Taste test: new foods

By Kathy Saunders, Times Correspondent
In Print: Wednesday, February 8, 2012

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Serving size	Three-fourths cup	Nine pieces	One cookie	One muffin
Calories	120	140	110	200
Fat/Fiber	3.5g / 3g	5g / 1g	4.5g / 0g	8g / 3g
Sugars/Sodium	11g / 100mg	0g / 320mg	8g / 65mg	15g / 200mg
Carbs/Protein	24g / 2g	21g / 4g	15g / 0g	30g / 3g

After starting the year resolving to eat fewer calories and more healthy foods, many of us are ready for a treat this month. We found some new "fun" foods on grocery store shelves that would liven up meals without wrecking all of the hard work of the past several weeks. Kellogg's has a new cereal. Oreo is mixing up its cookie selections. Duncan Hines is trying to help us bake better muffins. And, why search for a fresh baguette for snacks when Lazzaroni offers ready-to-top bruschette?

Kathy Saunders, Times correspondent

Product	Kellogg's Krave	Lazzaroni Bruschette	Triple Double Neapolitan Oreos	Duncan Hines Simple Mornings
Judges' comments	Even the self-proclaimed chocoholics on our panel were skeptical of this new offering from Kellogg's. However, the idea of puffy cereal bits filled with chocolate was harder to swallow than the cereal itself. "These are crunchy and not too sweet," said one judge. "They are much better than they look." Another said, "There must be a better way to get fiber and whole grain in your diet, but who cares, these are a lot of fun." A couple of panelists said the cereal reminded them of Cocoa Puffs. "These might be good for a really late night snack when you need something more than ice cream and you want a little chew after midnight," said a judge who thought the bits looked like Wheat Thins on steroids.	Judges liked these for the convenience, but they were split on the taste. We sampled olive oil-coated slices of the crispy breads. "These are lovely little kidney-shaped pillows with a nice, buttery taste," said one judge. "They have a great crunch and would be great with some 6-month-aged California white cheddar." Another panelist said the slices tasted too much like croutons, but would be easily improved with added toppings like garlic, vegetables and herbs.	It was clear after tasting these new Oreos that our panelists were first-generation Oreo lovers. No double-stuffed, inside-out or color-filled Oreos for them. Same goes for the new Triple Double Neapolitan variety. "The strawberry flavor is a little too fake," one judge said. "I am too much of a traditionalist," said another. "I want my midnight-colored Oreos with the white stuff in the middle."	These muffins were robust and flavorful. With just a little preparation, they baked into blooming buns of sweet-smelling goodness. "These are nice and soft with a great crumb," said one judge. "They have a good amount of blueberries as well." Another liked the streusel topping "and the fresh tasting berries." A couple said they would be even better filled with butter or honey.
Would they buy?	Two of the four judges said yes.	Two of the four judges said yes.	None of the four judges said yes.	Three of the four judges said yes.
Shopping information	$2.50 for an 11.4-ounce box from Walmart.	$3.49 for a 5.3-ounce bag from Sweetbay.	$2.98 for a 13.1-ounce bag from Walmart.	$2.99 for a 10.5-ounce box from Publix.

Panelists: John Hehn, foodie and owner of All Brite Lighting & Power Design Inc.; Julie Overton, consumer and mother of four; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620; and Laura Reiley, Times food critic.

Send suggestions for product testing to: Taste section, Tampa Bay Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to jkeeler@tampabay.com. Please put TEST SUGGESTION in the subject line. To read past Taster's Choice columns, go to food.tampabay.com.

[Last modified: Feb 07, 2012 03:30 AM]