Vitalicious VitaSandwiches are VitaMediocre

Let's spare everyone the "I haven't posted much" apology and just jump right in, shall we?

I was cruising Target's frozen food aisles for new stuff and stumbled upon Vitalicious' VitaSandwiches -- basically egg mcmuffins in your freezer, but healthier.  They had two options: veggie and cheese or egg n' cheese. The veggie one also has egg, but it's just got little red and green pepper flecks in it.  I chose the simple Egg N' Cheese version.

For those not in the know, Vitalicious are the folks that bring you Hungry Girl's beloved VitaTops muffin tops. I should probably disclose that I'm not really a fan of those, but it didn't influence my opinion of these sandwiches, since they're completely different products.

Cut to this morning. I normally hate how microwaved bread tastes, so I was happy to see they had two variations on how to cook them: "regular" (in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel) or "extra-crispy". The extra-crispy version required that I dismantle the sandwich in frozen form, then toast the bread for 2-3 minutes while microwaving the egg part for 55 seconds, then reassembling and re-microwaving to melt the cheese for an additional 10 seconds. 

I went the extra-crispy route, which was all fun and games until the cheese-melty part took an additional 20 seconds, resulting in a rubbery muffin and tough egg. But really, for microwaves breakfast sandwiches, that's par for the course. You can't predict the results of every microwave. I've had worse (*cough*healthychoice*cough*).

Overall, the sandwich was just ok.  It was only 150 calories, which was a huge bonus, but it wasn't very filling and I really wasn't into the weird honey flavor of the english muffin. I assume it was honey wheat, but I'm not big on sweet with my eggs and cheese. I think a standard wheat would have been better, but that's subject to your own palette. The cheese was tasteless, as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't have noticed if it were missing. The egg was actually fine, aside from being a bit rubbery. It tasted like... well, microwaved egg, which I don't really have a problem with when time is of the essence.

Personally, I'd rather grab a Deli Thin or Sandwich Round or whatever, microwave my own fresh egg (or even a 1/4 cup of egg beaters) and add Laughing Cow or a half-slice of my favorite reduced-fat cheese.  A real egg would up the calories, but 1/4 of egg beaters would be result in a sandwich about the same as what they're selling in about the same amount of time.  And at $4.00 a box -- for 2 sandwiches -- I don't feel the VitaSandwiches are worth the cost.  However, if you'd like to try one for yourself, they are offering a coupon deal on their site.

I suppose if you're on the go, these are fine, but if you're going to do the extra-crispy prep, you might as well just make your own sammich. I wouldn't buy them again because I'm not "on the go" -- I work at home. But I think if they were on sale, or you had coupons or you found 'em at Costco, someone might dig' em. That someone is just not me.  Sorry, Vitalicious!

I give this 3 donuts.

Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy Pasta Sauce

I may be late to the party with this one, but I'd seen it on the shelf for a while and always kind of skimmed past it, ready to grab my usual Classico Spicy Pepper pasta sauce.  But the last time I went shopping, there was a price-cut on Francesco Rinald's ToBe Healthy pasta sauces and the word "healthy" jumped out at me, so I decided to check it out.

When we flipped over the Garlic and Onion flavor jar to read the ingredients, we were pleasantly surprised to find a minimal list that included things I could actually pronounce: diced tomatoes, tomato puree, onions, carrots, red peppers, extra virgin olive oil... all things I recognized.  We also noted it is gluten free and recommended by the AHA, as well as includes extra Omega 3 and all at 60 calories and 2 grams of fat for a half cup serving.  Not too shabby!

So, naturally, I stuck it in my cabinet and forgot about it.

Last night, I needed something easy for dinner, so I pulled out some protein-packed whole grain farfalle (the bowties!) and while that boiled, I simmered the whole jar of ToBe Healthy sauce, adding nothing except a tablespoon of freshly grated romano.  Pasta done, sauce warm, I just tossed it all together, plated and topped with a dusting of parmesan.

It. Was. Awesome.  Seriously, I'm not a huge "jar sauce" person -- i find them to be too sugary or too heavy or too loaded with unnecessary weird preservatives. Or they're really bland and I need to doctor them up to make them interesting.  In this case, I really didn't do much.  Heat n' serve and off you go.

The size of the jar seems to be smaller than other pasta sauces on the market at 16oz compared to 22-24oz of other brands, even Rinaldi's other lines. But I think if it's priced right at your store and for me, if health is important, even if it's not on sale, it's a good purchase. It actually tastes good.

