Review: KalorieBox Healthy Snack Delivery

February 13, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

kalorieboxWho doesn’t love to get goodies in the mail? I know I do!

I was approached by Kaloriebox to see if I was interested in receiving a box to review for my blog. I love food and trying new things, so it was a no-brainer for me.

The box I received included the following:

Kaloriebox is a pretty cool concept. Quoting their website:

KalorieBox is simple: choose a plan, get your KalorieBox in the mail every month, and discover low calorie, healthy alternatives to the foods you already love.

You’ll start by choosing the plan that works best for you. We have three options you can pick from: monthly, 3-month, and 6-month. You can cancel any time, and we have a money back guarantee.

After you’ve signed up and chosen a plan, you’ll receive your KalorieBox in the mail every month. Each box is shipped on the 15th and will contain five or more low calorie, healthy items. Oh yeah, did we mention shipping is free?

kaloriebox review

On to the review:

Zevia: I’ve tried a few “natural” sodas before, and they’re not very tasty. I’ve seen Zevia at the store before, and I’ve passed it over because I’ve had a hard time finding anything sweetened with Stevia that I actually like. I was pleasantly surprised with the lime Zevia…it’s like a Sprite but more refreshing. And less carbonated, so it’s better for my grouchy pouch.

Cheese Thinnables: Protien and fiber packed crackers have been hit or miss in my experience, so I was least excited to try the Thinnables of anything in the box. They look exactly like Cheez-Its…but taste about half as good. I wasn’t impressed, and after three crackers I set the box aside. I’ll hand them off to my husband for his next mindless late-night snacking spree.

Mango Peeled Snacks: I used to eat a lot of dried fruit before surgery, but not it’s on the no-no list because it’s so high in sugar and can cause dumping. But Dried mango is my favorite, so I was happy that  “Much Ado About Mango” was the fruit snack in the delivery. Peeled Snacks are USDA certified organic with no preservatives. The texture of the mango was kinda tough, so I had to chew it a lot, but it tasted pretty good.

FiberOne Cookie: For a long time I ate FiberOne bars daily because they were a low-point choice on Weight Watchers. But eventually, I started getting all sorts of GI issues from the bars, so I stopped eating them (even though they tasted SO good). The FiberOne cookie is yummy, and tastes a bit more like cookie dough than  an actual cookie. I only nibbled a bit on it because I didn’t want to risk the GI problems from the chicory root extract.

Pacific Almond Vanilla Milk: The almond milk was by far my favorite thing in the box. I have really been digging almond milk, and I like that Pacific sells it in a ready-to-drink pouch. I’m going make today’s protein smoothie with it.

Pirate’s Booty White Cheddar Puffs: Pirate’s Booty has been my “snack crack” for years. I LOVE eating these puffs, but I have so little control over myself with an open bag that I only will buy snack-size bags now. The booty wasn’t listed on the packing list, so it was a nice surprise to have in my shipment.

I’m on the fence about whether or not Kaloriebox would be a good thing to give my endorsement to for bariatric patients. It’s great for people who are trying to make better snack choices and lose weight, but the stuff in the box isn’t necessarily the best for a bariatric diet. I would prefer that more items were higher in protein (like samples of protein powder or jerky/meat snacks). My only complaint about the actual delivery was that the box was filled with scrunchie little red paper things, and they got all over my room. But as for the concept – I love it. I love to try new things, especially if they’re healthy. It was a nice assortment of snacks to try.

FTC Disclosure: I received this box complimentary from Kaloriebox for the express purpose of reviewing the box on my blog. No additional compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.

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I’ve Become A Picky Eater

July 1, 2012 by · 5 Comments

One of the reasons I have been obese most of my life is because, well, I love food. Who doesn’t? I’ve always had a pretty exotic palate and have loved trying new things. Before surgery, even when I didn’t like something, I’d usually eat it. Now…I (inconspicuously) spit things out.

I still like to eat, but it’s not as satisfying as it was. When I was in North Carolina last week for Type A Parent Conference, I realized how picky I was compared to other people.

