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Amazon Black Friday Deals for Health & Wellness in 2020

11/25/2020

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There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page!
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Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we all know it. While we may not be able to gather this year like we have in years past, that doesn't mean we can't still celebrate in our own ways. I know for me, instead of visiting my family this year, I'll be taking advantage of Amazon's Black Friday deals. Amazon lets you have things gift wrapped, so they can safely deliver gifts to my relatives' doors in New England while I don't potentially spread any germs from down here in Florida. 

A lot of my family members are Weight Watchers members, so it makes them really easy to shop for! Here are some of my favorite options on Amazon that you can get a really nice Black Friday deal on for any health and wellness junkie in your life.

Get a free trial of Amazon Prime for 30 days free if you don't already have a membership. The free 2-day shipping perks alone make it so worth it!
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42% off a 9-in-1 instant pot to try some new recipes

When I say I use my Instant Pot for everything, I mean everything. Turkey meatballs from the freezer? Done in four minutes. It's the only way I'll cook my rice anymore (because it also acts as a rice cooker) and I make the most delicious homemade ramen in this bad boy. 

You can get 42% off of this 9 in 1 Instant Pot on Amazon for Black Friday, which is a total steal! The perfect gift for the healthy eater in the family (or for yourself). If they already have an Instant Pot, check out some of their accessories - you can get up to 40% off of those.
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33% Off a 14 piece rubbermaid set for ultimate meal prepping

Even if you're working from home this year, meal prepping is still important and still something I love to do. Either way, good storage containers for your food is a must if you make everything to have leftovers like I do so you're never guessing what your macros will be. 

This 14 piece set from Rubbermaid is currently 33% off. It's BPA free, leak free, and has a bunch of different sizes included. It's glass so it's easy to clean and won't stain; we have similar and love them!
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Up to 20% off KitchenAid tools

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KitchenAid has a ton of their kitchen tools on sale this year! Having quality tools in your kitchen can make all the difference and can make for great stocking stuffers for those in your life who are health conscious and love to cook.

Get up to 20% off KitchenAid's products this year on Amazon for Black Friday. I took a look and it looks like most of them actually are 20% off, if not 15%, so it's not one of those sale situations where it's not as good as it seems. This one is!
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30% off An Amazon fire tv stick to stream your fave workouts

I've been doing a lot of home workouts on YouTube this year because, well, 2020. What has been so nice has been being able to utilize YouTube on my Fire TV Stick instead of just squinting at my laptop screen when I'm trying to do a yoga class in my living room. It's really easy to set up and even includes voice control with Alexa.

You can get a Fire TV Stick for 30% off for Black Friday this year! 
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15% off a set of resistance bands perfect for home workouts

With COVID-19 restrictions being reinforced across much of the country, that means gyms are closing again. But you can still get a work out in with a set of resistance bands that vary from 10-50 lbs! My husband has a set like this and loves it, as it helped him maintain his progress when our gyms closed rather than regress on his gains.

Get 15% off this limited Prime Day deal. Plus, at the time of writing this, there's a box you can check for an additional 10% off too! 
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up to 35% off Puma Apparel and footwear

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I will never forget how fast I flew through my clothing when I first started Weight Watchers. For a long time, people didn't even notice my weight loss because I was wearing clothes that were too big on me since I was cheap and was trying to milk what I had for as long as I could. So if you know someone who has been undergoing a weight loss journey, or if you even have been yourself, treat yourself this season to some new pieces! 

Puma is offering up to 35% off their apparel and footwear on Amazon for Black Friday this year, and there are a ton of options for both men and women.
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29% off Garmin Venu and vivoactive Smartwatches

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Whether someone is a fitness expert or just getting started, a smart watch is a fantastic way to track your progress. I had a Garmin for ages and absolutely loved it, and you can get a bunch of different varieties on sale this year!

