Tag Archives: low-calorie

Crunchies, the freeze-dried fruit snack

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I think I know why people can’t stop eating potato chips.

Sure, salt and fat contribute to the attraction. But the big lure is the crunch.

Crunchies is a simple fruit snack that deliveries the crunch we typically associate with savory nibbles. In addition to giving fruit a novel texture, freeze-drying locks in the nutritional value while extending shelf life.

Blueberries_frontThe folks from Crunchies sent me a big box of snacks to sample. The treats arrived at an auspicious time, as I’ve sworn off refined sugar and other goodies for the month of January.

Crunchies contain no added sugar and no artificial flavors or coloring. They are non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, and kosher- and-halal certified. A serving is only 40 calories. In short, Crunchies offend no one.

Strawberry quickly emerged as my favorite variety. Unlike strawberries that are picked long before they ripen, Crunchies are intensely flavorful, with the sweetness of just-plucked natural fruit. I eat them straight out of the bag. They liven up a bowl of oatmeal, too.

The line also includes mango, pineapple, blueberry, raspberry, grape, cinnamon apple, strawberry banana and mixed fruit. You can find Crunchies in stores nationwide for an SRP of $4.99 – 5.99 for resealable pouches and $1.25 for single-serve bags.

Toast the holidays, not guilt, with DiSaronno’s low-cal cocktails

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In this season of holiday celebrations, hosts are spreading the joy — and mixing the cocktails.

Alas, that spirit of generosity also is accompanied by extra calories, a sign of the season that is even less welcome than a regifted fruitcake.

Happily, there are recipes that enable guests to enjoy a cocktail without the guilt, including  a holiday-themed recipe from the folks at DiSaronno, the centuries-old maker of amaretto.

In fact, the legend of DiSaronno dates back to 1525, when Renaissance artist and Leonardo da Vinci protege  Bernardino Luini was commissioned to paint a fresco in Saronno. To portray the Madonna of Miracles, he chose a comely local innkeeper as his muse.

As a thank you gift, she bestowed the artist with a flask of a fragrant and delicate  amaretto flavored with fruit and herbs. With its distinctive stopper and iconic square faceted Murano glass bottle, DiSaronno is still pleasing patrons — and still makes a great gift.

Here’s the recipe:

Holiday Delight – 205 calories per serving

1 ounce rye whiskey

1 ounce DiSaronno

1 heaping bar spoon of pumpkin butter

.5 ounce soy creamer

.75 ounce egg white, foamed separately

1 dash orange bitters, Regan’s if it’s handy

Foam egg whites using hand blender, set aside. Combine remaining ingredients into shaker and dry shake without ice. Add ice and foamed egg whites to shaker and shake again. Fine strain into a cocktail glass. Go for a coupe, if you have them. Top with freshly grated cinnamon.