ALONG COMES MARY

Lets face it, it is more easy to SAY you are going to eat healthy than actually stick with it. I try so very hard to go on my binges of “No more candy in the house. When I crave that, reach for an apple.” I do pretty well, overall, but some days? I want to have my cake and eat it, too.

Luckily, we are in a day and age where more people than not know what the heck “Gluten” is (Or at-least that many of us are allergic to the protein paste in wheat and grains) and over half of consumers are demanding to know if their food is GMO-free.

This is when Sprouts Farmers Market comes in. I like to think of myself as Goldilocks and the health food stores around here are my “chairs” and “Porridge”; some markets out there are much too pricey for my budget, some don’t have the brands that I love and Sprouts? Sprouts is just right!

On a recent trek over to Sprouts, I was on the search for grub that can fill in those gaps in the day when it’s not breakfast, lunch or dinner, but, you NEED to eat or you will become nasty. Especially, since I do a lot of my work from home, I like having options throughout the day and knowing at the end of the day I haven’t had all junk.

Mike really loves cinnamon cereals, and Cascadian Farms has an excellent Cinnamon Crunch that is not only GMO and artificial chemical free, but also organic along with everything else! For my breakfast, or, more like an 11am snack/brunch (I never eat much when I first wake up), I have been loving creating my own yogurt parfaits with Mountain High Original Style Plain Yogurt. I’ll add in some berries, granola, whatever floats my boat and voila, the perfect yogurt as I sip my coffee and do work on my porch with my….er, co-workers…..

I’ve been a huge fan of Annie’s products for as long as I can remember, and luckily I always know that the price will be RIGHT if I grab my goods at Sprouts. Whether its their Wisconsin cheddar mac ‘n cheese or their line of Goddess salad dressings, the go-to that is always “in my bag” would have to be their fruits snacks Bunny Berry Patch….they’re shaped like a bunny and NOT the gummies you’ll find at the convenient store….

Something else I am trying to watch out for, especially since I am gluten-free, is watching my corn intake. Corn is a very cheap grain that is more often than not sourced from genetically engineered organisms. Now, I love me a tortilla chip as much as the next taco-obsessed chick, but, I am aware not all food is created equal. Food Should Taste Good (best brand name ever, right?) has my favorite tortilla chips since they’re made out of brown rice and quinoa. From salsa dipping to hummus, they’ve got an entire line of varieties to select from and they’re all FANTASTIC.

Sprouts is currently hosting a fabulous “Get and Give Back Sweepstakes” where  five lucky winners will be selected to receive a $2,000 Sprouts gift card and nominate a local food bank in their community to receive a $2,000 monetary donation.

Check them out HERE and I will see you at Sprouts Farmers Market! xo