LC Product Reviews, continued

Finishing up my reviews from yesterday before I got sleepy:

Tumaros Low Carb Wraps: I began replacing bread for wraps as a result of my low carb diet, but years later, even when I'm not seriously committed to my diet, I still reach for a wrap before bread. But some of the wraps out there are just as bad as white bread, and even worse! If you're eating in a restaurant, you may not have any idea of what type of wraps they are using so you can't automatically assume that just because you ordered a wrap with turkey and lettuce that you've done a great thing. And a lot of the LC wraps are just gross, period, so if I'm going to enjoy my meal, I'll just up the fiber and carbs a bit and go for these Tumaros Low Carb Wraps in Sun Dried Tomato & Basil or Spinach. The Multigrain one is just a bit too grainy for me, but these two have a great flavor and texture and they hold up well under my toppings. I've had some wraps where, once the fillings are gone, I leave shreds of the wrap on my plate, but these, I will still nibble on the edges because they're actually GOOD. They also have a Green Onion, Pesto & Roasted Garlic, Salsa, Chipotle Chili & Peppers, and Jalapeno & Cilantro!!! Just typing that has my mouth watering. But my local store, at least the only one I go to, never has all of the flavors so I haven't been able to try them. I might have to order them online. There's a different brand of LC wraps at Sam's Club that's really low in carbs, but they're really moist and sweaty, yuck. And they taste dough-y. If you're not going to enjoy what you're eating, what's the point?


Taco Shells: It's hard to replace the good old taco with any substitutes, so you really have to come correctly if you want me to give up my Old El Paso shells. Tippy Rosa's were about as close as I have gotten in years, and I've tried a lot on recommendation - but that company had the nerve to close up shop and go out of business last year!! That's surprising since they were widely hailed as one of, if not THE best LC taco shells around. Still waiting to hear the truth behind that fiasco. So anyway, I had to find an alternative, and Rosie's Gold were filling that spot - then THEY went out of business too! I had heard that a lot of the LC products were being discontinued and its really disappointing that there aren't enough competitors stepping up to the plate. For now, I'm just using tortilla wraps and having soft tacos until I find something better.


Hard Cooked eggs: Eggs, the staple of the LC diet! And even though boiling them isn't really a big problem, I'm a sucker for convenience. If they make something that eliminates any portion of my work, I want it - in fact, I want TWO of it in case one breaks! So I dove for the small bag of pre-boiled AND preshelled eggs in the dairy section at the market. There were actually three brands, one was Bakersfield(?), Amish Farms and another one, so I guess it doesn't matter which one you get, after all, its an egg, you can't mess it up! It's one thing to sell me hardboiled eggs - but they peeled them too??? A product after my own heart, lol. I love that I can just grab two of these on my way out the door, and also with them already being peeled, you don't have that odor at your desk that emits from cracking the shell of a hard boiled egg, you can now eat in peace. I mean, sure, you could save the money and just boil your own and peel them before you leave home, but what fun is that? The price is comparable - they come in half dozen sizes for less than $2, I could probably spend that on two dozen regular eggs and get more Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi but it all balances out in the end. Since its a fairly new product, watch out for coupons and sale prices as they begin to push the market. I'm not recommending any particular brand since its nothing "new" but just look for them the next time you go shopping if you like the idea of buying them in this style.




Veggie chips: With people trying to avoid the dreaded potato chip, they're turning to what looks like a good alternative, the veggie chip. Hey, its a veggie, how can I go wrong? Blech. Okay, you're eating veggies, but read the label, they're greasy, high in sodium, and dont really taste all that great! You can psych yourself up to believe that they're every bit as tasty as a Lays, but its all in your mind. I was enthusiastic about these so I tried 4 different ones over the last few months, and only one of them made me want more - Roberts American Gourmet Original Veggie Chips. Given, there's slightly more than six brands on the market, but after I found one I could live with, I was happy. They could use a little more salt, but what I actually tried was dumping them all in a bowl and sprinkling seasoning salt on them. That was good. If I had a dehydrator, I'd just make my own and salt them just right, then they'd be fresh and delicious. But doesn't the whole dehydration process take like 725 hours, even with the machine? Anyway, too much time, too much work. Since they've removed the trans-fat from Lay's, they no longer call my name when I walk past them, so there's no danger of me seeking comfort from them!

low carb diet