Trading Up Downtown

Instead of snacking on tortilla chips (Tostitos 100% White Corn Restaurant Style score just a 23 on the NuVal scale), I make my own homemade pita chips in the toaster oven.

Just cut a whole-wheat pita, like Middle East Bakery Pita Bread, Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Flour (NuVal score: 65),  into small triangles, spray them with no-calorie cooking spray, sprinkle with a little salt, and toast for about two minutes. They taste just as good as regular tortilla chips, but they are much more nutritious for you. You can even add garlic salt, cinnamon, or paprika to jazz them up.

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! I loved reading everyone’s comments! I got quite a few yummy ideas for breakfast.

Here’s your winner: 109

My favotire breakfast is either oats in an almost empty nut butter jar OR pupmkin/nut butter bfast cookie. Both easy, filling, and delicious! Before I started reading blogs (~1 year ago) I never ate oats. Now they are a staple in my diet. Thanks bloggers!

Congrats, Emily! Please email me at thaupert@nuval.com to claim your prize!

Hello, Trading Up Downtown readers! I have been following Tina’s blogs for a long time now and I am so excited for this opportunity to guest post and talk about my first experience with NuVal. Thank you, Tina!

Over the weekend, I went to my local Meijer store here in Louisville, KY. I knew the NuVal scores were there, but I did not notice the numbers just walking down the aisles. However, since I compare costs, when I came closer to the labels, there they were!

The first item I noticed the score on was the Planter’s Cashew Halves. I assumed all nuts were pretty healthy, so I was sort of shocked to see these received a NuVal score of 9 (score is in bottom right corner).

Luckily, right next to these were the Mixed Nuts, which are my favorite anyway, and they score a 49 on the NuVal scale — much better!

Luckily, they were also on sale even though the sale tag wasn’t there.

I do the grocery shopping for my husband and I alone because he can’t be trusted to make the healthiest choices for himself (his words, not mine). However, a few items I wouldn’t consider very healthy still manage to slip through the cracks and make their way into our home.

One of those is instant mashed potatoes. Luckily, my husband prefers the plain, regular ones as opposed to buttery, garlic or other flavors.

When I spotted the Idahoan Original Mashed Potatoes, I totally expected a low score. I was so wrong!

The instant mashed potatoes that my husband so dearly loves scores a 90 on the NuVal scale. I’m still sort of in shock. But now I can feel good about “letting” him eat them. I’m sure he’s happy too that I won’t be giving him any more grief about them!

Lastly, I got to “trade up” an item my husband requests every week — orange juice.

The Meijer brand was on sale and I went for the kind fortified with calcium because that’s better, right?

Apparently, not so much. The Meijer brand OJ with calcium scores a 28, which isn’t necessarily bad but there was something better.

The Meijer brand regular orange juice scored a 42. I figured I’d help my husband out a bit and choose the higher scoring item. I’m a big believer in “every little bit counts.”

I can’t believe that in one shopping trip I learned so much. I made one trade up for myself choosing mixed nuts over cashews, had my preconceived notion that instant potatoes were unhealthy proven wrong, and traded up my husband’s go-to breakfast beverage. I consider that a success!

This was a short shopping trip this week, but I can’t wait to go back to Meijer and check out even more NuVal scores. They do not have them yet for every item, but this is definitely a good start.

http://seesaraheat.wordpress.com

Wowzers! Big grocery shopping this week!

My husband and I moved into a new apartment last week, so with our Eat It, Don’t Move It project, we were basically out of everything. Maybe these groceries will last us more than a week? I sure hope so!

Shop

In this week’s cart:

• Van’s Organic Flax Waffles (NuVal score: 34)
• Eggland’s Best Eggs (NuVal score: 33)
• Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins (NuVal score: 37)
• Whole Wheat Ziti
• Grape tomatoes (NuVal score: 96)
• Red onion (NuVal score: 93)
• Cucumber (NuVal score: 93)
• Vanilla soy milk
• Bananas (NuVal score: 91)
• Mushrooms (NuVal score: 96)
• Spinach (NuVal score: 100)
• Celery (NuVal score: 96)
• Chunky Teddie Peanut Butter (NuVal score: 38)
• Chick Peas
• Navy Beans
• Onion (NuVal score: 93)
• Carrots (NuVal score: 99)
• Ground Beef (NuVal score: 30)

• Chobani Greek Yogurt Pineapple
• Chobani Greek Yogurt Vanilla (NuVal score: 73)
• Chobani Greek Yogurt Blueberry (NuVal score: 63)
• Chobani Greek Yogurt Plain (NuVal score: 94)
• Brie Cheese (NuVal score: 23)
• Frozen Blueberries
• Reese Peanut Butter Cups (NuVal score: 5)
• Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers (NuVal score: 51)
• Near East Couscous Original Plain (NuVal score: 53)
• Quorn Chik’n Tenders
• Frozen Butternut Squash
• Entenmann’s Plain Donuts (NuVal score: 10)
• Kale (NuVal score: 99)
• Nature’s Pride Double Fiber 100% Whole Wheat Bread (NuVal score: 31)
• Red Bell Pepper (NuVal score: 96)
• Pacific Foods Almond Milk Original

Trade

Arnold 7 Grain Bread (NuVal score: 26) for Nature’s Pride Double Fiber 100% Whole Wheat Bread (NuVal score: 31)

Amy’s California Veggie Burgers (NuVal score: 44) for Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers (NuVal score: 51)

Save

Even though my husband and I spent a lot of money at the grocery store this week, we were able to stock up on some of our favorite products that were on sale this week:

• Chunky Teddie Peanut Butter (NuVal score: 38)
• Chick Peas
• Navy Beans
• Near East Couscous Original Plain (NuVal score: 53)
• Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins (NuVal score: 37)