I sought and received some free samples from Penny’s Low-Fat Desserts after hearing about them on Jenny’s blog.  You say “muffin,” I say “gimme, gimme!”

Muffins are a dessert that has often masqueraded as a breakfast item and even as a health food item — but don’t be fooled.  Just because your muffin is “bran” or “blueberry” doesn’t mean it’s good for you.  Have you seen the size of some muffins?  A lot of times they are the size of my head and have more than the FDA’s recommended daily cap of fat in one serving.  Crazy!  That’ why I think it’s such good news that companies are coming out with legitimately healthier alternatives that are smaller in portion size and made from natural ingredients. After researching and sampling Penny’s products (it’s a tough job, but some one’s gotta do it), I thought that it would be more helpful if I provided a comparison to their very similar competitor, Vitalicious, instead of just going “this tasted good!” which is completely useless to anyone who does not have my exact taste buds…oh so that’s all of you, whoops…

Enter our two contestants…

Product Review and Comparison:  Penny’s Low-Fat Desserts‘ Muffin Tops vs. Vitalicious‘ VitaTops

To be fair in the comparison, I will compare side-by-side the two most similar products from Penny’s and Vitalicious — each of their chocolate muffin tops.

Penny’s Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin Top

Ingredients: Water, whole wheat flour, erythritol, wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), dried plums, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, dextrose, soy lecithin), milk, chicory root, cocoa (processed with alkali), sugar, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate), cellulose, natural flavors, rice syrup solids, palm oil, salt, soy lecithin, cinnamon, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, guar gum. Contains wheat, milk and soy.

Nutritional Information for serv size: 2 oz (56g): Calories 100, Fat Cal 15, Total Fat 1.5g (2%DV), Saturated Fat .5g (3%DV), Transfat 0g Cholest. 0g ( 0%DV), Sodium 180mg (7%DV), Total Carb 27g (9%DV), Fiber 5g (18%DV), Sugars 6g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A (0%DV), Vitamin C (0%DV), Calcium (10%DV), Iron (6%DV).  Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Price/1 muffin top: $1.44 (*Note: Must buy in 24-pack, $34.49, + $8.69 shipping)

vs. Vitalicious’ Double Chocolate Dream VitaTop

Ingredients: Water, whole wheat flour, organic evaporated cane juice, egg whites, white chocolate chips (sugar, cocoa butter,whole milk, milk fat, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), cocoa (processed with alkali), soy fiber, inulin, erythritol, dried honey, wheat gluten, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), tricalcium phosphate, fruitrim (grape juice, brown rice syrup), natural flavor, lecithin, sea salt, xanthan gum, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folic acid, iron, biotin, zinc. CONTAINS EGG, MILK, SOY, WHEAT

Nutritional Information for serv size: 2 oz (55g): Calories 100, Fat Cal 15, Total Fat 1.5g (2%DV), Saturated Fat 1.00 (5%DV), Transfat 0g Cholest. 0g ( 0%DV), Sodium 150mg (6%DV), Potassium 170mg (5%DV), Total Carb 23g (8%DV), Fiber 6g (24%DV), Sugars 11g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A (50%DV), Vitamin C (50%DV), Vitamin D (50%DV), Vitamin E (50%DV), Calcium (20%DV), Iron (50%DV), Thiamin (4%DV), Riboflavin (10%DV), Niacin (4%DV), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 (50%DV), Vitamin B6 (50%DV), Pantothenic Acid (12.5%DV), Biotin (50%DV), Zinc (50%DV). Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Price/1 muffin top: $1.33 (*Note: Must buy in 12-pack, $16.00, + $8.50 shipping)

**My Thoughts?**

• Almost identical in nutrition and ingredients with the biggest exception being that VitaTop has added vitamins whereas Penny’s does not.
• Almost identical in price and shipping costs, but it sucks that you have to buy a 24-pack of Penny’s (though note, she does offer a sampler pack for $18) whereas you’d only have to buy 12 from Vitalicious.
• VitaTops are more widely available in stores (Whole Foods nation-wide).  Penny’s is currently only available in Whole Foods, Sacramento and Redwood City, CA/ Get Healthy America, Plainview, NY/ The Diet Shop, Ronkonkoma, NY.
• I like the taste of Penny’s better.  To me, they tasted more wholesome (I found there to be a chemical after-taste to VitaTops and if you recall here, I was a bit disappointed with the product, but later admitted here that I at least liked the Triple Chocolate Chunk VitaTop).
• Whether you end up being a Penny’s or Vitalicious advocate, just remember how both fare in comparison to this muffin or that muffin.  Yowza.

