One of my favorite things about reading other blogs is learning of new foods, products, and recipes. When I spy something intriguing I’ve never tried before, I immediately want to give it a taste!
I’m often introduced to life altering products that leave me questioning, “how could I have survived 25 years without knowledge of this food/product/recipe?”
Below are some of my favorite things I’ve learned about since starting this blog. I would encourage all my readers to purchase and try each of these items!
White Chocolate Wonderful, Bodum French Press, and Mary’s Gone Crackers
However, my adventures as a food blogger have often led me down the path of purchasing less-than-palatable products.
And here they are in all of their yuckiness… If this post helps at least one reader save some money, then I will be satisfied!
LHP’s Top 5 Disgusting “Health” Foods
1) Goji Berries
My Goji Berry taste test was chronicled in my 2nd blog post! I’m certain Stephen and I both were scarred by the experience. As a non food waster, I am dreading the idea of working these into my diet.
Goji berries are quite possibly the most loathsome food I’ve ever tasted. I could care less that they are a “super food”! Plus, they are not cheap. Tempted to try them? I encourage you to find a way to sample before you buy!
2) Maca Powder
Chalky, bitter, and strong – maca powder tastes almost as terrible as goji berries. I’ve seen lots of bloggers sprinkle maca on fruit or bread. There is no way I could eat it that way! Since my maca purchase put me $25 dollars in the hole, I’ve been adding a sprinkle here and there to my baked goods. A little goes a long way! Once I finally empty the bag, I will never purchase this stuff again.
3) Carob
Oh, how I have longed to love carob! It just sounds so healthy and so crunchy granola-esque. Yet every time I’ve tried it, I’ve gagged. You’d think a potential chocolate substitute would actually taste good. But it is not so, my friends…
4) Amazing Meal Pomegranate Infusion
After reading so many wonderful things about Amazing Grass, I was ready to join the bandwagon. One Saturday afternoon, I eagerly bought a few individual packets at Whole Foods.
The first flavor I decided to try was Pomegranate Mango Infusion. I followed the directions on the back of the packet.
“Mix 1 packet with 10 or more oz of water, juice, milk, or mixed into your favorite smoothie.”
I poured the contents of the packet into a large cup. I added vanilla soymilk. And I mixed.
And I mixed, and mixed, and mixed, and mixed. I was mixing so fast that my arm felt like it was about to fly off and soymilk was splattering everywhere.
After 3 minutes of excessive stirring and no cohesion, I gave up on Amazing Meal. Not to mention, I snuck a taste of the lumpy mixture, and it was gross-o.
5) Unsweetened Dried Fruit
I’m not typically a fan of added sugar. But have you tried eating unsweetened, dried fruit as a snack? I’ll take the sugar any day!
[Unsweetened dried fruit does work well in already sugary foods like baked goods though.]
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What are your least favorite “health foods”? Have you tried any of the foods mentioned above? What did you think?
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lol– love this post. I actually do like carob chips, but the others I haven’t tried…and probably won’t any time soon, based on this
I LOVE the Bodum French Press. The 1st time I tried Gogi berries I wasn’t impressed either. I now like to soak some overnight in my water pitcher –>then in the am take the berries out & put in my green smoothie. I then add lemon to my gogi water, SOOO GOOD!
Maca – I have to have it in my green smoothie or fresh juice.
Have you tried Mulberries? Super yummy!
I didn’t realize how influenced I was by bloggers (the pb, crackers, and french press…)
haha I like goji berries! I’m really not too picky though. I’ve tried different brands of carob and some of them are aweful but others are good! I think it’s because they skimp on the sugar
I love love unsweetened dried fruit AND carob chips! I can definitely pass on the others though! Blogging has brought me to try a few veggies I hadn’t had in awhile and it’s made me realize my unconditional love of peanut butter isn’t THAT crazy… Or, at least I’m not alone!
Great post! I actually like goji berries and unsweetned dried fruit. Have you tried mango or pineapple? With a few nuts, they make a great afternoon snack. I HATE tomatoes, but I always have. They’re present in a ton of recipes which is kind of annoying. Meh. I also don’t like white chocolate, but I love the other pb and co nut butters. Have you had mighty maple?
haha love your honestly!! never had any of your gross things eva! I LOVE WHITE CHOCOLATE WONDERFUL! im eating some right now!! yummm!!
PS go tigers!! i graduate in 2012
I LOVE CLEMSON!
haha! i love this! i agree with your top 5 – in particular the goji berries & carob chips! i can stomach goji in other things, but carob is so weird.
i havent had maca powder though. i was going ot buy some at whole foods this weekend. i might steer clear now!
If I could take one food item on a deserted island with me, it’d be that White Chocolate Wonderful PB. It’s SO dangerous. I don’t think I had an icky healthy food thus far, but I haven’t tried anything on your list.
Hmmm . . . we’ll I’ve already admitted that I DON’T LIKE YOGURT! I really tried. I was wondering about carob chips. I read Angela talking about them and would love a chocolate substitute. Maybe there is not substitute for the REAL THING!
agreed, carob is NASTY!! but i disagree about dried fruit…i’m a huge fan of dried apples, raisins, apricots, persimmons, and DATES of course w/o added sugar. i guess they’re so sweet on their own, they don’t need it! but cranberries need the sugar, fo sho
I got some cacoa (or maybe they were carob….Idk) nibs the other day…exspensive, bitter and horrible!
