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Kashi and Bear Naked are just plain good

July 3, 2009 By

If you look at the typical American diet, one nutrient that had been missing but fortunately for all of us is now being added back in is fiber. Fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods like fruits, vegetables and grains, and it is necessary for good digestion. Your Grandma called it “roughage” (or at least mine did). How much fiber do you need?

Current recommendations from the United States National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, suggest that adults should consume 20-35 grams of dietary fiber per day, but the average American’s daily intake of dietary fiber is only 12-18 grams.

The ADA recommends a minimum of 20-35 g/day for a healthy adult depending on calorie intake (e.g., a 2000 cal diet should include 25 g of fiber per day). The ADA’s recommendation for children is that intake should equal age in years plus 5 g/day (e.g., a 4 year old should consume 9 g/day). (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fiber)

One great opportunity to get more fiber is at breakfast.  The Journal of Nutrition reports a new study in its May issue that found women who ate a low-glycemic index, fiber-rich breakfast burned more fat when they worked out later in the day than women who ate a high-glycemic index breakfast low in fiber, and were less likely to overeat at lunch.  Start your day smart with a bowl of Bear Naked Fit Granola (www.bearnaked.com), which offers a low-glycemic index and good source of fiber, or Kashi GoLEAN Cereal (www.kashi.com), packed with 10g of dietary fiber per serving.

For lunch or dinner, Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf  gives you complex whole grain carboyhydrates that are high in fiber and protein but very low in sodium and fat with zero cholesterol. It can be eaten plain or used in recipes.

GranolaI received a bag of Bear Naked  Granola in Apple Cinnamon and a box of Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf for review.  The Granola was SO GOOD. Do you like Apple Crisp? Apple Cinnamon Bear Naked Granola tastes EXACTLY like Apple Crisp! A 1/4 cup serving is 140 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.  And no, 1/4 cup is NOT enough!  Yes, that is a lot of fat, but studies are now showing that fat from healthy oils like the canola oil in this granola are good for your heart. Balance a serving or two of this granola with the rest of your fat intake for the day and you can enjoy it guilt free!

Kashi PilafI wasn’t as much of a fan of the Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf, but I think that’s because all I did was cook it according to package directions and serve it plain. It really needs to be mixed with spices, maybe some veggies or even a little meat or cheese.  I’ll tell you what though, it sure is filling.  Some people might even like eating it for breakfast with milk and sugar!

Learn more about Bear Naked products at http://www.bearnaked.com and more about Kashi products at http://www.kashi.com.

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Kashi Granola and Thin Crust Pizzas

April 11, 2008 By

I am a big fan of Kashi products, not only because they taste good but because the company believes in using only natural ingredients, in producing food made from, what a concept, REAL FOOD. You won’t find unpronounceable strings of chemicals that do nothing to nourish your body in Kashi foods.

I received two new Kashi Granola cereals and three Thin Crust Pizzas for this review, and although two of the pizzas are still in the freezer (not a fan of mushrooms, and the kids refuse to even try the one with broccoli and artichokes), I want to spread the word about how delicious and healthy the other products we tried are.

Kashi Summer Berry Granola is a delicious combination of sweet, crunchy granola and bits of freeze-dried fruit. The granola is made with Kashi’s blend of Seven Whole Grains mixed with honey, and then it’s blended with pieces of strawberries, blackberries, and in a tasty surprise, pieces of kiwi fruit. The fruit is so fresh tasting once it mixes with milk that it really tastes like you sliced fresh fruit onto a bowl of granola. One half-cup contains 210 calories, 6 grams of fat (from expeller-pressed canola oil used to make the granola), 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. While you may be thinking you can’t eat a cereal with 6 grams of fat, think of how many grams of fat are in a cinnamon roll, a bagel with cream cheese, a donut. Plus, Kashi Granola is going to keep you full a whole lot longer than those other breakfasts.

Kashi Cocoa Beach Granola is so good, I barely got a half-cup of it for myself. My son Ryan ate it for breakfast and snacks for two days, and when the box was empty, told me it was the best granola EVER. Crunchy seven-grain granola clusters are infused with cocoa and then mixed with flakes of coconut and almonds for a sweet, chocolatey treat. This cereal is higher in calories and fat than the Berry flavor, it has 230 calories in a half-cup, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein. Now, 9 grams of fat is pretty high for cereal, but again, if you replace empty calories with this, you come out ahead.

I also received three Kashi Thin Crust Pizzas, one of the Tomato Garlic Cheese, one Roasted Vegetable, and one Mushroom Trio with Spinach. Ryan and I ate the Tomato Garlic Cheese, which has Roma tomatoes, mozzarella and provolone cheeses with a tomato basil sauceand we both agreed that the toppings were delicious. He enjoyed the very thin, almost crackery crust, I was less of a fan. I see on the site that there is also a Tomato Garlic on Original crust, I’d really like to try that one. All of the pizzas feature a crust made with the Kashi Seven Whole Grains & Sesame. The Roasted Vegetable is topped with Broccoli, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, onions and garlic, mozzarella and provolone cheeses with a tomato pesto sauce. The Mushroom Trio and Spinach has Baby Portobello, Champignon and Shiitake mushrooms with spinach, mozzarella and provolone cheeses with a tomato parmesan sauce.

I highly recommend the granola cereals and the Tomato Garlic Cheese pizza, especially if you are looking for products that have natural ingredients, whole grains, and fiber. There’s no reason not to enjoy pizza and get some healthy food in you at the same time! Thank you again to Elizabeth Lee from Formula PR for sending me these tasty food products to review.

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