 g Protein: 33 g
Weight 9 oz. (255 g)

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this 2 cooking spoons. It’s not terrible, but it’s not very good either.

Breads, Desserts, Product Review

Product Review: Cinnamon Swirl Bread

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Product Review:  Dixie Carb Counters Cinnamon Swirl Bread Mix

I tried the LC Cinnamon Rolls a couple of weeks ago and they were good, although small and somewhat troublesome to make.  Read my review  here.  So this week, I am trying the Cinnamon Swirl Bread Mix from DCC.  These are not really a cinnamon roll, but they have more cinnamon in them than many commercially made Cinnamon Breads from the market.  They are also not a yeast bread, but more of an egg bread.

The mix goes together easily with the add-ins you need being 3 large eggs, 3 tablespoon soft butter, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of water.  The package has two packets in it; one has the bread mix and the other has the sugar free cinnamon sugar.  You also need a 4”x 8” bread pan.  This is the smaller loaf pan you usually use for fruit bread rather than the standard-sized loaf pan.  To make it, you simply mix the first packet with the bread mix in with all the add-ins and stir, whisk or beat on a very low setting on the mixer to blend it together.  Put 1/2 of the batter into the pan and spread it smoothly, then cut open the second pack and sprinkle the cinnamon over the batter evenly.  Although it says to put all the cinnamon on this level, I saved some for the top because there is a lot of it.

Batter sitting on top of the cinnamon layer waiting to be spread.

Next you add the rest of the batter over the top of the cinnamon, smooth it out evenly.  Add the rest of the cinnamon if you save some like I did, then use a knife to pull through the batter to spread the cinnamon into swirls.  There’s really no right or wrong way to make this distribution.  Just try to spread it evenly through without actually mixing it into the batter.  Smooth the top out again and put it in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.  I cooked mine 30 minutes and it was a lovely golden brown, but I let it go a few minutes longer and pressed against the top to get the spring back.  When it cooled, it did sink in the middle and was not completely cooked in the center.  So I would say, depending on your oven, this might take 35 to 40 minutes to cook completely.

The flavor is wonderful.  It has a very strong cinnamon flavor, as one would like a cinnamon bread to have, and it is more like bread than a coffee cake.  A slice of this with a cup of coffee or tea makes a wonderful snack or light breakfast. Additional butter on top is optional.  I don’t think it’s sturdy enough to pop in the toaster, but it would warm in a toaster oven or a microwave easily.

Ingredient-wise, the mix contains unbleached flour, soy isolate, cereal fiber, fructosaccharide (a naturally occurring fructose in plants), low glycemic monosaccharide (a simple low glucose sugar), baking soda, corn starch, dried egg whites, cinnamon, ground soy, vanilla powder, sucralose and low glycemic fruit concentrate.  Sounds like a lot of chemical stuff, doesn’t it?  But most of it is extracted from plants and is commonly used in baking.

The mix costs $9.30 plus shipping from Dixie Diners  or you can buy it through Netrition.com for less (currently $7.29 plus shipping – hint, your whole order ships for $5.99 so order everything you want at one time).  One of my biggest complaints about low carb mixes is that they are pretty pricey.  In fact, almost any food mix that doesn’t use standard flours and sugar are usually more than double in price.  I appreciate that these companies have gone to a lot of work and expense to develop the mix formulas, but it seems they would sell more if they weren’t so high.

Nutrition info for 1/16 of the loaf – it makes 16 slices.  I usually cut it in eight slices, then cut each of those in half rather than trying to make 1/2-inch cuts.

Calories: 66 Fat: 0 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g  Protein: 2.0 g

You could easily make these in muffin cups, making individual cinnamon rolls.  Separate the batter into two sections, put about 1 tablespoon from the first section into each of 12 muffin cups, then sprinkle the cinnamon on top of each roll and add the rest of the batter from section 2 by tablespoons on top of that.  Swirl the cinnamon through to mix and level the tops.  Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.

