occasional granola review: Nature Valley granola -- oats 'n honey

I used to eat Nature Valley granola bars all the time in college; in fact, it was one of my four food groups--granola bars, Lunchables, Pop Tarts, and Hot Pockets. Little did I know that the College Student Diet was going to screw with my gums. You know those long slivers of oat that you sometimes find in granola bars? I had one of those get stuck deep in my gums one too many times, which made them (already sensitive no thanks to yours truly) puffy and red, and I decided, that's it, no more Nature Valley.

So I've gone *coughcough* years since trying any new Nature Valley products but the granola finally piqued my curiosity. Also the coupon helped. I went with the basic Oats 'n Honey so the flavor wouldn't mask any shortcomings. And, actually, there aren't any. The texture is nothing like the granola bars. It has a nice toasted crunch which also rounds out the honey's sweetness. It's not so flimsy that it immediately gets soggy or full of hard chunks that take forever to break down. I really think I like it, and I'll be sure to try the new Cranberry Almond flavor.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

fun on a bun...

Technically, the bun is optional but I just have to recommend these Spice-Rubbed Chicken Breasts.  I thought it sounded like a different kind of chicken sandwich for me and I'd never made a rub before. I have plenty of recipes but none which triggered an immediate response of, "I must try this." Also, I'd never purchased cumin before. It smells like the primary ingredient in a packet of taco seasoning, so you can see why it would need to be balanced out with brown sugar. Actually, all of the spices work well together, even the little tang of thyme. I think I'll be trying it on salmon next.
Read more

whatever mama wants, mama gets

And mama wanted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. She didn't say together in one dish but I figured someone must have put those two together. I went with these Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes  even though we had pancakes for breakfast. We won't be having maple syrup again anytime soon. A quick note on this recipe: my oven is super super hot so I roasted at 425 degrees. Even then I almost obliterated those sprouts. Always fix more sprouts than you think you need. As for the pancakes? I'm slowly working my way through the Whole-Grain Buttermilk Pancakes  variations from Eating Well. This time I made blueberry and set aside some berry-less batter for my mom. She went back for seconds and actually ate one with blueberries. And then I set aside some time yesterday for the cake. I should've really cleared my day but it couldn't work out that way. But I'll get to that in my next entry.
Read more