Not Just Naans, True Foods Review

Not Just Naans by  True Foods

Burnt naan - I just don't dig the black bits

Since my local Indian restaurant's iPhone application broke down I was looking for a sneaky something to keep in my freezer for those days when I feel like a treat. I found these "Not Just Naans". One of 4 naan possibilities online in Woolworths.

I was excited to get them and I thought I'd take a chomp on one before they hit the freezer. I tried them both cold and hot, with the same result.

Size

What surprised me was the size. They're about a quarter of the size of a Naan from an Indian restaurant. In the pack are two breads for $3.74. On all fronts it's better just to grab some from your local.

Flavor

On the back of the packet is a recommendation to use these as pizza bases. I bit into one cold, yup, pizza base. Instead I heated one up. It still tasted like pizza base.

Texture

These are soft and doughy (as advertised on the back of the packet). It's just a different kind to what naan breads are meant to be. It's a heavy doughiness. Perhaps this has something to do with them keeping for five months after the purchase date, I don't know.

Would I Get Them Again?

Put simply, no. They're just not a patch on the lovely stretchy light texture of the local indian restaurant. I just didn't enjoy them.

Are They Healthy?

Take a look at how burnt these are. That's packed full of acrylamides, and for no good reason. There are other choices out there that taste better don't have all those scorch marks.

The GI on these is in line with white processed carbohydrates, causing blood sugar spikes (contributing to weight gain). The sodium levels in one bread (726mg) are around a third of the maximum recommended daily. Protein is good at 9.6g and fibre is around 4.2g (15% of daily requirements).


The list of numbers in this product is extensive. There are thirteen! Here are some that may contribute to health issues. Overall, there are no known long term effects from the additives, however there may be some short term effects.

• Sodium phosphates (339) High intakes may upset the calcium/phosphorus equilibrium.
• Guar gum (412) can cause nausea, flatulence and cramps, may reduce cholesterol levels.
• Glycerol (422) Large quantities can cause headaches, thirst, nausea and high blood sugar levels, however there are some positive benefits to DNA protection from free radical damage.
• Methyl cellulose (461) Can cause flatulence, distension, intestinal obstruction
• Methylethylcellulose (466) Large concentrations can cause intestinal problems, such as bloating, constipation and diarrhoea.

Nutritional Information

Ingredients

Flour (Wheat Flour, Vitamins (Thiamin, Folate), Water, Flour (Wheat Flour, Baking Powder (Emulsifiers (339, 341, 450), Raising Agent (500))), Canola Oil, Egg, Yoghurt (Pasteurised Cow's Milk, Skim Milk Powder, Cultures), Whey Powder, Garlic (1%) (Garlic, Salt), Iodised Salt, Thickeners (415, 412, 466), Improver (Soy Flour, Emulsifiers (481, 471), Flour Treatment Agents (516, 300)), Humectant (422), Sugar, Emulsifier (491) Nigella Seed, Emulsifiers (481,461), Cultured Dextrose, Coriander Leaf. 

Nutrition Panel

*1 Naan is 2 servings.

Product Information

Origin: Unknown ("local and imported ingredients")

Company: True Foods (Australian)

Review of Lowan's Cocoa Bombs (Gluten Free)

Lowan's Cocoa Bombs 325g

Taste

I bought this as a special treat for myself. I thought it would be healthier option than Nutri-Grain, but I was wrong. If you're not Gluten intolerant, don't buy it. It has the almost the same sugar content as Nutri-Grain, but doesn't taste nearly as good.

Ingredients 

Rice flour, sugar, glucose (from maize), cocoa powder (3%), salt, natural flavours, emulsifier (471), colour [caramel (150d)], mineral salt (500).


Product Health Claims

Gluten free, low fat and high in complex carbohydrates. "Let's eat healthy"

Is it Healthy?

This is junk food for people with gluten free requirements. It's chock full of sugar (10.4g in a 35g serve). There's only 1.1g of fibre, which contributes a measly 4% towards daily fibre requirements. The claim "complex carbohydrates" implies that this product is either low GI or has high fibre. It is neither. 

Contains Cancer Causing Agent Caramel 150b

This one's nasty. It was recently added to the list of known cancer causing agents. Not even Nutri-Grain contains Caramel 150b.

How did I feel after eating it?

Before eating it I was thinking "Wow, I can't believe how much energy I have. I feel so motivated and ready to get on with things."

Then I ate these. Within fifteen minutes I felt light headed and uncoordinated. My throat became sore. I couldn't think properly. I felt pains in the lymph nodes in my jaw (the ones that activate when my body is fighting something). It's unclear whether this was related to the sugar rush, the caramel additive, or both.

Would I recommend this product?

No. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, not even those who go gluten-free. There are loads of better options out there, even if they take 5 minutes of elbow grease to create. I absolutely would not recommend this to children; the demographic Lowan's target this product at.

Purchase Information

• Barcode Number: 9 310598 000346
• $3.97 for 350g from: Woolworths

References

• 4-Methylimidazole (Wikipedia entry for Caramel 150b)

Review of Swisse Active Recover Protein Bar: Choc/Blueberry/Acai High Protein/Low Carb

Recover Protein Bar 30g

Review:
This bar is choc-full (pun intended) of nasty additives. Maltodextrin? That's MSG by another name. Maltitol is an artificial sweetener that will give you gas, bloating and stomach aches if you eat too much of it. The broad term "flavour" sprinkled throughout this ingredient list contains who knows what chemicals.

After the book of ingredients, the Swisse website has in bold "sweetened naturally with honey". You might notice that honey is third last on the ingredient list. Before honey come multiple instances of artificial sweeteners, meaning there's a whole lot more of them. I mean come on Swisse, there's more preservative than there is honey. The fibre (polydextrose) in this bar is artificial too (with no proven health benefits like real fibre).

Don't care? Only want to know what it tastes like? Well, I think it tastes pretty good. Like a light Cherry Ripe. Still, it's far from a nutritious health food if you ask me. A 30g bar packs a 140cal (489kJ), 10.6g protein & 2.2g carbs (excluding sugar alcohols) punch.

Locations & Prices: 

• Woolworths 
• Coles 
• Priceline
• Chemist Warehouse
• Terry White Chemists

Company

• Product Listing
• Facebook: Swiss Wellness Australia

Nutritional Information & Ingredients:
​Protein blend (31%) {calcium caseinate [skim milk, calcium hydroxide, emulsifier (mono and di-glycerides of fatty acids)], collagen hydrolysate, whey protein isolate (soy lecithin), wheat protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, soy nuggets (isolated soy protein, tapioca starch, salt)}, glycerol, milk compound chocolate (20%) [maltitol, vegetable fat, soy protein isolate, cocoa (5%), milk solids (5%), emulsifiers (soy lecithin, polyglycerol esters of interesterified ricinoleic acid ), flavour], liquid polydextrose, Swisse premix [L- glutamine, magnesium citrate, L- carnitine, ubiquinones (Co-Q10), maltodextrin], maltitol syrup, blueberry pieces (2%) [blueberry (22%), preservative (sulphur dioxide)], cocoa powder (1.5%), skim milk powder, rolled oats, acai powder (1%), blackcurrant juice concentrate, honey, flavour, emulsifier (soy lecithin).

Sports Nutrition > Protein Bars > Low Carb Protein Bars