Take these enchiladas – I ordered them because shredded beef in sauce is usually pretty tolerated in my pouch. But I didn’t eat the pico de gallo on top (can’t eat uncooked onions, tomatoes weren’t ripe enough), ate the guacamole, fished some beef out of the enchiladas, but left the tortillas. I poked around my plate a lot. I maybe ate 20% of the food I was served, and didn’t bring any leftovers with me, for two reasons 1) No fridge in my hotel, 2) Leftovers almost always make me sick (especially leftover meat.)

Some restaurants are easier to order at than others. I went to Cheesecake Factory about a month ago, and only found 2 items in their expansive 26-page menu that I could tolerate. And again, I picked around my plate and barely made a dent in the gigantic portion. My go-to restaurant items are soup or maybe a side of meat. I watch other people eat with mixed feelings – some jealousy that they can eat things I can’t eat anymore, but it reminds me of the portions I used to consume. I also get a lot of apologies  – “Sorry I’m eating something you can’t eat” or “Will this make you sad if I eat this in front of you?”

Eating at home is hard too. I feel like I have to put so much thought into my food choices, and can’t just make decisions on the spot. My husband and I often have this conversation in the morning when he wants to get me something for breakfast.

  • Do you want me to make you a smoothie?
  • No.
  • How about some yogurt?
  • Meh, no.
  • Do you want eggs?
  • Ugh no. I’m not in the mood to vomit.
  • Geez, you’ve gotten so hard to make breakfast for.

We also are now sharing a fridge with my family (since we moved into my parents basement) and there’s not as much space for our food selections. Or things get accidentally eaten. Also, instead of being 3 blocks from the grocery store, we’re about 5 miles. It sometimes feels easier to just not eat than go shopping.

My meals are supposed to be be 70% protein, 30% vegetables. But I don’t always get the ratio right every meal. My lunch the other day was a few slices of Mocetta beef, a couple of pistachios, a couple of carrot chips, and some watermelon.  It’s been so nice to add some fresh veggies and fruit back into my diet, but they don’t always stay down. I’ve been craving salads, but my attempts at fresh romaine lettuce and baby spinach have been quite uncomfortable.

Despite the small portions, my weight loss hasn’t been exceptionally impressive. I spent a few weeks hovering between 298 and 301, and I was getting frustrated. Yesterday I was at 295, and I hope to leave the 290s behind very soon. Still, it’s hard to be upset about losing 78 pounds in less than 5 months.

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The Last Supper(s)

January 29, 2012 by · 6 Comments

When my surgery was scheduled this week, it was only two days after I found out that my insurance approved my surgery. In addition to the actual surgery, I had to schedule an ultrasound of my gall bladder and an upper GI endoscopy. Once the scheduling was done, I was told it’s time to enjoy the food that I love, because my pre-surgery “crash diet” was about to begin.

This mean I only had 4 days to fit in meals of my most favorite foods. That’s not a lot of time for a foodie like me.

beyond glaze doughnuts

Now, I’ve already been tapering down the volume of food I consume since after the holidays, and since I stopped drinking soda, I’m able to eat MUCH less than I used to. This is a good and a bad thing – it’s easier to transition into my pre-surgery diet, but it makes “deathbed bingeing” very difficult. Here’s a rundown of everything I ate in the last 5 days:

 

  • Beyond Glaze doughnuts (I cut them up and shared them with coworkers)
  • Great Harvest oatmeal chocolate chip cookie
  • California burrito from Beto’s
  • Pork barbacoa salad from Cafe Rio
  • Steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and 3 rolls from Texas Roadhouse
  • Blue Coconut cream slush from Sonic
  • Dulce de Leche shake from Del Taco
  • Green curry pot pie and mango sticky rice from Chabaar
  • Ben and Jerry’s Red Velvet Cake ice cream
  • Monte Cristo sandwich
  • A platter of BBQ rib tips and chopped pork with all the trimmings

I also attended two fun get-togethers with friends, which centered around food. Friday night, I got together with Jen, Rosie, and Davey at Gourmandise so I could have my last gourmet pastry – the Peach. I also had bites of English bread pudding, chocolate muffin, and sips of Rosie’s Belgian hot chocolate.

