Review of SimplyNature's Organic Linguine

I live close to the US border, so I like to go there occasionally to shop. A few months ago I was there and discovered Aldi. I was immediately hooked, because their store brand organic foods are so much cheaper than anywhere else!

I have talked on other posts about how affordable organic food is getting due to store brands. Aldi is taking this to whole new level. Even after the exchange rate, the extra fee my credit card charges for international purchases and the toll on the bridge, it is still cheaper to shop there.

When I first saw this pasta I couldn't believe the price. It is ridiculously cheap! It's almost the same price as regular non-organic pasta. So I bought one to try.

And I wasn't disappointed. The taste is great. It's got a good consistency too (if you cook as indicated in the package). And it's also very easy to cook (like all other pastas).

Here's a picture of a dish I made with it:

(note: reviews for the other organic ingredients (also bought at Aldi) are coming soon!)

And of course I also love it because it has no refined sugar, and the ingredient list is simple:  just organic wheat and water.

My only complaint about this product is that I wish it came in a bigger package - for even more savings! (though its the same as other brands' package size) After I first bought and tried this, I've been buying 4-6 boxes per month. It would be much more practical if I could just buy one big package.

In conclusion, if you live on the US or near the border, I highly recommend this product (and most other organic things at Aldi too - stay tuned for more reviews). It's much more affordable than anything we buy in Canada. And for the Americans, it's a great and affordable way to buy organic.

Review of Nature's Path Organic Kamut Puffs

If you follow this blog you know that I've been on a quest for a sugar-free organic cold cereal for the past several months.

So when I found this product on the supermarket shelf, I was really hopeful. Could this finally be the one?

The price is not exactly cheap (considering it has only 170g), but since I've been on this quest for so long, I've decided to give this one a try.


I initially tried it raw (without my non-dairy milk) and it tasted very sweet. It is very airy and fluffy. I found the taste and texture to be very similar to those puffcorns that I used to eat when I was a kid.

However, after having a few puffs I noticed a little bit of a bitter flavour at the end. That's no problem for me since I've learned to like bitter flavours (especially after I learned about - and experienced - how good they are for me. More on this on a future post...)

Since they were similar to puffcorns, I wanted to see if I could eat them raw (without my non-dairy milk), but after a while it just felt too dry (like most cold cereals).

So I went ahead and poured my rice milk on it. I felt like a little kid when I heard the puffs cracking just like rice crispies (for an in-depth explanation of why puffed cereals make this sound, check this page).

I also added the rice milk to see if the taste would change. But it didn't get any sweeter (or less bitter) with rice milk. However, the puffs became very moist (like it happens to rice crispies).
If you like sweet flavours you will definitely want to add some honey or maple syrup to this cereal. I like (and need) bitter flavours, so this is ok for me

I liked that the package is eco-friendly. I've been trying to be a more conscious consumer when it comes to packaging, so this brand has really made it easy for me.
My only issue with the package is that I wish it was bigger. That way I could pay less per weight and use less packaging (even if it the plastic is eco-friendly, I'd still rather use less of it).

As you might remember from a previous post, I've had issues before with cereal not being as filling as expected. So I was very curious about this one.
I poured 1 serving as directed in the package (1 cup) but I did not feel full at all. I'm used to eating oatmeal and whole wheat bread, so this felt very light. Even though I wanted something light that day, this was too light and I had to eat a slice of bread (after I finished the cereal) to feel satisfied.

I also liked this cereal because its organic. Trying to find cereal that is organic and refined-sugar-free at the same time is very challenging. This one is definitely a find, but only for a very light breakfast.

After I first tried this cereal, I've also found myself snacking on it. I think the idea of using it as a snack came from the realisation that it tastes like puffcorns. It was a helpful snack when I wanted something small to tidy me up while I prepared food (I'm so focused on work sometimes that I only remember to cook when I'm already pretty hungry).

