What my kids are eating

Amy's cheese pizza toaster pops

2011-03-25T05:30:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I would look at a pop-tart and wonder if there is a savory version of it out there. Lo and behold - there it is - Amy's cheese pizza pop-tart.

It has a lot of gooey bright red tomato sauce which freaked my son out. My daughter ate it fine and then finished her brother's too.

Fage greek yogurt with super fruits

2011-03-23T05:30:00.005-04:00

Fage came out with a line of superfruit yogurts - blueberry-acai, strawberry-goji, mango-guanabana and cherry-pomegranate.

Unlike most other other greek yougurts out there these feel light - like a whipped yogurt. They each have around 16% sugar and I am OK with that. The twins love their new dessert.

Puranpoli from Deep Foods

2011-03-21T05:30:00.004-04:00

Puranpoli (or bobbattu as I knew it) was a childhood favorite. Back then my mom would make it from scratch - the dough had to sit in a tub of oil for X number of hours! When I found this light version from Deep foods I had to try it.

Of course it was not as good as I remembered it, but very acceptable. It is not too greasy or too sweet. My son loved it but my daughter refused it after the first bite.

Bob's Red Mill 10 whole grains flour

2011-03-19T05:30:00.003-04:00

I am a big fan of Bob's Red Mill's 10 grain hot cereal. Iam always trying to incorporate it everywhere. So when I learned about their 10 grains flour I had to try it.

With 32% fiber and 40% protein for the day in each cup it is now a staple in the house. I use it to make pancakes, bread and am even incorporating it into desserts.

And this is my 300th post!

Newman's Own Honey Flax Flakes

2011-03-17T05:30:00.009-04:00

These honey flax flakes from Newman's Own are big enough for the kids to eat dry as a snack. They also have them with milk for breakfast - I crush them down a bit before adding the milk.

Honey flax flakes do not have any high fructose corn syrup but do have sugar and honey - each serving has 8 grams of total sugars.

New England Naturals' chewy granola bars

2011-03-15T05:30:00.004-04:00

I bought these maple nut granola bars from New England Naturals for the grown ups and the twins demanded bites. They liked them and the antioxidant bars are pretty good too.

Apple clusters from Trader Joe's

2011-03-13T05:30:00.004-04:00

These dried crispy crunchy apple clusters from Trader Joe's were a big hit. In general, the kids like crisp dried fruit. They call them 'foot chips' and are always clamouring for them whenever I open the pantry door.

Clif kid Z bar, chocolate brownie

2011-03-11T05:30:00.004-05:00

The twins actually did not like these choclate brownie Z bars from Clif Kid. It may be because they are really chocolate-y. I will gladly finish them.

Prana bars

2011-03-09T05:30:00.005-05:00

Raw enzyme, organic, unprocessed, non-gmo, soy free (soy allergies?), no sugar added, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, all natural. I. had. to. try. it.

Turns out, it is actually really good (the picture was an after-eating-it one.) The twins thought so too.

Milled flax seed from Hodgson Mill

2011-03-07T05:30:00.007-05:00

The twins are on a strike from eggs. So another way for me to sneak in their omega 3s. I sprinkle some of this milled flax seed on their yogurt and they are none the wiser. With each tablespoon they get 2 grams fiber and 1300 mg of omega 3s.

Wai Lana's little yogis bars

2011-03-05T05:30:00.004-05:00

This is the kid-version of stuff they already like. Wai Lana's little yogis bars have less texture and are smaller than the adult version and the twins ate them up.

Mrs. May's Trio bars

2011-03-03T05:30:00.006-05:00

Nuts, seeds, and fruit. Whats missing are grains - but that is OK since we all dutifully eat 10 grain cereal in some form or another every day. I bought these trio bars for the adults to snack on but the kids saw me eating a 'cookie' and wanted a bite. My daughter was fine but the texture was too much for my son.

Soynut butter from I. M. Healthy

2011-03-01T05:30:00.006-05:00

I have been thinking about substituting butter in their breakfast muffins because everyone eats them and I am not so sure about all that cholesterol from the eggs and butter. So when I saw this unsweetened soynut butter from I. M. Healthy I picked it up.

It looks like peanut butter and smells like it too. The taste is a very subtle peanut butter taste and it is working well with my baking.

The twins also eat it in a SBN (soynut butter-nutella) sandwich. Works for me as nutella has more sugar than I like. And it boosts the protein content too….

Oat cookies from nairn's

2011-02-27T05:30:00.006-05:00

After my not-so-successful bout with oatcakes, I found these oat cookies from Nairn's. With 58% whole oats, 10% currants and demerara sugar (known as turbinado sugar our side of the ocean) one serving has 6% of the daily recommended sugar.