Get 29% off Gamin's Venu and Vivoactive styles on Amazon for Black Friday. They have some gorgeous ones for adults and fun Star Wars and Frozen II themed ones for kids!
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Plus, a few more deals you can get off of Amazon from my favorite health/wellness brands online

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Built Bar is offering 25% off their entire site starting on Thursday 11/26 at 7 p.m. EST, but you can get 28% off when you use the coupon MagicallyFit. These protein bars range from 3-5 SmartPoints on all myWW plans and make for a fantastic stocking stuffer. All Black Friday orders are getting two free Candy Cane Brownie bars, and they've also launched two white chocolate flavors: Cookies and Cream and Salted Caramel. Spoiler alert: I got to sample them and they are freaking delicious.

Healthy Human is offering 20-40% off their website, including stainless steel steins, tumblers, and reusable straws! Their products keep my drinks hot or cold for ages, are super friendly to our environment, and come in some beautiful colors and patterns. Get an additional 15% off with the coupon code JessicaS15!

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Coffee Over Cardio is offering a free Hydrate (a delicious way to add electrolytes to your water or coffee) with all orders over $50 - so if you and anyone you know uses coffee to fuel your workouts, this makes for the perfect stocking stuffer and you get a freebie. Get 10% off with the coupon code 10MagicallyFit.

Crowned Athletics sells super cute Disney-inspired clothing and fitness accessories. Whether you're looking for the perfect outfit for a virtual runDisney race or want to stock someone's stuffing with excercise bands, scrunchies, or fitness watch accessories (like my You Can Fly sneaker charm!), this is the perfect place to shop - and you can get 20% off for Black Friday!
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​I hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving and stays safe!
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Bass fishing at Epcot

11/16/2020

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This July, Anthony and I went bass fishing on one of the charters out of Magic Kingdom. For my birthday, we went out to try the fall bite at Epcot!

​There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page on my blog!
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As I mentioned in my last blog post about Disney's fishing excursions, I had fished at Epcot before but had minimal luck since our boat got stuck. I can now say with confidence that it's not something that happens regularly and was a weird one-off! Our guide this time was fantastic and showed us all of the best spots to catch fish... including right before you even take off. My first fish was my personal best!
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We started at the Yacht and Beach Club, then moved over to the World Showcase with awesome views of Spaceship Earth and all of the pavilions. Once the bite slowed down there, we fished underneath the bridges on the way back to the Boardwalk Resort area, and then got some fishing in closer to Hollywood Studios overlooking the Tower of Terror. ​
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We finished where we started and caught a few last fish before calling it a day. All in all, we caught 20 fish between the two of us! Not bad for just two hours on the water. It helped that our guide let us have two rods with live shiners in the water while we also fished with an artificial senko. We used one by Gary Yamamoto with a chartreuse tail.
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This is a fantastic activity to do if you're looking to stay away from crowds and enjoy being outdoors. Masks are required since you'll be with the guide, but that's still significantly less people that you'd encounter compared to being in the parks... so if you're eager for a touch of Disney magic but aren't totally sure if you want to get into the parks yet or weren't able to score a reservation for a desired day, this is the perfect activity for you.

​While you get great views of the front of Magic Kingdom when you fish at Bay Lake, the Yacht Club charter actually takes you into the World Showcase, so if you really want to feel like you're visiting the parks, I'd recommend this one.
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Fishing excursions are available at the following marinas:

  • Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
  • Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
  • Disney's Contemporary Resort
  • Disney's Old Key West Resort
  • Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
  • Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside
  • Disney's Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Call (407) 939-BASS or (407) 939-2277 to make a reservation at any of the above spots! You can go for two or four hours. We opted for a two hour excursion at 7 a.m. (the other time option is 10) and it’s worth noting that discounts are available for annual passholders - if you’re a Disney Vacation Club owner or a cast member, I’d check if you also can!

The charter includes everything: bait, fishing poles, and drinks. You don't have to bring anything, so if you don't have any of your own gear, have no fear!

Also, bring cash! It's customary to tip your captain when you do a fishing charter. 
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To check out all of the fish we caught (except for one that I caught and immediately dropped upon bringing it onto the boat... oops, but still counts!) and what the experience is like firsthand, check out Anthony's YouTube video about our experience!
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Ways to Drink More Water

11/9/2020

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There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page on my blog!

