Fig Newtons. Does anybody else still eat these, or just me? [moved from Ontario board]

[City_West]

I just bought a package of Fig Newtons and they tasted terrible.

I think that they are now importing them from the states, where they have always tasted terrible.

Does anybody have any thoughts, has anybody else tried the new Fig Newtons or am I the only one still eating them?

[lbforrest]

Too sweet. Less flavorful. Something adverse has changed in US product. Customer gone.

[gabby29]

Sherry Yard has a recipe for Fig Bars in her new book Desserts By the Yard. She uses a short cookie dough with black mission figs. You can view the recipe here:

http://beta.bordersstores.com/online/...

Enjoy!

[FoodieKat]

They're not as good as I remember them. In fact, I must agree. They're pretty gross now. But after spending the last 7 years eating Jacob's fig rolls (UK), maybe my fond childhood memories of Fig Newtons were only that. I still like the other fruit Newtons however, (whatever happened to apple Newtons btw?) when/where they can be found. The raspberry Newtons are nice. Very sweet, but nice.

[paulj]

Wally world (walmart) in the US had half a dozen choices for fig bars
- a generic version
- Nabisco
- Nabisco lowfat
- Nabisco whole grain (1st time I've seen these)
- bitesize regular
- bitesize whole grain
plus the nutrigrain fruit bars

I bought some a box of the bitesize whole grain to try as a possible camping snack. So-so. I much prefer the character of the generic natural food whole grain bars, even when they are old and hard.

paulj

[gcorneil]

We are not alone

http://caen.kraft.liveworld.com/threa...

-G

[harold goodwin]

I spoke with Kraft Canada today Nov 12 and specifically to there cookie division. The disgusting reality is that they have indeed decided to stop making the Canadian Figs and now are IMPORTING the US fig newtons. I told her I had been eating them for 35 years and upon buying the new package this week (NEW AND IMPROVED TASTE) both me and my two boys thought they were disgusting. Alongside that they have increased the sodium from 75mg to 125mg , a 65% increase and the sugar content has been increased 20% from the Canadian originals. In an era of children hood obesity and the SODIUM COUNCIL's push for lower sodium in all foods KRAFT should be ashamed of themselves. I have called the editor of the FOOD section of theToronto STAR to see if they will do a story. And will call many others tomorrow to get this terrible change reversed. Doesn't anybody remember the new coke fiasco of the 80's. How stupid can KRAFT CANADA get. Look for them to try this in other biscuits and crackers. YOu can write, email the VP of the Cookie division HEATHER CREES, KRAFT CANADA, 95 Moatfield Drive, Don Mills, Ontario,. M3B 3LG and call at 416 441-5000. PLEASE SPREAD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. SAVE THE CANADIAN FIG NEWTON!! I bought a package a week. That is roughly 200.00 dollars a year I spent. If it is not changed back I will never buy another package of that in my life. Kraft if you ever read this please RESPECT that we like our CANADIAN version of food products!!!

[Shayna Madel]

I admire your persistence. Very interesting about the difference in the ingredients. Good points about the sugar and sodium. Good luck in your quest.

[paulj]

Are the Presidents Choice fruit bars any good?

http://www.presidentschoice.ca/FoodAndRecipes/GreatFood/ProductDetails.aspx/id/17080/name/PCBlueMenuFruitBarsFig/catid/179

Any other Canadian producer who might step in with a fig bar? It's not like this is a propriety design. Small organic brands often pickup on discontinued items like this. Barbara's for example makes the round shredded wheat cereal that Quaker used to make.

Another option would be to make your own
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1810,...

paulj

[maplesugar]

I really like a lot of what Barbara's Bakery makes, but their raspberry "newtons" were waaaay too sweet for me.

Another make your own option: Anna Olson's Fig Olsons: http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipede...

[mrsleny]

I quite like the PC ones especially the fat free raspberry. They make a 60% whole wheat fruit bar which is slightly healthier. They're not as soft as Fig Newtons as I remember them. The ones from my youth were probably loaded with fat!

