Wasabi Seaweed Snacks: Which is your favorite?

In my search of a healthy snack, I decided to purchase three different wasabi-flavored seaweed snack packs.  For those of you who don't know, wasabi is a very spicy type of mustard/horseradish.  It goes well with sushi and these seaweed snacks.  And for those who have not tried seaweed snacks, do it!  Allergies permitted, though, be careful.  They are a great snack for when you want something chip-like.

Pro: Today I tried the Wasabi seaweed snack pack from Sea Snax Grab & Go.  At 15 calories per pack (that's right -- pack! Not per slice), no carbs, and 2 grams of fat, these snacks are a must try.  You can taste the wasabi and salt but it's not overwhelming.
Con: The packing is a bit smaller than the other two but the flavors are all there.  So I am off to a good start here, but at $1.49 for only .18 oz, I kind of wanted a few more slices.

Annie Chun's Wasabi Roasted Seaweed Snacks
$1.49·0.35 ounce
Pro: There are more slices of seaweed in these packets and you can tell because the packaging is a bit bigger.  The flavors are slightly better in this version.  It's not as oily as SeaSnax, but that wasn't a problem either for SeaSnax either.  However, since it is notably lighter in oil and still has a good wasabi kick, I like Annie Chun's better so far.  Also, the product is cheaper than SeaSnax for the amount you get.
Con: Because it is a larger package, I tend to eat all of it.  It is 50 calories, which is great but the previous package from SeaSnax is only 15 for the package.  Granted, the package is smaller for SeaSnax, but it's harder to save Annie Chun's snacks because the package is not resealable.

Gimme Wasabi Seaweed Chips 
$1.89·0.35 ounce
Pro: The wasabi sort of sneaks up on ya in this one and it has a good crunch.
Con: At $1.89 a pack, I wasn't impressed with the flavor.  I would say it was my least favorite, but it wasn't bad.

Overall: my favorite is Annie Chun's Wasabi Roasted Seaweed Snacks because it was more flavorful.  I would like the sheets to be more bite-sized though.

Three Organic Dark Chocolate Bars to Try

I admit it, I'm a chocoholic and I'm not afraid to admit it.  But when I'm on a diet, it's hard to get my daily dose of chocolate.  So I talked to my nutritionist and she said I would be fine to have a small piece of chocolate -- the best chocolate is dark chocolate with almonds.  So I did some research on the best tasting chocolates with the least amount of sugar/carbs.  I try to keep the amount of chocolate I eat per day to 100 calories within the diet plan I am on.

Does it exist?  Yes!  Here are three different dark chocolate bars (that are organic) to try:

Pro: NibMor Organic Dark Chocolate with Almonds, 72% Cacao isn't your momma's chocolate!  With just 6 ingredients, this chocolate bar packs quite a punch in the dark chocolate department.  It has a slight bitterness of dark chocolate as well as sweetness that makes it a very good match with the chopped almonds.  Of the three bars, this chocolate has the least amount of carbs/sugar (15g/8g) for half the bar -- that being said, don't eat half the bar.  Two pieces of the chocolate bar is satisfying enough.
Con: Although I think this chocolate is great, I think people who are learning to try dark chocolate may not like it because it's not as sweet as say Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate.  In addition, of the three, this chocolate bar was more expensive at $3.99 for only 2.2 oz.

Endangered Species 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate With Sea Salt & Almonds
$2.99 for 3 oz
carbs/sugar (20g/11g)
6 ingredients
Pro: This chocolate is probably my favorite of the three.  I have a tendency to love the salty and sweet chocolate flavors that come together with chocolate bars like this.  It's not bitter and it's not overly sweet and I think that is because the sea salt cuts out any bitterness it may have had.  This bar is reasonably priced and in the cheapest in comparison to the other bars.
Con: Of the three, the carb/sugar content is right in the middle.   So it would be nice if they could lower the sugar just a little bit, especially since they have sea salt in it to balance out the sweetness.

Alter Eco Dark Almond Organic Chocolate
$3.79 for 2.82 oz
carbs/sugar (19g/14g)
5 ingredients
Pro: Of the previous chocolates, this one is by far the smoothest because it has a lower percentage of cocoa than the others.  This chocolate also only has 5 ingredients, keeping it true to the natural chocolate taste.  After eating just 2 pieces, I was extremely satisfied.
Con: Although this bar is by far the best tasting, it has the most carb/sugar content of the three.  The bar is also still on the expensive side, but I guess that is what you pay for quality.

Overall: of the three, Endangered Species 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate With Sea Salt & Almonds

wins this round.  The sweetness mixed with the sea salt just gives it more flavor.  The only problem is it is high in calories.  Second best is NibMor Organic Dark Chocolate with Almonds, 72% Cacao and it also wins in the carb/sugar category.

