It takes a lot for a food product to succeed. In fact, out of more than 30,000 new food items that were introduced in 2003, less than 5 percent were hits. (And less than 10 percent of all new products are still on supermarket shelves three years after they launch.) To help you avoid spending money on the likely failures, here are this week’s Hits and Misses.
HITS
Sabra Classic Babaganoush Babaganoush, a very popular Middle Eastern dip or spread, is primarily made of eggplant and a sesame paste called tahini. This healthy snack can be eaten in a variety of ways, including being used as a dip with whole wheat bread or crackers or spread on a pita. Sabra has done a good job with this classic. Best of all, there are no artificial ingredients. Retails for $3.99.
Amy's Light in Sodium Brown Rice & Vegetables BowlOnce again Rachel and Andy Berliner have introduced an organic product that tastes great and is good for us! These veggie bowls contain 250 mg of sodium per serving (compare that to some other frozen rice bowls in the supermarket that contain as much as 1,300 mg of sodium!) As with all Amy's products, these bowls are certified organic, contain no GMOs and no trans fats. Retails for $4.49.
CONSUMER-NOMINATED HITSGeneral Mills Momentum Bar Double ChocolateHere’s what Rebecca M. from Suffolk, Va., had to say about this product: “I found this on clearance, and it is absolutely marvelous! These low-carb bars (3 net carbs) taste like eating a candy bar. There is no aftertaste that usually accompanies low-carb treats/foods. They are crunchy and very satisfying. I tried Double Chocolate. Got them on sale for $1 for a box of 4. They are just scrumptious. If you are truly a low-carb dieter and not in the first two weeks of the program, pick some of these up for on-the-run meals or snacks.” Thanks, Rebecca! Your SupermarketGuru tote bag is on the way. Retails for $4.99 for box of four.
V8 Splash SmoothiesHere’s what Mary Lynn S. from Gallion, Ala., had to say about this product: “Good taste, 33 percent less sugar than the leading competitor, and it has vitamins, calcium and soy protein. The smoothie I tried is Strawberry Banana. It has only 90 calories per 8 ounces and zero grams of fat.” Thanks, Mary Lynn! Your SupermarketGuru tote bag is on the way. Retails for $3.59 for a 46-ounce bottle.
MISS
Holmes Smokehouse Pecan Smoked Sausage KolachesTexas is the main American home of kolaches, the Czech sweet bread traditionally filled with fruit, poppyseed, cream cheese or, as in this case, sausage. Hailing from the southeast part of the state, this product is heat-and-serve — you microwave for about 30 seconds (depending on your microwave’s wattage). It’s certainly tasty, but we have concerns about the nutritional profile. The first red flag is the partially hydrogenated soybean oil and cottonseed oil; the second is the high per-portion levels of sodium (320 mgs), fat (9 grams), calories (190), and carbs (18). (And these are very small portions.) Retails for $2.99 for a box of four.
Phil Lempert is food editor of the “Today” show. He welcomes questions and comments — as well as nominations for “hits” and “misses” in this column — which can be sent to . If he selects your nomination for publication, he’ll send you a SupermarketGuru.com Tote Bag! You can also visit his Web site at .