I'll be buying this sauce again -- I really want to try the Spicy Marinara.  But I definitely liked it -- enough that I actually updated this blog, so that's saying something. ;-)

Weight Watchers PointsPlus:  2, per half-cup serving.

I give this 4.5 donuts.

The Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle (and a Contest!)

So, I love The Laughing Cow -- don't we all?  Just about anyone who is a Weight Watcher is big on The Laughing Cow line of cheeses. I really love to eat it with apples and put it on sammiches. 

Though it took a while to find them, I was thrilled when they came out with 3 new Light flavors: Blue Cheese, Sundried Tomato and Basil and Queso Fresco and Chipotle.  YUM.  I tried them all at BlogHer and couldn't wait to find them in my store.

Recently, they contacted me about participating in their Bring Snackjoy to Life contest. They sent me a container of my assigned flavor and told me to write a 120-character "personality" for my cheese.  I received the Queso Fresco and Chipotle, which was totally great because I love anything spicy.

I ate it on Triscuits, I had it in an omelette, I even had it with a bit of apple and just about anywhere I loved it.  I was surprised at how good it was on the apple. (I love a sweet n' spicy combo.) The zest is mellow for those who aren't into spicy foods, but the flavor is definitely geared for latin food.

I think my favorite way I've had this new flavor was predictable, but awesome: nachos with grainy tortilla chips. It goes a little like this:

• 2 wedges of cheese, melted for 30 seconds in the microwave (some might take longer, some might take less, just keep an eye on it)
• add a tablespoon or so of fresh salsa (or jar, whatever you have on hand)
• stir it up and pour it over a handful of whole grain or other sort of 'natural' or "healthy" tortilla chips (I'm currently enjoying Food Should Taste Good's Jalapeno tortilla chips -- which are kinda spicy, but I dig 'em! I also love the flaxseed ones from Trader  Joe's.)

If you want more cheese, throw in another wedge -- just wing it, but don't forget to count the Points if you're doing Weight Watchers.

Could it have been spicier? For me, sure.  Definitely. But I think it's a versatile cheese that would be awesome in a Mac n' Cheese or in a Spanish Omelette.  I can see a lot of uses for it and not everyone likes the hot n' spicy like me, so in that case, it's just the right amount. I'm a fan -- now if only I can find it at my local grocery store.

If you're so inclined, VOTE FOR MY ENTRY in the Bring Snackjoy to Life contest! 

I give this 4.5 donuts.

Trader Joe’s Reduced Carb Tortilla

No matter what type of "diet" (excuse me, lifestyle) you follow, be it Weight Watchers, low carb, low calorie, or whatever blows your dress up,  a tortilla will set you back, in all arenas.  How something so flat can contain so many calories, carbs and points, is beyond me.   I know it's a better alternative to a giant kaiser roll (but come on, a kaiser roll is SO good, ahem.  I'm getting ahead of myself), or something else like that.  

I started Weight Watcher's three months or so ago.   This is the second time I've done it, and because I was so determined, I've had much better results.  However, now that I'm closer to goal, I got hit with a loss of a WHOPPING three points, which if you're a WW groupie, you know how much it stings.   I was going along, in my little groove, and then realized, I had to recalculate just about everything in order to make sure I wasn't going over my daily allotted points.   

I happened to hit up Trader Joe's one day, which isn't a normal stop of mine, and I came across their whole wheat, reduced carb tortillas.   I tend to be leary of low carb anything, because it tastes like sand and dust, in my opinion, but I decided to give it a shot, and here's why.   According to the WW calculator, it's ZERO points.  A zero point tortilla?  I'll bite.  

And lo, it was delicious!!  They're soft and chewy, with a great taste.   I can eat one as a snack, with a cheese wedge or make myself a nice little wrap and not have to sacrafice any points, and still feel satisfied.  They are a little on the small side, but this doesn't bother me, because my favorite?  Is the two point egg burrito:

I give this 4 donuts.

Better Oats RAW: Pure and Simple Multigrain Hot Cereal

I do like oatmeal. I do. I do I do I do I do I do.  No, really.  But for some reason, I can't get it together to make a pot of steel cut oats. I prefer the little packets of instant because... well, it's convenient. But seriously, Popular Brand Oats Man, those little packets are kind of a joke. I need at least 2 of those things to make any kind of a meal, but they're so full of sugar, I just can't "afford" 2 packets.  So... I end up skipping oatmeal altogether, even though it's good for me, even though I like it.