In conclusion: if you can afford it, I highly recommend this cereal. It is a good choice if you are looking for a very light organic refine-sugar-free breakfast cereal, or if you are going to eat other things with it (fruit, eggs, etc). I will also recommend this as a snack, especially for kids, if you want a healthy alternative to puffcorns. I will keep on buying this until I find something better.

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PS: use promo code 3HSUMMER18 on this link to get $10 off $40, on lots of organic foods and snacks.

Review of Lice Choices' Whole Fish Fillets

I have talked on a previous post about how much I love the chicken nuggets from this same brand.

These fish fillets are no different! They taste miles away from the fish fingers I used to eat as a kid. I think the key is that they are made from wild caught fish, as opposed to "fish meat" (or some other mega-processed fish ingredient).

The breading is similar (if not the same) as the one on the chicken. It tastes so much better and wholesome. It is not too fatty like the regular fish fingers I used to eat before going organic/free-range/etc.

I also love that they are sourced from Certified Sustainable Fisheries. It's so important to encourage people who are doing the right thing when it comes to farming. That's the other reason why I try to only eat organic/free-range/etc.

They are priced the same as the Chicken Nuggets, so I usually only buy them when they are on sale (which is reasonably often).

Like the Chicken Nuggets, I love these fillets because of the practicality. It's so easy to toss them in the oven and have a delicious meal, especially when I'm in a pinch and didn't have time to cook my usual protein (beans).

Another reason why I love these (and Chicken Nuggets) is that they have no refined sugar in the breading. It's hard for me to buy even (supposedly) healthy frozen food, because a lot of them also have refined sugar in the ingredients list.

I love these products and will continue buying them for as long as they are sold. I highly recommend them.

Review of Walmart's Organic Quick Oats

I have talked before about how much I enjoy store-brand organic foods. And this one is no different. Wallmart has been slowly but surely adding organic foods to their store brand, and my budget has been loving that!

Currently, this is the cheapest organic refined-sugar-free oatmeal I can find. And because of that, it has become my go-to hot breakfast cereal. The only time I don't buy it is when I don't have time to go all the way to Walmart (it's a bit far from my home) so I end up buying the PC one (which is slightly more expensive).

I have mentioned before (when reviewing other brands of oats) what I eat with these, so I won't repeat myself here. The one comment I can make is that these oats all taste pretty much the same (and part of me suspects they all come from the same producer anyway), so it really comes down to a price choice.

I have no complaints or issues with this product. I'll keep on buying this again until I find something better.

Review of Alpen's No Sugar Added Muesli Cereal

I am always on the look for refined-sugar-free cereal, so I was really happy to find this product.

It wasn't too expensive but it wasn't super cheap either. The taste was great! But then I looked at the package and realised something: it is not organic!

I hate when supermarkets do this. I hate that they put non-organic cereal right next to organic ones. If you are distracted or in a hurry you end up buying something only to find out that it was not what you wanted (I've made this mistake also when shopping for pasta).
I already shop exclusively in the "natural products" aisle so that I don't have to worry too much about unhealthy food getting into my cart. It's so frustrating to find you've been "duped". If it's not organic it is probably not good for you, so in my opinion it shouldn't even be in the "healthy foods" aisle.

Anyway, rant over. I never made this mistake again: I've seen this product many times in the supermarket but have never bough it again. I would be more than happy to buy an organic version of this any time.

Once again the quest for refined-sugar-free cold cereal continues!

Review of Daiya's Chive and Onion Cream Cheese-Style Spread

I bought this because it was on sale, as the regular price is a bit expensive. I had tried another flavour before, but not this one.

One of my first impressions is that it tastes great. The taste is very close to Philadelphia Cream Cheese (from what I remember), though my husband said it tastes even better!

I can see the chives, but the taste is not very strong. The onion taste is stronger, but not too strong.

The consistency is also just like the regular Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Of course, the other reason why I bought this is that it has no sugar.

