I've been paying attention to whats in my food for a pretty long time now. First it was just to measure calories, and fat.
Little did I know that would lead to checking portion sizes, and how much sodium, and nutritional value. It was a slippery slope. But I managed to find amazing foods, that are clean (you know, not filled with garbage that will make your body work harder to digest, cause inflammation or dis-ease/disease) but also really delicious. But it all started with paying attention, combined with my love of food and eating it.
Now let me say that most of the foods I eat are clean,whole and unprocessed (meaning they haven't been broken down, and put back together combined with chemicals and garbage...like an apple, or a banana). But there are some really great foods that, while they do come out of a package, are made with integrity and respect for the ingredients, the nutritional value, and the impact on the environment from which the ingredients came.
So here is a list (and links to their websites! If you read, or watch the videos you can see examples of how loving and gentle these companies are. A total contrast to vile, evil large mega conglomerate corporations that make "food" ) of my most favorite clean foods:
These crackers are Vegan, Organic, Gluten-free. Oh, and flippin' delicious. Seriously, when I was pregnant I would have days where I ate a whole box. And you know what? It didn't matter because they are super chock full of good for you, whole, mindfully procured ingredients. All of which are easy to pronounce, and can be found in nature! Impressive! Even more impressive is that there is a woman named Mary, who created these cookies, and is still a part of the company today. No selling out. It's nice to see companies like that.
Veggie burgers are not all created equal. I've had some atrocious veggie burgers in my day. Between 3 years of vegetarianism/veganism and a few other spurts here and there- the horrible examples of faux meat, or mushy, soggy, tasteless or too salty patties I've eaten is sad.
And then there was Hilary's Eat Well. (cue the angels singing!)
These are no ordinary veggie burgers. These are crispy, flavorful, and dare I say- delicious patties. I love to eat them plain- over some greens, or chopped up and thrown into an omelet. Make no mistake, you will enjoy eating anything this company makes. There are 5 varieties of burgers, and veggie bites. All of them satisfying and tasty.
The name used to be 'The Perfect Foods Bar', and that has since changed. This is a family started, owned and operated company based out of San Diego. They make delicious nutrition bars for people who are on the go, lead an active lifestyle, or anyone who wants a nutrient dense snack. They come in a multiple flavors- but good old peanut butter is my favorite. Lots of protein, vitamins and nutrients. Being a mom who can't take too much time for meals- these are perfect for when I want to run errands with my little one.
Fiber? Check. Protein? Check. Clean, whole tasty ingredients? Check.
Where do I even begin with these chips? Dude. I have shared these with many people...and while I was managing a health food store, I got the whole team addicted! And customers too! We at one point were ordering pallets of these! My favorite flavor is the Sweet Chili- it's sweet, it's spicy- perfectly balanced. And not to sound like a dork- but they're like healthy Doritos. But, you know, WAY BETTER! (My inner fat girl misses some of her junky vices. But believe me, it's been quite some time since I slummed it eating convenience store repast...)
5) Penta Water
If I had a million dollars, one of the very first things I would buy is the most intensely purifying water filtration systems money could buy. Yes, this is kind of lame...but if it could get my water to be as perfect and crisp, and well, awesome as Penta water is- well, then that'd be just fine with me.
Some water is just difficult to drink. I can't drink Evian. It's dry. And Fiji is not ethical. And some water comes from companies who have CEOS that are maniacal sociopaths. Like Nestle (I boycott the shit out of this vile, gross company. They make more than chocolate chips though- check the package for this logo and you'll know the make it.)
Oh, so my point is, PENTA WATER IS THE BEST WATER you can buy!
I can't say enough about this coconut water. There definitely are differences in taste depending on where the coconuts are grown. This particular company is mindful of how they harvest the coconuts and the indigenous people. I love when companies have a conscious.
Lookit, I know that in a perfect world we would all be vegans and all living creatures served the same purpose- to love, live and love some more. But as a human being- an omnivorous one at that, I eat meat. There were times in my life where I didn't, and I wasn't healthy despite proper balancing of supplements. I digress...Applegate farms meats and cheeses are top notch. They are minimally processed, no added nitrates or preservatives. Their dairy is no RGBH, and all their animals have just one bad day...ifyouknowwhatimean.
8) Trader Joe's organic Tunisian Olive Oil
It's just delicious. The flavor is unparalleled to anything I've ever had- with one exception. My dear friend and fellow blogger (http://www.theglobetrottinggamine.blogspot.com/) is married to a man who's family is from Kalamata, Greece. THAT is the best olive oil I've ever had. But it's not available to me right now.
