I received a box of Kellogg’s Special K blueberry cereal for review, and I’m so glad I did.

This Special K cereal contains blueberry, rice and wheat flakes with oat and blueberry clusters. When I first opened the box, a rush of blueberry smell came at me. I was concerned that the cereal would taste artificial and just too blueberry.

But that wasn’t the case, or taste! Special K blueberry cereal had just the right smack of blueberry flavor for me and it didn’t taste artificial. But what amazed me the most was the crunch that just kept going. I didn’t have to worry about any soggy flakes. I’m a slow eater, so that’s important.

What’s inside?

One serving is 3/4 cup with fat free milk. (I use rice milk instead.) With that, you get 0 fat and 0 cholesterol. You’ll also receive 45% of your daily iron and 35% of vitamin C. You can view the rest of the nutrition info here.

You can also make this cereal part of your diet if you choose to participate in the Special K Challenge to lose up to 6 pounds in 2 weeks.

Is it perfect?

Why no. It contains some artificial flavors and preservatives. Obviously, it’s not organic, but the box is made of 100% recycled paperboard. I’d like to see Kellogg’s come out with an organic line of cereal.

Worth a try?

Yes. Take a minute to compare it to your current cereal. You may find that Special K has more vitamins and less fat.

Have you tried the new blueberry Special K cereal?

(Image via Kellogg’s)

Post from: Blisstree

Review: Special K Blueberry Cereal

…75 percent of women surveyed do not bring a healthy snack while shopping
…60 percent of women do not stick to their holiday eating goals
…4 in 10 women admit to cheating on holiday eating goals
…34 percent of women are more likely to overeat while making holiday foods in the kitchen

What’s a girl to do? Well, apparently bring snacks to the mall, stick with your goals, and stop cooking. Nos. 1 and 3 sound pretty easy, but not sure about that second one! Here are some tips from Special K, adapted by moi to remove some of the more promotional aspects:

1. Eat meals and snacks regularly. A diet high in protein and fiber throughout the day will help take the edge off hunger between meals.
2. When you go shopping, take along a high-protein snack bar or other healthy goodie. I like Clif Bars and Clementine oranges. Clif Bars are tasty and contain lots of protein and fiber, and oranges are loaded with fiber and potassium. That’s enough to hold me over when I’m waiting in an impossibly long line!
3. Eat a sensible salad before attending a holiday party so you will be less likely to overindulge while at the party. In other words, make sure you’re already filled up with something healthy so you don’t feel hungry when surrounded by unhealthy foods.
4. Choose a smart indulgent snack before baking. My favorite is a protein smoothie made with frozen berries, OJ, vanilla yogurt, and a scoop of Better than Milk soy shake powder. It is so sweet and good, and totally good for you. If you MUST have some chocolate, get a SMALL DISH and pour some chips into it. Eat only one at a time as you bake — when the dish is empty, so is your snacking.
5. Some people use the “I break off small pieces of cookies because they have fewer calories” excuse. But having bits and pieces of 12 cookies can add up quickly. Indulge by having a cookie but remember to keep everything in moderation.

For more tips on maintaining your weight — and your reputation — during the holidays, read my articles and “Avoiding Corporate Spread: At-Work Workout Tips” and “Navigating the Winter Wonderland” at EzineArticles.com.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

5 Tips for Staying on the Diet Defensive This Holiday Season

When I heard that Special K was putting out new protein products, I was pretty psyched. When I got an offer for free samples of the protein water, I was even more psyched. The name is clever, the packaging attractive, the colors appealing, and it’s WATER with PROTEIN in it. How could it get better?

Then I tasted it. Eww. It was so nasty, I nearly spit it out. That was the Lemon Twist. Then, I waited a week (to recover) and tried the marginally less disgusting Tropical Blend (pictured), which was, well, marginally less disgusting, but still gross. I didn’t receive any of the Strawberry Kiwi, but I doubt I would have had the stomach to try it after tasting the first two flavors. Yeech.

So why exactly are these products so unpleasant? My guess is that it has something to do with the ingredients and nutrition content. A 16-oz serving offers 5 grams of protein, along with 8 grams of sugar. Uh, did I miss something? Isn’t this a diet product? Isn’t it water? What’s with all the sugar? And both sugar (sucrose) and sucralose (Splenda)? And am I the only one concerned that this “water” needs to be refrigerated after opening?

Let’s do a quick comparison:

Special K20 Protein Water – 1 serving (based on nutrition facts from Tropical Blend flavor)

50 calories
5 grams of protein
8 grams of sugar
30 mg of sodium
0 grams of calcium
10+ ingredients

Regular water – 1 serving (based on nutrition facts from a bottle of Ice Mountain Spring Water)

0 calories
0 grams of protein
0 grams of sugar
0 grams of sodium
1 ingredient (water, duh)

Skim milk – 1 serving (based on nutrition facts from Horizon Organic Fat Free Milk)

90 calories
9 grams of protein
12 grams of sugar
130 mg of sodium
3 ingredients (milk, vitamin A, vitamin D)

I don’t know about you, but I’m sticking with water and milk. Forget this artificial stuff.

Granted, Special K cereal has a lot more nutritional value than its protein water appears to at first glance, so don’t discount the brand based on this review. But if I were you, I’d look very, very carefully at the labels of any product that claims to be a great diet food. You may be doing more harm than good if you don’t make smart nutritional decisions.

UPDATE:
I received excellent follow-up from the Special K PR person who had provided my Special K20 samples, and here’s what he had to say (posted with permission):

We definitely respect and appreciate your honesty in the review. Special K2O Protein waters are designed to assist women in weight management by providing additional protein in the diet and typically appeals to people who enjoy flavored & fortified waters over plain water and milk.

Well, I’m clearly not their target audience because I prefer the natural stuff, but I appreciated that information a lot, and I let them know.

For more information on the other Special K diet products, visit their website.

Agree with my assessment? Think I’m way off? Let me know! Leave a comment.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Product Review: Special K20 Protein Water