Tidbits: Reality check

Article by: AL SICHERMAN , Star Tribune
Updated: December 15, 2010 - 3:41 PM

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Like everyone else, Mr. Tidbit has long been accustomed to the fact that the pictures of food that appear on packaging often make that food look better than it turns out to be. That's why, for many years now, when the picture includes something that isn't actually in the box -- a beef roast that isn't included in the gravy mix -- manufacturers label the picture "serving suggestion."

No such disclaimer is required for the picture of Kellogg's new Eggo Real Fruit Pizza -- all that's in the picture is the pizza and a plate. But when Mr. Tidbit opened the box of the Mixed Berry Granola Real Fruit Pizza, a wave of bitter disappointment washed over him. Oh, OK, it was only a flutter of sadly confirmed cynicism, but you know what Mr. Tidbit means.

The 5.3-ounce single-serving pizza was $2.75 at a discount supermarket. It clocked in with a surprising 390 calories and 13 grams of fat -- 6 grams of which are saturated fat (that's 30 percent of the recommended daily allowance). For comparison, a 6-ounce single-serve Lean Cuisine four-cheese pizza has 400 calories and 9 grams of fat, only 31/2 grams of which are saturated fat.

How was it? Mr. Tidbit opines that someone who really likes oats might enjoy it.

Bubble trouble

On another front, Mr. Tidbit was pleased to see a new liquid hand-soap refill bottle with a small spout that more easily refills small sink-top pump bottles.

Not only that, according to the label the flexible pouch uses 67 percent less plastic than a regular plastic refill bottle and takes "significantly less energy" to produce. At the store where he bought it, Dial's 40-ounce Eco-Smart refill costs the same as a 50-ounce regular bottle. Naturally.

AL SICHERMAN