Both of them liked these. They are really starting to do well with texture - I should start incorporating raisins and dried fruit bits into their oatmeal and bread.

Mango puree from Trader Joe's

2011-02-25T05:30:00.006-05:00

I finally found it! I did not believe it existed but kept looking for it anyway. Pure, 100% one-ingredient mango puree. No preservatives, no added sugar, citric acid, vitamin C etc. Thank you Trader Joe's!

The twins love it straight, stirred in yogurt, shaken with milk and just about anyway I offer it to them.

Mushroom lover's burger from Morning Star Farms

2011-02-23T05:30:00.005-05:00

I love mushrooms - all kinds while DH hates them all. I am hoping the kids will like them so I can actually start incorporating them into the family meals.

My son ate half his burger, took out the mushroom patty and finished his bread. My daughter refused to touch hers till I took out the patty. Oh well…..I read somewhere that you have to try 10 times before some toddlers will eat some things.

Salba

2011-02-21T05:30:00.006-05:00

A too-good-to-believe grain. If you have heard of Chia, then the way I understand it, Salba is it's first born much cared for big brother.

Salba seeds really have no taste. I sprinkle half a teaspoon into their yogurt and also sprinkle some on their 10 grain muffins before baking. No reaction from them…….

Organic fig bars from Oskri

2011-02-19T05:30:00.004-05:00

These organic fig bars from Oskri are one of my favorite kind of products, just one ingredient. I found them to have a very slight bitter after taste - very slight though. The twins didn't really like them either.

So now, I soak them overnight in milk, fork mash and add them to my 10 grain breakfast recipe.

Walkers mini oatcakes

2011-02-17T05:30:00.004-05:00

Just 1 gram of sugar per serving and 86% oatmeal! I had to get the twins to try them and if Iam real lucky it will become one of their favorite snacks. Well, one can wish and daydream…….

My son happily ate the mini oatcakes, but my daughter……she took a bite, made a face and then offered it to her brother. She never ate another one. Sigh!

Liberte goat cheese

2011-02-15T05:30:00.007-05:00

Another great product from one of my favorite companies. This goat cheese with active cultures is smooth and creamy (could not believe it is low fat) and not as firm as regular yogurt.

The twins loved it. They eat yogurt every single day but still noticed that this was no ordinary 'yogurt.' My son declared that he liked it 'veyyy much.'

Immaculate's chocobillys chocolate chunk cookies

2011-02-13T05:30:00.007-05:00

When offered a huge basket of goodies to choose from, my son rooted around and very emphatically picked this packet - chocobillys chocolate chunk cookies from Immaculate baking company.

Let me count the ways he got it right - all natural and no artificial ingredients, no trans fats, organic flour, artsy, socially conscious …. and now how much he got it wrong - chocolate chunk cookie. Enough said.

Multigrain mix from Trader Joe's

2011-02-11T05:30:00.006-05:00

The multigrains in this multigrain baking and pancake mix from Trader Joe's are wheat, whole wheat, rolled oats, yellow cornmeal, wheat bran, oat bran and brown rice flour. What I don't like about it is that the first ingredient is unbleached enriched flour. What I truely hate is the sodium - 500 mg for 1/3 cup of mix, 21% for an adult. Which is why I won't be buying it again.

The kids love any kind of pancakes as long as they come with a good amout of 'syllllup.'

Glenny's cashew and almond bars

2011-02-09T05:30:00.008-05:00

The twins are doing great with texture now. That means I have to totally watch what we are eating. Because they have taken to asking for bites every once in a while.

These cashew and almond bars from Glenny's are made with whole nuts (almonds can be quite a mouthful for 2 year olds) and raisins, dates and crisp brown rice. The sweetness also comes from honey and brown rice syrup. Flax powder and sunflower oil round up the ingredients.

My daughter took to them immediately but my son not so much - he would chew and chew and spit out the almond skins. Then he would demand another bite.

Jamun fruit drink from Deep Foods

2011-02-07T05:30:00.000-05:00

When I saw this I was so excited since I had not seen, heard about or had a Jamun in more than 25 years. I remember gorging on them as a kid during summer climbing into the branches of the tree. They are tart and turn your tongue a very cool purple.

Not only did this Jamun drink from Deep taste nothing like the real thing (has artificial blueberry flavor - why? oh why??) but has 21 grams of sugar per serving and only 10% Jamun pulp. It tasted vaguely of blueberry incense - not that I ever inhaled blueberry incense, but that is what came to mind.

I did not even introduce it to the kids. It was that depressing.

