Energy Bites are tasty and convenient

Published: Wednesday, Oct. 15 2003 12:00 a.m. MDT

PowerBar Energy Bites. Chocolate Crisp, Peanut Butter Crisp and Oatmeal Raisin Crisp. $1.39 to $1.79 per 1.76-ounce bag.

Bonnie: Energy Bites are a new little twist on the energy bar category: a bag of about 22 teeny PowerBar pieces. Nutritionally, they're comparable to a PowerBar, but Bites are designed for times when you might not want to eat an entire bar. The packaging calls it "energy on demand," which is just a fancy way to say "calories on demand." Although good, the concept would work much better if these were sold in resealable bags.

Carolyn: M&M's, Skittles, Kits, Butterfinger BBs — the list of popular candies featuring multiple pieces is long. One reason, a candy shop owner once told me, is that they give people the feeling that they're getting a lot for their money.

These new PowerBar bites offer that same feeling. These are also tastier than most energy bars. The oatmeal, with its delicious cinnamon accent, is the best. Rice is very evident in all three. In fact, the rice is so prominent that these crackle as you bite into them. (I say, anything but soy!)

But I second Bonnie's comment about resealable bags. And only those truly committed to healthy eating are going to be willing to pay the $1.40 to $1.80 price tag if these are sold anywhere near the similar-sized 70-cent to 99-cent bags of candy and cookies.


Seeds of Change Bowls. Spicy Peanut Noodles, Four Bean Chili, Penne Marinara, Creamy Spinach Lasagna, Teriyaki Stir-Fried Rice, Seven Grain Pilaf, Mushroom Wild Pilaf, Asian Stir-Fry Noodles, Bowtie Primavera and Macaroni & Cheese. $3.79 per 11-ounce bowls.

Bonnie: If I were a consumer of frozen entrees, these new Seeds of Change organic frozen meals would become one of my shopping-cart staples. I like the organic ingredients, the lack of artificial additives, the hearty amount of fiber and (in most cases) their delicious taste.

My favorites include the Four Bean Chili, which packs both spiciness and almost half the daily fiber recommendation, the vegetable and tofu-packed Spicy Peanut Noodles, the low-fat Asian Stir-Fry Noodles and the delicious Creamy Spinach Lasagna (though it's way too high in saturated fat to eat more than occasionally).

These entrees come to you from Masterfoods USA, known best for its Snickers, M&M's and Milky Way candy. I'm happy to see it producing something I can feel good about recommending.

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