Box Tops for Education: Pantry Stock Up Review and Giveaway

I love to help out local schools with the Box Tops program even though I homeschool. When I heard on February 3rd that the Crestline Elementary school in Vancouver, Washington had been destroyed because of a fire I started collecting Box Tops for them and the Evergreen School District that they are in. More than 500 students and staff were displaced because of the fire and they need all the help they can get to recover. You can also help in sending Box Tops to them too.

Also, Betty Crocker® and Box Tops is having the Sweetest School in America contest for your school to win 250,000 Box Tops (registered schools automatically entered). The school that increases its clip earnings the most wins. Hurry and start clipping for your school! Contest ends March 1, 2013.

Box Tops for Education® and its popular brand partners want us to celebrate with them for raising more than $525 million earned for schools since the program started in 1996. General Mills sent us a Pantry Stock Up gift pack filled with products with Box Tops on them, it includes:

• New Peanut Butter Toast Crunch® cereal
• Nature Valley® Chewy Trail Mix Dark Chocolate Cherry and Protein Salted Caramel Nut
• Fiber One® Protein Bars
• Progresso® Recipe Starters
• Food Should Taste Good® Chips
• Green Giant Fresh® Box Tops for Education pencil pouch
• Betty Crocker® Chicken Helper® Sweet & Sour Chicken and Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Betty Crocker® Mac & Cheese and Au Gratin potatoes
• Kleenex® wallet pack and 184 count box
• Scott® toilet paper (4 roll) and paper towel roll
• Avery® dry erase weekly calendar
• Ziploc® bowls and bags
• Yoplait® Frozen Yogurt free product coupon

My thoughts:
I have been reading more product labels lately. It is something I am doing for the health of my family. Some labels have ingredients on them that I am not really familiar with. I try to buy products that are good for my family and the environment. The following is my assessment of these products...

Not everyone likes peanut butter in my family so the new Peanut Butter Toast Crunch® cereal was a hit with my kids, but not with my husband. I liked it fine, but am only occasionally in the mood for peanut butter flavored things. The first ingredient in this cereal is whole grain wheat and it has 11g of it per serving (3/4 cup). It also says it is made with real peanut butter, but it is also artificially flavored. If you are allergic to wheat or peanuts this cereal is not for you. These ingredients in it had me looking them up: Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Trisodium Phosphate (TSP), Color Added and BHT. Box Tops located on the box.

The Nature Valley® Chewy Trail Mix Dark Chocolate Cherry and Protein Salted Caramel Nut granola bars were yummy. I loved the Dark Chocolate Cherry flavor. They were really delicious. They have dark chocolate chunks, dried cranberries, dried cherries and whole almonds mixed in with the granola. They contain: almond, soy and may contain peanut, sunflower and milk ingredients (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). These ingredients had me looking them up: High Maltose Corn Syrup, Soy Lecithin, Maltodextrin, Vegetable Glycerine and Mixed Tocopherols. The Protein Salted Caramel Nut granola bars have 10g of protein per bar. These bars have roasted peanuts, almonds and granola with a salted caramel glazed bottom. They were pretty tasty and satisfying, but still not my favorite of the granola bars I received. They contain: peanut, soy, almond and milk ingredients (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). These ingredients in them had me looking them up: High Maltose Corn Syrup, Vegetable Glycerine, Rice Maltodextrin, Soy Lecithin, Gum Arabic. Box Tops on the boxes.

The Fiber One® Protein Bars I received were Coconut Almond flavored. These have 6g total fat, 4g saturated fat and 6g protein per bar. They give 20% of the daily value of fiber per bar.  These bars have a mix of granola, coconut, and almonds dipped in a chocolate covering. They were really yummy. I love coconut and chocolate! They contain: almond, milk and coconut; and may contain wheat (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). These ingredients in them had me looking them up: Vegetable Glycerine, Maltodextrin, Soy Lecithin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Alginate, Caramel Color, Sodium Metabisulfite, Mixed Tocopherols. Box Tops located on the box.