Crunchy peas from Bhuja

2011-02-05T05:30:00.002-05:00

There it is - snow accumulation higher than the kids. And that is after I knocked it off a couple of times so that they could see beyond.

They were bored and would whine and whine and ask for cookies. So I gave them crunchy peas from Bhuja. They were not that spicy and they would eat and eat and still be ready for proper food. Well, I sat with them for half an hour the first time and taught them to eat one at a time. And chew, swallow and finish it before picking up another one.

Nana's cookies and cookie bars

2011-02-03T05:30:00.007-05:00

After my posts about the twins not doing well with Nana's products, I heard from their team. They pointed out that those were their gluten-free products that tend to be more smooth textured. They also offered to send some of their other products for the twins to try and so they did.

Nana's cookies are a meal in themselves. They are huge, thick (but not heavy/dense), moist, and chewy with just the right amount of sweetness. I have a rule about feeding cookies to the twins - no more than the size of their palm. So I had to break each cookie into four pieces - less than 100 calories and ~5 grams of all natural sugar per serving!

The peanut butter cookie they both loved. The coconut chocolate chip my son stuffed into his little mouth right away. My daughter examined the chocolate chips closely, took them out carefully and set them aside. First she ate half her cookie, then all the chips and then finished her cookie. A first-of-it's-kind behaviour - Iam still trying to figure out what it means.

The fudgy wudgy bars have actual chocolate chips in them and the twins declared they liked the 'chokalat cookie veyy much.'

I like the fact that Nana's only sweetens with fruit juice and have no hydrogenated oils or GMOs. Also they use non-aluminum baking powder (another new thing learned, and I will switch too for better taste especially since I tend to go a little overboard with it.)

Fruit and veggie bars from Tasty brand

2011-02-01T05:30:00.003-05:00

A 'cookie' that combines fruits and veggies, AND made with organic whole grains, no GMOs or hydrogenated oils? Also, sweet potatoes and dates baked into the dough and sprinkled with oats and wheat bran? Iam so in and so are the twins.

French fries and ice-cream in Paradise

2011-01-28T05:30:00.005-05:00

Just got back from here. Still reeling from the -4F and gazillion inches of snow that greeted us at the airport.

The twins had a true vacation - chips, fries, ice-cream, cookies, cake and virgin cocktails at the kids pool. But they are back on track now and my daughter took one look at her 10 grain (actually 11, because I throw in some quinoa) cereal and declared somberly "holidays, all done."

CRUNCHY n YUMMY freeze dried fruit

2011-01-26T05:30:00.004-05:00

I have been buying Trader Joe's freeze dried 'stawbeyyes' for some time now and I wanted to try something else. The ones from CRUNCHY n YUMMY are as tasty but are also much smaller pieces. Translates into a lot more mess for me to clean up. I will stick to Trader Joe's for some more time.

Kim & Scott's bagels and pretzels

2011-01-24T05:30:00.006-05:00

When I saw the cream cheese stuffed bagels from Kim & Scotts, I wanted to surprise my husband one morning and hand him a favorite breakfast for the road without worrying about the mess. Then I started reading the ingredients list (unbromated flour, and I learned something new!) and liked that as well.

We both like the cream cheese but the kids like cinnamon roll and apple cinnamon. I am searching for their chocolate crumb……

VitaTops

2011-01-22T05:30:00.004-05:00

I remember buying boxes of VitaTops whenever they went on sale. That was years ago though and so when I saw these again recently, I picked up the deep chocolate (for me) and the golden corn (for him.)

Of course the kids demanded bites and my daughter loved the deep chocolate and my son the 'korrn kake.'

Nana's cookie bars and bites

2011-01-20T05:30:00.004-05:00

Nana's cookie company sweetens all their products with fruit juices and since my daughter is going through a monkey phase (as in she is excited when she sees one and gives a hug and kiss to her stuffed one every morning and night) I picked up their curious George goodie. The Lemon Dreams was an impulse buy.

My daughter was more interested in the box and refused to even take a bite. My son started eating and when he was almost done threw up the entire thing. It was the texture - too smooth and it got stuck to the roof of his mouth. Will try again when they are older.

Granola Thins from Nature Valley

2011-01-18T05:30:00.005-05:00

When I saw these crispy granola thins, I thought the kids would like/prefer them over the harder (crunchy) nut clusters. They hated these….and the peanut butter coating melted in their little hands and made a big mess.

Granola nut clusters from Nature Valley

2011-01-16T05:30:00.003-05:00

Another snack I bought for the adults that the kids wanted to try. These granola nut clusters from Nature Valley are really crunchy but that didnt phase the twins.