Have you had enough water to drink lately? I think we all know at this point that drinking water is extremely helpful for us whether we are looking to lose weight, build muscle, or just function normally as humans living our day-to-day lives. It can be easy to dehydrate yourself and not even realize it. Everyone's needs are different, but I aim for a gallon of water per day since I'm super active and live in Florida (where it is just varying forms of summer rather than actual seasons). Here's how I manage to get more of my water down without getting bored. 
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Add fun flavorings 

Adding a flavoring to your water that doesn’t have any sugar can be a great way to mix things up. This is also super great if you like juices or soda but are looking to cut those out, too, so you can reduce your sugar intake.

Some of my favorite flavorings include
  • Built Boost, which is basically a multivitamin in water flavoring form (get 10% off with the coupon MagicallyFit). My favorite flavor is the Cloud Nine, which tastes like grape soda.
  • Hydrate by Coffee Over Cardio, which is a coconut water powder with electrolytes that helps you stay hydrated (get 10% off with the coupon 10MagicallyFit). The pink lemonade flavor legit tastes like lemonade, especially when its served cold.
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Yes, coffee and tea count!

I know what you’re thinking: ‘Jess, coffee and tea can have caffeine in it which dehydrates you because they just make you pee a lot.’ Not so fast! Unless you’re drinking coffee by the literal gallon (we’ve all had those days, no judgement), there’s not really enough caffeine in your coffee to dehydrate you. 

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PubMed Central did some studies and they showed for a significant diuretic effect, you’d need to have 5 or more cups of coffee per day. So, yes, you can track your coffee and tea for this! 
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Just don’t include any creamer you might add. I personally don’t like to include any coffee sweetened with sugar (which I don’t drink anyways, but everyone’s different) since I think including sugary drinks can be a slippery slope if you’re working on improving your health. ​

If you are looking to reduce your sugar intake in your coffee, try a flavored coffee! I love the ones from Coffee Over Cardio - Basic AF is my go-to PSL when fall rolls around, and I also really love Saturdaze since it has a light chocolate donut flavoring to it. They have a bunch of really fun seasonal flavors that roll around, so it's worth keeping an eye out when you start to run low and you want something different or fun!

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Get 10% off with the code 10MagicallyFit.
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Use a straw 

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Using a straw can help you drink your water faster, so if you struggle to drink a lot, then this can be a great way to sneak more in quicker. However, if you’re like me and you hate paper straws but want to help out the environment, I recommend investing in some stainless steel ones. 

I use the ones that came with my Healthy Human stainless steel steins. They even have a silicone tip on one end so if you have sensitive teeth, it won’t bother you. You can get a discount with the code JessicaS15.

Get a water bottle that sparks joy 

As Marie Kondo would say, we should have things that spark joy. Your water bottle should be no different. I love my water bottles from Healthy Human for a few reasons: they come in a bunch of gorgeous prints and fun colors so I’m encouraged to want to keep it nearby on my desk or to go with me when I travel, and also it stays cold for hours in there (and, for coffee, it stays hot for hours too).

​Anthony and I went on a beach weekend once in the summer and accidentally left a half-full bottle in the car overnight. The next day, I decided to test it out to see if it was still drinkable (do not try this with plastic, though!). The stainless steel Healthy Human worked as advertised because, and I swear to you I’m not lying, the water was still cold.

​You can get a discount with the code JessicaS15.​​
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Rating Popular Foods from Trader Joe's

11/3/2020

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There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page on my blog!

​If you've been in a Weight Watchers Facebook group or been on WW Connect for five minutes, you'll know that a lot of Weight Watchers members love Trader Joe's. The closest Trader Joe’s to me is about 20-30 minutes away, so usually we just shop at Publix since it’s closer. But I wanted something different, so I decided to try a bunch of Trader Joe’s foods I’ve seen all over Instagram and TikTok and see how they were for myself!


I’ll include the SmartPoints and calories per serving and my rating for each item.
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Sunday: Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burger and Chicken Chow Mein

We’ll start with the Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burger since I had this for lunch on Sunday since I was too lazy to make anything. 