The Progresso® Recipe Starters Cooking Sauce that I received was the Creamy Roasted Garlic with Chicken Stock. The recipe on the can sounded really yummy...Easy Weeknight Chicken Pot Pie and you could see all the things you would need for the recipe on the label and then peal for the recipe on the inside of the label. You can also scan the label with your smart phone for more recipes. This was very yummy in a easy meal I threw together with some chicken, noodles, and a bag of mixed frozen veggies. You can also eat this as a soup, no water needed. It contains: milk, soy and egg (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). These ingredients in it had me looking them up: Maltodextrin, Sodium Phosphate. Box Tops located on the label.

The Food Should Taste Good® Chips were a great mostly good for you salty, crunchy snack. I received the Multigrain variety. These are tortilla chips/crackers that are made with flax, sunflower, and sesame seeds, quinoa, soy and brown rice. These are: all natural, certified gluten free, certified vegan, certified kosher, low sodium, cholesterol free, a good source of fiber and an excellent source of whole grains. They have no: MSG, trans fat, artificial: colors, flavors, or preservatives. These were really yummy chips. the serving size was the whole 1.5oz bag or about 15 chips. The small bag we received so I wasn't quite satisfied although. I loved the nutty flavor these chips brought to the table. This ingredient label was awesome, save one thing...they do contain corn so there is a chance of GMOs. Also FYI if you are allergic to soy and sesame this product contains it.

The Green Giant Fresh® Box Tops for Education pencil pouch is a small green zippered pocket that has the Green Green Giant Fresh® and Box Tops for Education logos printed on one side. The zipper is reinforced well and it looks like it will hold up to a lot of zipping. It has two pencils, a pen and a lip balm inside with the logos also on them. The school/office supplies are great for homeschool. The lip balm is has no smell and is SPF 30. Lip balm has active ingredients of Octinoxate, Octocrylene, Octisalate, and Oxybenzone.

The Betty Crocker® Chicken Helper® Sweet & Sour Chicken and Parmesan Crusted Chicken are meal helpers in case you need to throw together a meal quickly and/or don't know how to with your own ingredients at home. They are both fairly new flavors. I tried out the Parmesan Crusted Chicken one. It is spiral pasta with sauce and some seasoned crumb coating for the 1 pound of chicken that you provide to go with it. The directions are easy to follow. I found though that my homemade white sauce for noodles was better than this boxed stuff. I think I could have done better myself homemade and with less filler ingredients than this had in it. Of course if you have little to no cooking skills or looking for something to whip up super quick I guess this is better than nothing. The Parmesan Crusted Chicken contains: wheat, milk; may contain egg and soy (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). These ingredients in it had me looking them up: Dextrose, Polydextrose, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Alginate, Monoglycerides, Sodium Caseinate, Mannitol, Silicon Dioxide. The Sweet & Sour Chicken has white rice with a sweet and sour sauce and seasoned cornstarch coating for the chicken you provide. It contains: soy, egg, and wheat; may contain milk (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). These ingredients in it had me looking them up: Maltodextrin, Caramel Color, Yellow 5 & 6 Lakes, Red 40 Lake, Sodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide. Box Tops located on both boxes.

The Betty Crocker® Mac & Cheese and Au Gratin potatoes were both super simple to make and you can use them as meal additions. The Mac & Cheese was different to make than other macaroni and cheese products I have made because you didn't have to drain the noodles before you add the cheese and other ingredients, but it did take more stirring than normal. You just add all the ingredients together that it calls for on the back of the box and stir frequently. After heating to boiling you reduce the heat and simmer about 12 minutes, also stirring frequently until pasta is tender and sauce thickens. I received one box of the Extra Cheesy and one box of the Twists. Both have very similar ingredients and contain: wheat, milk and soy; may contain egg (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). These ingredients in it had me looking them up: Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Phosphate, Yellow 5 & 6 Lakes, Sodium Phosphate, Tocopherols, Silicon Dioxide, Soy Lecithin. Box Tops located on both boxes. The Au Gratin says it is made with 100% real potatoes and has a cheesy, creamy sauce. Inside the box it comes with a bag of dried potatoes that are already sliced thinly and a package of powdered cheese. I crave Au Gratin potatoes a lot, but really the homemade isn't that difficult to make. This just cuts down on preparation. I loved this great comfort food's cheesy deliciousness and these were eaten up quickly. This contains: wheat and milk; may contain soy (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). These ingredients in it had me looking them up: Maltodextrin, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Sodium Citrate, Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Phosphate, Yellow 5 & 6 Lakes, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Bisulfite. Double the Box Tops located on box.