Date Syrup by Organics are for Everyone

2011-01-15T05:30:00.004-05:00

I use turbinado sugar for beverages and baking (well, honey too.) Wanting to see if I could totally eliminate sugar from the twins absolutely favorite breakfast, (because they sometimes demand it everyday, and not necessarily for breakfast) I started experimenting with dates. Since they didn't like the minced bits of dates, I started to puree them - a painful process that starts with soaking the dates 24 hours before.

When I came across this date syrup from Organics are for Everyone, I immediately jumped at a chance to see if I could use it for my 10-grain muffins recipe. It's consistency is that of blackstrap molasses but the taste is like caramalized sugar.

I have since incorporated it into my recipe with slight changes to account for the consistency. Now the twins want it on everything - pancakes, waffles, toast, parathas…

Wai Lana Yogi raw fruit and nut bar

2011-01-14T05:30:00.003-05:00

Another line of snack bars using all natural products and no preservatives or enhancers. I found this apricot and cashew and nana banana both of which the twins loved.

Genesis Today Acai berry juice

2011-01-13T05:30:00.002-05:00

One more product from Genesis Today. This one has acai, grape, apple, pinepple, pear, blueberry, pomegranate, cranberry and cherry. The kids get it, like all other juices at this point, diluted with milk. They were especially tickled with the pretty color and drank it without any fuss.

Trader Jose's gorditas

2011-01-12T05:30:00.007-05:00

I picked up these gorditas from Trader Joe's for the adults. The kids took one look and demanded I feed them 'paancakkes.' I like most of Trader Joe's products but this one was a miss - there should be more filling and the calories/fat are just not worth so little filling.

The kids didn't like what they thought were pancakes either.

Trader Jose's chicken & cheese tamales

2011-01-04T05:30:00.006-05:00

I can make a mean salsa (hello Chipotle copycat recipes!) and decent fajitas (lived in Texas for a while) but tamales, no way. I really like these chicken and cheese tamales from Trader Joe's. The twins peel off the outer layer and eat it with relish but the chicken and cheese stuffing travels to the edges of the high chair.

Iam starting to see a pattern here I think.

Trader Joe's vacuum fried pineapple chips

2011-01-02T05:30:00.003-05:00

Unlike the freeze dried fruits from Trader Joe's, these pineapple chips are vacuum fried. The chips have a wonderful caramalized taste and are not greasy at all. BUT they are cut thick and very crunchy and that threw the twins off. They will eat them some days and won't touch them on other days.

Trader Joe's freeze dried fruit

2010-12-31T05:30:00.006-05:00

The twins are really into freeze dried fruits and veggies these days. These freeze dried mango, banana and strawberry from Trader Joe's - success! Also, all one ingredient items - a big YAY.

My son likes the mangoes and my daughter the 'stawbeyye.' They both accept the banana only when we run out of fresh ones.

Apparently, they also carry freeze dried lychees, dragon fruit and mangosteen! I have yet to find them in the Trader Joe's I go to.

Beanitos bean and flax chips

2010-12-29T05:30:00.003-05:00

I didn't buy these Beanitos (my MIL was/is going through a flaxseed phase) for the kids but when they saw us munching on them they demanded a taste. They were a bit salty (the cheddar dusting on them) for me but my daughter loved them. My son not so much.

Ritz garlic herb crackerfuls

2010-12-27T05:30:00.004-05:00

Another savory snack attempt. The kids break them open (garlic herb crackerfuls from Ritz) and eat the cracker without the garlic-herb filling. I don't think I will be buying anymore of these. Iam OK with the sugar and high fructose corn syrup in limited amounts but not sure about the high oleic canola/soybean oil, and partially hydrogenated cottonseed/soybean oil.

Tofutti cheese blintzes

2010-12-25T05:30:00.006-05:00

The kids are going through another I-dont-like-milk phase and even Iam sick of cheese sticks. I tried the regular cheese blintzes (forgot the brand) and the kids hated them (they smelled eggy-fishy.) These tofutti Mintz's Blintzeswere a big hit though. They do have more sugar (16 grams) and less protein (3 grams) than I like so the twins get them as dessert once in a while.

Trader Joe's mushroom turnovers

2010-12-23T05:30:00.004-05:00

Yet another attempt at a savory snack. While I love mushrooms of any and all kinds, the twins have not warmed up to them yet. I really liked these mushroom turnovers from Trader Joe's but my son would not even touch them. My daughter after a lot of coaxing, took a teeny-tiny bite and put it aside declaring she was "all done."

