Bite of the Best

Jim Beam Bourbon Glaze Steak Strips are premium tender steak strips marinated and smoked with an authentic Jim Beam Bourbon flavor. The steak strips are available in 3.15-oz re-sealable bags in supermarkets, convenience stores and gas stations nationwide.

Near East has just introduced two new varieties of pearled couscous. Pearled — or Israeli — couscous is a larger round version of regular couscous. The Near East pearled couscous retails for $2.69 per 5-oz box in supermarkets nationwide.

Campbell’s has reformulated their entire Select Harvest line of soups while introducing these five new Mediterranean-style varieties. These soups are now 100 percent all-natural, defined by the USDA as foods without artificial flavors, color preservatives or synthetic ingredients. The five new Select Harvest Mediterranean soups serve up between 80 and 120 calories, 0.5 to 3 grams fat (with no trans fats), 480 milligrams sodium and 2 to 4 grams fiber per cupful.

La Lechera 50% Less Sugar contains half the sugar and a third the fat of regular sweetened condensed milk’s 130 calories, 3 grams fat and 22 grams sugar. To achieve its sugar and fat savings La Lechera 50% Less Sugar contains many more ingredients, including modified starch, corn starch, sodium phosphate, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavors, carrageenan, agar and salt. La Lechera is available in supermarkets nationwide retailing for $1.75 per 14.4-ounce can

Canterbury Naturals Organic Soup is a collection of five flavors crafted from organic ingredients. The soups are packages in 9-oz containers and are available in select supermarkets nationwide.

Dr. McDougall’s Ready-to-Serve Chunky Soups are a new meal solution that is natural, nutritional and filling, while being low in fat and calories. All seven Ready-to-Serve Chunky Soups are convenient, rich in flavor and never too salty. The soups are free of animal products and genetically modified ingredients and are a meal option for those with food allergies.

The newest edition from Bob’s Red Mill line of gluten-free products are corn grits/polenta. Known for it’s coarsely ground creamy texture, grits are enjoyed around the world with honey, cheese or milk. This product, as well as many other Bob’s Red Mill products, are available in bulk throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Garofalo Pasta offers 200 years of experience in the art of pasta making, combined with consistent quality at a competitive price. Garofalo pasta is available in 21 traditional Neopolitan cuts and is sold in select stores nationwide.

Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix is a healthy and convenient breakfast option – a good source of fiber, iron and calcium. The Quaker pancake mix is available nationwide in a 32-oz box.

Cookie Bliss Organic and Fair Trade Gourmet Cookies are all-natural cookies made with organic and fair trade ingredients. The 17-oz packages makes a great gift or snack.

Allergaroo are the country’s only allergy-friendly, gluten-free brand of convenient, ready-made dishes. The Allergaroo products are shelf-stable, eight-ounce microwaveable pouches of ready-made pasta dishes.

Pamela’s Cornbread & Muffin Mix is a quick, easy and versatile gluten-free mix that can be used to bake cornbread muffins and cornbread, as well as cornbread dressing, sweet and savory tart crusts and many other variations

Pillsbury Brownie Minis Brownie Mix comes with two, six-count baking trays and two individual brownie mixes, making it easier to bake in small portions. The new mini mixes are available starting in June 2009

Lundberg’s Brown Rice Pasta is a new pasta formula with a consistent, non-gritty texture. The pasta is gluten-free and available as of January 2009

La Tortilla Factory handmade style corn tortillas are soft, flexible tortilla made from a unique blend of corn and wheat and use no hydrogenated oils or trans fat.

Kettle Cuisine Gluten-Free soups feature natural chicken and beef raised without antibiotics, and savory stocks simmered in our own kitchen. The soups are all-natural and are available in natural food stores, and for sale online.

Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Mini Cakesters come in individually wrapped single-serve pouches containing three soft sandwich cakes filled with Oreo crème. Each box contains five packages.

Stouffer’s Stromboli features herb & cheese topped Italian-style crusts filled with seasoned meats and real cheeses. The three frozen varieties are ready in the microwave in less than 3 minutes.

Crispy Bananas contain 100% freeze-dried kosher-certified banana slices with no added preservatives and a single serving is just 55 calories.

Uncle Ben’s Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice is low in fat, and provides the daily requirement of whole grains in one serving. The product will be available, nationwide, starting in March 2009.

SEEDS OF CHANGE® organic microwavable rice are the newest line of products on the market. The rice, available in three varieties, are ready in the microwave within 90 seconds. The product line is available in Whole Foods and organic and health retailers nationwide.

Creating convenient meals at home is easy with Rosa Mexicano Kitchen’s new line of all-natural soups and stocks. The soups & stocks, launched in November 2008, are available nationwide in select retail stores, in three Mexican inspired varieties.

Truvia, zero calorie, natural sweetener has been available nationwide since October 2008. The sweetener, produced by the Cargill company, is a substitute for the everyday sweeteners of sugar and honey and is available in three different size packages.

Marie Callender’s introduces Pasta al Dente, an entirely new line of full-flavored, authentic Italian-style meals. Each meal features classic Italian recipes and traditions that use the freshest Italian herbs and spices and pasta cooked perfectly al dente. The new product line will be available nationwide starting in April 2009