Even though the ingredients list is long, all interests are pronounceable. So I know its not too processed.

Looking at the package I found out that this company is from Vancouver. Yay Canada! One more reason to buy this.

I loved this product and recommend it to anyone who can't or won't have dairy but misses cream cheese.

Review of Nature's Path Organic Corn Flakes

Those who have been following this blog know that I stopped buying Natures' Path cereals several months ago because they changed the ingredients in the only cereal on their product line that didn't have sugar. 

Well, I have good news. I was looking at their packages once again at the supermarket, and found out that this particular product does not have sugar. It is sweetened with fruit juice, just like the old Whole O's used to be.

So I decided to try it.

My first observation was that it tasted very bland, much more bland than the Kelloggs' Corn Flakes I used to have as a kid. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure Kelloggs' Corn Flakes is full of artificial flavours to make the taste more intense.

My other impression was that, despite the fact that it was sweetened, it still tasted significantly more bitter than Kelloggs' Corn Flakes (which probably has some sugar or other artificial flavour to make it taste sweet). I wasn't expecting this Nature's Path cereal to be sweet, but I didn't expect it to be that bitter ether.






When I put almond milk on it, it still tasted a bit bitter, but not as much. After a few weeks of having this cereal though, I got used to the flavour and didn't find it bitter anymore.

But the main reason why I bought this cereal was because I wanted something that was a bit lighter than oatmeal, so I didn't feel so full in the morning - especially since I like to work out a few hours after breakfast. At first it seemed strange how less filling that oatmeal this cereal was, but after a while I got used to it. I don't think this cereal proposes to be as filling as oatmeal anyway.

Of course the other reasons I bought this are because it is organic, and has simple ingredients. I also love that it has this eco-friendly pack. And since the bigger pack makes it more cost-effective than the box, it is a win-win: win for me who pays less for the cereal and win for the planet.

I just have one note of caution about this cereal. Like I mentioned, at first I thought it was bitter and then it started tasting sweet - after a few weeks I couldn't even have this on a daily basis because of how sweet it tasted. Even though it is sweetened with fruit juice, it is still a processed sweet. And its much better for you to get as unprocessed sweets as possible (like dried fruit or regular fruit).

I haven't bought this cereal that often anymore because of how sweet it states (as the weather cools, I have to avoid sweets even more due to my yin kidney body type). I might continue buying this (but much more sporadically) if I don't see any better options at the supermarket.

Do I recommend this cereal? If you can't find any other alternatives, sure. This seems to be the "lesser evil" of cold cereals. But if you can eat bread (without any sugar added of course) or anything else that doesn't have sugar, that is always the better option.

PS: use code 3HFALL and this link to get $10 off organic cereals and lots of other healthy foods.

Review of PC Organics' Quick Oats

I have mentioned on previous posts how happy I am that major grocery stores (like Walmart and Loblaws) now have a lot of organic foods under their own brand (President's Choice, in this case). It makes organics so much more affordable.

And this product is another great example of that. The taste, like many other organic products, is great. I also love that it is much more affordable than my previously favourite quick oats.

I usually have this with soymilk and sometimes blueberries or raspberries. I also occasionally add hemp seeds to give a different flavour and get a serving of protein in. And very rarely, when the sweet crave is strong, I put a bit of maple syrup or honey on top.

The other reason I love this oats so much is because it doesn't have any refined sugar. It's still very hard to find organic breakfast cereal without refined sugar, so this is one of my go-to breakfast meals.

This had become my go-to quick oats until I discovered another one (stay tuned for the post!). I would still recommend this, though, and I occasionally still buy it when it's on sale, or I won't have time to go pick up the other one.

Review of Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup

Ever since I started eating healthy, I've loved Amy's soups. They are delicious and much better for you than the usual Campbel's or even store brand soups. Most of Amy's soups are also Organic and (I believe) all of them are free of refined sugar. I think those are the reasons why I started buying them in the first place.