Nabisco fire roasted tomato wheat thins stix

2010-12-21T05:30:00.004-05:00

One more savory snack the twins will eat if nothing else is offered. Actually these fire roasted tomato flavored wheat thin sticks from Nabisco have sugar, invert sugar and malt syrup. Still,they managed to keep the sugar to 4 grams for 14 pieces.

Gnu Foods all natural bars

2010-12-19T05:30:00.004-05:00

Aother line of snacks everyone loves and is good for them. Gnu fods bars have some organic ingredients and all of them contain their trademark high fiber blend - whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic kamut, psyllium, flax and millet. They have no artificial preservatives or chemicals and most of them are sweetened with fruit juices.

My son loves the banana walnut and my daughter the chocolate brownie. They both walk around eating the lemon ginger bars declaring 'I don't like it, I don't like it." I haven't found any other flavors in the stores in my area yet.

I never thought I would ever be interested in any -of-the-month club, but Iam seiously considering their joy-of-fiber club.

Genesis Today resveratrol juice

2010-12-17T05:30:00.006-05:00

One more juice from Genesis Today - not that I need to worry about the twins cardio-vascular health (they do not sit still for a minute) or healthy aging but it's never too early to start.

Resveratrol contains grape, apple, pear, black cherry, blueberry, pomegranite and cranberry. It is also chock full of vitamins and minerals and has 27 grams of sugar for an 8 ounce serving. The twins get it diluted with milk. They don't overly like it (like the orange omega) but they don't dislike it either.

Genesis Today omega orange juice

2010-12-15T05:30:00.006-05:00

After buying Bolthouse Farms juices for so long I decided to look around for their competitors products. Genesis Today juices come a close second - my only gripe is that their juices are reconstituted from concentrates and additional nutrients and flavors added (the DHA is from algal oil.) This omega orange has orange, apple, pear, acerola, goji and papaya. It has 90 calories for an 8 ounce serving and only 13 grams of sugar.

The twins get it diluted with milk and they love it. The first few times my son took to crying for more. I would cave in and fix him some more which would lead to a runny tummy. Now I am more firm about seconds or add more milk than juice and everyone is happy.

Newtons fruit crisps

2010-12-13T05:30:00.005-05:00

These Newtons fruit crisps from Nabisco are great. Each packet has 2 thin crispy bars with an even thin layer of filling. At 50 calories a piece and 4 grams sugar, this is the perfect dessert. They are happy with just 1 and I don't feel too guilty abut it.

Veggie Patch broccoli bites

2010-12-11T05:30:00.005-05:00

I like Veggie Patch's portabella bites but the kids don't. With these broccoli bites, they have a love hate relationship. Some days they can't have enough of them and some days they can't stand them.

Pillsbury cheese and spinach savorings

2010-12-09T05:30:00.004-05:00

Another attempt at a savory snack. And just like with the samosas, they peel off the pastry layer and put the stuffing aside.

Back to Nature triple ginger cookies

2010-12-07T05:30:00.004-05:00

The triple ginger in these cookies from back to Nature are crystallized ginger, ground ginger and ginger extract. They also have evaporated cane juice, sugar (in the crystallized ginger) and molasses. With 9 grams of sugar for 5 cookies I decided it wasn't too bad.

They could not believe it when amma put 3 (3 whole cookies!) cookies each in front of them. After a few suspicious nibbles they were on their way. But neither one asked for more.

Deep samosas

2010-12-06T05:30:00.001-05:00

These potato samosas from Deep foods are supposed to be deep fried. I cheat and bake them with a little cooking spray or tossed in olive oil. The twins get all excited about the 'saaamos' and then procced to peel off the outer layer and put the stuffing aside. I have tries spinach and cheese, chicken and lamb but in all cases its only the shell they like and eat. I hope Deep comes out with a whole wheat shell or something. Sigh!

Dole real fruit bites

2010-12-03T05:30:00.003-05:00

My nutritionist (sis-in-law) recommended these 'real fruit bites' from Dole over the sugary fruit snacks that the twins developed a liking for.

They do have added sugar and are very different in look and texture from other fruit snacks. My son will run and hunt for them in the pantry if he finds the door open. My daughter eats them on somedays but rejects them on others.

Veggie crunchers from Amport Foods

2010-12-01T05:30:00.006-05:00

The veggie crunchers here are sweet potato, taro, carrot, green beans and squash. These are cooked in a vacuum cooker and have oil and sea salt apart from dextrin from Tapioca.

Some vegatables are cut thicker than the others. So even though they are not chewy they tend to be hard for the kids to munch on. If I pre-sort the thinner ones the kids will happily finish them but if they run into a thick one they refuse to eat anymore.

