She Says: Kind of Like a Black and White Cookie
After making the polenta Wednesday night, my culinary muscles were sore and I turned to ease and simplicity tonight.
I had a Rudi’s Organic Honey Sweet Wheat Bagel with hummus and cheese and some broccoli and cauliflower. Have you had these bagels? They’re small (130 cals., 1.5 g. fat 6 g. protein, 6 g sugar) and not bad when toasted. Obviously, these do not compare to a nice fresh bagel, but they do the trick.
Ingredients: Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Organic Sugar, Yeast, Organic Honey, Organic Wheat Gluten, Organic Oat Flour, Organic Vinegar, Salt, Organic Oat Fiber, Organic High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Organic Cultured Wheat Starch, Organic Corn Meal, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Natural Enzymes.
Anyway, back to my dinner. Sometimes, I like to make half Laughing Cow/half hummus sandwiches. I like to have some of each on the piece of bread so I can get a couple of bites with both the cheese and the hummus.
I would also like to note then when you put Laughing Cow French Onion wedge on a bagel it tastes like a frozen Lender’s Onion bagel, which I ate all the time growing up. I always put a slice of Land O’Lakes American cheese on each half and popped it in the toaster. I love cheese + bread.
So, I’ve been really into hummus lately. I usually like to make my own bean spreads because it’s fun and they usually taste good, but because they lack preservatives, they go bad after a few days, so it’s sort of a waste. I wish cans of beans came in smaller sizes. Anyway, I’ve been on the hunt for the best packaged hummus. This Joseph hummus is pretty good, but so far my favorite has been the Simply Enjoy brand from Stop & Shop. It’s creamy and delicious. What’s your favorite brand of hummus?
I found a new cracker snack, too. Ian’s Organic Wheat Crackers come in 100 calorie packs. I used to love 100 calorie packs and then I realized I was eating 100 calories of crap, so I stopped eating them. In this case, however, they are helpful. I’m going to eat crackers anyway, and it’s probably a good idea to have a clear beginning and ending to the cracker-fest. Maybe one day I will just say no to crackers, but not quite yet.
They are like Cheese-less Cheez-Its. Thick and crunchy. Perfect for my cracker needs.
HFCS in the News
HFCS Awareness Month is over, but those new ads from the Corn Refiners Association are are alive and kicking. This article from CBS News reveals what I already assumed: research for the studies that serve as a basis for the ads comes from companies that have a financial stake in the success of HFCS. These companies include Pepsi and the American Beverage Association. Do they think we’re stupid? I know this is not entirely the same, but it reminds me of all the tobacco cover-ups that are coming to the surface these days. I wish someone would just do some health and nutrition research without any financial motivation or hidden agenda.
Also, I’m glad you liked the list of HFCS Free Products I posted. If you want to make the list grow, just comment on that post or email me (HangryPants@gmail.com). I think it would be a good idea to keep track of our finds and I can create a page doing that right here. I may be sick of reading labels, but inevitably I will eat packaged foods from time to time. Of course, I want to make smart decisions, so comment away on your HFCS Free favorites!
October 9th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I thought to myself just today that I wished I could buy beans in smaller cans. Great minds do think alike!
October 9th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
As far as hummus brands, I’m partial to Trader Joe’s mediterranean hummus, which comes with a little oil and some spices on top (not to be confused with their regular schmegular hummus, which is… well, regular schmegular!)
Today was a bagel day for me too, but I decided to spring for a bagel store bagel and just have half… it was delish! I really like your laughing cow/hummus topper though, I’m gonna have to give that a try!
October 9th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I don’t eat the pre-packaged snacks either. Mostly because they seem so expensive, and I don’t really like things like packaged cookies, etc. However, I think crackers might be one for me to try. I always put them in a bowl (to avoid the mindless box eating), but will then refill my bowl 3 times!!
Graham calls it my sin bowl!
October 9th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I like your idea for spreading it 1/2 and 1/2 on the bagel! As far as hummus goes, I think I’ve tried 3 brands and the one that I’ve continued to buy is Sabra. It’s the best I’ve found.
I haven’t seen those wheat crackers, but I definitely think in this case, a 100-calorie pack is useful.
Great idea to create a list of HFCS-free products!! I will definitely keep that in mind and will probably post a product on your blog at random
October 9th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you enjoy!
