Treat Your Kids to Healthy After-School Snacks with Beanitos and Wholly Guacamole-Giveaway #CANBTS

One of my very favourite companies, Wholly Guacamole, has teamed up with a new chip company, Beanitos, to help families enjoy some sensational back-to-school snacking! I’ve featured Wholly Guacamole on my site in the past but until recently, I hadn’t had the chance to try the much-talked-about Beanitos chips. So when I was given the chance to review a tasty back-to-school package containing coupons for my beloved Wholly products and a case of Beanitos, I was thrilled.

beanitos black bean chipsBeanitos are chips made of…yes, you guessed it! Beans! The chips are available in both a Black Bean and a Pinto Bean and Flax recipe and in addition to the regular varieties, there is also a Cheddar and a Chipotle BBQ flavour. I was so excited when the box of chips showed up at the house, especially since I’d been to the store earlier that day to buy some Classic Wholly Guacamole and some Medium Wholly Salsa.

I gave a bag of each variety to my family and we sat down to dig in. Zackary loved the Chipotle BBQ Black Bean chips at first, but about halfway through the bag, the heat got to him. He loved the Cheddar Pinto Bean and Flax chips though and devoured a bag in minutes! [Read more...]

Healthy and Simple Appetizers and Entrees with Wholly Guacamole and Salsa-Giveaway

Last year I was introduced to the fabulous Wholly Guacamole and Wholly Salsa products from Fresherized Foods and from my very first bite of Classic Wholly Guacamole on a multigrain tortilla chip I knew I was in love. I am a snacker, but these scrumptious dips and spreads prove that snacking doesn’t have to be unhealthy! With no additives, preservatives, gluten or trans fats, they’re a better way to munch out when a snack craving hits.

wholly salsa mildWhen I had the chance to feature Wholly products on my site once more, I wanted to do something a little different. So I decided to come up with a couple of easy recipes to show how Wholly Guacamole and Wholly Salsa can be used for more than just dip for chips! I received a cute lunch bag full of Wholly merchandise and product coupons, so I headed to Safeway, picked up a few of my favourite Wholly products and headed home to start cooking!

My first recipe used the Wholly Guacamole Classic flavour. I love cooking but because I don’t have much free time my focus is always on recipes that are quick and easy. So I combined a few simple ingredients into a scrumptious appetizer that could be whipped up in minutes.

Tomato Guacamole Canapes

Ingredients:

  • one box plain baguette chips
  • one tomato, sliced and cut into quarters
  • 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • one package Classic Wholly Guacamole

Preparation:

Arrange baguette chips in single layer on baking sheet.

Place one slice of tomato and one slice of mozzarella on each baguette chip. Place under broiler in oven or toaster oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Top each baguette chip with a dollop of classic Wholly Guacamole and serve.

Assembly was the most lengthy part of this recipe and it really only took a few minutes before I was sliding the baguette chips under the broiler. Once the cheese was nice and bubbly, a dollop of guacamole on the top of the cheese finished off each appetizer!

tomato guacamole canapes

For the salsa, I decided to take a different route and make a main dish. Creating quick and healthy meals for my family is something I really struggle with on a busy day so I wanted to create an entrée with minimal preparation and cooking time.

Salsa Cheddar Cod Fillets

Ingredients:

  • 6 codfish fillets
  • one container Wholly Salsa, Medium flavour
  • 6 oz. old cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place fish fillets on baking sheet.

Cover fillets with salsa and top with grated old cheddar cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and fish is cooked. Serve with rice.

I debated a bit about what type of cheese to use for this recipe, but I eventually decided on old cheddar since it’s a cheese that’s featured in some other popular Mexican dishes and so I thought it would blend nicely with the salsa. I’ll bet that Parmesan or feta would work equally well though!

cheddar salsa cod fillets

I had a blast making my own easy and healthy recipes with Wholly Guacamole and Wholly Salsa and if you want to get inventive with Wholly too, you’re in luck because Fresherized Foods is offering one lucky Mommy Kat and Kids reader a Wholly Prize Pack just like the one I received containing free product coupons, a fun insulated picnic lunch kit and other fun Wholly merchandise! To enter, just leave a comment telling me about your most creative way of using salsa or guacamole.

Eating salsa and guacamole with tortilla chips is always going to be my favourite use of Wholly products, but when I want to get creative with my cooking, the fresh and natural flavours of the dips are great for that too! So pick up your favourite variety and get creative! You’ll love how Wholly products can add some extra zing to your meals!

