The Armchair Epicureans

Sweet new treats to help shatter (or save) that New Year's diet.

With the holidays just past, the Armchair Epicureans—GO’s semi-frequent meeting of folks with a hankering to try mass-produced food products—had a bit of a sweet tooth, so we grabbed some random, new items and dug in. Here are the results.

LifeSavers 5 Flavor sherbet, $1.75, QT; $3.12, Wal-Mart

This fat-free frozen treat brags that it is an excellent source of vitamin C. We thought we might as well help fight off that winter cold while enjoying dessert. The flavors are separated to look like a roll of LifeSavers. Just like the candy, each flavor tastes completely different. However, I was the only one that thought it actually tasted like its circular namesake.

Verdict: While you might not like all the flavors, you’ll definitely find at least one that will ring your bell. Invite your friends over to eat the flavors that don’t do it for you.

Buckwheat Berry all-natural pancakes flaxseed, $1.52 per box, Wal-Mart

I won’t lie, the words “flaxseed”, “buckwheat” and “all-natural” made us a little nervous. The box guaranteed this nutritious product tastes great, and the Epicureans could not agree more. There are no strange textures or aftertastes—just warm, berry, pancake goodness.

Verdict: At only 140 calories per two pancakes, this product falls deliciously into your eat-better in New Year’s resolution.

Freschetta PizzAmore’ stuffed breadsticks, $2.50 per box, Wal-Mart

If you just glance at the box and miss that they are “cinnamon” flavored, you might mistake these stuffed breadsticks as cheese-filled. One of the Epicureans noted, “If I had cut into this without knowing it was a dessert, I would think there was mozzarella in here.”

Once you get past all the trickery, these stuffed breadsticks taste like an inside-out cinnamon roll. The Epicureans liked them so much we did not wait long enough for them to cool. All of us but one managed to burn our tongue.

Verdict: These take the mess out of eating a cinnamon roll while being just as ooey-gooey good. The Epicureans caution—WAIT UNTIL THEY COOL TO EAT THEM!

Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful, $3.68, Wal-Mart

The Epicureans tried to find the “wonderful” in this peanut butter product. We even smeared it on the buckwheat pancakes, but not even the those could make it enjoyable. The consistency was gritty and the taste was best described as “off”.

Verdict: Perhaps only milk chocolate is good with peanut butter… or maybe the marketing people do not know the definition of “wonderful”. You are better off sticking with the peanut butter you grew up with.