Enter BetterOats™.  For once, Facebook was useful and I saw their ad placed in the sidebar, so I clicked to learn more.  Intrigued, I contacted the company and they sent me some coupons (one freebie and one 55 cents off). My local Albertson's carried almost every variety of their oatmeal, so I grabbed their "RAW: Pure and Simple Multigrain" in Chai Spiced. I like all things Chai, so I figured it was a good bet.

And it was! I busted it open this morning and still feel satisfied. The portion is generous, the packaging is tall and slender (environment- and pantry-friendly) and you can even use the packet itself to measure the amount of water you'll need. I was bummed out I couldn't use the hot water spigot on my water delivery cooler -- they specifically say not to add hot water, but to add cold and then microwave for 2 minutes. But that was just as easy.

The flavor was definitely spiced and delicious. I was a little concerned about all the grains -- thought it might be a bit too "hippie", but the texture was chewy, creamy and kept my interest. The package boasts whole organic grains like oats, barley, quinoa, rye and wheat, as well as whole organic flaxseeds. It's low in sugar (made with cane juice) and fairly low in sodium for a packaged food (220mg -- evaporated sea salt).  There's nothing on the ingredients list I don't recognize, which is very satisfying. At 160 calories, 2.5g of fat and 4g of fiber -- I do think it could have more fiber.  It's 3 WW Points, which some might consider high for a simple bowl of oatmeal.  But it was filling and as I said, a more generous portion than the usual instant packets.  I also consider that the stuff in it has other benefits, so I don't mind the 3 Points. 

I'll definitely be eating this again.  Though, next time, I may add a little Silk Light Vanilla Soy instead of water -- I think it'll sweeten it a bit more and add another layer of flavor and texture. And while that will add a Point or two, I figure the health benefits and all-day energy a well-rounded breakfast offers makes it worth it to me. Maybe some egg whites and for around 6 points, you have a filling, healthful breakfast.

I picked up another brand/flavor from BetterOats™ -- the Abundance variety in Apples and Cinnamon, which I'll probably have tomorrow morning. I'll report back!

I don't schill -- I truly liked this product, not just because it was free. If I didn't care for it, you'd hear about that, too.

I give this 4 donuts.

BAKED! TOSTITOS® SCOOPS!® with a little cheese wedge

I'm not a huge fan of salty snacks, but lately I have been craving something crunchy and different than your standard potato chip or dorrito fare.  We had a few friends over last week and I told my husband to pick up a few chips and dips for the occasion and much to my delight he brought home Baked Scoops. He also picked up some salsa to go with them, which I happen to hate (no tomatoes please!).  We had a jar of Salsa Con Queso Dip, which isn't bad, but I have issues with portion control; even if I scoop out two tablespoons (40 Calories, 2.5 grams of fat = 1 WW Point), chances are I'm gonna go back for more.  Afterall the jar is already open and just taunting me with it's cheesey goodness.

Instead of caving, I pulled out a Laughing Cow cheese wedge (35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat = 1 WW point and keeps my portion control in check) and decided to try it out with the baked scoops (15 scoops = 2 WW points).  I have to say it was damn good.  The baked scoops are light but pack a powerful crunch.  I found it hard to distinquish any real taste difference between these and the heftier original.  Add a schmear of cheese on top and you have quite a delicious and filling snack. 

This combo has now been my favorite snack choice for the last week and a half.  Anyone else find a great snack combo and then stick with it for awhile? 

I give this 5 donuts.

Color Me Bad: Lean Cuisine Breakfast Panini: Denver Style

I don't know how to begin this other than to say, I was wrong.  I really thought I would like this more than the Sausage, Egg and Cheese variety, I truly did.  But the only word I can find to describe the Lean Cuisine Denver-Style Breakfast Panini is... well, gross. 

I wanted to love it. In theory, a "Scrambled Egg Whites, Honey Ham, Peppers, Onions and Cheddar Cheese Sauce on Parmesan-flavored Multigrain Bread" sandwich sound right up my alley.  Savory, complex flavors, cheese... yum, right?  But in the areas where the Sausage, Egg and Cheese succeeded (even though it wasn't a huge hit with me, personally), the Denver Style was an epic fail.