As I mentioned before, I've been eating these soups for 3 years now, and always enjoying it. They are the only canned soups I buy and I just love all of them. Or loved, until I tried this one.

Having only eaten organic for 3 years, my palate is very refined and anything that is processed or non organic tastes really terrible or tasteless to me (just the other day I ate some non-organic strawberries and it felt like I was eating water). And this soup was no exception. The only non-organic ingredient (Hydrolyzed Corn And Soy Protein) made the "chicken" taste kind of chemical or artificial. That completely turned me off from this soup. I ate it but did not enjoy it.

The soup has some little squares that do look like chicken meat. I noticed that the bad taste came from those pieces. I think the problem is that they tried to make those squares taste like chicken by adding some (obviously) artificial flavour. And that just made it taste horrible. I believe they would have been much better off not trying to make the soup taste like chicken, and just creating a new flavour.


I will continue buying Amy's soups, but not this specific flavour. Or at least not until they change the ingredients. If you are used to only eating organic like me, don't buy this.

Review of Organic Valley's Unsweetened Soy Milk

I tried this when I was in the US a while ago (I've never seen it for sale in Canada).

I was amazed at how much better this tasted when compared to Silk's Unsweetened Soy Milk. It was the same reaction I had when I first tasted organic fruit. Organic food just tastes better.

Remember that, since it's USDA Certified Organic, it's also non-GMO. Also note that this brans rates very high (4/5 stars) on Cornucopia Institute's Scorecard, so you know you are getting a much better product that Silk (which rates 0/5).

This was also a bit creamier than Silk, which means it would probably be good for smoothies and gravies.

Of course one of my main reasons for buying this is because it doesn't have any sugar added. If you want to keep a refined-sugar-free diet, always look for the word unsweetened in your non-dairy beverage package.

I also liked that it's got organic fair trade vanilla in it. Kudos to them for adding that.


Overall, this is a good product. It's a pity I have never seen this for sale in Canada, or I might have considered buying it. If you live in the US, I highly recommend this brand.

Review of Great Value's Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

In the picture you can see Walmart's Great Value Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce with Felicetti's Organic Fusili, Raincoast Trading's Sustainable Tuna, Yves Veggie Cuisine's Organic Canned Peas, and Swiss Chards from my own garden.


I have talked on previous posts about how excited I am that there are more and more organic store brands.

This tomato sauce is one of my latest reasons for excitement. The sauce is much cheaper than regular organic brands - end even cheaper than PC Organics. Walmart's regular price is the sale price at Loblaws. So thats one more reason to shop at Walmart.

Another main reason why I decided to try this is because it has no refined sugar. I love that Walmart has tuned into that and added such a healthy product to their organics line.

Now moving on to the sauce itself:

Yes, it is not as wonderfully amazingly tasting as other fancy expensive brands - that cost 2 or 3 times more - but it is good enough for daily pasta meals. And if you are on a budget, good enough is.... well, good enough.

I do have to say that it tastes pretty good for a Walmart brand. I can taste the tomato, and even a bit of the basil. I think if they added some more spices they could make this taste really amazing.

Overall, this is a good sauce. I have bought it many times, and plan on continuing to buy it every time I'm at Walmart - especially because the price is so much better than anywhere else.

This is one more product that, as I've mentioned before, is making organics more affordable and more accessible to people. Kudos to Walmart for doing that. I just hope they keep on selling this product (instead of suddenly removing it off the shelves like they did with their store brand organic cereal). I also hope they add even more organic products to their store brand line (Great Value).

Conclusion: I highly recommend this if you are looking for a tasty daily pasta sauce. Plus, your wallet will thank you.

Review of Field Roast Company's Italian Vegan Sausage

I bought this a few weeks ago because it was on sale and I have absolutely loved it!

The first thing I love about this is that it has no sugar (please note that all the other flavours from this brand do have sugar).