You could also add chopped nuts to the cinnamon layer if you’d like.   For a dozen rolls, you would increase the net carb count to 4 nc per muffin.

On a scale of 5 spoons being the top, I would give this cinnamon bread mix five spoons and I am definitely ordering it again.

5-spoons

Tip:  If you want to make this a great dessert bread, add a sugar-free Cream Cheese Glaze to it or a Warm Cinnamon Bourbon Syrup topping. 

Cream Cheese Glaze

2 tablespoons softened Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons Cream
1/4 cup Powdered sugar substitute
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Mix the ingredients together by hand until completely mixed. If the icing isn’t thin enough to spread easily, add a little water until it is the desired consistency. Drizzle over the top of the bread.

Warm Cinnamon Bourbon Syrup

1 tablespoon Cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon Bourbon
2 tablespoons Butter
4 tablespoons Sugar Substitute

In a small saucepan, add the ingredients and stir together well. Heat over medium heat until it thickens. Remove from the heat and spoon over the bread or cinnamon muffins.

Let me know if you try this bread (or the glazes)and how you like them.

Disclaimer:  I have not received any promotional items to review and no one from any of the companies whose products I review has asked me to do so. I have purchased the product and am giving my honest opinion about it. Should any company send me a product to try, I will state it up front and will still give my honest opinion.

Breads, Product Review

Product Review: LC-Cinnamon Buns

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Cinnamon Buns

Mix From LC Foods – Cost $8.98 Makes 9 cinnamon rolls

Package contains about 1 1/2 cups of mix to make the cinnamon buns plus a packet of cinnamon filling mix. You need to add heavy cream, butter, seltzer water, and yeast.  You also need butter and walnuts (or pecans) for the filling.

I mixed according to the directions and used 2 tablespoons of Diet 7-Up for the carbonated water.  The dough was extremely sticky.  The directions say the dough needs to be stiff to roll and to add extra carbonated water if it isn’t.  It didn’t say what to do if the dough was too soft.  I add 2 tablespoons of protein powder and mixed it in and it was still too soft and sticky.  I added 1 tablespoon of carbolose low carb flour and it was finally not too sticky to handle although still too sticky to roll out.  Next, I separated the dough into three equal-sized balls.

I made the cinnamon filling according to directions using 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon melted butter.  Very thick filling.  I put 1 tablespoon of carbolose on the bread  board, took the first ball and shaped it into a cylinder about 5 to 6 inches long, then put it on the board and pressed it into a 3 inch wide by about 9 inch long strip.  It was too thin to press to 12” long without it tearing.  I turned it a couple of times during the shaping to keep it from sticking to the board and shifted the flour under it.

Then I spread the cinnamon mix onto the strip, which was not too easy as the cinnamon mix wanted to stick to the fork I was using and pulled the dough a couple of times.  I spread chopped pecans on top since we don’t use walnuts at our house.  Then I cut the strip into three one inch wide strips and rolled them from one end to the other to make the roll.

Once they were all done and in the baking pan, the instructions say to put in a warm 70-85 degree oven to rise.  I don’t know about you, but my oven, which I bought about 5 years ago, doesn’t go down below 250 degrees.  It’s electronic ignition, so it doesn’t even have a pilot light to give off heat.  I used my toaster oven, set to the unmarked area below 150 degrees and hoped it wouldn’t destroy the yeast before its time.

It took about twice as long as recommended for the rolls to almost double in size, so that was about 1 hour 15 minutes to rise.  This might be because I live in a high altitude location and that does affect the rise.  Then I brought the oven up to 400 degrees and allowed it to heat for about 5 minutes, then put the rolls in for 15 minutes to bake.  At this point, they look like they will be very tasty although the dough itself is brown rather than white bread type dough.  The mix contains flax meal, wheat isolate, wheat starches, wheat gluten, inulin, and other products that substitute for wheat and sugar.

