Halo Top Ice Cream: Low sugar and low calorie

It seems too good to be true... an ice cream that is high in protein, low in calories and sugar.  I was skeptical when I first heard about it.  I went to the Halo Top website and clicked on where to buy.  All the Whole Foods Markets near me carry it.  I took a trip to Whole Foods and was excited to see it was in stock.  They had four flavors in pints: vanilla bean, birthday cake, lemon cake and strawberry.  I picked up the birthday cake and strawberry flavors.

Halo Top

A review of the label lists that the ice cream is all natural, no artificial sweeteners, no corn syrup, vegetarian friendly and no synthetic growth hormones. The birthday cake flavor's nutrition information is listed below.  To sweeten their ice cream, Halo Top uses stevia (plant based sweetener) and sugar alcohol.  The sugar alcohol used in Halo Top is erythritol and their website says that it does not cause bloating or impact blood glucose.

Halo Top Nutritional Facts

Halo Top

The verdict: Go grab some of this delicious ice cream! The birthday cake flavor tastes just like the regular birthday cake ice cream that you know and love.  The texture is creamy and honestly I cannot even tell that it is low calorie and low in sugar.  The strawberry flavor was a little sweeter tasting than the birthday cake.  Halo Top was so good that I went back to Whole Foods to purchase some more.  The other Whole Foods near me had the chocolate flavor, lemon cake and strawberry.  I guess the flavors vary at different locations. Overall, I am impressed that Halo Top was able to make a healthier ice cream without sacrificing taste.  

Halo Top

Amy's Gluten Free Vegetarian Chili Mac

Wait...what? A gluten free vegetarian chili mac!? I was excited to find this new product from Amy's. I found this at my local Publix. 

Amy's Chili Mac

The rice pasta has a chewy rather than tender texture. The soy crumbles are tiny. The star of this dish is the cheesy chili Mac flavor. 

Amy's Chili Mac

Overall, I was not completely satisfied with the chili mac. It did not wow me and it may be a while before I purchase again.  

Morning Star Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets (meatless)

I was browsing the Morning Star Farms section in Publix.  I found these Hickory BBQ Riblets that I have seen at Publix before, but never tried.  I was hesitant to try them because even when I was younger (much younger) and ate meat, I did not care for ribs.  

Morning Star Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets

These meatless riblets are packed with 16 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.  They come in two individually wrapped packs and the portion is a good size as well.  The preferred way to prepare the riblets is to microwave them.  Again, this is yet another easy to prepare and protein packed meatless meal.

Morning Star Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets

The riblets smelled wonderful as they heated in the microwave.  Overall, the texture is very "meaty," dense and somewhat resembles ribs.  Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the texture, but the bbq sauce was tasty.  I am not sure if my dislike for these is because I was never really a rib eater in the first place. Try them for yourself and see what you think. 

Gardein Barbecue Wings (meatless)

I stopped by Whole Foods and picked up some Sweet and Tangy Barbecue (meatless) Wings by Gardein. Just four of these meatless wings will give you 14g of protein and 120 calories per serving.  The prep time is quick at around 6 minutes.  

Gardein meatless Barbecue Wings

These browned up nicely in the skillet.  I thawed and then added the sauce at the end which was more than enough to cover all of the meatless wings.  Upon tasting the barbecue sauce it had a similar flavor to Wendy's barbecue sauce.  The sauce had the right amount of sweet, tangy and a little smokey.  The chewy, tender texture of the meatless wings was what I would expect to get in a quality meatless substitute. 

Overall, I will purchase this product again because of the flavor and short prep time.  Gardein has a variety of meatless products.  Go check them out and try one today!

Gardein meatless Barbecue Wings