Tag: belVita

As lawn mowers, economic theories, and the fearsome Krang all prove, things that prevail are not simple.

Pumpkin spice is another one of those things.

Indeed, pumpkin spice requires subtly, nuance, a cautious hand. The nutmeg/cinnamon/ginger blend must be parceled out in a way that is generous rather than overexposed, compassionate rather than grating. When treated appropriately, pumpkin spice should perform one task and one task alone: highlighting the earthy-sweet qualities of the squash for which it was named. To do otherwise is but a fiasco, and me? I prefer to avoid fiascos, especially at 7:00 a.m., so I’m counting on you, belVita, to avoid another fiasco. Don’t let me down.

It can be hard to appreciate the belVita biscuit. I once stood firm in such a belief, excusing the flimsy crackers as a half-hearted granola bars stuck in a midlife crisis. That was until, after 18 days abroad in which 82 percent of my diet subsisted on such cracker-biscuits, I realized: these are just giant, non-animal-shaped Teddy Grahams.

Sure, they may contain oats and lack the inherent charm that comes with gnawing the ears off a biscuit shaped like a carnivorous mammal, but I was being given a hall pass to eat a giant, crunchy cookie for breakfast. My life choices (and sugar intake) would be forever altered.

And these biscuits hold the same qualities I found appealing in that initial experience: crunchy, thin, and tasting of cinnamon, sugar, and toasted oats. While not high in fat, there’s just enough of the oily stuff to give a good crumble to the texture while still providing a sturdy backbone should you choose* to spread them with peanut butter or dip them in your morning coffee-and-cream.

*You should choose.

It was mid-way through my second biscuit that it struck.

“What is that? That flavor?? Is that…????”

I squinted my eyeball and shoved it up real close to the box, pretending I didn’t look like a mildly insane, cookie-scarfing clown with cataracts.

There. Yes, right there, in the ingredients: dried pumpkin. I had my doubts, but there it was, both in the ingredients and the taste. Alongside that pumpkin, there’s little hint of nutmeg, perhaps even a spicy zing from ginger. These spices combine with the oat-y biscuit to keep the Beta-carotene-infused flavor of the pumpkin in check. If I search my memory, the whole experience harkens back to that piecrust that was left after I scooped all the pumpkin filling out: crunchy, sugary, with just a hint of pumpkin. This is just like that, only without the negative moral repercussions that come with scooping the pumpkin innards from a pie.

It’s easy for a company to use the celebrity powers of pumpkin spice for evil. Indeed, with the blend’s unstoppable presence in everything from Shredded Wheat to Yankee Candles, it takes a special determination to give the flavor the gentle hand it deserves.

While these aren’t groundbreakingly perfect (they certainly don’t keep me for the 4 hours promised), they are well-done. What with their light spices, sugary oat crunch, and mild pumpkin presence, it’s an honest biscuit. And, in a world in which pumpkin spice is flung willy-nilly, that honesty is worth something. Good on you, belVita, for putting one less pumpkin spice disaster into the world.

Now, if we could just do something about the Pumpkin Spice Jell-O…

(Nutrition Facts – 4 biscuits – 230 calories, 70 calories from fat, 8 gram of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 95 milligrams of potassium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.)

Item: Nabisco Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice belVita Breakfast Biscuits
Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 5-packk
Purchased at: Publix
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Crispy. Crunchy. Oat-y. Well-balanced spices. Actual pumpkin included. Reason to eat cookies for breakfast. Good with peanut butter. Reflecting on the complexities of lawn mowers and the maniacal Krang.
Cons: Doesn’t sustain energy for 4 hours. Would be more fun if it were shaped like an animal. Midlife crisis. Negative moral repercussions. Mildly insane clowns with cataracts.

Purchased Price: $2.98 each
Size: 5 breakfast biscuits
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Banana Bread)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Cinnamon)
Pros: They smell wonderful and look good enough. Banana Bread flavor tastes pleasant and real. Cinnamon has a mild flavor with a hint of raisin. Soft like fresh cookie and not as dry as some other oatmeal treats. Has B vitamins and five grams of fiber. No HFCS or partially hydrogenated oils.
Cons: Regular crunchy belVita is better. Makes crumbs when grubbing on the go. A bit dry. Oh, geez, don’t dunk them in milk unless you like instant mush. Made on equipment that processes nuts. Dreaming that they came out with a pumpkin bread or apple variety.

Nutrition Facts: Banana Bread – 190 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein, and a few vitamins and minerals. Cinnamon – 190 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein, and a few vitamins and minerals.

Purchased Price: $3.00 (on sale)
Size: 5 breakfast biscuits
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Good source of fiber. Moist. The Oats & Chocolate one tasted like a Fig Newton, but this one tastes even more so (which isn’t really a bad thing since I do enjoy them). Contains dried blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries. Doesn’t contain HFCS, artificial sweeteners, or partially hydrogenated oil. Better for you than a Pop-Tart.
Cons: Mixed Berry? More like Nixed Berry because there weren’t many of them. Makes a helluva lot of crumbs; probably not best to eat in the car unless you vacuum it every day. The way belVita is spelled. Makes my fingers slightly greasy. Strawberry must be pissed about it being left out.

Nutrition Facts: 1 pack – 190 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 4 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 75 milligrams of potassium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein, 10% thiamin, 10% niacin, 10% iron, 10% riboflavin, and 10% vitamin B6.

Purchased Price: $3.00 (on sale)
Size: 5 breakfast biscuits
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Soft and chewy. Has a mild Fig Newton-like flavor (I like Fig Newtons). One bar has five grams of dietary fiber. Contains no high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, or artificial flavors. Easy to eat on the go.
Cons: Chocolate is in the right place in its name because there’s way more oat than chocolate flavor. Having five biscuits irks my even number tendencies. Eating lots of bacon would probably negate the nutritious side of these breakfast bars. Having to find other things to eat for complete breakfast. B vitamins help convert food into energy, but is only 10 percent of your daily recommended allowance enough?

Nutrition Facts: 1 pack – 200 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 4 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 85 milligrams of potassium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein, 10% thiamin, 10% niacin, 10% iron, 10% riboflavin, and 10% vitamin B6.