The mix does not include icing, so you need powdered sugar substitute if you want to ice the rolls.  You can purchase LC Foods powdered sugar or you can make your own by putting sugar substitute in a blender or food processor and running it until it turns to a fine powder.   You’ll need about 2 tablespoons of sugar-free powdered sugar to make a simple icing.  I put 1 tablespoon butter in with the powdered sugar and add enough water to make either a spreadable frosting or a drip frosting, whichever you prefer.

So, making the rolls didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped and if you’re trying it, I would suggest not adding the carbonated soda until you have all the other ingredients mixed to see how thick your dough is, then adding it a little at a time.  I still think you will need a low carb flour, possibly coconut flour or almond flour to roll or pat the dough out on in order to prevent it from sticking to the board.

How about taste?  This is the bottom line.  Is the taste worth the expense and effort to make these?  My taste test panel was only two people and we thought that the rolls had a very good flavor, lots of cinnamon taste and were slightly crispy outside with a soft center.  I pour two tablespoons of melted butter over the rolls when they came out of the oven and that added a buttery taste to the rolls that is very nice.  I made a powdered sugar icing and spread it over the top, which added a sweeter taste to it.  We did notice a slight bitter aftertaste, which I think came from the stevia used in the mix or from the inulin.

Overall, I would say it is a very good cinnamon roll and not too difficult to make.  It is almost $1 per cinnamon roll and they aren’t very big ones, about 3 inches in diameter.  My rolls are uneven in size, but that is likely the baker’s fault and I didn’t cut them evenly.  I might buy these again and try them, but it wouldn’t be too often at the price for the mix.  I have a couple of other options to try, including cinnamon bread from Dixie Carb Counters.  I will do that over the next few weeks and post a review.

I give these cinnamon rolls  4 out of 5 tasty spoons.

4-spoons

Disclaimer:  I have not received any promotional items to review and no one from any of the companies whose products I review has asked me to do so. I have purchased the product and am giving my honest opinion about it. Should any company send me a product to try, I will state it up front and will still give my honest opinion.

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Healthy Life, Product Review

Baking with Protein Powder

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It may surprise some low carb eaters that you can add whey protein powder to your baking with really good results. I have often added a tablespoon or two to my muffins and breads to give them both more flavor and texture. I have seen a recipe now and then that uses only whey protein powder to make a pancake or a waffle. I haven’t tried these yet, but I did make a waffle this morning made with Vanilla Whey Protein Powder and Almond Flour and got a really good result. I’ll share that recipe below.

When using protein powders in baking, I usually use it as a small percent of the total flour in the recipe, but you can add more if you wish to experiment. The most I have substituted in is 2/3rds of the flour with the remainder being a low carb baking mix or almond flour. One big consideration in doing this is the number of net carbs in the protein powder that you’re using. My preferred brand comes from a health food store and is called Nu-Tek Pro 5. It is not inexpensive, but the main reason I buy it is that there is only 1 net carb in a 40-gram scoop. That makes it lower in net carbs than most of the other brands I have checked. It comes in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors. I use the vanilla more frequently than the other two. There are 145 calories per scoop. If you compare this with a few other brands, you can see that it can make a significant difference in the carb count.

One big consideration in doing this is the number of net carbs in the protein powder that you’re using. My preferred brand comes from a health food store and is called Nu-Tek Pro 5. It is not inexpensive, but the main reason I buy it is that there is only 1 net carb in a 40-gram scoop. That makes it lower in net carbs than most of the other brands I have checked. It comes in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors. I use the vanilla more frequently than the other two. There are 145 calories per scoop. If you compare this with a few other brands, you can see that it can make a significant difference in the carb count.

protein-compare2
I’m not advocating any particular brand of protein powder and if you check around, you might find others that are equally low carb’d, but take into consideration the size of the scoop and the net carbs when choosing the powder. If you need more powder to make 1/4 cup, then it may increase the carb count. Therefore, the carb count that I get on my recipes is often based on EAS whey protein powder, which is 2 net carbs per 30 g scoop. 1/4 cup is about 3 scoops or 6 net carbs. With my preferred powder, this is reduced to 3 net carbs or less because the scoop is larger and the net carbs are lower. This gives you a starting point to adjust the net carbs up or down, depending on which brand you use.

