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
Eden Selected All Mixed Up Nuts and Dried Fruit
It always seems to be a challenge finding snacks that are healthy. How often have you regretted dropping into the local convenience store or straightening out a dollar bill to put in a vending machine when you felt the need for an energy boost? Not that you’re likely to find them in your average vending machine, but Eden, a well-known natural-foods company, now has a snack that will give you a healthy boost of energy that you can feel good about. The nutrition label tells all: 8grams of protein, 24 grams of Omega-3s, 5,140 milligrams of Omega-6, 5,164 milligrams of Omega-9 and 250 milligrams of potassium. All Mixed Up is a combination of dry roasted organic almonds and pumpkin seeds, lightly salted with Atlantic sea salt and dried Montmorency tart cherries and organic raisins. No hydrogenated oils. Retails for $2.69/4 oz..www.edenfoods.com
These tasty little cookies come from Boulder, Colorado, home of several other successful food and beverage companies dedicated to making healthy foods. Nutballz are made without artificial or genetically modified ingredients, or refined sugars, and they are wheat- and gluten-free. The cookies are peanut-based (so beware if you have a peanut allergy) with organic dried blueberries and xylitol, a natural sweetener. A serving of 7 cookies contains 6g of protein and only 120 calories. The company does make mention of this being a product for carb-conscious product, claiming that it contains only 6g of effective or "net" carbs. However, we always say don't rely on these claims. Best bet is to look at total carbs, which in the case of this product is a not-too-bad 12g. Other varieties are Cinna' mon, Cocoa Cookie, and Almendra. New, so hard to find, but if you can’t wait and want to order direct, you’ll have to buy a case of 12 packages for $18.79 plus shipping. Retails for $1.98 each. http://www.nutballz.com
English Bay Batter’s Non Dairy Vegetable Based Beverage
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House, based in Bethesda, Maryland, estimates that as many as 33-50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. This makes a great alternative for vegans and perfect for families trying to modify recipes with dairy substitutes. It would be hard for any product of this kind to taste just like the real thing; however, this one comes pretty close. Made from potatoes, it is lactose-free, fat free, and contains no gluten, soy, rice or protein. It does, though, contain 25 percent of the RDA for calcium. We were also pleasantly surprised when we tried the chocolate version! Packed in an aseptic container that doesn’t require refrigeration until opened. Retails for $1.99 - $2.49.www.englishbaydairy-free.com
CONSUMER-NOMINATED HIT
Lean Cuisine Roasted Garlic Chicken with Risotto
Here's what Lili S. had to say about this product. "It is the absolute best of the Lean Cuisines…! It has an excellent taste for chicken and especially the risotto. It is very difficult to find in my area. Stores that carried it don't seem to any longer. I do not understand why. Love it! Love it!" Thanks, Lili! Your SupermarketGuru tote bag is on the way! Retails for $2.33.www.leancuisine.com
MISS
Skippy SnackBars
The creators of Skippy Peanut Butter, which has been around for a long time, have now created a new product for kids: a granola bar in a chocolate flavored coating with peanut butter and strawberry layers. In attempt to sell nutritional value, the front of the box says "good source of vitamin E." Well, that may be true, but that does not make up for the fact that this product contains hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, other artificial flavors and preservatives, and a whole lot of sugar (16g). What it all comes down to is that Skippy SnackBars are nothing more than a candy bar, and if you are concerned about rise in obesity in children, this isn't exactly a product that will help the cause. Other flavors are Peanut Butter and Fudge, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow, and Peanut Butter. Suggested retail price is $2.89/box of 6. www.peanutbutter.com
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 phil.lempert@nbc.com. If he selects your nomination for publication, he’ll send you a SupermarketGuru.com Tote Bag! You can also visit his website at www.supermarketguru.com.