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A few of my favorite things….

Many people have asked what I buy at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. I do have a few staples and treats that I’d love to share. I’ll go with Whole Foods for now.

Let me start by saying that at all the grocery stores I shop at, I spend 90-95% of my time on the outside isles — meaning with the fruits, veggies, meats and eggs. That’s really all you need but there are a few fun treats we have discovered.

The turkey sticks are a good protein (turkey and spices only) snack or part of lunch. Most jerkys or portable proteins have added sugar. Trader Joe’s also has a pretty good turkey jerky with low sugar.

The Jennie’s Omega 3 Macadamias are amazing! This is one of my kids favorite treats (and mine) and they are good for them. The ingredients are coconut, egg whites, honey, flax seeds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and cocoa. I’m quick to offer these to my kids when we hear the lovely sounds of the ice cream man (my nemesis!) coming down the street, yet again.

Coconut water is great for pre or post work. Coconut water naturally has 650 mg of potassium (15x more than a banana), 25mg of magnesium, and 35 mg of sodium!

Apple Cider Vinegar has many health benefits I can’t possibly include them all but here are a few examples. It can help with: diabetes, arthritis or joint pain, indigestion, blood pressure, and reportedly kills cancer cells. Also, it breaks down fats and keeps you alkaline (more to come on being alkaline in a future post). That’s pretty potent stuff!

Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter or Macadamia Butter is a family favorite. Great on apples or bananas, in smoothies, or just on a spoon. You can also buy it in single-serving packages like GUs, so it’s easy for kids to eat on the go. There are 7 grams of sugar per 2 tbls. I love the quote on the side of the box. He’s the gist of it: “Quick question: Do you eat cake frosting for breakfast? Justin didn’t think so. Yet some chocolate hazelnut butters have more sugar than cake frosting. Really. You can check. We’ll wait…see?” I love that. I wonder who they’re talking about. I bet it starts with a “N” and rhymes with “new fella”. 20 grams of sugar for that stuff!

Flax oil is great for salads and I add it in my kids steamed veggies, spaghetti, whatever I can, without them noticing. The taste is okay but the benefits are great. I eat it in my spinach salad every day with lemon juice and some apple cider vinegar.

Celtic Sea Salt is nothing like sodium chloride (white table salt or sea salt). Celtic (and Himalayan) has over 70 minerals in it. It can benefit everyone – even people with hypertension who are suppose to avoid “salt”.

So Delicious..Chocolate Milk Boxes

Tate was trying to help me with this Whole Foods treat since the first picture is so boring. Anyway, once in awhile my kids want chocolate milk and most of the chocolate milks out there, like Organic Horizon’s has 27 grams of sugar. Twenty-seven! That’s almost as much as a Coke. And don’t try to rationalize it with the calcium. : )

With 8 grams of sugar, and all the benefits of coconut milk, this makes for a great treat. I buy it at Whole Foods only when it’s on sale because it is pricey but you can occasionally find it for $1.70 off the pack. It does taste delicious!