Have you tried any products from either Penny’s or Vitalicious?  If yes, did you like and which was your fave?  What’s your favorite muffin flavor?

—

Noteworthy in the News/Blogs

• Science Daily‘s, “No Comfort In Comfort Foods During Tough Economic Times, Study Finds” (8/20/09) here
• That’s Fit‘s, “Coconut Oil:  Diet Friend or Foe?” (8/20/09) here — Wait, you mean I can’t chug coconut oil from the bottle and expect to lose weight?! Blasphemy!

Give-Away Round Up

• You have until midnight PST tonight to enter my give-away here
• Win some Larabars here
• Win a So You Think You Can Dance Fitness DVD here
• Win some Clif Bars here
• My fave give-away right now is at The Special K Treatment here b/c it’s like a pen-pal, Secret Santa, type of give-away where you offer up your fave thing and get a random person to send it to and vice versa.  There’s no need to “re-tweet” or “link-back” or “add to blogroll” — just share with someone for the sake of sharing. It makes me all gooey inside!

<3,  The Cranky One

Ok two cool-looking things out on the e-market I wanted to share with you!

1.  Hungry Girl’s 200 Under 200 Recipe Book just came out today!

The book features 200 recipes for dishes under 200 calories.  For someone who counts her calories, this is awesome.  Based on HG’s previous book (and on her awesome e-newsletter), I am confident this one will rock as well. I’m buying mine tomorrow and hope to have the author, Lisa, sign it when she visits L.A. on her book tour!  If you would like to buy your own, you can price shop for it online.  Here are the top vendors and their prices:

• Amazon.com = $11.97
• Barnes & Noble.com = $12.96
• Borders.com = $12.97
• Target.com = $13.57
• Walmart.com = $10.00

2.  Vitalicious Muffin and Brownie Assortment 24-pack became available on Amazon.com for $36.60 TODAY!

Pack includes:

• One four-pack of Deep & Velvety Chocolate Vita Brownies
• One pair of Vita Tops Sugar-Free Banana Nut (90 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops MultiBran (100 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops CranBran (100 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops Double Chocolate Dream (100 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops AppleBerry (100 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops Sugar-Free Velvety Chocolate (80 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops BlueBran (100 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops Golden Corn (100 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops Deep Chocolate (100 calories each)
• One pair of Vita Tops Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip (100 calories each)

Why are Vitalicious products so good? “All Vitalicious products are Kosher certified & all natural with no artificial additives or preservatives.” All items are 90-100 calories.  As someone in marketing, I have to say they are geniuses in two of their messaging points: 1.  “The VitaMuffin has less sugar and more nutrients than an apple, plus the advantages of whole grains, and berries – and just as much fiber!” and 2.  “All it takes to walk off the 80-100 Calorie 2oz Vitamuffin or Vitatop is 13-15 minutes.”

For a girl who used to eat those double chocolate Costco muffins coming in at 690 calories and 38 grams of fat, this is a good switch!!

Now here’s my gripe.  Why $36.60?  When I do the math via the Vitalicious website, they would charge about $25.00 for this assortment.  The only thing is: they don’t offer this assortment via their own site! But, they do offer another assortment of the Vita Tops – get 4 boxes of 2 oz. tops (you choose the variety) for $15.45.  Then the brownies are $22.65 for 16 of them.  This way of selling them is annoying.  Plus, to keep the item fresh, you have to pay for UPS shipping of at least $12.89 if you’re on the West Coast to guarantee they arrive on time (if buying directly from Vitalicious.  Shipping from Amazon.com is free). They will not arrive frozen, but you should freeze them immediately.

This is too much like Holey Donuts who I have been DYING to try but refuse on principle of hating their ordering process. Unlike Holey Donuts though — Vitalicious is supposedly sold at Vons and Whole Foods (find ‘em in the freezer section).  If this is true, I’d say pick out one or two when you’re there.  No point paying almost $40 for an assortment that includes BlueBran.  I haven’t tried it, but really?  BlueBran? It just sounds less than stellar.

Speaking of Holey Donuts — Place an order before midnight tomorrow, Wednesday 4/15/09, and in the discount code at checkout, type “6glazed” then click recalculate, and you will get a full box of 6 jumbo Ultra Low Fat Glazed Donuts for free.  I think I might just cave…  Just remember, you have to order at least $35 worth of goods and pay for UPS shipping.  It aint’ cheap!
But maybe worth it for six of these beauties?

Am I the only one who feels like a goober for getting excited about these things?

p.s. Can you tell I have my budget in mind when I write these blogs?  FeedMeImBroke.com is next?