Clients are always asking about my favorite food brands and shops, so here is a short list:
Favorite Yogurt: Nancy’s nonfat Greek yogurt – Blackberry Flavor. Organic, thick and delicious, 140 Kcal, 17g fat, 18 g sugar (some of this is from lactose), less than 1 g fiber
Favorite Non Dairy Milk – Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Almond Milk (refrigerated). The best tasting, and no carrageenan.
Favorite Grab and Go Lunch – Starbucks Kale and Brown Rice bowl – with butternut squash, green peas, cubed beets, broccoli, marinated tomatoes, and a lemon tahini dressing. 350 to 430 Calories, 7-10g protein, 7-8g sugar, 6-8g fiber (the range depends on how much of the dressing you use, I usually use about 2/3). I recommend eating this with a small source of protein.
Favorite Snack that Fits in My Purse – Gnu Fiber Bars
Favorite Cold Beverage– Perrier. More highly carbonated beverages are similar to swallowing air and can cause GI discomfort in some people.
Favorite Hot Beverage – my special hot chocolate from “scratch”. The ingredients are only cocoa powder, sweetener if desired, hot water and a splash of almond milk (regular milk is fine if you can tolerate lactose!). So satisfying and chemical free.
Favorite Breakfast – my special protein shake with “gums” – a full Vitamix of soft serve “ice cream” for ~120 calories, 10-20 G protein, fiber from the gums and very filling. Extremely delicious and addictive. Instructions/Recipe will be posted in the future.
Favorite Frozen Treat – Arctic Zero frozen dessert is low in calories, contains some fiber and protein (whey protein based) and is sweetened with stevia and monk fruit. It is also lactose free, which is important for people like me who are lactose-intolerant. Arctic Zero is an instant-gratification version of my “favorite breakfast” protein shake. Each serving of the “creamy” flavors (1/2 cup) has 35 calories, 3g protein, 2g fiber, 0g fat and 5 g sugar. There was some controversy a few years ago about the calorie content, with some flavors coming in at ~45% more calories than stated. However, this is common for packaged foods, due to volume differences in packages (sometimes you get extra in a package versus what was stated on the label), the 10% rule (calorie counts just have to be within 10% per labeling rules) and the fiber rule (minimally digestible calories and calories from fiber do not have to be included in total calories on nutrition facts labels). Overall, this does not worry me because at the most it may change a serving from 35 to 50 calories, and even if you eat 2 servings, it would still only be an increase of 30 calories, which is about 1 small bite of rice or pasta! Due to the lack of fat, this product needs to sit out of the freezer for about 15 minutes for best constancy before eating, otherwise it is rock hard!
Favorite Premium Oil Brand – Spectrum. Available at PCC, Whole Foods, many co-op stores, Thriftways, QFC and Fred Meyer Natural sections. This is also a reliable brand for supplements.
Feel free to ask for any further recommendations. I love giving tips for better health!