[City_West]

HAROLD!!!!! You got it so right. That's the whole reason I started this thread. I was in Boston a month or so ago and bought a package of fig newtons and spit the only I ate out and threw the pack in the garbage and told my wife how happy I was that the ones in Canada were so much better. Then I came back home and bought a new pack and they tasted the same as in the states, plus I noticed that the last pack was made in Canada and the new ones said the entire "New and Improved Taste" thing. They also have less fat (not necessarily bad) but MORE CALORIES Per serving. I talked to Kraft too and they are supposed to be sending me out a full refund. I think the reason that they are now from the USA is because of the dollar difference. It must be a lot cheaper to bring them in, but they taste terrible.

I hope they switch back, I just wonder why they put "NEW & IMPROVED"? Was it because they new there was a big taste difference and wanted to make us think that they had made it better?

[vvvindaloo]

I am from NY, and always enjoyed the US Fig Newtons (though I can't speak to the quality of the product in recent years, as I haven't had one in a long time), but I understand your disappointment and surprise. They should know that people are paying attention. Good luck

[violabratsche]

I hope a campaign works, and I'll take part, having loved them in years past, and not bought them lately. I'd be disappointed at spending my treat grocery money and find such a result. Now, here's the rub. About 2 years ago, I contacted Yoplait repeatedly about a consumer complaint against their advertising campaigns, that they insist on replaying year after year after year. After much emailing and phone calls, the final result was that they didn't care how I felt about their campaign, by the way, that's word for word, and that their surveys found that the majority of the population enjoyed their ads. I bet Kraft/Nabisco says exactly the same thing. We KNOW how they can and will choose their survey participants and questions to suit their ends. Consumers wants don't matter to them. People will still buy their products. Look at Tim Hortons, and how their apple fritters are about half the size they used to be. The rare apple piece in them is similar to finding a needle in a haystack, yet people still purchase their products, and rave over them, even refusing to admit any change. All their doughnuts are much smaller, have lost the taste they had, yet consumers continue to fall into the sales pitch, and don't see the product itself. Nabisco has been doing similar to us for years over all it's products. Has no one noticed?

AnnieG

[runninrob]

Great job there Harold. Get ready to see more and more of this happening with the weak (and getting weaker) dollar.
I mainly eat the US Newtons when out racing ultramarathons. Since we're typically burning through 5,00-10,000 calories the increased sugar amounts don't much bother me. Newtons are a very typical ultramarathon food and found at most aid stations. I do agree the low fat ones aren't very good, but again, it isn't the low fat versions that make it to our races.

[orangewasabi]

I had to stop eating them because, as you say, the new ones are gross. The breading is super-yuck and the filling doesn't have any of the seeds anymore. I need to get my hands on some of those dark chocolate covered fig bars that were mentioned here a little while ago -- they sound awesome

[lhb78]

the even make whole grain fig newtons now...

[paulj]

Generic whole grain bars of this type have been available in the 'health food' bulk sections for many years.
paulj

[avena]

I haven't had fig newtons in a long time, but I've discovered the breakfast bars at Trader Joe's are awesome. They are called "A___ walked into a bar...". In the case of the fig bar, it would of course be "A Fig Walked Into a Bar..." Very good.

[BobB]

Yup, still eating the originals here in the US and still enjoying them. And to echo the poster above who mentioned eating the drier edges first - I like the whole cookie better as it gets older, drier and chewier. The staler the better (within reason)!

But now you've got me intrigued, I didn't realize the Canadian ones were any different. My son's attending McGill, I'll have to pick some up the next time I'm up there visiting him.

[broncosaurus]

Funny, I realize now after reading this thread that I love the taste of the new, dense, "wet" ones but dislike what happens to the flavor as they age. I've always recognized this split when I'd buy them in the store but couldn't until now p ut my finger on the reason. So I guess for me fresh is best.

[comestible]

I don't really eat fig newtons any more but have come to appreciate real dried figs. It's sometimes hard to find ones that aren't too dried out and leathery, but at least it's all fruit. Middle Eastern and sometimes Italian stores are good places to look for these.

[Sam at Novas]

I still eat them. They use to be my favorite bicycle riding food. Just stick a stack in my jersey pocket and munch away. They went well with coffee,before the ride,water,during the ride, and beer, after the ride. I still get them but have switched to the whole wheat, which does contain HFCS. But I only eat one or two at a time.

[KTFoley]

Heh, we used to refer to that "stack" as a "clip."

Been a loooonng time since I was able to treat it as a single serving unit... :)

[Sam at Novas]

Yeah, me too! But one "clip" would get me thru a hundred mile bicycle ride!

