Homefree Mini Cookies - Chocolate Chip

Sadly, these are not great. I like the lemon homefree cookies a lot (which are also multi-allergy friendly), but these definitely have a gluten-free taste. They are not very sweet, not buttery, not chocolately, not indulgent, yet still somehow 150cals for a little bag of 4-5 cookies. I feel pity for gluten free-ers who crave chocolate chip cookies because this is not satisfying at all! It does have cute packaging and of course it is nice that they are so inclusive, though! Plus the texture is nice and crunchy.





Overall
Cost: 4/10
Taste: 5/10 (it's still a cookie)

Goya Tostones Chips - Original

I like Goya! And these were fine, but less healthy than either a plaintain or a potato chip, but not any better than either of those things (maybe worse if I'm being true to myself). So although these are fun because they're something a little different, and Goya is always really cheap which I appreciate, I wouldn't get these again (but they are unobjectionable). 

Overall
Cost: 8/10
Taste: 5/10

You Love Fruit Fruit Leather - Passion Fruit Punch

I do love fruit! And I'll say that this was pretty good. The format is this: 16 circles of thin chewy fruit between 2 sheets of waxy paper. I like this format. First of all, it felt like a substantial snack (at 90 calories!) and also an activity. I can imagine kids and also me being entertained by this snack. The taste is pretty good, mango and passionfruity (you can't taste the random artichoke flour is what I'm saying), although I don't love passion fruit so I might prefer a different flavor. This is a lot of fun, though, and I recommend it. Definitely tastier than those thicker, mealier "fruit bars".




Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 8/10

Subway

Since I'm apparently in a big breakfast-all-day kick, I would be remiss not to mention Subway, one of the few national chains that offers the glorious all day breakfast (at least at most of their locations). They also offer regular lunch subs, and sometimes soups and pizzas and salads and (new!) wraps, but really it's a sub place. They also have frequent deals which appeal to me (sub of the day, sub of the month, etc) and those special edition Lay's flavors. So there are a lot of good things here. The only nuts are in the cookies, which are kept in a case, so I generally feel pretty safe about it, too. Subway has a very distinctive smell, and to be honest, it doesn't taste that good, but it's filling, fast, highly customizable, and healthy-ish. Whenever I don't know what I want to eat, I get Subway instead.

Turkey Breast: This is "old reliable". Good hot or cold, with wheat or white bread, pickles or cucumber, it's a solid contender.

Subway Club: I love that this has roast beef! The other meats are "whatever" but somehow this is still under 400 calories with delicious roast beef. Pairs with yellow mustard and american cheese (IMO).

Ham, Egg, and Cheese: Good for that breakfast mood, especially with spinach and tomato and mustard. You have to go with flatbread for this one. White and yellow egg are basically the same, so get white!

Overall
Cost: 7/10 (Around 6$ for two meals, although I miss those 5, 5 dollar, 5 dollar footlong days)
Taste: 7/10

Good Health Kettle Chips with Avocado Oil - Sea Salt

These were better than I expected, since I don't really like plain/salt potato chips because they're super boring and not "worth" the calories so to speak, but the avocado oil seems to add a little of its own flavor here. These are thin and crunchy and definitely potatoey and salty with a little note of "avocado" flavor, which tastes kind of buttery and maybe somehow sour? Among plain chips these are definitely some of the best I've had. Too bad they're still plain chips in the end! Would be interested in the BBQ variety for sure though.




Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 5/10

Metro Diner

Hey, I'm all about that breakfast-all-day life! So this place was extremely crowded (on a Friday at 5) but I think that's because it's new and small, not because it's good. I mean, they're only open until 8pm, what kind of diner is that? At least they have that sweet, sweet breakfast and they don't use peanut oil. I got a veggie omelette and coffee, which were both fine but nothing outstanding. The egg was definitely overcooked. Home fries were just big over-fried potato chunks (no seasoning), but the toast was good because it didn't have too much butter and there were unconventional jam choices at the table (blackberry! orange!). The menu didn't impress me much either, but this place is alright if you want a diner experience in Newark that isn't Perkins I guess (although it is still a chain, don't be fooled).

Mike says: average. nice waitress, old people.

Overall
Cost: 7/10 [about 15 dollars, including coffee and tip]
Taste: 5/10

Patience Fruit & Co Whole Dried Cranberries (Sweetened with Apple Juice)

Cranberries are pretty good, and although the ocean spray cranberries that I'm used to are also nut free, it never hurts to try something new and see what else is out there! (Unless you're in a committed relationship). So these guys are apparently sweetened with apple juice, and they're consequently a little plumper than your store brand dried cranberry. But the taste is pretty much exactly what you'd expect, i.e. it doesn't taste like apple juice, it tastes like a sweet cranberry. A nice little snack. The package is also très chic and even though they make snack packs with nuts (and coffee beans, which sounds tragically amazing), this product has a nice little `peanut free' logo on the back.

Overall
Cost: 6/10
Taste: 6/10