More great new finds
GoRaw granola
This granola is fantastic! It comes in three different flavors: apple cinnamon, raisin crunch, and coco crunch. We usually get the apple cinnamon simply because it’s the only flavor we can find at the store, and currently I can only find this granola at our local Wegman’s. Huge chunks of crunchy buckwheat groats with dried apples, and cinnamon, and no added sugars or oils, it really is the perfect clean, crunchy granola out there. I have been able to find the raisin crunch and coco crunch flavors online, and we have tried the raisin crunch, which is just as delicious as the apple cinnamon, however, it’s much more expensive to buy it online. I hope some of our other local stores will start carrying this granola because it’s just so great and my kids love it!
Cream of Buckwheat
I grew up eating cream of wheat for breakfast. My mom would prepare a bubbling pot on the stove with milk every morning before school to fuel me and my brother for the day. And even when we stayed the night at my grandmother’s house, she either made us french toast or cream of wheat for breakfast. It was a family staple. There’s just something about that simple porridge that’s so creamy and comforting. Later in life, I graduated from cream of wheat to oatmeal and discovered I really loved oatmeal, but sometimes I did still crave my mom’s cream of wheat. After becoming gluten-free, cream of wheat was obviously no longer on the menu for me. Thankfully though, gluten-free alternatives like cream of rice and cream of buckwheat come pretty darn close to filling my nostalgic comfort food yearnings. While I was enduring the nausea of the first trimester of my twin pregnancy, I discovered cream of buckwheat. It was one of the few foods I could tolerate every once in a while, when my stomach would allow. I make mine on the stove just like my mom and grandma did with their cream of wheat, except I use almond milk. Add a dash of salt and a sprinkle of cinnamon, yum! It tastes just like my childhood and fills my heart, soul, and belly.
Seven Sundays cereal, muesli, and granola
My whole family loves Seven Sundays products. The company makes a variety of gluten-free and even some grain-free breakfast staples, like cereal, muesli, and granola. The oat protein cereal is made with upcycled oat protein, upcycled non-GMO corn, cassava starch, coconut oil, and natural sweeteners, like honey, dates, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. I recently bought the simply honey flavor for my kids try and they absolutely loved it! It’s a delicious, much cleaner alternative to everyone’s childhood favorite General Mills cereal Honey Nut Cheerios. The sunflower protein cereal is just slightly different, made with cassava and sunflower protein instead of oats and corn, but it’s naturally sweetened with the same yummy, wholesome ingredients. I especially love the cinnamon flavor, it’s perfectly crunchy and not too sweet. Both the oat and sunflower protein cereals have five grams of protein and two to four grams of fiber per serving. The muesli comes four different varieties: classic bircher, farmer’s market mix, wild and free mix, and early riser mix. All of these mueslis have no added sugars or sweeteners or natural flavors or oils; they’re all made with wholesome oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. We’ve only tried the farmer’s market mix and we love it in our baked apple oatmeal, which I recently posted about. This flavor in particular happens to be the only organic one and it’s chock-full of organic oats, dates, buckwheat groats, almonds, currants, sorghum flakes, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds. I’ve also eaten enjoyed this muesli as a hot oatmeal, and it’s so heart-warming and tasty! The nut granolas are grain-free and are a perfect crunchy topping to yogurt or oatmeal, or even simply eaten as is! My kids love the Rise and Shine Mix in their yogurt. This variety has dried strawberries and bananas, so they go crazy for it! Again, both flavors of nut granola have no junk ingredients and are naturally sweetened, which is why we love it!
Flackers
Organic flax seeds, organic apple cider vinegar, and sea salt. That’s all it takes to make an incredible, healthy cracker. I will be honest, I was slightly hesitant to buy these crackers at first because flax seeds can have a very intense, flaxy flavor that is sometimes hard to palate, and with flax seeds as basically the only ingredient, I was afraid we wouldn’t like these. I once tried flax milk and had to throw it out, it was just way to earthy and flaxy, even for me! But I was wrong about these crackers! Even my four-year-old son loves them! Somehow, they do not have an off-putting flax taste, but rather they are nutty, crunchy, salty, and perfectly balanced. I love them with peanut butter and my son loves to eat them with cheese. They boast a whopping six grams of protein and nine grams of fiber per serving, not to mention the omega-3s and the iron. What a powerhouse snack!
Masala Mama sauces
I came across Masala Mama sauces one day while I was shopping at Whole Foods with my two littles. It was a newly featured item and I waited to purchase it thinking maybe I would try some of the products if they ever went on sale. Sure enough, the very next week, they were on sale! I bought several different ones to try, including the cashew tikka, curry, and the vindaloo. All three of these items happen to be vegan, but many of the other products are prepared traditionally with dairy. Although they are not certified organic, all of the sauces are made with fresh, whole ingredients including a variety of Indian spices, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, coconut, and dried fruit for naturally derived sweetness. They are perfect for semi-homemade Indian meal! I prepared all three of my sauces (on different occasions of course) with chicken breast, but any of them would also pair well with chickpeas, lentils, freshly steamed fish, like cod or haddock, or even lamb. Serve it over rice with some veggies and you have one outstanding Indian-take-out replica!
Brass Roots sacha inchi butter
What is sacha inchi? Sacha inchi is a seed indigenous to Peru that has long been consumed for it’s health benefits. Rich in protein, omega-3s, and fiber, it’s a powerhouse alternative to other nuts. I accidentally discovered this unbelievable seed butter one day as I was perusing the aisles at my local Sprouts Market. I saw several jars of it at the bottom shelf marked down from $9.99 to $2.50, so I took a risk and bought the last eight jars. The ingredients were super clean, and I loved the nutritional breakdown, so I figured “how bad could it be for such a bargain?” Turns out it was a diamond find! My kids and I devoured each jar to the last drop! We ate it just as we would peanut butter, topping it on muffins, putting it in our oatmeal, eating it with bananas, you name it! Nutty, salty, and slightly chickpea-ish in flavor, it was absolutely divine! Unfortunately since then we have not been able to find this product anywhere in stores, only on the retailer website, as the company had re-sourced it’s sacha inchi seeds and has had limited production. It’s extremely expensive through the website, so hopefully Brass Roots will start distributing to more grocery stores again soon!