The October issue of Cooking Light features the brand's first-ever Taste Test Awards - "The Tasties." The editors tested 200 food products and came up with the best-tasting winners in 32 categories. Twenty-six of the categories feature grocery store products while six showcase artisanal standouts. The issue hits newsstands September 17th.
To qualify in the grocery categories, foods had to be available in major markets nationwide. Cooking Light vetted products against nutrition standards, eliminating those that contained artificial trans fats, too much salt, or artificial sugars. The panel of editors tasted finalists "blind:" the tasters did not know which brands they were sampling. Not all products are low fat. Some higher fat items are on the list because of their superior quality and taste. Used moderately, these products have a place in a healthy lifestyle. In each category, one Grand Prize Winner (GPW) was selected as well as one or more Taste Test Award Winners (TTA).
The 2010 Taste Test Award Grocery Winners (first choice listed is the GPW and TTA choices follow) include: CANNELLINI BEANS - Progresso, Goya; BUTTER, SALTED GOURMET -- Organic Valley), Lurpak and Chimay; 100% WHOLE WHEAT -- Rudi's Organic Bakery bread, Whole Foods Organic; BUTTER, UNSALTED EVERYDAY -- Target Market Pantry, Borden, Whole Foods 365 Organic, Wal-Mart Great Value; CEREAL, RAISIN BRAN -- Kellogg's Raisin Bran, Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters; Granola, Oat and Honey - Cascadian Farms Organic, Quaker Natural; HUMMUS - Tribe Classic, Athenos Original; ICE CREAM, LIGHT VANILLA - Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean, Edy's Slow Churned; MAYONNAISE, CANOLA - Hellmann's, Whole Foods 365; PIZZA , FROZEN MARGHERITA - Tandoor Chef Naan Pizza, Amy's Kitchen; POPCORN, LIGHT MICROWAVE -- Newman's Own 94% Fat Free, Smart Balance Light Butter, Act II 94% Fat Free Butter; RICE, LONG GRAIN BROWN - Lundberg Family Farms, Arrowhead Mills Organic; RICE, BOIL-IN-BAG-BROWN -- Uncle Ben's, Success; salsa, Mild Tomato -- Green Mountain Gringo, : Frontera, Organicville; SAUSAGE, CHICKEN AND APPLE -- Lou's Famous, Al Fresco Sweet Apple; SPAGHETTI, WHOLE WHEAT -- Gia Russa, Racconto, Target Archer Farms; SOUP, REDUCED-SODIUM CHICKEN NOODLE - Progresso, Campbell's Select Harvest; SOUR CREAM, LIGHT - Daisy, Organic Valley, Target Market Pantry; SOY MILK, PLAIN LIGHT -- Target Archer Farms, Silk; SOY SAUCE, LOWER SODIUM -- Kikkoman, Target Market Pantry; TOFU, FIRM -- Melissa's Organic, Nasoya Organic, Tree of Life; TOMATOES, DICED, NO -SALT ADDED -- Del Monte, Whole Foods 365 Organic; TORTILLA CHIPS, 100% YELLOW CORN -- Target Archer Farms , Organic Tostitos Natural; TUNA, ALBACORE PACKED IN WATER -- Whole Foods 365, Crown Prince Natural; TUNA GOURMET, PACKED IN OIL -- Ortiz Bonito del Norte, Cento; YOGURT, PLAIN NON-FAT GREEK - Fage, Chobani, Voskos Organic.
