Last week, I shared part one of my list of favourite natural and organic grocery products. Today, in part two of my grocery list, I am including my everyday essentials—items that I can’t (or won’t) live without. Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread is our everyday margarine and butter replacement. It is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free and contains no artificial ingredients or hydrogenated oils. I know I sound like an advertisement, but this is good stuff!
Have you seen the ingredients in some bouillon powders? Scary stuff—MSG being one of the worst. Harvest Sun Vegetable Bouillon Powder is our staple for making soups. The ingredients are pretty simple: Yeast Extract, Sea Salt, Potato* & Corn Starch*, Anti-Caking Agent Calcium Carbonate, Carrots*, Leeks*, Non-Hydrogenated Palm Oil*, Celery*, Parsley*, Turmeric*, Nutmeg*. (*certified organic)
I have tried a number of different brands of tofu over the years, and my clear favourite is Sol Cuisine Organic Firm Tofu. One, it is nice and firm and fries or bakes up well. Two, it is organic, which means no GMO soy. Three, it is made with calcium, so it has the added bonus of contributing a bit of non-dairy calcium to your diet.
I have talked before about Premier Japan Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce. Pour a half a bottle of this over a pound of tofu cut into triangles, add some garlic powder and olive oil, and bake for about half an hour. There. You have yourself an easy meat substitute for dinner.
I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to caffeine. It makes me shaky and agitated. And, like you, I hear all about the benefits of green tea. So, my drink of choice is decaf green tea. I like to try different brands, but most often I drink Stash Decaf Premium Green Tea.
Almost every Tuesday is "Taco Tuesday" at our house. Now that I am avoiding regular wheat, I can’t have the Yves meatless ground round. Luckily, I found Sol Organic Veggie Crumbles. Saute them in olive oil and add some spices like chili powder and garlic powder and they make a great taco filler, along with refried beans, tomatoes, guacamole...and my next item.
A handy addition to our Taco Tuesdays is Tofutti Sour Supreme, a non-dairy sour cream imitator. I’m not saying this is healthy, whole food, but it adds a nice little flavour and texture to your taco. We all need a little treat!
VitaSpelt Spelt Elbows also make for a quick, healthy and delicious dinner, using the on-the-package recipe for pasta with tomato sauce and chickpeas. And, this pasta is from Abruzzo, where my husband’s extended family lives.
Next time, I’m going to share some items that are more snacks than they are essentials.
Although, snacking is essential to me. How about you?
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