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Decadently Healthy Cuisine
Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer Shake Mix
For years, I searched for a dairy-free, soy-free protein shake mix, only to find either nothing or some crappy brown rice mix that tasted like, well, old, dried-up brown rice. Then, one day while shopping at my favorite organic grocery store, I was introduced to Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer (or Vega Optimizer as I like to call my new love!).
I swear by the Vega Optimizer shakes. Not only are they dairy-, and soy-free, but they are also gluten-free AND corn-free, with their protein coming from a combination of hemp, yellow pea, brown rice, flax and chlorella. Plus, one serving (2 scoops) contains 26 grams of protein, 15 grams of fiber, and 2,500 mg of omega-3 EFAs, as well as probiotics, digestive enzymes, a mixed berry complex that provides an ORAC value of 800, and 100% RDI of vitamins and minerals. It’s like a delicious protein shake and multivitamin in one!
But my favorite part is that Vega contains maca (great for hormone balance), green foods (fabulous for daily detoxification and immune health), and still manages to have just one gram of sugar and 220–240 calories (for 2 scoops)!
Now, for the taste. In a word, fantastic!
They have four flavors: berry, chocolate, chai, and natural. While they are all great, I usually use the chocolate or natural for my morning shake, because I also add a handful of spinach, a banana, and a cup of frozen berries and, quite frankly, that’s a bad combo with the chai. Instead, I save the chai for those days when I need a quick afternoon snack.
If you have been searching for the perfect shake—great taste, amazing nutritional profile, and no gluten, dairy, soy, corn, etc.—then Vega will quickly become your next true love too!
Pamela’s Products
I don’t know what I’d do without my Pamela’s products! I swear by their Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix. This is the most versatile wheat-free flour I’ve ever used. I can simply replace any flour from a recipe with the mix and enjoy a wide array of wheat-free treats, including brownies, cakes, and cookies. I just replace the sugar as well and I have a decadent, guilt-free treat!
Plus, the baking mix makes the fluffiest, most soul-satisfying pancakes you’ve ever had. The first time I made them, I had to show my husband the bag to prove to him that they didn’t have any wheat! I buy the four-pound bag to ensure I never run out.
Pamela’s also has the best Wheat-Free Bread Mix around. It is slightly sweetened with molasses and honey, which gives the bread an incredible taste and mouth feel. I took the mix home to Pennsylvania with me, and next thing I knew, it was gone…my family kept eating it instead of the regular Italian bread my mother had purchased.
On the already prepared front, Pamela’s also has boxed cookies. While most have evaporated cane sugar, the Old-Fashioned Raisin Walnut Cookies are sweetened with fruit juice concentrate. I have a special place in my heart for this flavor, as my late father was a true connoisseur of oatmeal cookies. Thanks to the soft, moist texture and rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor, this is one decadent treat he would have loved.
Glutino
One of the hardest things to find when you are going wheat- and gluten-free is bread. Pamela’s Bread Mix is amazing, but sometimes you need pre-made slices, especially if you have kids or a spouse that acts like a kid. In this case, look no further than Glutino’s Flax Seed bread. What a find! It is thick, dense, and toasts up beautifully! And the flax gives you a nice dose of omega-3 fatty acids!
Glutino also has not just the best frozen bagels, but the only ones I’ll eat. They are big, thick, and not too far off from the bagels of my youth. I pop a half in the toaster then top it with any one of Justin’s Nut Butters (see below) for a special treat on a Sunday.
Justin’s Nut Butter
I don’t care how old you are, nearly everyone I know loves peanut butter. Whether you spread it on a bagel, stuff it inside a celery stalk, or just eat it with a spoon, peanut butter instantly transports you to your youth.
So imagine my surprise when I came across Justin’s nut butter, an organic peanut butter that is infused with honey, cinnamon, and even pumpkin pie spices. It’s like being a kid with the palate of an adult! My personal favorite is the Sinfully Cinnamon, but you’ll have to try them all before you decide.
Dagoba Chocolate
How could I possible talk about decadently healthy cuisine and not mention chocolate! As a self-proclaimed chocolate freak, I think I’ve tried every chocolate on the market, sugar-free and otherwise. And of all the ones I’ve tasted (and I’ve tasted hundreds!), nothing comes close to Dagoba. Their organic chocolate simply has to be savored piece by piece.
While they have outrageous dark chocolate flavors like blueberry-lavender, lime-macadamia nut, and xocolatl (think chilies), my favorite is their eclipse bar. With 87 percent cocoa, this chocolate is rich and still creamy. And with just four grams of sugar for half the bar, it satisfies my need for low sugar while still tickling my sweet tooth. Plus, they even make a powdered cocoa you can bake with!
Z Sweet
I thought I was a xylitol disciple until I met erythritol. Erythritol is a naturally occurring substance that is found in many fruits, as well as fermented foods like soy sauce, beer, wine, sake, and even cheese.
While technically a sugar alcohol, erythritol doesn’t cause digestive upset like maltitol or even xylitol. But what I love most about it is that it looks like sugar, is about 2/3 as sweet as sugar, and doesn’t cause a change in blood sugar levels (according to a study by Glycemic Index Laboratories).
Z Sweet has the best (if not the only) erythritol on the market. It has no calories, no fat, and even no aftertaste! I use it to replace sugar in many of my baking and ice cream recipes, and my sister-in-law uses it in her Southern husband’s sweet tea.