First sign of failure? The diced red peppers. WHY, frozen meal manufacturers... WHY? Why do you insist on sticking red bell pepper in every light frozen meal out there?  Lean Cuisine does this a lot. I do know that red peppers are often added to impart "color and flavor" to food that might seem less than spectacular -- like a frozen dinner. I understand it, but then every meal ends up tasting like red bell peppers.  I am not a big fan and they seem to be in everything. I could probably go to Albertson's right now and at a glance determine that 80% of the frozen "light" meals include chopped up red bell pepper.  The red pepper flavor takes over, makes me belch and it tastes like ass.

I give this 1 donut.

Lean Cuisine Breakfast Panini: Sausage, Egg and Cheese

While I was at Albertson's yesterday, I spotted the new Lean Cuisine Breakfast Paninis.  I grabbed both the Denver Style and the Sausage, Egg and Cheese, the latter of which I tried this morning.

At 6 Points®, I liked that it looked to be a bit more than a Lean Pocket in quantity, but once opened, it's not by much, if at all. Both are 6 Points and both are around the same quantity of food, but it took a little more time to eat the panini, so I guess it wins in that aspect. In terms of taste... I think I'd probably stick with my Lean Pocket on this one.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad. It was actually quite decent. It took 2 minutes to cook, the cheese melted great, the bread crisped up just enough. Everything came out looking pretty much like the picture (though not nearly as toasty as the photo implies). The bread is a thick cinnamon bread with a sweet maple glaze inside and it does, unlike many breads, hold up to the microwave. The egg was tender when cooked (albeit a bit confusing -- it's chopped in cubes so if you don't know what you're looking for, it sort of looks like unmelted cheese cubes, not scrambled like the photo, so beware not to overcook), there are two kinds of cheese and the sausage was tasty enough.  I'm just not that big of a fan of the combo.

I like syrup touching my bacon. I don't mind syrup touching my eggs. I'll eat both together without issue. I don't even mind maple-flavored sausage, really,  but for some reason, the combo of it all in this sammy doesn't really do it for me.  Also, the bread sort of reminded me of french toast, which I think is the idea -- but I don't really like french toast that much, so that might explain what I didn't love this as much as I should have, in theory.

Let's put it this way: if you like McGriddles from McDonald's(at 13 Points®), you'll be over the moon about this thing.  I suspect the Denver-Style Panini might be more my speed.

I give this 3.5 donuts.

Weight Watchers Jalapeno Pepper Cheese Wedges

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't believe in a life without cheese.  I'm a big cheese fan. Big. Huge! Love me some cheese!  Ok, I'll calm down.

I've also been a big Laughing Cow fan for a long time, but lately had been getting bored with their only three flavors: herb, herb and plain (French Onion and Garlic & Herb taste the same to me).  While they're delicious and always a staple in my fridge, I really wanted something else.  When I found out about Laughing Cow's three new flavors, Blue Cheese, Mozzarella, Sundried Tomato and Basil and especially the Queso Fresco and Chipotle variety, I was so excited to try them, but can't find them at any of my local grocers, despite requesting they start carrying them.

While at Albertson's one day, I spied the Weight Watchers answer to Laughing Cow cheese wedges -- and they had flavors that my beloved Cow did not, like Parmesan Peppercorn and Jalapeno.  I grabbed the Jalapeno Pepper variety, threw it in my cart and now, well... here we are.

First off, the taste is really good.  I made a breakfast burrito this morning with egg whites, a La  Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious 100 Calorie Traditional tortilla and this spread on it.  Totally delicious. The texture was nice, not chalky or waxy; it melted fabulously and spread like a dream. All in all, very similar to Laughing Cow.

However, I was bummed to find out that for the same amount of Points®, I actually get less cheese in the Weight Watchers' wedge.  Laughing Cow's cheese wedge is a sturdy lil' .75 oz wedge while the WW variety is only .67oz.  And you only get 6 wedges in the WW round, as opposed to 8 wedges in the Laughing Cow container. So all in all, you get 2 more ounces of cheese with Laughing Cow -- that's almost 2 full wedges worth!  That's a lotta cheese when you're paying $3.99 (sometimes more!) for a container.

Would I buy it again? Yes, probably -- but only if it's on sale. I'd rather get plain light Creamy Swiss Laughing Cow and more of it than pay more for less product.  I think Weight Watchers needs to come down in price to compensate for the lesser quantity or pony up mo' cheese.