I also loved that it has a genuine Italian taste to it. Most other vegan sausages/dogs I've tried just have a very hot spice - and call that Italian seasoning. This one really does taste like an Italian made it!

The only thing that could make this better would be if it were certified organic.

I enjoyed this with Whole Foods' hot dog buns, spinach, vegan cheese and some peas. I usually split the sausage in two to fit all that into the bun. I'm one of those people who like Chicago-style hot dogs - loaded with toppings!

Back to the sausage, I will definitely buy it again whenever it goes on sale. If they had a family pack that would be even better!

Review of Luke's Organic Wavy Potato Chips

Finally! Organic chips! I was so tired of "having" to buy non-organic chips simply because I couldn't find organic ones for sale. Now my problem is solved.

It is not cheap, but I managed to get a good deal last week. I wish they sold this in bigger packages (like the Kettle Brand's 450g one), so that I could get a better price.

I loved that the ingredients are simple and (of course) that there is no refined sugar. The chips taste good. They are not too fatty nor too dry. It's also quite low in salt, which is great for most people (except for low blood-pressured beings like me, who need a bit more salt).

I will definitely buy this again (on sale) and keep hoping to see a bigger package in stores soon.

Review of Jordans' Organic Muesli

A few weeks ago I talked about my disappointment with the PC Organic cereals. I also mentioned that I had a new candidate in mind for my daily breakfast cereal. And this is it: Jordans' Organic Muesli.

I've been wanting to try it since then, but I've been waiting for a sale, because the price is quite high. And last week I finally got a good deal ($3.99). (you can find it for sale at Well.ca in Canada)

The reason why I had this cereal in mind is simply because it is the only cereal (other than the PC ones) that I can find that is organic and has no sugar. The current state of the breakfast cereal industry is pathetic. They are failing miserably to satisfy the really conscious consumer like me.

After this slight rant, let's move on to the review:

This cereal smelled amazing as soon as I opened the package. I had it with almond milk and it tasted delicious. It tasted like real food (no chemical taste).

the plain cereal and with almond milk

I also loved that it has hazelnuts (which reminds me of nutella, and brings me happy memories without the sugar and other terrible ingredients they add to it).

The downside is that it is quite sweet, because of all the dried fruit and coconut shaves they add. So I will probably not have this cereal in the winter.

For the price I got, this is much cheaper than the PC Organics, because I only needed 1 serving to feel full and well-nourished.

Conclusion: I think I found my new cereal!

Review of Life Choices' Chicken Nuggets

I'm not one for processed food, but sometimes I get busy and need a quick and healthy protein. And for that, I usually turn to Life Choices' Chicken Nuggets. I love these nuggets!

First of all they are made from free-range, responsibly raised chicken without hormones or antibiotics. For the past 4 years I've been eating mostly vegetarian, but I occasionally do eat chicken. And when I do, it's always responsibly raised (either from Life Choices or from Whole Foods). I figured if I'm only eating organic, I also need to be consistent with my meat, and only eat healthy, chemical-free animal products.

The other reason is that I love the taste of these nuggets! I was invited by some friends to a popular local restaurant last year, where I tried a chicken dish. Oh how I regretted it! The chicken felt completely tasteless! And to make it worse, the consistency was very unpleasant: it felt like I was biting a rubber sole. It reminded me of why I never eat out. Life Choices' Chicken Nuggets, on the other hand, have real chicken taste. The difference is amazing! They are soft and crunchy. Once again, I realised how spoiled my palate has become.

The price is a bit high (about $14 in Loblaws in Ontario), but if you wait for them to go on sale, you at least get the best deal you can find ($9). Whenever this goes on sale I usually stock up on 2-3 packages.

I love these nuggets and will continue buying them as long as they keep making and selling them. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to eat healthy or even, those who are vegetarians due to animal welfare concerns.

Review of 365's Organic Corn Tortillas

I love Whole Foods! And I love 365 (their store brand) stuff even more because it makes organic so much more affordable!

