Muffins, Yogurt Leave Testers A Little Stumped
By now, you’ve no doubt come to look to The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel for guidance in matters of the mouth.
You hang on their every word, waiting to fill out your supermarket shopping list until you’ve digested their learned opinions of the products they sample.
Without fail, they separate the curds from the whey, the wheat from the chaff, the good, the bad and the just plain ugly.
Well, not this week. When we fed panel members muffin mixes and yogurt during a recent session, the results were remarkably indecisive.
While individual reactions varied widely, when the taste scores were averaged out, all the muffins got a middling grade of three stars - regardless of flavor, regardless of fat content and regardless of cost (which makes the good ol’ Jiffy mix a real deal, if you’re not counting calories).
The same went for the yogurts, be they Dannon’s stalwart strawberry, the marionberry from the newly introduced Tillamook line or an Albertson’s store brand nonfat black cherry (another relative bargain, both financially and nutritionally).
So what should you buy? Don’t ask us. This time, you’re on your own.
Martha White Raspberry Muffin Mix
Price: 79 cents for 7 ounces (makes 5 muffins).
Nutrition: 160 calories (19 percent fat calories); 270 milligrams sodium per muffin.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “A little floury - sweet/tart fruit flavor, full-bodied.” - Jim McGinty.
“Cranberry flavor? Full-bodied, sweet.” - Mary Lou Crouter.
“Really crunchy. The fruit taste is excellent for a boxed mix.” - Jarretta Manning.
Jiffy Apple-Cinnamon Muffin Mix
Price: 43 cents for 7 ounces (makes 5 muffins).
Nutrition: 190 calories (37 percent fat calories); 300 milligrams sodium per muffin.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments:”Good taste, except when you hit fruit chunks.” - Jim Eggers.
“Best muffin texture. Fruit bits could, frankly, have been left out.” - Mary Aegerter.
“Really bad. Tastes like apples, then bananas. Artificial.” - Susi Faville.
Krusteaz Fat-Free Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix
Price: $1.75 for 17.5 ounces (makes 11 muffins).
Nutrition: 130 calories (no fat); 260 milligrams sodium per muffin.
Taste: ***
Value: **
Comments: “Good! I like the crisp top and the soft inside; nice amount of blueberries.” - Meagan Coffey.
“Tastes kind of blah, not real sweet, kind of like cake. Doesn’t taste like a trendy muffin.” - Jan Robison.
“Too dry.” - Mike Lax.
Tillamook Marionberry Lowfat Yogurt
Price: 50 cents for 6 ounces.
Nutrition: 190 calories (13 percent fat calories); 115 milligrams sodium.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments:”Good texture and color and the taste isn’t bad either (and I don’t really like yogurt).” - Paul Norris.
“Distinct yogurt taste - not overwhelmed by the berry. Not too sweet, good texture, excellent overall.” - Maria Ranniger.
“Mild fruity taste, good mouth feel, slight acid tingle.” - Jim McGinty.
Albertson’s Black Cherry Nonfat Yogurt
Price: 33 cents for 6 ounces.
Nutrition: 90 calories (no fat); 110 milligrams sodium.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “Poor color, texture poor, starchy taste.” - Larry Kelly.
“Kinda lumpy, color looked old - a little artificial taste.” - Jan Robison.
“Good texture, lots of fruit pieces.” - Mary Lou Crouter.
Dannon Strawberry Lowfat Yogurt
Price: 63 cents for 8 ounces.
Nutrition: 240 calories (10 percent fat calories); 135 milligrams sodium.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “Tastes rich and creamy, pretty good strawberry flavor.” - Susi Faville.
“Yuck! The appearance is not appealing, the taste is hideous.” - Meagan Coffey.
“Smooth, creamy taste.” - Mike Lax.
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