I give this 3.5 donuts.

Smart Ones Round Up: New Anytime Selections and Coupon

I'm always on the look-out for something that will give me the experience of eating something 'naughty' while still staying within a reasonable caloric or Points range.  While cruising the frozen dinners this week at the store, I found a couple new Anytime Selections by Smart Ones: Chicken Ranchero Mini Wraps and  Mini Cheeseburgers, each marked 4 Points each.

Yesterday, I was starving but not quite ready to start dinner yet, so I decided to crack open the Chicken Ranchero Wraps.  Now, for some reason, I thought they were fried, like a taquito or whatever, but in hindsight that wouldn't make too much sense. It's wrapped in a soft wheat flour tortilla and you get 2 decent-sized wraps per 4 Point serving.  Couple minutes in the microwave and I had a tasty little snack.  The chicken texture wasn't rubbery, the ranchero sauce is spicy, but not too much.  In fact, it tastes almost identical to the Smart Ones Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla, so if you like those, you'll like these.  But you get 2 of the wraps for the same 4 Points of one of the quesadillas.  More bang for the buck, if you ask me.

I do think that they make a fine snack, but if you threw in some fruit or a salad, it would make a perfectly filling lunch, too.

I'd buy these again, though probably on sale. I think I could make something similar at home with leftover chicken, salsa and a Smart & Delicious tortilla.

I give this 3 donuts.

LaTortilla Factory Smart and Delicious 100 Calorie Tortillas

I live in Southern California, so tortillas are the carby equivalent of Mother's Milk down here. When the low-carb craze hit, everyone started calling them "wraps", which let's face it -- it's just a glorified tortilla. Maybe it made Arizona feel more comfortable. But I digress. What was I saying? Oh, I love tortillas. 

On Weight Watchers, a large regular flour tortilla could set you back 4 to 7 Points a piece.  And I've found that many low-fat, low-carb, low-anything tortillas can taste gritty, waxy, gummy, have a funny smell or other unappetizing qualities.  Maybe that's how it's low fat... it gross, so you don't eat it.  Enter LaTortilla Factory. 

If you've been a Weight Watcher or just a health-conscious person in general, you've probably heard of our flattened friends before. Hungry Girl talks about them a lot and they've had very popular low carb tortillas out for a while now, though they seem to have rebranded all the healthy options under the newer "Smart & Delicious" umbrella.

I give this 4 donuts.

Subway Breakfast Sammiches or, How to Raise Your Blood Pressure

On my way home from the gym, I was famished, fantasizing about what I would have for breakfast. I have a full day today and while I wanted something involving egg whites, I didn't really feel like making an omelette. I decided to pop into Subway® right by my place and grab an egg white breakfast sandwich.

Officially, my order was the "Double Bacon, Egg and Cheese" on 9 Grain Wheat, but I had them de-double the bacon, only giving me two slices. I opted for the shredded monterey cheddar (about a tablespoon) and had them use the egg whites instead of the yolkified version.  Feeling all proud of my bacon restraint, I decided to have them add just a touch of light mayo. I say "a touch" because it ended up coming out to a real serving size (about a tablespoon). If you let them loose, they'll squirt that mayo for the next week. I had them add some onion, 3 slices of tomato and some spinach to get some vitamins with my bacon. A dash of salt n' pepper and I was out the door, feeling all proud of my healthy, well-rounded breakfast.

I give this 3 donuts.

Einstein Bros. New Bagel Thin Bagels

Thin bread seems to be all the rage lately.  We're always looking for a way to get the sandwich or bagel experience without investing in the bloat and calories involved in so much bread.  Orowheat/Arnold's, Pepperidge Farm, and Thomas' have all already gotten in on the act with their various sandwich and bagel thins appearing on supermarket shelves fairly regularly now.  Bagel Thins might still be hard to find, though... at least, in all the flavors (my local discount bread shop had tons, though, surprisingly... and for half off!).

This morning, after I had an appointment with the phlebotomist (it was a fasting blood draw, so no morning coffee or breakfast for me), I desperately needed coffee. I really stopped at Einstein Bros. for the vanilla hazelnut brew, but when I saw they offered bagel thins now, I couldn't resist.  I ordered a plain thin, toasted with hummus. I prefer sesame bagels with my hummus, but they didn't have any -- for now they only come in wheat and plain. 

