Califa Farms Unsweetened almond milk: This unsweetened almond milk from Califa Farms is better than most I’ve had because of its concentrated nutty flavor. The consistency is a bit thin but not surprisingly so for a non-dairy milk. Separately, I also tried the original (sweetened) flavor, which was overly sweet, so if you prefer lighter drinks like me, definitely go for the unsweetened. I used this almond milk to make chia seed puddings but also to drink on its own. 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks califafarms unsweetened almond milk 3.5 berkeleybowl
Mandy’s Zesty Lemon Cookie Thins: Similar in diameter to Ritz crackers but just a few millimeters thick, like Anna’s Swedish Cookies, these lemon cookies from Mandy’s have a good balance of sweet and tart. The have a prominent citrus flavor than most lemon cookies I’ve had from a grocery store. Packaged in a well-designed tin. Not sure why it has exactly 42 cookies - the owners must be nerds. 3.5/5.0
recommended berkeleybowl cookies mandys zesty lemon cookie thins 3.5
Berkeley Bowl Cheddar Whales: From the bulk section, these cheddar crackers are larger than most (about 2x the size of a goldfish and 1.5x Annie's cheddar bunnies). Its cheddar flavor is less tangy than some (for example, Horizon cheddar crackers) but has a distinct taste all its own, I think from the different spices added, including paprika and turmeric. While I didn't find it overseasoned, reassessing the label made me realized that a portion has about 1/4 of your daily serving of sodium. I'm not convinced this is ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
crackers berkeleybowl cheddar whales 3.0
Tilamook Oregon Strawberry Strained Yogurt: This brand of yogurt strikes me as the training wheels of Greek yogurt. If you prefer less thick Greek yogurt and yogurt that isn't as tart but still has the familiarity of fruit-on-the-bottom, this yogurt checks all of the boxes. It's high in protein and has a satisfying by familiar blend of strawberry flavoring. Personally, I prefer the tartness and thickness of other brands of Greek yogurt, but this one certainly isn't bad. 3.0/5.0
berkeleybowl tilamook oregon strawberry strained yogurt 3.0
Pavel's Plain Nonfat Yogurt: This was my first time trying Russian Yogurt, which I don't think is actually a distinct regional style but rather a marketing term used to describe a particular way of making yogurt (Googling the term "Russian Yogurt" only brings up the Pavel brand). The yogurt forgoes any stabilizers and emulsifiers, which gives it a varied texture similar to cottage cheese. While I did like that the yogurt was more tart than most plain yogurts I've purchased, its texture would definitely take some getti... (read more) 3.0/5.0
pavels plain nonfat yogurt 3.0 berkeleybowl
Berkeley Bowl Yogurt Pretzels: Berkeley Bowl's bulk section has a colorful assortment of yogurt-covered pretzels. I got a mix (the beauty of getting bulk), which are all priced at $7/lb. Clockwise from the top left is their peanut butter, blueberry, lemon, and raspberry pretzel. The fruit pretzels are all quite tart and acidic, and the peanut butter one has a more expected yet still satisfying flavor. They have a surprising amount of fat given that it's yogurt and not chocolate, and they're all sweet enough that I nev... (read more) 3.0/5.0
raspberry blueberry peanutbutter lemon berkeleybowl yogurt pretzels 3.0