Snapea crisps from Calbee

2010-11-29T05:30:00.005-05:00

These Snapea Crisps from Calbee were such a resounding success that I now buy them by the dozen from Amazon. A big deal is that they do not loose their crispness even after several days outside.

They are made up of green peas, corn oil, rice, salt, calcium carbonate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C.)

Apple chips from Sunrise Valley

2010-11-27T05:30:00.006-05:00

I picked up these apple chips from Sunrise Valley along with the pear chips, another one-ingredient snack. However they contain sulphites which Iam not too comfortable with - I bought these because I could no longer find yoga chips.

These are cut thicker and hence some of the pieces are chew-ier. The kids did not like them anyway.

Pear chips from Fun Fruit

2010-11-25T05:30:00.005-05:00

These pear chips from Fun Fruit were a huge hit. I bought just one packet because I wasn't sure how they would be. After the twins went through the bag in one sitting (and my son started crying for more) I went online to find out more and stock up.

I did not find any information about them and so I fished out the bag and looked at it closely. It is a one-ingredient product (a big YAY) but it is made in China (a not so big YAY in my book.)

I am still on the fence about this. The kids like it very much though, so maybe once in a while.

Liquid breakfast

2010-11-23T05:30:00.006-05:00

Just to make it clear this post is about MY liquid breakfast. As every mom knows some days you just need it in the morning. These kir royale and mimosa jams from Stonewall Kitchen are just perfect - they actually have real champagne! Even with added sugar they are not overpoweringly sweet.

I prefer the kir royal and will be looking for their bellini and raspberry-peach champagne. While surfing their website I saw that they have a roasted garlic onion jam made with garlic, onion, vinegar, oil and sugar which I will not be looking for.

Birthday cupcakes

2010-11-22T05:30:00.008-05:00

This weekend the twins got a cupcake each for their birthday. Giant oversized ones made especially for them by the lovely ladies of Muppet Cupcakes.

By the time they picked off the flowers/stars (my son got a violet one with stars, I did not have a chance to take a good picture) and worked through the frosting, they just stared at the cake in a stupor. Too bad - the cake was the best part.

Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus chocolate

2010-11-21T05:30:00.002-05:00

The kids hated this - even diluted with milk (which is how they get all their 'juich.') I bought it for the protein and 21 nutrient blend.

It was a bit chalky (even though the label claims it's not) but otherwise fine. I finished it happily.

Bolthouse farms Hawaiian holiday

2010-11-19T05:30:00.005-05:00

While still looking for their prickly-pear-cactus-lemonade I came across this passion-orange-guave juice from Bolthouse Farms.

The guava is there but something about the juice itself was not quite there. None of us were impressed with it - I think the bar was sort of set high by their swamp juice and C-boost.

Bear Naked grain-ola bars

2010-11-17T05:30:00.005-05:00

I thought the grain-ola texture of these Bear Naked bars would put the kids off. But the texture isn't that granola-ey and apart from ascorbic and citric acids all the other ingredients are all natural.

My son really likes them but my daughter will take her time to finish this 'cookie.'

Pure raw fruit and nut bars

2010-11-15T05:30:00.004-05:00

Another great 'cookie' that the twins like or dislike depending on the flavor. These fruit and nut bars from Pure are made with all natural organic ingredients.

I personally like the wild blueberry but the kids are crazy about the cherry cashew.

Larabar fruit and nut bars

2010-11-13T05:30:00.005-05:00

Once I convinced the twins that soft cereal bars were cookies I slowly started switching to all natural and more varied food bars. These Larabars have nothing added to them. For example their cashew cookie has 2 ingredients - cashews & dates and the banana bread has almonds, dates and bananas.

The twins very a bit hesitant at first as they are more chewy than what they are used to.

Toaster strudel from Pillsbury

2010-11-11T05:30:00.002-05:00

I bought these Pillsbury toaster strudels to introduce something new at breakfast. I served them without the frosting though. My son took to them right away but my daughter accepted them at my 3rd attempt.

Bagel-fuls from Kraft

2010-11-09T05:30:00.003-05:00

My very own nutritionist (sis-in-law) mentioned how she didn't really like these bagel-fuls from Kraft because there was too little filling for her taste. So of course I had to get the twins to try them - there will definitely come a time when they will be eating "cream cheese with bagel."

A big hit! They like the cinnamon flavor more than the strawberry and cream cheese.

Stroopwafels from Shady Maple Farms

2010-11-07T05:30:00.003-05:00

A true dessert the twins get once in a while - they love what they call their waffle-cookies. And they came up with that name all by themselves.

Fruit snacks from Market Pantry

2010-11-05T05:30:00.003-04:00

These mixed fruit snacks from Target were accepted with ambivalence. They sat there for some time and then half of them ended up on the floor.

