Healthful Bites

Check Healthful Bites out: two giveaways in a row on the “Good for you Eats” front! We’re hitting the big time ladies and gents :) (Or just finding a sweet spot for sharing the health wealth!)

Anyways, the folks at Progresso approached me regarding informing my readers about a fun contest they have going on right now! So what’s the scoop?

The “Souper You Debut” is a short essay-related contest that will allow three winners to go on a glamorous and fierce New York City makeover spree. (Airfare and hotel accommodations for 2, a full makeover and a $1,000 shopping spree are all included!)

I’m entering because my style is more gym-bound college student than professional ladder-climber. Since I graduate in May, I want to look polished, confident and stylish when I hit the job search in this stellar employment economy ;) But all of us must get our points across in 200 words or less and a picture, so pack it in tight!

Lauren, a Progresso rep, was kind enough to send a super generous Progresso pack my way and is teaming with me to give a prize pack to one Healthful Bite reader!

Leaning Tower of Soup-a? ;D

Mmm! Look at all that soup yumminess! I’ve always been a fan of soul-warming soup and ever since the Light Progresso soups have been sold, I’ve been indulging in the warm stuff even more than usual. My personal favorite is the Homestyle Vegetable and Rice (in the microwave bowl!), but there are so many “No MSG Added”, Light and 100 Calorie varieties, it’s almost overwhelming to chose one at the store!

These taste just as savory, veggie-filled (and occasionally meat and pasta-packed) as traditional canned soups, but some have lower sodium, higher fiber and lower calorie and fat levels.

Did you know that dining on a broth-based soup before a meal almost always increases satiety, potentially lowering total caloric intake for the meal by 20 percent?

What a cozy soup mug!

In addition to the awesome makeover contest, there’s another (and perhaps more accessible) way you can win! Up for grabs for a Healthful Bites readers: two cans of Progresso’s healthy soups, a large mug and a jump rope tool that counts number of jumps and estimates calories burned (with detachable rope, just in case you’d rather not deal with coordination).

How do I enter, you ask? There are multiple ways…

1. Share a link to your favorite soup product or recipe in the comments below and explain why it’s your top pick.
2. Follow me on Twitter @karla522, then come back and comment or send me a tweet letting me know that you followed me to enter the contest.
3. Tell me one reason why you’d like a makeover and what you’d buy on the shopping spree if you were chosen to have a “Souper You Debut” (in the comments or on Twitter).

All comments and tweets will enter you once (and you can enter all three ways)! Entries received before 12 p.m. Central on Friday, January 29 will be considered. One winner’s name will be posted on Saturday, January 30 and passed along to Lauren—your Progresso prize pack will then be on the way. Good luck to you all!

Congratulations to Elaine, who commented with “I would eat anything salty.” Using random.org, I used the number of entries and selected one winner at random. She will receive a case of Fiber Gourmet Lite Cheese Snacks!

Elaine, enjoy your crackers!! They will be in the mail very soon.

I’ll be back soon with yet another chance for you to win!

If you’ve been reading Healthful Bites since October, you know that I’m a fan of Fiber Gourmet products. Their fiber-packed, saucy macaroni and cheese is delicious, but sadly, it’s hard to find FG products in my neck of the woods.

So I took advantage of my “no shame” personality characteristic and sent the FG team an email expressing my satisfaction with their cheesy mac and intrigue to try other products. Ari from FG was kind enough to send me a few new items to try and said he would be happy to help me host a giveaway for one of our readers!

After opening my package from Ari, I was delighted to find some 50 calorie packs of Lite Cheese Snacks as well as a couple pasta treats! I anxiously cracked open a packet of crackers (after snapping a couple pictures for you, of course) and dug in.

The crackers, each a bit larger than a postage stamp, are nearly identical to Cheez-Its or Cheese Nips in taste and appearance.

But the nutritional facts and ingredients lists are quite different! Take a look:

Fiber Gourmet Lite Cheese Snacks

FG crackers are also made with wheat flour and contain real cheese!

Kraft Cheese Nips (Nutritional Information from Quite Healthy Technologies)

While the FG crackers are chock full of tangy cheese flavor, they don’t leave the greasy residue on your fingers or your lips. Of course they also pack an ample fiber punch! The crackers were not all exactly uniform: some seemed to be cooked more than others, so the flavor was a bit different for a couple bites per pack. But if I had the choice between traditional cheese crackers and FG crackers, I’d take the FG’s any day!

A pack or two (there are about 25 bites per pack) of these Lite Cheese Snacks would be a great treat to tame a salt craving, an addition to a between-meal snack, or a side to a sandwich for a meal.

So here comes the fun part for all of you: one Healthful Bites reader will receive a case of FG Lite Cheese Snacks to bite, savor and/or share! There are three easy ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment here detailing your favorite or ideal snack
2. Post a comment sharing one benefit of fiber intake
3. If you have a Twitter account, tweet this message: “Hey @karla522, I want to try a Healthful Bite…Fiber Gourmet’s Lite Cheese Snacks!”

(You may enter via all three steps if you’d like; each separate entry will add your name to the drawing again!)

All entries received by midnight on Friday, January 16 will be considered. One random winner will be selected and posted on Saturday, January 17. Ari will then ship the cracker case your way!

Feel free to tell your friends about this giveaway…perhaps if they win they will share the wealth :) Good luck to you all!