Uh-Ohs! Oreo Creme Sandwich Cookies With Chocolate Creme. $3.79 per 18-ounce package.
Bonnie: Oreo turned its classic cookie inside out to create Uh-Ohs!, chocolate creme sandwiched between vanilla wafers. They contain similar nutrients to regular Oreos and taste good washed down with a wholesome glass of naturally calcium-rich milk.
If you log on to the Web site www.oreo.com, you can let them know whether you think they should keep these on the shelf. I have no strong feelings about them, but I signed on just to see whether I could win the $10,000 they're offering. I'm keeping my fingers crossed until they pick the grand prize winner (on July 26).
Carolyn: Surely I can't be the only person left who still associates the phrase "Uh-oh" with SpaghettiOs. As good as Oreos and SpaghettiOs each might be on their own, they are not a very appetizing combination.
This new cookie is also not the reverse Oreo conjured up by the package wrap. It would have you believe that Nabisco bakers mistakenly put the chocolate into Oreos' creme instead of its wafer. If this were really the case, the chocolate creme would be a lot darker than this milk chocolate fudge. Uh-Oh! Oreos taste more like fudge-filled Vienna Fingers.
That means that these taste too good to be called Uh-Oh!. "No, Not Oreo" would be more accurately descriptive.
Munchies Snack Mix. Traditional, Flamin' Hot, Ultimate Cheddar and Classic. $1.99 per 7.75-ounce bag.
Bonnie: Frito-Lay's Munchies is Chex Party Mix taken to a new level. Each blends up to four snacks into one, including Sun Chips, Rold Gold pretzels, Cheetos, Doritos, Quaker Squares, Chester's Cheesy Bites Crackers and Crunchy Bagel Chips. The Worcestershire sauce in the Traditional Mix makes it most similar to the mix made from the recipe on the Chex box.
After tasting these and seeing one of the longest lists of ingredients I've ever seen on a package, I was sure that the nutrients would be almost laughable. That isn't the case. These Munchies are moderate in sodium, fat and calories, providing you have only the prescribed half-cup serving.
Carolyn: Don't like any Frito-Lay snack enough to buy a whole bag? Maybe you'd be willing to buy a bag containing a little bit of a bunch of their snacks. That's the idea behind Frito-Lay's new Classic and Flamin' Hot Munchies. They allow you to eat regular or hot-seasoned Doritos, Cheetos, Rold Gold Pretzels and Sun Chips without having to buy four separate bags.
The other two Munchies varieties are Chex Mix rip-offs. The Traditional is probably called that because it's generously seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, the main flavor in the original Chex Mix recipe. The Cheddar features these same basic snack ingredients seasoned with just the right amount of cheese (but true cheddar fans will probably find this way too understated).
I get a kick out of the way each of these bags boasts of being "the only snack mix with all your favorites . . ." I don't know about you, but I had hardly even heard of Quaker Squares, rye chips and bread twists before Munchies — never mind having eaten them. If you really want to talk favorites, where are the nuts?
Lemon Twist V8 Vegetable Juice. $1.19 per 12-ounce and $2.79 per 46-ounce bottle.
Bonnie: Lemon Twist V8 is a no-brainer. Basically it's V8 with a twist of lemon, or the way most folks I know drink their V8 or tomato juice anyway. Like regular V8, it's chock-full of nutrients. In fact, a glass is equivalent to a serving of vegetables. It's also an excellent source of vitamin A and C, contains some calcium and iron and is rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that's been shown to lower the risk of prostate and other cancers.
The only thing not to like about this is the high amount of sodium, found in all but low-sodium tomato juices. But don't let that stop you from enjoying such a nutritious drink.
(If you're on a salt restriction, add a twist of lemon to the Low Sodium V8.)
Carolyn: V8 is hearty and substantial food with the serious aim of supplying folks with eight essential vitamins and minerals. In short, it's a drink in serious need of some lightening up.
That's exactly what lemon does for this new V8. As in Coke With Lemon and Pepsi Twisted, the lemon brightens up this drink. It also makes V8 slightly thinner and more refreshing (if not exactly thirst-quenching).
Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and professional speaker. Carolyn Wyman is a junk-food fanatic and author of "Jell-O: A Biography" (Harvest/Harcourt). Each week they critique three new food items.) © Universal Press Syndicate