This had a really nice flavor! The Thai Sweet Chili flavoring was definitely there but not so strong that I felt it was spicy (and I am weak when it comes to heat in food, ha!). 

It didn’t really need any condiments because the flavor profile was really nice on its own. I had it on an Ole wrap with some lettuce and it made for a really nice wrap! It didn’t get too mushy in the microwave like other veggie burgers I’ve tried, either, which was a nice surprise. 

SmartPoints: 4 per patty 
Calories: 150 
Jessica’s rating: 9/10 


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We had the Chicken Chow Mein for dinner - this was something I actually had fairly frequently when I started my Weight Watchers journey and wasn’t super great of a cook yet since it’s super quick and easy. It being low fat means it’s fairly low in SmartPoints. Just be sure to weigh this one when serving. The packaging says that 1/3 of the package is a serving and there are 3 servings per package, but I often find that it's more like 1/2 the package for the amount of grams listed. Score! Only thing I don't like about this is that it's usually pretty heavy on the red pepper, which I don't like. I pick mine out and give it to my husband.
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SmartPoints: 5 SmartPoints per serving
Calories: 210 
Jessica’s rating: 7/10 
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Monday: BBQ Chicken Teriyaki with Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry

We paired the BBQ Chicken Teriyaki with the Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry for dinner Monday night and it tasted like takeout! We paired it with the riced cauliflower stir fry, which was also really good but I easily could have made it myself without the oil and saved the SmartPoint. But if you're feeling lazy, its a fantastic option.
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SmartPoints: 1 SmartPoint for a serving of the rice; 4 SmartPoints for 1 cup of the chicken
Calories: 150 for the chicken; 75 calories for 1.5 cups of the rice 
Jessica’s rating: 9/10 for both
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Tuesday: Jicama Wraps

This was brought to my attention from Blogilates. We ended up throwing the jicama wraps on the stovetop to heat them up until they were lightly browned and softer and it made for a really nice wrap. They were small, so it was actually nice having multiple mini tacos instead of just one big one for two reasons:
  1. I am a chronic over-stuffer. I never learn my lesson. My Ole wraps never stood a chance.
  2. It helped me slow down a bit and feel like I was eating more since visually, I was eating more tacos even if the filling amounts were the same.​

​SmartPoints: None! This is a Zero SmartPoint food.
Calories: 30 calories for 85 g 
Jessica’s rating: 10/10
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Wednesday: Sprouted Wheat 7-Grain Bread and Pumpkin Butter ​

Mixing it up today with a breakfast option (since dinner is just fish and sweet potato tonight, nothing fancy)! After my workout this morning, all I wanted were eggs and toast. I tried the Organic Sprouted Wheat 7-Grain Toast that I’ve seen a lot of people say they love (2 SmartPoints and 80 calories per slice) and I can see why - this bread has a lovely texture and crunch when toasted, especially the crust. The flavor profile of this bread is pretty good on its own, too. It probably makes for a great sandwich option.

I topped each slice with half a tablespoon of the seasonal Pumpkin Butter (2 SP per tbsp) and a little bit of pumpkin pie spice and you guys, this was the most decadent toast I’ve ever had. So good.

Total SmartPoints: 6 (+ the eggs if you’re on myWW Green) for the combo
Total calories (excluding eggs): 200 
Jessica’s rating: 10/10 for both the bread and pumpkin butter

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​Thursday: Cauliflower Gnocchi 

I've seen this cauliflower gnocchi all over Instagram so I had to grab a few bags to try - especially since I'm a huge gnocchi fan. This cauliflower gnocchi totally lived up to the hype! It was super tasty, not too heavy but still had that lovely texture that you get from real gnocchi. Though, now Anthony and I are in a debate over if this is classified as a veggie tot or a pasta. I say pasta, he insists they're technically tots. Either way, they're delish. 

SmartPoints: 4 for 1 cup of gnocchi 
Calories: 140 per cup 
Jessica’s rating: 9/10 
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Friday: Chicken Cilantro Wontons 

I love these and have since I started my Weight Watchers journey back in 2015. They’re small so perfect to use as either a side dish or to make part of a larger meal like I did Friday night. I whipped up a soup in my Instant Pot and let it slow cook for a few hours, and then for the last thirty minutes I added in the wontons (from frozen - they’re little so do not take long at all to thoroughly cook). 