I love hummus on bagels. I also LOVE Laughing Cow cheese. The chick in the commericals is a tad irritating, but the cheese is HEAVEN!
October 9th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Yay for simple dinners
Looks delish.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Ooh! I wish I could find those Rudi’s bagels around me…where did you find them?
I have sampled way too many brands of hummus, but I have found that I really like Wild Garden, Sabra, and Athenos.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:01 am
For hummus, I really like Sabra. They even have some flavored varieties with “mix-ins”. It has a very smooth, creamy texture.
I’m with you on the HFCS. I really try to avoid it, but every now and then I forget to check a label, and Boom! There it is. A couple weeks ago, I bought some of those mini Quaker rice cakes in the caramel flavor, and didn’t even think to look- of course, it’s in there. Some of my favorite HFCS free products are Martin’s whole wheat potato bread hamburger buns and sandwich bread, Publix Greenwise organic ketchup (yeah, I’m, like, 6. I totally love ketchup.) and Silk Soymilk (plain, vanilla and CHOCOLATE). Keep fighting the good fight. If enough people stop buying products made with HFCS, maybe manufactuers will stop using it, or at least offer alternatives made with honey or cane syrup.
October 10th, 2008 at 4:08 am
i love how you spread cheese/hummus half and half on the bagel! very creative. i know what you mean about crackers – they are so addictive. i do think that some 100cal packs are just plain silly – it’s just eating 100cals of sugar/E-numbers. but others of them are not so bad and it does help to have pre-portioned packs of things that are hard to stop!
October 10th, 2008 at 7:35 am
I am always tempted to buy the 100 calorie packs of certain things because they are easily transported and lready portioned out but I usually pass them up… thanks for the review. I just read an artcile yesterday that I am going to post about how there is a rise in FRUCTOSE INTOLERANCE but people are unaware they even have it.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:12 am
MMM I always used to put american cheese on bagels and melt the cheese in the toaster.. then I’d put spicy brown mustard on top! that was one of my favorite things when I was a kid!
October 10th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Yeah those HFCS commercials are so ridiculous! Like we don’t get it!?
My favorite hummus is Josephs!! But I havent tried the S&S brand…I will have to do that next time I’m there.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Hummus is awesome. I love it. I usually buy it though because I’m with you on the bean cans being way too big. I don’t have a favourite brand though, I just buy whatever looks good and whatever is available and usually that just seems to be the grocery store brands, nothing overly exciting.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Sabre is my favorite brand of hummus.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I love simple dinners like that!
I was sorely disappointed to see that my favorite brand of pickle, Clauson’s, has HFCS!!!!
October 10th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Favorite brand of hummus = Amir Foods. It’s a locally-based company (where I am). But usually I just make my own hummus (roasted-garlic variety!!).
Hooray for creating a HFCS-free list!!
October 10th, 2008 at 9:16 am
I like the humus/cheese combo – good utilization of your bagel space
I think Simply Enjoy is the best too – I don’t buy a lot of humus that’s packaged though – the boyfriend usually devours through it, so that’s nice. I do prefer homemade over packaged, but if I had to buy packaged I’d go for SE.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I already told you, but I’ll put in another vote for Sabra.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Have never seen those bagels will have to check them out. O’ how I adore me some hummus. Thanks for sharing the HFCS-free list!!
October 10th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I think they DO think we’re stupid.
Either that or they know that processing information at a superficial level is an easy way to persuade people, so they go the “peripheral route”.
My first hummus love is Trader Joe’s. We don’t have one here, so my second love is Sabra, and oh how I love it.
October 10th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I usually make my own hummus, but if I buy it most of the time I get Tribe. I need to try Sabra!
October 11th, 2008 at 2:13 am
Favourite hummus brand would have to be Holy Homous, made by a local company in Victoria, BC called Ethnic Recreations. Unfortunately, I can`t find a website for them. But their hummus is the best. And cheese and hummus sandwiches are the best. Try adding some advocado as well – quite tasty!
November 25th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
RE: Holy Hummus
Funny enough, I’m meeting with the owner of Holy Hummus tomorrow to start building a website for them! So keep your eyes peeled, the site should be up and running next month (mid December ‘08).