Vanilla Whey Protein Powder Waffles

I made this in a Belgian waffle maker that has deep holes and requries a little more batter to make a full waffle. I was a little short, but I have adjusted the recipe to accommodate. It will make 4 waffle sections in the round Belgian waffle maker and 2 of them make one serving. If you are using a different waffle maker, it may make 2 waffles.

1/2 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (about 3 to 4 scoops)
2 tablespoon Almond Flour
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon Coconut Oil or Canola Oil
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons Water

Pre-heat the waffle maker while you mix the batter.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together and stir until completely mixed. You can use a mixer, an immersion mixer, a blender or a whisk. Just make sure the egg is mixed in well.

Spray the waffle maker with cooking spray, then pour the batter equally into each section. Close the lid and cook until the steam stops coming out. This is usually three to four minutes, but it varies. Gently lift the handle and if it opens easily, the waffle is done. If there is resistance, let it cook a little longer.

Carefully lift the waffle from the iron and put on plates, spread with soft butter and serve with sugar-free syrup or fresh fruit, if you wish.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 214.5 Fat: 9.1 g Net Carbs: 3.2 g Protein: 27.7 g

Product Review

Dixie Carb Counters All Natural White Bread Mix

Product Review:

I admit that I have a fondness for Dixie Carb Counters products and that’s because they taste good.  This is the first time I’ve tried their white bread mix as I usually prefer the wheat bread, but now and then it’s nice to have white bread in the house.  Besides, PK prefers it when making peanut butter toast.

This bread mix is billed as “One Step Homemade All Natural White Bread” and it is that.  It couldn’t be simpler.  Put the mix in a bowl, add egg and/or egg whites and butter. Then mix it together for about a minute.  The instructions say to use a whisk, which I tried, but find unsatisfactory as too much of the dough accumulates in the inner wires of the whisk and it’s just thick enough that it doesn’t want to release easily.  So I just used a big spoon and stirred really well, getting to the mix on the bottom of the bowl.

Put the mix in a greased (or cooking sprayed) bread pan and cook in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes.  What could be easier?  And the result is a beautifully browned load of white bread that makes 24 thin slices at 2 net carbs each.

The flavor is great!  The ¾ cup of melted butter added to the mix insures that it will have a buttery delicious taste.  It holds up well when cut and stands up to the additional butter or peanut butter that you spread across it.

For breakfast today, I made French toast using two slices and I had a little trouble with a little-too-thin piece of bread absorbing the egg mixture and holding together, but it only broke into two pieces when I started to lift it from the soaking pan.  It did not alter the taste of the French toast in any way, so it was still a win.

This bread would also make excellent bread crumbs for making anything that requires them.  You could add additional ingredients, such as sugar substitute, cinnamon and chopped fruit (watch the carbs on that) to make a very tasty fruit bread.  One of the things I want to try with the next loaf that I make is adding yeast to it since this isn’t really a yeast bread, even though it has yeast flakes in it.

My silicone bread pan is slightly larger than the 9”x5” pan suggested in the instructions so the loaf is slightly flatter than the one pictured on the package, so I think it would be a regular-sized loaf in a normal bread pan.

The mix can be purchased from Dixie Diner or through Netrition. Other places may carry it.  The mix sells for $9.99 at Dixie Diner or for $7.79 at Netrition.  Both have shipping offers.

Disclaimer:  I have not received any promotional items to review and no one from any of the companies whose products I review have asked me to do so. I have purchased the product and am giving my honest opinion about it. Should any company send me a product to try, I will state it up front and will still give my honest opinion.