I am involved in a thing called Bzz Agents. From time to time, I get invited to join campaigns to try out new things and tell people about them. The most recent one has been the Smuckers Uncrustables. These have been around for at least a few years, so it doesn't fit the NEW that I usually am a sucker for, but it was something new to me, so still fair game. Now, I had seen these before, and thought it seemed really handy, but wasn't sure it it was convenient enough for the price tag and the amount per box. Well, when the invite for this campaign came along, I thought it would be a great time to try it out.
After I signed up for the campaign, the Bzz Agents sent me a coupon for one free box, plus some coupons for .75 cents off. I also got a uncrustables shaped container for using in a lunch box or for other travel purposes. Awesome! So on my next shopping trip, I got a couple boxes. I picked the Grape and Peanut Butter variety for the kids, and the whole wheat PB and Honey for myself, and maybe the kids too, if they will eat it.
First impressions before tasting: the regular size comes with 4 to a box, which seems almost useless when you have two kids. With two kids, I will go through that in two days if I am using them daily. But, I see they also offer a larger box now, so that could be a better value. Plus, sometimes I would cut them in half, and make them more of a small snack.
The Uncrustables come frozen, and need to be left out at room temperature for about a half hour to thaw before eating. I found that they seem to need a tad bit more time than that to be fully thawed in the middle -which I discovered when cutting them in half. However, this just means they would stay cold longer when packing in a school lunch. It would stay nice and fresh, and could also help keep other lunch items cool at the same time.
For the first taste test, I took a thawed sandwich and cut it in half for my kids to eat as a snack-partially to keep them from getting too full, partially in the event they didn't like them. Both my k-gartner and her (almost) 2 year old sister gobbled it up - no complaints. It was great that I was able to instantly produce a snack for my daughter after picking her up from kindergarten and that I had ZERO mess to clean up. This worked out well for me since I need to try and give her a snack asap on our arrival home to ensure she is still somewhat hungry for dinner later, but without making her starve until then. I used the other 3 sandwiches within the next few days because it was so convenient.
I also did a taste test myself of half a sandwich that I split with my toddler for her pre-nap snack. I was pleasantly surprised. The bread was soft and smooth, but not at all soggy. The peanut butter was creamy, the jelly still jelly-like; neither were watered down as a result of having been previously frozen. It was as delicious as a fresh made PB and J would be.
Now, here's the nutrition and ingredients for the Grape PB and J:
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I am impressed that the calorie count and fat is relatively low considering how fatty Peanut Butter can be. I was also impressed with the amount of fiber - something that is tough to get into the picky eater kids. It would be nice if the bread was enriched with a little more calcium and vitamins. But, serve it with a glass of milk and maybe a fruit of some kind, and you've got a well-balanced meal.
Since the response for the Grape PB and J was so good, I was anxious to try out the grilled cheese ones they have, which were also pretty darn good. They come with a microwave toasting sleeve, so no thawing required here. The bread is 'pre-toasted' and the sleeve just crisps it back up. It was a little soggier than a regular grilled cheese, but still had the toasty flavor. The cheese was that processed imitation-y tasting stuff you'd expect from any american cheese slice product, and the kids ate it up just as fast as the PB and J ones.
Nutrition-wise, Grilled Cheese Uncrustables, the calcium level goes up, but the fiber content goes down. If you want the full nutrition of those visit Smuckers website: http://www.smuckers.com/fg/otg/uncrustables/prod-cheese.asp?groupid=3&catid=46&prodid=455
I have to admit, that I have yet to try the honey and PB on whole wheat. Its on my list. But, after trying the other two, I have gotten an overall opinion on the product in general. If I have something that applies specifically to the honey on wheat to mention after I try it, I will update this :) Or do a new post.
Pros and Cons in conclusion:
Pros
-Taste
-Convenience
-Kids love the shape and flavor
-I thought they were pretty tasty, too!
-Good source of fiber (for PB& Grape only)
-Good source of calcium (for grilled cheese only)
-Great for quick lunches
-Good protein value in both Cheese and PB & J varieties
Cons
- They look small; but seem to fill up the kids just fine
-Few to a box
-Lots of High Fructose corn syrup in the PB & J version; also part of the bread ingredients for grilled cheese version
-Cost is a bit high per sandwich
-PB and J, you have to plan at least a half hour in advance for thaw time
For me, I will probably buy a box maybe once every couple weeks or so to have on hand for those days where convenience is a higher than usual priority. Prime days would be when I am running late, am sick, need to study, or just feeling plain old lazy! Since the cost for a box of 4 was around 2.99-3.50+ (if memory serves), and that breaks down to almost dollar a sandwich, I can't see making this a weekly regular item. For the price of a box, you could make a whole loaf worth of PB and J's. Plus, there really isn't a huge amount of time or mess involved in making a homemade PB and J, especially if you have one of those sandwich cutters that remove the crust for you. Still, I know I have some days when even that feels too time consuming, so having this option is great. However, it may be possible that one could make some PB and J's, wrap them well, freeze them, and have their own version of a pre-made Uncrustable. I know I don't have time to bother to do that, so I will stick to the Uncrustables for my hectic moments and lazy days!
Though, when I have to start packing lunches daily for my daughter to eat in school next year, I might just change my mind and make them a part of my regular shopping list. But for now, I think it will be an occasional quickie meal item.
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