I’m glad you gave us the head’s up for the goji berries though; I’ve been tempted to buy them for ages, but I think I’ll give it a miss!!
I actually prefer my dried fruit without added sugar….each to their own lol!
I love this post
ahh this is a graet post! I feel like I have tried so many health foods and most I do like but most I really dislike…I cannot find a palate for tempeh! i have tried to enjoy it in so many differnt ways, baking it, dousing it in sauce, but I just cannot stomach the stuff!! I also can’t stand pine nuts blehhh…when they are toasted, I can tolerate them but just raw pinenuts…I would rathe eat maca powder
LOL. hilarious post. I was gonna buy some carob chips but thank goodness I read this post..I still might buy it but at least you are being honest! Worse thing ever? PROTEIN pancakes or putting protein granola bars. I’m sorry but do you have any brand recommendations for protein powder? They all smell bad and make me gagggg
hahaha omgggggggggggg this post is amazing!!!
FABULOUS POST!
I’m with you on the goji berries. Yuck. Now that was one overly priced mistake!
Hahaha, I love your list of disgusting foods! I haven’t tried any of them because of the horror stories I’ve heard about them.
I love Mary’s Gone Crackers! But, I also enjoy carob (although certainly not as much as chocolate!), and goji berries. There’s a goji berry edamame snack mix you might enjoy…that’s what got me into the berries.
Oh my goodness I am with you on the goji berries and the maca powder.. I eat it because I have it at home.. but once i run out of them I will NOT be purchasing anymore.
i will say that Amazing Grass NEEDS to be done in a blender. i never just mix it in – I’ve never had luck with any type of powder smoothie stuff to just mix it in by hand.
i still don’t like cottage cheese. Blech.
I’ve never had the desire to try goji berries or carob or maca powder. And now I have less desire. I love when people give honest opinions on how something tastes. Thanks!
Lily…I LOVE this post because it is ALL true. All of it. I hate all the things you hate too! Especially the Amazing Grass…I mean really I felt like I was eating dirt. And the maca powder…ditto…that stuff is nasty with a captial N! Haha…glad to know I am not the only one out there who thinks some of these supposedly amazing foods taste like crap!
Haha! Great post but I do have to say that carob is actually growing on me but I don’t eat chocolate!
I’m not a big fan of chia seeds. They make me feel bloated.
funny post! you must try unsweetened pineapple. I would not steer you wrong.
this is great! i always wondered about the gogi berries-they are expensive!
i bought and tried two things that were very expensive and i could not stand:
nutritional yeast
raw cocoa nibs
WASTE OF MONEY IF YOU ASK ME!
I like nutritional yeast!
I actually just tried Mary’s Gone Crackers for the first time this weekend and I thought they were awful! Maybe I just got the wrong flavor though?
Hahahaha I love this list!! I dislike goji berries too, and I din’t like the pom-mango infusion either! Oh my God, I feel the same way about carob too. We are twins, though I do want to just try maca powder!
Oh my Kalli, send me all your nut yeast and cocoa nibs- they’re two of my favorite foods!!!
I HATE carob and wheat grass (and pickles and rutabegas, but those aren’t really bloggie exclusive!)
I can’t believe you hate maca! I love its malty taste. I eat it in my porridge/smoothies/protein bars you can’t really taste it when its mixed in plus it gives you so much energy and carob!? I can’t get enough of it! I hope you like the marmite! he he he its strong so only use a little bit! x x
I agree with you on the PB&Co stuff! I didn’t discover it until I saw it on blogs and now I’m addicted to dark chocolate dreams!
I refuse to try some of the stuff I see on blogs because it just doesn’t seem appetizing to me in the least. nutritional yeast? gross sounding…don’t get me started on why!
Quinoa…looks like tiny condoms. even grosser!!!!
The amazing grass is only good if you blend it like a smoothie. I would puke if I drank it with just milk!!
I disagree with you on the goji berries, but I haven’t tried any of the other things! The Amazing Meal and maca powder look gross, though :/ By the way – have you tried goji berries after they’re cooked? Just wondering
I like them much better that way!
My least favorite health food is Jay Robb’s rice protein powder. Unfortunately I shelled out nearly 20 bucks for a bag, so I’ve been eating it often just *hoping* I’ll start liking it
Gracie, what brand of goji berries do you eat? Maybe that’s the prob for me.
I tried carob chips once. Barf!!
Haha great post!
I’m not a fan of Amazing Grass, either. I gave mine away. I’m also not a fan of quinoa. Or Larabars.
I haven’t tried chia seeds yet, but I don’t intend to. They look like little bugs, and why spend the $$ on things that look like baby beetles?
Great post, thanks! I have been using maca for few years now and I really highly value this root. I love to mix maca with orange juice or soymilk, it taste really good.
Ha, SO with you on the goji berries. I’m just glad that I a) found them at the bulk food store and b) only bought a handful.
The only thing is, I keep eating one or two at a time because they don’t, initially, taste bad. They just sort of taste like raisins. But then that aftertaste hits. BLECH.