Quaker Chewy Girl Scouts Caramel Coconut Granola Bars

Girl Scout cookies are one of my weaknesses. Those green suits, the smiling faces and the promise of a delicious cookies usually makes me cave. This past year I was good and didn't purchase a box of my favorite cookie: Samoas/Caramel deLites. So, I guess because of that when I spotted the Quaker Chewy Girl Scouts Caramel Coconut Granola Bars at my local Target I had to buy a box.

Typically I'm not much of a granola bar fan because what you get usually isn't worth the calories/points. But for an alternative to my favorite cookie, I figured why not?

The bars, as imagined, are small but they do make up in size with flavor. They really do remind me of Samoas/Caramel deLites. The only difference is the texture (they're not as chewy) and there is no presence of coconut flakes in these bars. Other than those two tidbits these are pretty well in comparison. The bars are light, soft, and slightly chewy, while providing caramel and chocolate chip bits. They have a coconut flavor to them, but it's not as bold as it is with the Girl Scout cookies. They do pack quite a sugar kick so it'll satisfy that craving for something sweet. The only downside they're not generally satisfying (on their own).

If you're not a samoas fan there's a Thin Mint variety that's available, which I have heard is fabulous.

A serving, 1 bar, is 100 calories or 3 points plus values.

Quaker Puffed Wheat Cereal

I stumbled upon Quaker Puffed Wheat cereal a few years ago and since that first introduction, it’s been a rather staple box of cereal in my cabinet.  I’m not going to lie and say it’s the most scrumptious cereal I’ve ever eaten.  It’s not. It’s plain and well, a little boring.  Okay, so you’re probably wondering if it’s plain and boring why do you eat it?  Well, I use it as a filler in my cereals because you can get 1 ¼ cups of cereal for only 1 points plus value!

Pre-Weight Watchers days I never knew what a nutrition label was (okay, I did but I never acknowledged they existed), better yet I never knew what a serving size of cereal was.  I was simple a get a gigantic bowl, dump until almost full and then fill with milk kind of girl.  Cereal is one of those foods that psychologically the more the better – maybe because the more you have the sweeter the milk gets? No idea.

I admit when I have cereal and I pour ¾ cup into a bowl, I give it a little face.  It’s really not a whole lot.  To boost it up I typically add in strawberries and banana which give it more body and is pleasing on the eye.

Sometimes I want more cereal in my bowl than just that ¾ cup.  So this is what I do … I cut up my strawberries and banana, pour in my 1 ¼ cup Puffed Wheat.  Depending on the other cereal I am using I may or mot not sprinkle an Equal packet over the top of the puffed wheat.  I then add in a serving size of whatever cereal of my choice and typically 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk.  I’ve used Kix, Berry Kix, Vanilla Chex, Chocolate Fiber One, Lucky Charms, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc.  When mixed with another cereal and fruit, the Puffed Wheat cereal takes on the flavor of the other mixtures and it’s just delicious.

I literally get this BIG honking bowl of cereal for only 5 points plus values.  I am a volume eater and aesthetically it’s pleasing, while it’s also delicious and filling in my stomach.

QUESTION:

Have you tried Quaker Puffed Wheat cereal?

Quaker Popped Sweet & Salty Rice Snacks

While at Walmart I picked up a bag of these Quaker Popped Sweet and Salty Rice Cakes – which have a mixture of caramel corn and cheddar rice cake snacks in them.  I was surprised that I really quite enjoyed these.  At first it was a little odd – but it was really quite yummy.  Its two classic Quaker Rice Cake flavors mixed together to create a unique experience for your taste buds.  The cheddar crisps are the staple rice cake in a mild cheddar flavoring whereas the caramel corn is a classic rice cake encased in a sweet caramel casing.

There are 14 crisps in a serving which isn’t bad and would be a lot easier to only eat the 14 if you proportioned your snack ahead of time.  I’m not the biggest fan of cheddar snacks, but these were palatable.  One thing I would really love to see from Quaker would be a caramel corn and chocolate mixture – now THAT would be right up my alley!

A serving of these is 3 points plus for the 14 crackers.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any Quaker rice cake snacks? If so, what’s your favorite flavor?