The Kleenex® wallet pack and 184 count box are nice to have especially if you have germs going around the house. The wallet pack is especially useful to take on trips. They are both unscented. The tissues are 2-ply and soft for raw noses. These are great for everyday sniffles, sneezes and tears. However these are not very environmentally friendly as they are whitened with chlorine bleach. Box Tops located on the box.

The Scott® toilet paper (4 roll) and paper towel roll were very nice to receive. The toilet paper/bathroom tissue was extra soft and unscented. These were 1-ply and was a bag of 4 double rolls (308 sheets per roll). Says septic safe, but I wouldn't put anything down a septic that you didn't eat or drink first. Box Tops located on bag. The paper towels are quilted with a ridged design that quickly absorbs to clean up messes. They seemed durable and had 52 1-ply towels per one roll. Box Tops located on bag.

The Avery® dry erase weekly calendar is a PVC free wipe-able, removable peel and stick home and family organizer. It sticks to most clean non porous/textured surfaces and is 12"x6". This particular one was a nice moss green with butterflies in one corner. It is wonderful, but I wish it was magnetic instead because I would love to be able to remove it multiple times and have it still be able to stick to the surface. I have a filing cabinet and a fridge that I would love to move this back and forth to. Otherwise this will help me stay more organized with meal planning and other things. Box Tops located on packaging.

Ziploc® bowls and bags will help me stay organized in the kitchen as well. The bowls (4 of them) each come with their own lids and have a Smart Snap Seal® that makes closing the lids easy. The lid also has a place to write with a permanent marker the date of when you placed contents into it. The bowls and lids are dishwasher (top rack), freezer and microwave safe. They are BPA free and recyclable at participating retailers in the U.S. The bowls can hold 24fl. oz. (3 cups) 709ml. These are great for storage of leftovers or food, baked goods, or crafts. The size is perfect for homemade salsa and a green or fruit salad. There are marks along the side of the bowls for measuring and pouring. The bottom of these have texture for better gripping. I think these are great because they are re-usable and hold a fair amount. Box Tops located on the box. The bags were sandwich size bags in a 100 count box. I love the Smart Zip Seal® that you can feel come together between your thumb and pointer finger. These are also BPA free and recyclable at participating retailers in the U.S. Ziploc has partnered with Recyclebank and this product gives you 12 points towards gifts. These bags are not recommended for liquids or use in the microwave. These bags are the perfect size for sandwiches or a small amount of something and are 6 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches (16.5cm by 14.9cm). Box Tops located on the box.

The Yoplait® Frozen Yogurt free product coupon entitles you to one (1) FREE Yoplait® Frozen Yogurt Original or Greek Pint or Frozen Novelty Carton and expires the end of this year. These come in such delicious flavors as: Frozen Yogurt Bars Honey Caramel, Frozen Yogurt Bars Raspberry, Frozen Yogurt Bars Peach, Frozen Yogurt Bars Strawberry Banana, Greek Black Cherry, Greek Blueberry, Greek Honey Caramel, and Greek Peach. These are so good! I love yogurt and frozen yogurt is especially good on a hot day. These contain: milk and eggs (FYI if you are allergic to any of these). Some of these products contain these ingredients in them that had me looking them up: Carrageenan, Inulin.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product to review and the same product to giveaway for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.