Tip: The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more bitter the dark chocolate is supposed to be.  Many manufacturers add a ton of sugar to make the chocolate more palatable to the general public but this doesn't mean it's necessarily healthier.  So picking the right dark chocolate with the least amount of sugar is important.

Low Carb Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese

Today I decided to try out a new recipe: Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.  It actually came out decent and I didn't follow the recipe exactly the way I probably should have.  Basically here is what I did to make it quick:

1. Chopped up a large whole cauliflower (used Fairway Market Cauliflower Florets) into very small pieces
2. In a large pot, I boiled some water and put in the cauliflower
3. Once water was at a high boil, I left it boiling for 8 more minutes
4. Drained and put cauliflower back into the pot
5. Chopped up some organic cheddar cheese (8 oz Organic Valley Sharp Cheddar Cheese) and put that into the pot
6. Put about 12 tbsp of organic sour cream (half of 16 oz Horizon Organic Sour Cream) into the pot to make it creamy
7. Heated the pot again so everything comes together
8. Added some salt and onion powder to the mix for flavor.

And that's it and that made about 6 servings.  I only didn't bake it -- I think it would have been even better if I did.  I think tomorrow I'm going to add a cup of baby spinach to it for more healthy filling stuff.

Lastly, although the recipe did remind me of mac and cheese, in no way is it exactly the same.  This is just a great recipe for cauliflower and for those who are on a low carb diet.

Best Tasting Yogurts

As I go on this journey to be healthier and try new things, I asked myself, "what is the best yogurt?"-- although texture-wise greek yogurt is great, I have run into some issues with flavor, and vice versa.  So I am going to make a list here of the three yogurts I tried recently and give my review.

1. Chobani Oats
Pro:  The two flavors I tried are Chobani Oats Banana Maple Blended Low-Fat Greek Yogurt and Chobani Oats Apple Cinnamon Blended Low-Fat Greek Yogurt.  The texture and flavors were really yummy.  I didn't have to add any granola to it because of the oats.
Con: Unfortunately these two flavors have a lot of sugar.  If a woman's daily intake of sugar is 25 grams, the Apple Cinnamon alone is 16 grams of sugar.  Also, since carbs can convert into sugar, add 27 grams of carbs to that.

2. Brown Cow Cream Top
Pro:  If you like fruit on the bottom and all-natural yogurt, this is the yogurt for you.  The texture is super creamy, not like greek yogurt and creamier regular yogurt.  It took me some getting used to but it was fairly good.  The flavor is also different because it is much more natural tasting.
Con:  The sugar is even higher for this than the Chobani Oats.  Also, the texture I prefer is greek yogurt so I probably won't be getting these again.

3. Wallaby Nonfat Greek Yogurt
I have not tried this yet. I plan on getting it this weekend.  Because I'm being more conscience of the sugar and carb content, plus the bonus is that it is organic and lowfat, I am hoping it tastes good enough to keep buying.  Stay tuned!

Just tried the low fat version of this yogurt and I must say that it is my favorite of the lot.
Pro: If you like cream cheese with jam or a danish, this yogurt could be for you.  The toppings for the yogurt comes separate, so the plain yogurt is not sweet but the texture is very good.  I tried the cherries and it adds the perfect amount of sweetness without the added sugar.  Plus because this yogurt is organic, there are no artificial ingredients.
Con: it can get a little messy trying to dunk the fruit into the yogurt and you won't get every last drop either because the fruit and sauce is like a jello and doesn't come out of the side container without a spoon.
Overall I nominate the Wallaby for the best taste, texture, and healthy yogurt.

New Year, New Plan

In December 2015, I decided to begin a healthier routine.  I was loosing weight with the fresh diet but it was too expensive and my planning was good too but since I sold my house and I'm now living with the in-laws, it's hard to plan like I used to.

So, I signed up with a nutritionist and she is a sweetheart.  She also happens to take my insurance, which is a big plus.  I found her on ZocDoc and have been talking to her since December.  Here's her card:

She created a meal plan for me but asked me to see the doctor so she could see if I'm okay.  Good thing too because I had somewhat high cholesterol but in normal range, somewhat high blood sugar but in normal range, and very high liver enzymes.  I am also extremely deficient in vitamin D.  So it is even more important for my diet to be concentrated on.

Since then, I have lost a total of 15 lbs.  Since I was not exercising, she has me on a 1200 calorie, low-carb, organic diet, which I admit has not been easy for me since I like low fat chips and stuff.  She wrote out guidelines and I follow them most of the time but she pointed out that many natural fat products are better for me than low fat.

Then, I signed up for a gym last weekend.  It was not hard doing cardio but it was hard doing anything with my arms.  I still hate working out, so I am just doing 3 days a week using an exercise plan the gym gave me for people getting back into exercising.

Well, that's it for now.  I'm thinking of posting more updates here, like food I eat and stuff like that.  We will see.