Dinner was fantastic. My only wish with these wontons would be to have the flavor profile be a bit stronger - the chicken cilantro flavor is there but it's very mild. However, that mildness lets these wontons be really versatile in what kind of cuisine you decide to make them with. 

SmartPoints: 1 SmartPoint for 4 pieces
Calories: 50 calories for 4 pieces
Jessica’s rating: 9/10
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Saturday: Mahi Burgers 

The mahi burgers are pretty good, with a minimal fishy taste to them and are super easy to slap on a George Foreman grill. However, these are pretty small. This is another instance of weighing and measuring before you log it into your fitness tracker, because when I had this for dinner on Saturday and then lunch on Sunday, both of my patties were only about 2 ounces once they were cooked. 

SmartPoints: 2 SmartPoints for 3.2 oz
Calories: 140 for 3.2 oz
Jessica’s rating: 6.5/10
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Other Trader Joe’s foods I tried this week:

Turkey Corn Dogs
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My husband loves these so we always stock up on a few boxes whenever we go to Trader Joe’s. These are super easy to make since you just microwave them so they make for a pretty good option if you’re craving some carnival-style comfort food. 

SmartPoints: 5 each 
Calories: 150 each 
Jessica’s rating: 7/10
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Chocolate Hummus & Original Savory Thin Crackers 
This hummus was just okay, in my opinion. When paired with crackers or fruit, I thought that the flavor was kind of bland and I wish the chocolate profile was a bit stronger. However, I’ve found this to be an excellent option when blending into nonfat plain Greek yogurt; a tablespoon of that and a stevia added into the mix really makes for a good chocolate yogurt. 

The Original Savory Thin Crackers were something I saw a lot of Weight Watchers members hype up as a wonderful cracker option, but it was just your standard rice cracker and the SmartPoints value was pretty standard. It was fine, just didn't live up to the hype!


SmartPoints: 4 SmartPoints for 30 g crackers; 1 SmartPoint per tbsp hummus 
Calories: 130 for 30 g of crackers; 25 calories for 1 tbsp hummus
Jessica’s rating: 6/10 for both
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Light Ice Cream
I'll talk first about the light ice cream. This is Trader Joe's competitor to Halo Top, Enlightened, etc., and it comes in this flavor and cookies and cream. 

It was alright. I thought compared to other ice creams, it was kind of chalky. I don't think any of the Halo Top type ice creams are particularly good (though Chilly Cow was fantastic, but I can't find it at my local stores anymore). If you pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds, it helps not only make it soft enough to scoop but helps with the chalkiness a little bit. I added some Choc Zero syrup and that masked it, too. I'm not sure if it was from the peanut butter in the ice cream, so I'd be curious to see if that chalkiness is present in the cookies and cream flavor, too (and if I just had a weird batch, please let me know in the comments, ha!).

SmartPoints: 3 SmartPoints for 0.5 cup
Calories: 90 calories for 0.5 cup
Jessica’s rating: 5/10

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Non-Dairy Oat Frozen Dessert, Strawberry with Almond Brittle & Candied Strawberries 
This ice cream was brought to my attention by Blogilates when she raved about how creamy it was in a TikTok. I’m trying to reduce my intake of animal products, so figured I’d give this ice cream a try regardless of the SmartPoints. 

Casey was not lying - this ice cream was incredibly creamy. You would never know that this was a vegan alternative if you went into this blind. The almond brittle and candied strawberries gave this a really nice touch, too. ​

SmartPoints: 9 SmartPoints for 0.5 cup
Calories: 195 calories for 0.5 cup
Jessica’s rating: 100/10 (no, that is not a typo)


Have you tried any of these foods from Trader Joe's or have any other favorites that weren't mentioned? Let me know in the comments!
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    Jessica is a huge Disney and Star Wars nerd who channeled that love into motivation to lose 75 lbs.

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