A TLC review of TLC!

A Favorite Snack

Addendum to this original post:  Thank you to Kashi for sending the coupons for free snacks!  It is easy and enjoyable for me to review such delicious yet nutritious snacks.

How would you feel if you walked into a grocery store and saw your initials plastered all over products on the shelves?  If you’re like me, you’d be a little excited, a lot curious, and extremely likely to purchase them.  One day not too long ago, I was looking for crackers to serve at a party.  I planned on purchasing another leading brand but then I spotted it – a box of crackers with my initials, TLC!!  (I’m talking about my birth initials, peeps, not my blog initials. )

I snatched the box, read the nutrition information on the side, and was pleasantly surprised to find the crispy critters are low in fat, high in fiber, and full of nutritional ingredients such as brown rice, oats, buckwheat, and sesame seeds.  Honestly, I would have bought the crackers just to have the box with my initials; but, I ended up purchasing much more than a keepsake box.  I made my first of many purchases of the doesn’t-taste-as-healthful-as-they-are crackers.  These TLC crackers come in a variety of yummy flavors such as Country Cheddar, Toasted Asiago, Honey Sesame, and (my favorite) Fire Roasted Vegetable!  The crunchy crackers with the leaf imprint leave you satisfied and energized.  Check this out – no trans fat.  Being the kind of person who likes to make the extraordinary out of ordinary activities, I had my daughter try the TLC crackers and Wheat Thins while blindfolded.  I asked her to choose which one she preferred:  she chose the TLCs!!  This, coming from a girl who usually turns her nose up at my attempt to substitute eat clean products for old favorites, attests to the taste of these little gems.  I enjoy them with my Hummus to Hum About, with cheese, or even naked with nothing on them at all!  They are that good.  I LOVE finding snacks like this when I’m hosting parties . . . snacks that will keep my guests satisfied while not veering off of my own eat clean diet.  Win win!!

The TLC products are made by Kashi, the very healthful food company.  Prior to discovering the crackers, I was already and still am a big fan of the Kashi cereals.  Since finding the crackers, I’ve been on the lookout for other great products by Kashi.  The TLC products consist of the company’s line of snacks and bars, the TLC standing for Tasty Little Crackers (how adorable!), Tasty Little Chewies, Tasty Little Cookies, and Tasty Little Crunchies.  Since faithfully purchasing the crackers, I made another recent TLC find just this past month:  the TLC Honey Almond Flax All Natural Chewy Granola Bars (pictured above) a.k.a. Tasty Little Chewie.  This is big news because I am VERY picky about my snack bars . . . so picky that I don’t purchase them that often.  I am turned off by all the unnatural additives, unnecessary fat, or high caloric content.  These, in fact, are free of any refined sugars and artificial ingredients.  They are packed with seven types of grain including whole wheat, rye, barley, oats, brown rice, seasame seeds, and buckwheat.  They live up to their name . . . they are chewy and just sweet enough to satisfy taste buds.  I now keep one stashed in my purse for those times when I’m in-between working out and chores, knowing I won’t be home for a while to eat a meal.  With seven grams of protein per serving, they serve as a quality post-workout snack to maintain lean muscle.  Finally, with each bar adding up to only 140 calories, eating one of these leaves me satisfied without the guilt.  Kashi makes it possible to eat clean on the go.

GG gives both the Kashi TLC crackers and the Kashi TLC Honey Almond Flax bars an A for healthful nutritional content accompanied by tantalizing taste.  I recommend trying these products along with Kashi’s other offerings including their very healthful cereals, cookies, and frozen entrees.  Thank you, Kashi, for spreading a little TLC.  The world is that much more healthy when we have healthful foods such as yours to choose from.

GG’s side note:  When I was preparing to write this blog and visited the Kashi website, I couldn’t help but notice what a people-oriented company Kashi seems to be.  Between the daily challenges to the recipes to the wellness hub, Kashi certainly is dedicated to making our world a more healthful place.  We need more companies like this!  See for yourself:  www.kashi.com

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News Flash – No One Can Eat Healthy!

A couple of months ago, my brother brought up the question as to the difference between healthy and healthful.  I was on vacation visiting at the time and put it in the back of my mind to think about later.  Writing my most recent post about my favorite snack made me recall that question.  I’m always up for a healthful debate, so here goes:

Healthful vs. Healthy

According to the Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, the word healthful means “beneficial to health of body or mind” or contributing to good health.  Healthy means “enjoying the state of good health” or being free of disease.

If we go by these definitions, it makes sense that things are healthful and people are healthy.  Right?  That would mean that all those eat clean diets out there are not healthy.  That would also mean that we can’t eat healthy.  Before you go digging into that ice cream, know this.  We can eat healthful diets.  And, yes, we can engage in healthful eating.  We will be more healthy because of it.   As with many words in our English language, there’s a tricky little inconsistency to keep in mind:  if we are describing food as free of disease, we can refer to it as healthy.  Otherwise, food that is conducive to health is healthful food.

Some have written off the use of the word healthful as trendy; they say just use healthy instead.  Why bother with this?  I say why not use our words correctly?

GG’s examples to help you remember the difference:

I ate a healthy breakfast. (wrongo)

I ate a healthful breakfast.  (correctomundo)

I look healthy today after eating breakfast.  (okey dokey)

I can eat healthy fruits to keep me free from illness. (right on)

Those healthful protein bars look good to me.  (yes sirree)

Confused yet? If so, you’re in good company. I’ve seen these two words used interchangeably all the time. In GG’s opinion, though, it is unhealthful to mix the two.

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