Some of the things that are hard to come by at the supermarkets are organic tortillas, pitas, pizza dough and other related round flat breads. Most organic bread brands concentrate on loaves and bagels.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this for sale at Whole Foods a while ago.

The taste is great, and I love that it has no sugar (I wouldn't have even bought it if it did). But the tortillas are too crumbly. I don't know if it's because I kept them in the freezer or that's just how it is.

I stored them in the freezer after buying and thawed them in the refrigerator when I actually wanted to eat them. I then just microwaved them with each meal. Maybe there was a "proper" way to heat them up?

For now I'm not sure if I will buy these again. I might if I know I will eat them immediately. But I will most likely just buy the whole grain version instead.

Review of SOL Cuisine's Original Burger

This has become my favourite vegan burger (mostly because all of the other brands either have refined sugar or carrageenan in the ingredients list).

I love that I can just microwave it and it's done. It's an easy - but healthy - solution for a quick weekday meal. Perfect for a busy professional like me.

It tastes really good. And the taste, quality and size of the patties have stayed consistent with time (unlike some other health foods - more on this later).

I used to be able to find the family pack reasonably easy (and on sale) but I think they only make it in the summer. I try to buy the 4-pack on sale too, since it is still a bit expensive.

For my microwave, I have to use 1:30 minutes instead of the 1 in the instructions - but that isn't too hard to do, and not too far from the instructions.

It's also a Canadian brand, so that's one more good reason to buy from them.

Looking at the package I noticed that it's Non-GMO certified - awesome! It also seems to be Kosher and Halal (the more blessed the better!)
 I really love this product. The only thing that could make this better is if it were Organic. I try to only eat Organic, but I also love burgers. So until I have the time/patience to make burgers myself with my own Organic ingredients (or someone starts selling Organic burgers), this will have to do. For now I will continue buying this product.

Review of Silk's Unsweetened Creamy Cashew Milk - Original

When I first tried this, I loved the taste. It tasted a little bit like those ice cream toppings I used to have as a kid. It is also much creamier than the other milk alternatives (like rice, almond, and even soy milk).

I like that they made this unsweetened version. It helps me to continue eating sugar-free.

The ingredients list is not too bad, but of course could be better ("sunflower lecithin" and "natural flavour" sound like euphemism words for something not so natural and probably not so healthy).

It's nice that it's non-GMO. But would be better if it were organic too.


I have been buying this when it's on sale, and will continue to buy it (when it's on sale and the other items on sale are of the same quality).

I know Silk is no saint when it comes to ingredients, but unfortunately there aren't that many better options at the grocery store.

Review of PC Organic's Ancient Grains

This cereal has quickly become one of my favourites.

After I found out that Whole O's now has refined sugar in the ingredients, I went looking for a replacement for my daily cereal.

And I was pleasantly surprised to find this one. In fact, I've been pleasantly surprised to find a lot of organic products from the PC brand. It's made organic food much more affordable.

The fact that the cereal only has whole grains and - more importantly - no refined sugar, was what made me try it.
And after I tried, I loved it!
I have been buying and eating this for months now.


I haven't found any other organic cold cereal that doesn't have refined sugar for sale, so this (and the 7 Reasons flavour) are the only cold cereals I currently buy.

I wish PC would make other organic cereals without sugar. They have a lot of other organic cereals but they unfortunately all have sugar (or its euphemisms). But I'm glad that there are at least 2 that don't have sugar. It's better than nothing.

I am becoming a big fan of PC Organics products.

Review of OrganicVille's Ketchup

This ketchup tastes amazing! The seasoning is very good.

However, I don't know how refined Agave Nectar is, so I don't know how bad that sugar really is. But I've seen it as a liquid for sale, so I know it's not nearly as bad as the white refined powdered sugar.

I would buy this brand all the time if I could actually find it for sale.