Better Almond Butter
Jordyn Gatti, the founder and CEO of Better Almond Butter is on a mission to “make better food in a better way.” Although almond butter sounds like such a simple product, it really isn’t because there are two things consumers need to think about when selecting the most nutritious and delicious almond butter on the market: the almonds and whether the almonds have been sprouted.
The FDA requires that all almonds grown in California (where the majority of US almonds are grown) be pasteurized either by a steam process or by being gassed with a fumigation chemical called propylene oxide (PPO) – a jet engine fuel additive that is considered carcinogenic in Europe – to prevent foodborne illnesses (specifically, to prevent the transfer of bacteria from the field to consumers). Read more 
Consider Brandless™
Brandless™ is a relatively new company launched in July, 2017 that focuses on better access to better quality (i.e. Non-GMO, organic) goods at a more competitive price.
Instead of relying on grocery stores for common household goods (i.e. beans, ketchup, mustard, maple syrup, tomato sauce, jam, dried fruits and nuts, grains, rice, peanut butter, and more), consumers can buy directly from Brandless™ – a company that sources their goods directly from suppliers.
There are no distribution costs, wholesale to retail markups, shelf stocking fees, breakage and settlement costs, and no retail marketing costs because the supplier is linked directly with Brandless™ who delivers the goods directly to the consumer, for free (orders over $39 are shipped free, otherwise shipping is a flat rate of $6). Read more
Easy Jackfruit and Cannellini Bean Tostados
Tostados (and tacos) appeal to lots of people because there are a wide variety of toppings. In this easy to make recipe, caramelized jackfruit – a fantastic meat substitute – is the star of the show. Piled onto a warm crunchy corn tostado, jackfruit can the topped with seasoned white cannellini beans, some tangy mango salsa along with lettuce (or sprouts), avocado and tomatoes.
Ready in less than 20 minutes, Easy Jackfruit and Cannellini Bean Tostados make a nutritious and delicious meal. Read more
Bars by Big Spoon Roasters
If you’re crazy about nut butters, then you probably know all about Big Spoon Roasters – the Durham, North Carolina-based company that makes incredible handcrafted nut butters – almond, peanut, peanut pecan, peanut cashew, peanut cocoa, almond cocoa, maple cinnamon, and more. So, it seems only natural that the company would make snack bars with a base of their proprietary nut butters and house-made granola (made with gluten-free rolled oats, honey, grapeseed oil, and sea salt) along with fruits, nuts, seeds, spices, and more. Read more
MyKind Organics Vitamin B12 Organic Spray
MyKind Organics makes a liquid whole food Vitamin B12 supplement that is Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified in a great tasting raspberry spray. Just one spray (0.41 ml) provides 500 mcg (8,333% of the RDA) of Vitamin E. Given that the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin B12 varies by age, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, the US Food and Drug Administration sets the daily value at 6 micrograms. Read more
The Vitamin B12 Issue
Vitamin B12 has always fascinated me and even more so since I started following a whole grain, low oil, whole food plant-based diet (that’s a mouthful). This super vitamin can be obtained naturally through the consumption of animals and yet, the consumption of animal products have also been shown to do us the most harm. So, there must be something in our physiology to account for this irony. Read more
The Halloween of My Dreams
In the November 3, 2004 issue of the Washington Post, Marjorie Williams, a writer wrote a column called “The Halloween of My Dreams” which described a day helping her daughter with a Halloween costume – glitter and all – and watching her 8-year old run out the door to go trick or treating. The story touched my heart and I have never forgotten it. For any mother who realizes those seemingly normal moments with our children are really gifts that pass by in a blink of an eye, it’s a must read.
In 2011, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists rightly named it one of the top 15 newspaper columns in American History.
Executive Compensation at Stanford
Most people probably don’t know that Stanford’s legal name is “The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University” doing business as Stanford University. And most people probably don’t realize that Stanford’s revenue exceeds expenses by more than a billion dollars a year (for the last several years) which has allowed the university to grow their endowment. With $31.7 billion in net fund assets, Stanford is one of the wealthiest universities in the US along with being what some would refer to as a money-making machine. Read more
Create Your Own Salad
Create Your Own Salad is a 21st century phenomena that appeals to a lot of people who want to decide what ingredients they want in a salad. Not satisfied with the one salad fits all, fans of Create Your Own Salad are by nature people who know what they like and are not afraid to speak up.
When I do take out, I often look for a place where I can create my own salad but when I’m at restaurant, it’s often more difficult (I try not to be that pain-in-the-ass customer who drives servers crazy, at least not to the extent of Meg Ryan’s character, Sally Albright in the 1989 classic “When Harry Met Sally,” but have come close). Read more
Black Bean Brownies
Ten years ago a black bean brownie wouldn’t have done it for me because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Back then my favorite brownie was made with a Ghiradelli boxed brownie mix blended with melted unsalted butter and eggs (yes, I am ashamed to admit this).
Fast forward a few years when I tasted a black bean brownie sold in a cafe called Fresh in Des Moines, Iowa. Moist and chewy with a deep dark chocolate flavor, the black bean brownie was simply delicious but I didn’t attempt to make my own until recently when I realized that it was time to figure out how to make a delicious but nutritious (key word) alternative to traditional brownies. Read more
Paddock Post 