Tag Archives: Organic

May 23, 2012 · 12:30 pm

Got the Munchies?

Seems some of you liked the looks of that superfood oatmeal from yesterday’s post. Thanks for the great feedback – I hope you got to give it a go today!

So now that I’ve established that I’ve got some hungry readers, I wanted to give you some snack ideas. I should tell you that back in the day, I was known for my “afterschool munchies.” I must admit, this sounds like a recreational drug, but it was actually a bag full of snacks that I would dive into at the end of the school day. Seems I’ve been a lifelong snacker!

Okay, folks, here we go. My top 5 quick, easy, super healthy snacks:

1. An apple with peanut butter.

A perfect pairing. Make sure to buy organic apples, as conventional apples top the list for highest pesticide residue. I’m loving gala these days. Also make sure to choose a high quality peanut butter without added sugar or preservatives, and preferably one that’s organic. I personally recommend Maranatha Creamy with Sea Salt. You can even sprinkle some cinnamon on for extra flavor. (Cinnamon is great for you – I promise that post is coming soon!)

2. Avocado on whole wheat bread.

Get a good dose of fiber, heart healthy fats, and protein here. Sprinkle on spices like cayenne pepper, turmeric, and coriander for an extra boost of flavor and health benefits. Add some romaine or cucumber slices on top for  crunch. Choose a bread that is low in sugar and doesn’t have too many ingredients. My choice is Trader Joe’s Sprouted Whole Wheat Fiber Bread.

3. Seaweed with avocado, cucumber, and cheese.

Fill a sheet of nori with avocado, cucumber, and your choice of cheese – preferably organic cheese! For those who don’t eat dairy, it tastes just as good without the cheese. Or sub in dairy-free cheese. Either way you’re getting the heart healthy fats from the avocado and lots of vitamins and nutrients from the seaweed. And a good, refreshing crunch from the cucumbers.

4. Steamed asparagus.

Ready in 5 minutes, steamed asparagus is a delicious snack all on it’s own or with a squeeze of lemon and/or olive oil drizzled on top. As far as veggies go, asparagus has a good amount of protein – 1 cup has only 30 calories but 4 grams of protein! Additionally, it is not a vegetable you have to buy organic, although you can if you want. Cook it al dente and you get a nice little crunch. Easy to make and easy to eat.

5. Bell pepper.

It seems people either love ’em or hate ’em, but this time of year a red or orange bell pepper couldn’t be sweeter, crunchier, or more delicious. Cut one up  or just bite right in. Great when you’re on the go. Make sure to buy these organic, though, as they are on the list of dirtiest produce, which means they have the highest pesticide residue.

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Filed under Organic, Raw, Snacks, Spices, Vegetables

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May 8, 2012 · 3:24 pm

“I Think There’s Something To This Whole Organic Thing…”

…my husband said to me at the airport Sunday.

I shot him a funny look. “Yes. There is. Duh.”

Now, I don’t say “duh” to most people, but my husband does like to give me a hard time, so sometimes I have to get sarcastic right back at him. He listens to me talk ALL THE TIME about the merits of eating organic, cutting out the chemicals, the processed food, the genetically modified foods, and the foods that are a bit mysterious (I like to know everything that goes into my food). He’s a patient one.

And he knows I’m right, even if he isn’t as…hmm…shall we say…hardcore? as me. But yesterday he saw, in the itty bitty Tucson airport, quite a bit of organic snacks for sale. And he was surprised. And I was thrilled! Because not only did it give me some snack options for the flight home, but it was support for my argument. What’s my argument? That more and more people are wanting quality food with real ingredients and it should be available to us.

He was about to buy some non-organic cookie until the salesgirl said it was awful, so he put it down and bought this, at my insistence, instead:

And hooray! Justin’s Organic Peanut Butter Cups are amazingly delicious. With the exception of my tiny nibble, the hubby happily polished these off. And while these are still technically candy, they’re far better than any conventional candy you could buy – both in taste and in ingredients. We tried the milk chocolate because that’s what the hubby likes, but they make dark chocolate, as well. And I recommend dark chocolate if you like it, as it is healthier, of course. You can find these online (click on the links above) or in local health food stores.

For me, I chose three less “desserty” selections, two of which were granola bars from the company, 18 Rabbits. One was the Nibblin’ Apricot Granola Bar and the other was the Cherry Apricot Bunny Bar.

These two flavors taste very similar but are different in size, so if you want a smaller snack, go with the Bunny and if you want a heartier snack, go with the full size bar (it’s almost twice the size of the Bunny). Ingredients are great, texture is chewy (my favorite), flavor is oaty, and the apricots lend a nice pop of tartness to both bars. I did not eat both all at once – portion control, people! Look for them at your local health food store or buy online (click on links above). There are other flavors, too, but I only tried these.

Now, for the total fail:

I’ve seen Amande Coconut Almond Yogurt (soy-free and dairy-free) at Whole Foods and almost bought it many times. I figured airport hunger would be the perfect excuse to finally try it, as I wasn’t jazzed by the nutrition facts. Well, it’s official: I’m not a fan. It is way too sweet for me and kind of has a funny taste. I don’t recommend it.

But this just shows you how many organic options there actually were at this wee airport – and we didn’t even buy them all! I’m very happy to see organic products creeping into the most unlikely places. And very glad to be able to do this little product review for you folks. Keep your eye out for organic products where you least expect them.

Question of the Day: What is your favorite organic product?

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Filed under Chocolate, Coconut, Organic, Product Review, Snacks

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