I will be cutting back on the fruit snacks though - apart from vitamin C it's just more sugar they don't need.

Bunny fruit snacks from Annie's

2010-11-03T05:30:00.002-04:00

The twins did not like these bunny fruit snacks from Annie's. I tried a few but they tasted the same as the other brands to me.

Real fruit twists from Archer Farms

2010-11-01T05:30:00.004-04:00

I read about these fruit twists in a parenting magazine and decided to give them a try. The twins have had dried fruit before, so this was not entirely new. However these are much more moist (read sticky, and a pain to clean up after) than many of the others out there and my daughter especially loves them.

Mini sandwich crackers from Market Pantry

2010-10-30T05:30:00.004-04:00

The twins really like cheese sandwich crackers. Any brand is fine so I switched to the target store brand. I still buy the mini versions because there is less mess to clean up after.

Autumn wheat cereal from Kashi

2010-10-28T05:30:00.004-04:00

I have had a lot of success with Kashi products. These wheat cereal pillows looked like a good snack to introduce to the kids but the twins rejected them. I think it's because they are too dry to eat straight.

Grain beryy thinny-thin thins from The Silver Palate

2010-10-26T05:30:00.007-04:00

I am on my third box of these thinny-thin thins from the Silver Palate. These are some tasty crackers (AND only 2 grams of sugar per serving) - my son agrees with me, my daughter not really.

Cheese straws from Archer Farms

2010-10-24T05:30:00.004-04:00

A savory snack which the twins refused because it had a real kick to it. But it was really cheesy too - in a nice way that is. I will reintroduce in a few months when they can handle more spicy stuff.

Sourdough squares from Archer Farms

2010-10-22T05:30:00.005-04:00

Iam always on the lookout for savory snacks for the twins. These sourdough squares looked like a good bet but the twins didn't take to them. I think they were a bit too hard for them.

Kellog's special K chocolatey delight.

2010-10-20T05:30:00.003-04:00

The chocolate in it tastes like wax. Shudder. The flakes though are a totally different story. They are large, crisp and lightly sweetened. The kids saw me pouring it into a bowl one morning and wanted to try.

The individual flakes make a nice snack for them - they can keep eating and eating and not fill up. I usually give them a few before meals (sort of an appetizer while Iam scrambling to put a meal together) when they are fussy.

Whole wheat parathas from Kawan

2010-10-18T05:30:00.002-04:00

I use these whole wheat parathas from Kawan to make quesadillas. These are great for on the go too. The twins like them for the most part - I have to get the amount of shredded cheese I put in there just right. Too much and it's too salty for them, too little and it's just not enticing enough (I think.)

Omega-3 milk

2010-10-16T05:30:00.001-04:00

I have switched to omega-3 (my second obsession, first being whole grains) milk. The kids are actually asking for and drinking milk occasionally now.

Four fruits spread from St. Dalfour

2010-10-14T05:30:00.003-04:00

Since I had much success with St. Dalfour before, I picked up their Four Fruits spread when I came across it. It has strawberries, raspberries, cherries and black raspberries in equal quantities.

Even though it is sweetened with only grape juice concentrate, it has 11grams sugar per tablespoon so I use it judiciously. The twins like it with yogurt as well as on bread.

Hartley's blackcurrant jam

2010-10-12T05:30:00.008-04:00

I think black currant is a fruit that is really not getting it's fair share of popularity/publicity. I read about it awhile ago and how describing it's benefits would start sounding like a snake oil advertisement, "twice the antioxidants of blueberries, four times the vitamin C of orange juice, as much potassium as bananas…."

Ever since I have been on the lookout for black currant containing products and I came across this jam by Hartley's recently. The kids were OK with it.

Guava jelly from Goya

2010-10-10T05:30:00.009-04:00

I like guavas especially the ones with pink insides. So when I saw this guava jelly from Goya, I bought it. A total disappointment. It did not have any guava flavor/taste and has corn syrup, fructose and sugar. Yup, all three of them.

With that much sugar, I thought the twins would eat it up (mixed with yogurt) but they rejected it outright. I won't be offering it to them again.

NUTELLA

2010-10-08T05:30:00.003-04:00

For me there is salt, pepper and nutella. In a food blog you don't think to blog about salt, right? Which is why even though the kids have been eating it for a long time, I didn't mention it.

Sadly, the twins are not as crazy about it as their amma. But then they have not had a crepe with nutella and bananas. or a nutella pie. or a nutella cheese cake. or a nutella brownie. or a nutella………

Curried red lentil soup from Pacific Foods

2010-10-06T05:30:00.001-04:00

The twins have tried many kinds of lentils and lentil soups so this curried red lentil soup from Pacific Foods really did not get a reaction from them.

