This spring and for the coming summer, I’m so excited to use The Healthy Shopper’s top Spring 2014 picks! I can’t get enough of having lots of healthy recipe ideas with the variety of oils, barbeque sauces, creams, and nutty spreads that I got. If you notice that these oily, creamy, saucy picks sound like they’re not the healthiest kinds of foods, think again!
First, I got three oils from Maison Orphée‘s organic line, namely the extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, and unrefined sunflower oil. They are cold pressed and unrefined, retaining their nutritional values and natural aromas. For the EVOO, I just love its fragrant, herby aroma, and it’s perfect for salads, drizzling or garnishing on anything, and some low-heat cooking. The VCO is perfect for recipes on the sweet side, where I can make it as a healthier alternative to butter. While the sunflower oil will be the star in our vegetable dishes and my baked goodies!
The Simply Natural organic barbeque sauces are all fat-free and have completely zero trans fats. I got them in Tangy, Smoky, and Honey flavours. These lovely varieties will add excitement to our outdoor grilling! I can also provide three tasty choices for my family on which healthy sauce they want on their steak or healthy fried foods. Their tastes are very distinctive that I can tell which flavour it is with my eyes closed. I’m not surprised that my daughter loves the Honey one, while my husband likes the traditional Smoky flavour. And because I love barbeques with a zesty kick, the Tangy one is for me. There’s something for everyone!
I also got coupons for free items from Olympic Dairy, where I can get their organic milk, sour cream, cream cheese, or yogurt. They offer special varieties of yogurt which can be low-fat, Greek style, flavoured, and with or without probiotics. I want to get their Krema Greek Style with Vanilla Infusion, and their Organic Cream Cheese which is Canada’s first probiotic cream cheese!
Last but not the least are the yummy natural nut spreads from Earth Balance. They’re gluten-free and vegan-friendly too. I got the Crunchy and Creamy variants for Natural Peanut Butter and Flaxseed, and for the super delicious Coconut & Peanut Spread. These spreads will add more life to sandwiches recipes for my daughter’s school snacks and our family picnics. They’re great for baking desserts too! I’m impressed that they don’t require stirring.
I’ve always been conscious with everything I buy, where I meticulously look for the most ‘benign’ items that do not have any hidden nasty ingredients. I have become a smarter shopper too, where I am proud to say that I don’t easily get tricked by alluring packagings that say “Natural” or “0% Trans-fats” without looking at their specific contents in their labels. Call me a sucker for organic and natural products if you wish, but it’s just the health-conscious and earth-loving mom that I am!
In a world where it is almost impossible for moms like me to have a complete bag of grocery items that are all made with natural goodness, I’m so glad that The Healthy Shopper is here to help. While they mainly provide money-saving coupon books and e-coupons for purchasing natural and organic products, they also comprehensively guide health-conscious Canadians in maintaining a healthy household with insightful product reviews, health and nutrition advice, healthy and yummy recipes, and a very useful directory of natural health stores and services. That’s healthy organic love for you!
*Disclaimer: I received samples for review purposes, and I received no other compensation for sharing my experience from using it. The opinions here in this post are purely honest and all my own.
Looks good! I’ve been wanting to try Earth Balance’s natural nut spreads.
The barbecue sauces are something I am going to be looking for in the stores as most sauces are not very healthy. The coconut and peanut spread sounds delicious.