The Charmed Bar
Deb and Jen, the two “Charmed Girls” – one, a former kindergarten teacher and the other a sales professional in suburban Washington, DC – put their heads and hearts together to create the ultimate snack bar, the Charmed Bar: a salty-sweet mélange of wholesome natural ingredients made without gluten, grains, dairy, soy, refined sugars and absolutely no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Read more 
Among Friends Hand-Crafted Baking Mixes
Walk down the baking aisle of any grocery store and notice there is more shelf space devoted to mixes than raw ingredients which could be good (if whole grains, natural ingredients, and real spices are used) or bad (if the ingredients include white flour, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives), People are busy so boxed mixes have a place – albeit a big place – in our lives but we don’t have to sacrifice nutrition and taste for time if Among Friends Hand-crafted Baking Mixes are chosen because these mixes are “free of all the bad stuff.” Read more
Healthier Halloween Options
For Halloween, it’s all about the candy and that means Trick or Treaters will have bags of sweets that will haunt every parent for about a month. Most candy has sugar or high fructose corn syrup and often artificial colors, flavors sweeteners, and preservatives. Although sugar is hard to avoid, there are alternative candy choices that are certified organic and flavored with 100% natural flavorings from fruits, vegetables and roots. Sound to good to be true? It’s not. YumEarth Organics makes a variety of treats with all these attributes and more – free of dairy, peanuts, gluten, tree nuts, and soy – and they taste scrumptious, the way candy is supposed to taste.
Engine 2 Crispbreads and Tortillas
Nearly everyone loves crackers and Engine 2 offers two varieties: Organic Original Crispbread and Organic Triple Seed Crispbread. Made with whole grains and seeds with no added oils or dairy products, these great tasting super crunchy crackers are delicious with hummus, vegetable spreads, and nut butters. And, for those who prefer a softer vehicle, Engine 2 makes two types of tortillas: Sprouted Ancient Grain and Brown Rice which are ideal to make soft tacos, wraps, and burritos. Read more
Engine 2 Hummus
In the refrigerated section of most grocery stores are rows and rows of prepared hummus – a garbanzo bean spread that has been popular in the Middle East for centuries (if not longer). In recent years, hummus has gained popularity in the US and is used as a dip for an appetizer and even as a spread in wraps.
Although hummus is very simple to make at home with a food processor, sometimes its just easier to pick up a container at the grocery store. Most prepared hummus contains a lot of additives and oils but there are three new hummus products on the market made by Engine 2 and carried by Whole Foods that are low-fat and low in sodium with no added oils. Read more
Engine 2 Organic Grain Medleys
Rice is one of those dishes that can be incredibly bland or amazingly delicious depending on how it’s prepared. The secret to a great tasting and nutritious rice dish is to blend the rice with grains, vegetables, beans, and even fruit which can require planning ahead. For those occasions when time is a factor, consider using an Engine 2 Plant-Strong Grain Medley. Completely pre-made and sold in the freezer section of Whole Foods, the four Grain Medley Blends – Ancient Grains, Wild Rice, Fiesta, and Morning Blends – are packaged in 13-ounce bags. Read more
Engine 2 Plant Burgers
Whoever said “Real men eat red meat” didn’t taste a burger made by Engine 2, the company founded by Rip Esselstyn, the former fireman whose been on a “plant-strong” diet since 1987. With the firm belief that a burger doesn’t have to be made from red meat, two superstars – Engine 2 and Whole Foods – got together to come up with great tasting, healthy plant-based burgers. Gluten-free with no cholesterol or saturated fat, Engine 2 Plant-Stroong Plant Burgers are flavorful and make one mean burger. Read more
Engine 2 Plant-Strong Products
There is beauty in simplicity.
School has started, life is busy, and the big question of the day is how to make healthy meals or snacks when time is limited. Rip Esselstyn, author of The Engine 2 Diet and My Beef With Meat combined forces with Whole Foods to create a healthy line of plant-based food products – cereals, milks, burgers, grain medley, tortillas, crackers, and hummus – which means they are made from whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. In other words, there are no animals products, no added oils, minimal added sugar, if at all, less than 25% total calories from fat per serving, and a 1:1 ration of milligrams of sodium to calories per serving. Best of all, the products taste delicious, which is just what you would expect of foods made with wholesome, natural ingredients. Read more
Life with a Veganista
One day my daughter came home from school and told me a joke: How do you know someone is a vegan? Answer: They tell you. There is some truth to that joke as vegans have a reputation – rightly or wrongly – of being preachy at times. Last December, my daughter decided to become a vegan and started on a journey to live a complete animal-free lifestyle, which means no meat, no dairy, no honey, no leather, and no products that have been animal tested. Read more
22 Days Nutrition: Energy and Protein Bars
Just when I think I’ve tried every energy bar on the market, a new one comes along that makes me think my nutritional needs and taste buds have been neglected. 22 Days Nutrition Bars are the brainchild of exercise physiologist Marco Borges, a vegan and committed athlete who truly understands the relationship between food and performance. Borges decided to formulate great tasting nutrient-packed vegan products to nourish the body when he couldn’t find them on the market. Two of the products – Energy Bars and Protein Bars – are just that: highly nutritious and incredibly delicious.
Paddock Post 