Pepperidge Farm 15 grain bread

2010-10-04T05:30:00.005-04:00

Some days I am a slacker. Then I have to buy bread. This 15 whole grain bread from Pepperidge farm is not as grainy or hearty as it looks and sounds. Actually I was a bit disappointed. The twins though didn't seem to care or just didn't let on if they did.

Trader Joe's mango yogurt parfait

2010-10-02T05:30:00.003-04:00

It has mango in it so of course I had to try it. Trader Joe's is a mixed bag when it comes to yogurts and this one is a hit. Probably has something to do with the 23 grams of sugar in it. I diluted it with full fat yogurt and split it between the two.

B-healthy and B-well from Stonyfield

2010-09-30T05:30:00.006-04:00

The cold season started and my yogurt is not setting firm every time. So Iam back to flavored yogurts. By now the kids have been eating yogurt every. single. day. For over a year. They are still not sick of it, but in terms of flavor they don't perk up at new ones anymore.

Kashi blackberry graham bars

2010-09-28T05:30:00.004-04:00

Yet another 'cookie' the twins like very much. These are great while out-and-about too.

Healthy Valley blueberry cobbler bars

2010-09-26T05:30:00.004-04:00

Another 'cookie' the twins like very much.

Barbara's fruit and yogurt bars

2010-09-24T05:30:00.004-04:00

The twins see their father grab breakfast bars almost every other morning. So of course they want to try them too. Since they don't like granola-like texture right now, I have been buying soft cereal bars and passing them off as cookies.

Whenever they want a 'cookie' I break up a bar and give them a piece each. They are happy and I try to tell myself that they are not actually cookies so we are OK.

Annie's whole wheat bunnies

2010-09-22T05:30:00.005-04:00

Mandy of twin trials and triumps mentioned that her twins like Annie's bunnies. So on the next grocery run I picked some up. Made with organic whole wheat these are actually smaller than I thought and the twins took to them immediately.

Banana cookies from Gerber

2010-09-20T05:30:00.004-04:00

Yes it's from Gerber and is a toddler food but still…… these banana cookies have fructose and sugar (but still manage to keep the sugar to 2 grams per serving,) no fiber, and are made with bleached flour (enriched though.) Really a mixed bag but the twins really like them and I only offer them when they are especially fussy.

Fruit nibbles from Beech Nut

2010-09-18T05:30:00.004-04:00

These are nothing like gummy bears or jujups. The texture is quite pleasant and the kids like them a lot.

Soy crisps from GenSoy

2010-09-16T05:30:00.003-04:00

These soy crisps from GenSoy are a great alternative to rice cakes, for both taste and nutrition. The adults in the house liked them but the twins would have nothing to do with them. It could be that they are a bit too hard for the kids.

Apple pie, no added sugar

2010-09-14T05:30:00.004-04:00

I do bake - having said that Iam not messing with an American classic. I came across recipes for apple pie with no sugar added but just did not have the heart to try them. Also, I didn't think anyone in the house would eat them either.

So, when I saw this no sugar added apple pie from Shaw's, I had to bring it home. First off, I thought the pie needed a bit more baking - the crust was pasty and light colored. Half of us liked it (me, my daughter) while the other half did not.

Colorful goldfish from Pepperidge Farm

2010-09-12T05:30:00.003-04:00

I introduced goldfish to the kids a few times with no success - till now. These colored goldfish from Pepperidge Farm are a big success especially since they are learning to identify colors. I will plop a handful each in front of them and shout out a color. They take great pride in finding and eating the right colored ones.

Yoga chips

2010-09-10T05:30:00.005-04:00

Yoga vive? I rolled my eyes at the name but decided to try them because they are the very rare 'one ingredient' products. Using a special drying process, yogavive has managed to make apple chips.

The kids really like them and so do the adults. I see these as a staple in the house for a long time. Also, I will keep an eye out for new products by the company.

Mozzarella stix from Alexia

2010-09-08T05:30:00.002-04:00

Since the kids like string cheese and eat them everyday (and sometimes multiple times a day) I decided to try a variation and bought these mozzarella sticks.

Both of them rejected them right away. On a hunch I peeled off the breading and bingo! Iam starting to notice a pattern - they don't like stuff that has a 'fried' texture.

Vegetable cutlets from Deep Foods

2010-09-06T05:30:00.002-04:00

Another miss - Iam not sure whether it was the texture (large vegetable pieces, and breading) or the spiciness. All the adults in the house like these vegetable cutlets from Deep Foods but the kids have not warmed up to them yet.