In terms of taste, it was much better than the ones you get at the grocery store -- less of that preservative-y taste.  But you'll have that experience with any store bagel vs. fresh bakery bagel. It tasted like their other delicious bagels, just thinner... and crunchier.

In terms of calories or Points, the man behind the counter didn't know. He said he'd heard around 100 calories for the bagel thin, so I called Einstein Bros' corporate office this morning and they graciously gave me the run-down:

I give this 4 donuts.

Lean Pockets: Applewood Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Pockets

Breakfast is easily my favorite meal of the day. I love breakfast, I love going out for breakfast. But do I like cooking breakfast? Eh... not as much. At least, not when it's just myself. I just chug a couple cups of joe and forget about it entirely until it's 12:45 and my stomach wants to crawl up my throat and punch me in the face.

Sure, I could have cereal, but regardless of how healthy that cereal may be, I'm starving within a couple hours. Famished. I don't know why even the healthiest of cereals makes me crash in such a way, but I generally avoid cereal unless I can pair it with an egg or something.

When I lived in Texas and had an office job, I relied a lot on convenience foods as I got started on Weight Watchers. Portion controlled and grabbable, they worked for me. I try to do mostly "whole" foods and not frozen pre-packaged now, but let's not kid ourselves, sometimes you just need to heat something up and be done with it. Enter Lean Pockets.

During that office job, I often picked up the breakfast variety of Lean Pockets. They were 3 Points, very tasty (I liked the bacon one, but it came in sausage, too) and I could eat both in the box if I really wanted to. Why? Because they were WEE. It was like 3-4 bites and that thing was gone. It was like an hors d'oeuvres, not breakfast. After a while, I started making Egg Mugs or microwave poached eggs and gave them up, but I was at Albertson's the other day and saw they were NEW! and IMPROVED! Now with Applewood Smoked Bacon! !!! !!  And other explosive marketing ploys that totally worked.

I had one this morning and was pleasantly surprised to find them larger (like a regular Hot or Lean Pocket) with an excellently toasty crust. It exploded a little on one end, but my microwave is kind of intense. The innards were super chock-full of eggs, cheddar and real bacon, not those Bac-o's they used to have in there.  Seriously, it was delicious. And despite thinking, "Man, I could totally go for another one of these" about half-way through, I was full by the time it was gone. At least for now. I think maybe pairing it with an apple would be good for fiber and general filler-upper-ness. That is so not a word.

I'm glad there's another one in there for tomorrow. Will I make it a regular thing? Eh, I don't know, but I'll probably keep them on-hand for days when I just can't muster the mojo to scramble some egg whites.  At 6 Points, they're a little steep for those on the lower end of the Points spectrum when you could have 2 pieces of toast, egg whites and fruit for the same amount of points... even less. But if you're looking to grab on the go, I think this is a tasty choice. Well done, Lean Pockets.

I give this 4.5 donuts.

George Foreman Grill

Is it possible to be in love with an appliance? I think so.  When I started Weight Watchers back in February 2002, I ran to Target and bought myself a George Foreman Grill... the little ones with the bun warmer on top. I would hump it if I could. It is the best $30 I ever spent in my life. I don’t cook really.  I mean I can cook if I have to.  But it’s not a forte.  Sure I can put together a lasagna and read instructions, but as far as being creative or having desire to cook is just not in me. My husband and I have busy lives (as do the rest of the world) so this little grill made behaving so easy.

It cooks everything in minutes and when you are hungry, the thought of waiting around for more than 5 minutes to make dinner is not a helpful strategy when your trying to lose weight and be healthy.  With the George, I can grill up veggie burgers in less than 5 minutes… sometimes I am still prepping my bun when it’s ready and I have to rush.  You can grill a chicken breast in a few minutes to put on top of a salad, you can grill veggies, fat free hot dogs, fish, and I even make grilled fat free cheese sandwiches on it.

One of the habits I noticed that I needed to break was nibbling in the kitchen while I was waiting for dinner to be done.  The less time it takes to prepare a meal the less likely you are to nosh in the process. This little grill is my savior.  You can grill just about anything and fast. I have worn through 3 of them in the last almost 2 years.

I prefer the grill without the little bun warmer now only because I never used it and it flapped open and got in the way all the time and pissed me off, which was my only gripe.  I give George Forman grill 4 and a half donuts. It’s worth every single penny.

I give this 4.5 donuts.