[Read more...]

All Natural Wholly Guacamole, Salsa and Queso-Review and Giveaway

I am a big believer in the power of natural whole foods. I think the reason obesity has become such a problem in our society is because there are so many unnatural chemical additives and preservatives in commercial food that our bodies have trouble properly processing meals, and I really try to make sure that my family’s diet is as simple and wholesome as possible.

classic wholly guacamoleThat being said, I still love a good snack every once in a while, and tortilla chips with a scrumptious dip definitely tops my list of favourite savoury treats. So when I learned about Wholly Products, a line of classic Mexican dips prepared with all-natural ingredients, I was intrigued. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to test a variety of Wholly products, and I couldn’t wait to “dig in!”

I received a huge cooler pack of scrumptious Wholly dips and spreads to review. I really appreciated the careful packaging of the products; because the dips contain no preservatives, they need to be refrigerated, but the multiple ice packs and clever cooler box used by the company ensured that the products were fresh and delicious when they arrived at my door.

I received mild and medium Wholly Salsa, classic and spicy Wholly Guacamole and original and blanco Wholly Queso dips to review along with some fun extras like a handy magnetized grocery list and an adorable avocado-shaped stress ball. The dips looked so delicious and as much as I knew I should probably test them out on healthy treats like raw vegetables, I couldn’t resist buying a big bag of tortilla chips to use for my first taste of the Wholly products.

I decided to test out the classic Wholly Guacamole, the medium Wholly Salsa and the original cheddar Wholly Queso dips. I put the three products in the centre of the living room with the bag of tortilla chips and a container of sour cream and my husband, my stepdaughter and I all dove in.

The medium Wholly Salsa was surprisingly spicy, and while my husband, a confirmed addict of spicy foods, found it absolutely delicious, I decided that just a few bites was enough for me. The classic guacamole, however, I completely devoured! I am a huge fan of avocados because even though they are high in fat, the fat they contain is the monounsaturated fat which lowers both total chosesteral and LDL cholestral levels. Since Wholly Guacamole contains nothing more than avacados, jalapeno puree, onions, salt and garlic, it is a great natural way to enjoy all the benefits of monounsaturated fat. In fact, it has even been chosen as the official guacamole of The Biggest Loser television show because of its health benefits!

I received a package of 100-calorie snack packs of Wholly Guacamole as well and I have to confess that I hoarded them all for myself! They were the perfect size for a little snack in the afternoon and over the course of a few days I finished off the snack packs along with a package of saltine crackers and a bag of carrot sticks.

wholly salsa mildA few weeks later, my husband and I sat down once again with a bag of tortilla chips, but this time I served them with the white cheddar blanco Wholly Queso, the mild salsa and the spicy guacamole. I devoured the container of white cheddar dip almost on my own and I loved the mellow heat of the mild salsa as well, but the spicy guacamole was way too hot for my taste. My husband, on the other hand, said that he absolutely loved the spicy guacamole and he happily ate the entire package. I really liked the fact that there were so many different varieties of products so that anyone could enjoy a tasty all-natural salsa or guacamole that had the perfect amount of spice for them.

Overall, I really enjoyed the milder Wholly dips and even the spicy ones had a fresh and natural flavour that was just fabulous, even if the heat was too much for my mild tempermant! I was thrilled that I was able to have such a tasty snack that was all-natural, preservative and additive free, gluten free and kosher. If you love savoury snacks like chips and dip and are looking for a healthy and natural alternative to processed dips and spreads, you have to try a Wholly dip for yourself. With so many great products to choose from, you’re sure to find one that you love!

Buy It: To purchase Wholly products, check the refrigerated produce or specialty deli section of your local grocery store

Win It: Wholly products is offering an unbelievable giveaway prize to give some very lucky readers the chance to try the Wholly line of products for themselves! One grand prize winner will receive a sensational cooler pack filled with Wholly products like the one I received to review, and three runners-up will receive free Wholly coupons!

To Enter (mandatory): Tell me about something you liked or something you learned in this review

Bonus Entries:
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Giveaway ends 11:59 pm CST on March 31, 2011. Open to US and Canada

Disclaimer: The product/s mentioned above were provided free of charge from the company or PR firm for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong to Mommy Kat and Kids and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view full Terms of Use and Policies