The Good and the Not-so-Good
Good news for those looking to add more whole grains to their diets: there’s finally a whole wheat pasta that tastes as good as “regular” pasta. The problem I’ve found in the past is that most whole wheat pasta is overly chewy, and somewhat mealy in texture. It generally tastes fine but there’s something a bit… off… about it. But recently I tried Bionaturae‘s organic whole wheat spaghettini. I don’t know whether it’s their method, or the fact their pasta was thinner than other spaghetti I’ve tried, but I was really impressed by its flavor and texture. After eating a meal with it, my wife and I both commented that we didn’t even notice we were eating whole wheat pasta. It’s one of those products that has the ability to make you change your habits; there’s no reason to avoid whole wheat pasta any longer, not when it tastes this good. Bionaturae also develops “regular” pasta and a few other types of whole wheat pasta (including linguini).
On the flipside of a coin, there’s a product that makes me wonder how it got onto the shelves. After trying and liking Veggie Booty, I was interested in giving Fruity Booty a shot. It has the corn-puff appearance you’d expect, flavored with a blend of orange, cherry, papaya, mango, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, pineapple, grape, and apple. Sounds pretty good, right? Let me tell you: it’s been a long time since I’ve tasted something this foul. The taste is slightly sour, slightly bitter, and all-together unpleasant. When I first tasted Veggie Booty, I had to adjust a bit to the spinachy flavor, but it only took a couple bites. After half a bag of Fruity Booty, I’m ready to throw in the towel.