nutritious junk

Experimentations are fun. Scientific ones, not so much (sorry, but memories of high school chemistry haunt me...) but i've always done them in terms of food and cooking. One of my favorite tools for food experimentations are Torani's sugar free syrups. You can mix and match and creat all sorts of beverages.  For example, mixing diet coke with strawberry torani actually makes a pretty yummy soda (because under normal circumstances, i loath diet coke). Whats great about these syrups is that they really dont have an artifical after taste (but yes, these arent that nutritious as i am sure they chock full of chemicals, but i'll just try to use these in moderation).  Sure, you can get creative and take advantage of the LOADS of different flavors they offer and make your own unique drink, but didja ya know they aren't half bad when incorporated into real food? take for example making a coconut type dish like coconut shrimp of coconut rice. You can forgo the high fat (and by the way, coconut fat is actually not the best kind either) by adding the coconut syrup which adds that coconut flavor.  You can even use the lemon or lime to marinate your seafood/meat/tofu for a slightly sweet marinade. They are also a great addition to teas!  I've seen them really expensive but i found them at Smart and Final for 2.99 for a HUGE bottle.  Their website feature HUNDREDS of ideas for these so take advantage! ahh yes, experimentation with no tests or quizzes involved is delightful indeed, and in my case, tasty.