[ArikaDawn]

I haven't had them in Canada, but enjoy the ones available in the US. I recent months, I hadn't bought any, opting instead to ge my fix with dried smyrna or calandria figs, but lately my grocer has only had black mission and turkish in stock which I dont like as much for straight snacking, so I bought a package of the Fig Newtons. The ones I got were super moist and really hit the spot for me. I have not tried to non-fig varieties of Newtons though.

[ekammin]

Not only are they delicious, it's also fun popping the little seeds left in your mouth after you eat them.

[ipsedixit]

Fig Newtons are awesome.

Pop in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Top with ice cream. Voila.

There are some things money just can't buy.

[lbs]

Love Fig Newtons! The Nabisco kind. I like to eat off the edges (which usually are super dry) first and then bite into it.

I told my boyfriend that Fig Newtons are my favorite and he told me that only grandmas like them (I'm not yet 30). I knew I wasn't the only one!

[stellamystar]

yes, I bought some awhile back and ate the whole bag in 2 days. I love the traditional fig flavored ones. However, the bag was drier than I remember from childhood. I was in chicago at the time, so I dont know...

Remember the old Fig Newton commericals? It's not a cookie, it's a Fig Newton! (Said by Price Charles-like actor)

[Shayna Madel]

Actually, I was thinking about the commercial where "Big Fig" sings a jingle that starts out something like "chewy, rich and gooey on the inside, cakey and so flaky on the outside..." and dances around. I can't get it out of my head now.

[cayjohan]

Was it:

Ooey, gooey, rich and chewy inside;
Golden flaky, tender cakey outside
Wrap the inside in the outside, is it good? Darn tootin'!
Doin' the Big. Fig Newton
("Here's the tricky part" and pose)
Doin' the Big. Fig. NEWTON!"

Gads, haven't bought these in about a year. Generally like them because I like the fig filling and that they're not loaded with crud - decent snack to have around with the hoards of teens. Will have to check out. But sorry - if it isn't "fig," to me it's not a Newton.

[Shayna Madel]

Sounds pretty close, to me. I may have to get some now...

[Shayna Madel]

Sadly enough, I could not let it rest, "fig newton song" and on Nabiscoworld.com, they actually had the words as follows:

Oo-ee, gooey, rich and chewy inside.
Golden, flaky, tender cakey outside.
Wrap the inside in the outside.
Is it good?
Darn Tootin' Doin' the Big FIG NEWTON, the big FIG NEWTON

They left out the part about the pose, but I remember it well. Congrats--you can go on the Singing Bee television show.

[cayjohan]

Sad, but my sister and I still sing this song from time to time. (And we're not so young.) Can I win a prize? I'll do the pose.

And dang it, I just put Fig Newton's on my grocery list.

[Oh Robin]

My bf's fave snack. He prefers the fat-free because they don't crumble and taste the same. They taste pretty good to me.

[MrsT]

I sometimes buy Fig Newtons. It's one of the best "snacks" for dieters. I just have to be in the mood for them. I don't buy the low-fat ones because, caloriewise there is very little difference.

[City_West]

The problem is that in Canada ours tasted a lot better, the ones I've got from the U.S. were always a little browner than the ones in Canada. And the new ones are zero fat, but aren't labeled as being a low-fat alternative, they are the just labeled new and improved, but I disagree.

[roma_girl]

Fig Newmans made by Paul Newman's brand are a lot better than the regular brand (Nabisco or store brand). The cookie part is more cake-y and the filling tastes better in my opinion. Don't know if these are available in Canada though.

[rfneid]

I'm a Fig Newmans fan also. They're much tastier than the others out there - & organic too.

[paulj]

I heard on some radio show that once they started making 'fig' newtons in other flavors, the bottom fell out of the dried fig market. As a result fig growers started to put more effort into marketing fresh figs.

Personally I prefer the whole grain fruit bars that I get from the bulk bins of a health-food store. They have more character, even when a bit stale. But the apricot or raspberry flavored bars are more interesting than the fig ones. They have a tartness that fig lacks.

paulj

[Chowpatty]

Well, make sure they're not the low-fat ones. Having never tried Canadian ones, I wasn't aware they were better, but I still buy a small packet in California from time to time when I need a snack at work, and they seem to hit the spot.