Saturday I went to the #BeehiveBuzz tweetup at the Beehive Cheese Factory in Uintah. We toured the factory, sampled their unique artisan cheeses, mingled with my local Twitter friends, and had a potluck. The hardest thing for me was to not drink the soda! There was a cooler full of gourmet sodas, and the vanilla cream and orange cream sodas were screaming my name. Luckily, I did not cave to temptation, and have made it 9 days soda-free.

And how do I feel now? SICK! I haven’t eaten this much rich food in a short amount of time before. I feel sluggish, my belly aches, and I actually look forward to beginning my pre-surgery diet in the morning. This will consist of 1000 calories a day, with 2 protein shakes a day and one a “sensible” lean protein meal. I’m also meeting with Dr. Smith in the morning for a follow up appointment, since it’s been almost a year since my initial surgical consultation.

If you were about to undertake a completely new way of eating, what would be your last supper? Or suppers?

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Current Favorite Fast Food Item

February 22, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Chick-fil-a’s Grilled Chicken and Fruit Salad with Fat-Free Honey Mustard Dressing
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Healthier Choices

February 4, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

These foods have become some of my favorite healthy foods. I’ve been swapping my diet with better choices. Unfortunately, my weight STILL continues to rise. I finally found my scale, and I was up to 301.5. I exceeded the “NEVER” threshold. I am so disappointed.

The more research and soul searching I do, the more I’m feeling like Lap Band is the best option for my long-term health. I had my sleep study this week, and I fear the results will be the worst yet. I’ve also been having worrisome numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, which extends through my arms and legs. I don’t know if this is related to my weight, but it’s uncomfortable and unpredictable.

I still am not in a routine with my exercise. I have so little momentum on the elliptical. I’ve been trying to walk more and take the stairs. Gotta keep it up…

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Pre-Holiday Update

December 24, 2008 by · Leave a Comment


My body still feels out of whack. I felt like I bounced back a little on Monday in time to fly out to California. Grant and Hollie had a holiday party just before I left, and I was so proud of myself. I had half of a turkey-cheese sandwich, a few olives, three bites of jello, and some deviled eggs. And small cups of soy Nog and pomegranate 7-Up. The food didn’t even take up half of the plate. I didn’t touch the chips n’ dip, creamy soup, cheeseball, pumpkin yule log, sugar cookies, candy, pie, or other desserts.

In California on Tuesday, I went out to lunch with my old coworkers at Montclair and Chino hospitals. We ate at Rockin’ Baja Cantina, and it was the most food I’d eaten since I started getting sick. I had some chips with guacamole and salsa, surf-n-turf tacos, and all of us split a fried ice cream dessert. The surf-n-turf tacos had lean carne asada and juicy shrimp…delicious! It felt good to eat enough to actually feel full, but not totally overstuffed.

In the evening, we had the Bullock/Bluhm Christmas party. There was pizza and fried chicken for dinner, but I didn’t really like how either tasted. The frosted sugar cookies, on the other hand, called my name all evening. As the party progressed, I started getting some intense lower back pain. I’d had unusual back pain all day, but it hit me like a brick wall at the party. I started developing a little bit of a fever and general malaise, but it was so close to 9:00 pm that my favorite Urgent Care in Chino Hills was closed. It felt a lot like the pain associated with a kidney infection, and I didn’t want to mess around with an infection like that (espeically not knowing if I had C. Diff conclusively yet) I checked my ER copay ($25) and decided to go back over to Montclair Hospital’s ER. They’ve got a 2-hour ER guarantee, and I was in and out in 70 minutes. I didn’t have any infection in my urine, but was told that it was likely the after effects of all the GI symptoms over the last week. He said to rest, take it easy, and tank up on fluids.

I started today with 2 hours of last-minute shopping, but spent the rest of the day with family. I went to Trader Joes, and had the most successful shopping trip there ever! I didn’t touch all my TJ’s favorites (only bad because I can’t control my portions once I open the packages up):

Sweet Salty and Nutty Trek Mix
Chocolate-covered Edamame
Sweet, Savory, and Tart Trex Mix
Ritter Sport Corn Flake Bar
Pirate Booty

And for Christmas Eve dinner, Taylor had a micro-date to In-N-Out.

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