TJ's is know for having some pretty great stuff, at a great price. I'm a fan of that sometimes. This olive oil is that sometime. It's amazing drizzled over hummus, on some veggies. I've made dressings out of it with just the tiniest bit of lemon to compliment it. And we all know that the health benefits of cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil are immense right? Right.
9) Go Raw
As a sales representative for countless products in the natural and organic food world- I have had the pleasure to sample and enjoy many incredible brands and their fantastic products.
One of them is Go Raw. Their line of raw, sprouted, organic, vegan, gluten free flax snax, bars, cookies, granolas and new coconut chips are top notch! While I was on the road I always had a bag or three of various treats in case I found myself in traffic. They have a satisfying crunch- and tons of nutritional value packed into each bite! Sprouted seeds are easier to digest, and allow your body to reap the benefits of the enzymes as they are more bioavailable.
My personal favorite right now are the lime-coconut chips, spicy flax snax since forever, and of course the sprouted pumpkin seed bar. Try them! They're so good!
10) Navitas Naturals
Holy health foods Batman! Since I was a little girl, my mom always had healthy options in the house. Never a junky snack (um, until my brother who was a skinny little thing was old enough to ask for them...) was to be found in my house. My apricots were dark brown, and we ate lots of sunflower seeds, natural fruit leathers...etc. Flash forward to my nutritional renaissance and I now revel in a good healthy snack like the ones I can make with Navitas Naturals goodies. I love their cacao nibs (the sweetened ones are INSANELY YUMMY. I've eaten them by the handful. It's a special treat I don't often indulge in because it's habit forming. I could probably eat a bag a day!), goji berries, golden berries(Inca berries), dragon fruit, and pretty much everything else. They make pre-made trail mixes with mulberries, gojis and cashews, energy chunk bars, freeze dried wheat grass which is great to add to smoothies, homemade energy and snack bars.
I'm always so happy to eat these foods. And meet my condition of being healthy and nutritious. A few years ago I made it a point to be conditional with the foods I eat. If the foods meet the condition of being nutritious in some capacity I'll eat it. Most foods are nurturing to some extent you know? But if the calories are empty, the food is highly processed, artificially colored/flavored they won't make the cut. The occasions I've had something junky, my body did not respond well.
What are your favorite clean foods?
It's just delicious. The flavor is unparalleled to anything I've ever had- with one exception. My dear friend and fellow blogger (http://www.theglobetrottinggamine.blogspot.com/) is married to a man who's family is from Kalamata, Greece. THAT is the best olive oil I've ever had. But it's not available to me right now.
TJ's is know for having some pretty great stuff, at a great price. I'm a fan of that sometimes. This olive oil is that sometime. It's amazing drizzled over hummus, on some veggies. I've made dressings out of it with just the tiniest bit of lemon to compliment it. And we all know that the health benefits of cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil are immense right? Right.
9) Go Raw
As a sales representative for countless products in the natural and organic food world- I have had the pleasure to sample and enjoy many incredible brands and their fantastic products.
One of them is Go Raw. Their line of raw, sprouted, organic, vegan, gluten free flax snax, bars, cookies, granolas and new coconut chips are top notch! While I was on the road I always had a bag or three of various treats in case I found myself in traffic. They have a satisfying crunch- and tons of nutritional value packed into each bite! Sprouted seeds are easier to digest, and allow your body to reap the benefits of the enzymes as they are more bioavailable.
My personal favorite right now are the lime-coconut chips, spicy flax snax since forever, and of course the sprouted pumpkin seed bar. Try them! They're so good!
10) Navitas Naturals
Holy health foods Batman! Since I was a little girl, my mom always had healthy options in the house. Never a junky snack (um, until my brother who was a skinny little thing was old enough to ask for them...) was to be found in my house. My apricots were dark brown, and we ate lots of sunflower seeds, natural fruit leathers...etc. Flash forward to my nutritional renaissance and I now revel in a good healthy snack like the ones I can make with Navitas Naturals goodies. I love their cacao nibs (the sweetened ones are INSANELY YUMMY. I've eaten them by the handful. It's a special treat I don't often indulge in because it's habit forming. I could probably eat a bag a day!), goji berries, golden berries(Inca berries), dragon fruit, and pretty much everything else. They make pre-made trail mixes with mulberries, gojis and cashews, energy chunk bars, freeze dried wheat grass which is great to add to smoothies, homemade energy and snack bars.
I'm always so happy to eat these foods. And meet my condition of being healthy and nutritious. A few years ago I made it a point to be conditional with the foods I eat. If the foods meet the condition of being nutritious in some capacity I'll eat it. Most foods are nurturing to some extent you know? But if the calories are empty, the food is highly processed, artificially colored/flavored they won't make the cut. The occasions I've had something junky, my body did not respond well.
What are your favorite clean foods?
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