2016 The Honest Dietitian Gift Guide for Your Foodies & FitFam

GIFTS YOUR FITFAM & FOODIES WILL LOVE!

~**Half-Moon Yoga Products**~ 

Foodie, Fitfam, and all of your loved ones can benefit from the products at Half-Moon Yoga. You will find so many ways to give the gift of relaxation and strength to your loved ones. Here are some of my favorites:

The Hot & Cold Therapy Pillow with Lavender: THIS is the perfect gift for anyone who suffers from headaches or head/neck tension. You can heat it up in the microwave (what I prefer to put over my shoulders to relief tension) or you can put it in the freezer to get cold (what I prefer when I am suffering from migraines to put over my eyes). The lavender scent is divine and it was certainly a lot bigger than I expected, which was fantastic. If your MOM does not have one of these, get her one too. Get the therapy pillow here

The Om Zafus Meditation Cushion: This is a travel-sized meditation cushion that I have really come to love because not only is it comfortable to sit on for meditating or slowing down for a moment, it has helped me to stay tall and provide support for maintaining good posture during all of the driving I have been doing. There are so many great patterns, this is truly a wonderful gift.  Get your Om Zafus here

Mat Cleaner for your Yogis: I had no idea this stuff existed but I am so incredibly happy that I have it now. If you have anyone in your life who does yoga, or works with a fitness mat...get them some of this mat cleaner! It is made with natural ingredients to keep your mat healthy and it comes in a variety of different scents (I love the French Lavender) or unscented too! Get your mat clean here!

~**Artisana Organic**~

If you want to send the gift of high quality food items to your loved ones this holiday season, check out the entire catalog over at Artisana Organics.  I have loved the coconut butter, raw sesame seed tahini, and the cocoa hazelnut spread. All of their products are amazing and delicious! Give this to a foodie in your life and sit back to watch the magic happen. Hopefully, they will share in what they create! Get these goodies here

~**Adagio Teas**~

CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA!!! Seriously, the dessert teas from Adagio are unbelievable! I have sampled so many of the flavors and I am just smitten with the selection. Sometimes we just need to satisfy our sweet tooth without any calories and this is where it’s at. Get this for all of your fitfam & foodies out there.  In addition to the chocolate chip tea, I recommend the golden monkey, thai chai,
candy cane, and probably my favorite new tea: honeybush chocolate tea. Click here to get your tea!

The Honest Dietitian's 2016 Commuter Food Favorites

Featuring My Favorite Commuter Foods

I drive a lot. I made the choice to go for my PhD and since I am a parent and had no intentions of moving my kids away from their friends and schools, this means I have a 3 hour round-trip commute to school between 1-4 days per week (depending on the semester). Couple that in with a full-time job as a clinical nutrition manager for three of those years...I have been busy. There is no doubt that a crazy schedule like this can sure make a person Hangry if they are not careful. And, since a lot of my commute is on the beautiful I-40, there have been many a times when I have been stuck in traffic for hours due to car accidents, fires, and so on. The worst was when I was leaving campus in time to make it home for my husband's delicious Fodmap friendly taco dip when I hit a standstill on I-40 with no possible way to exit to an alternative route. It was over 90 degrees outside and I had no water (I always carry a refillable bottle but it was empty), no food...and almost two hours later when we started to move, I had a raging migraine. That was the last time I have ever traveled without an emergency snack. Sometimes my schedule has been so packed that the only real "free" time I have had in a day has been the time I am in my car driving to the next scheduled event. I have found that I need to have 3 different types of foods to make my days and commutes the best they can be. I am also making this list with the very true assumption (for me) that there is not going to be appropriate access to a microwave to heat up any food. Here they are:

• Commuter Food Number One: Foods that will get me through my scheduled meal times when I do not have a lunchbox with an ice pack. This is the good 'ole "I'm running so behind that I am going to throw a bunch of food into a plastic bag" situation. Even as a mostly Type A personality, I can't plan for everything to go smoothly so this does happen more often than I like.

GoMacro Thrive Bars & Protein Bars.
I love these bars. My favorite flavors are the Caramel Coconut Thrive Bar & the Protein Pleasure Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bar. GoMacro makes really great products. I just noticed they have a sampler pack, so if you haven' tried these before- I highly recommend them. 


Barney Butters Almond Butter Snack Packs.
These butters are perfect to have on hand and with the large variety of choices, you are definitely going to find a flavor that you love. My favorite flavors are the Vanilla Espresso, Honey Flax, Cocoa Coconut, and the Bare Smooth Almond Butter. I literally have one of these snack packs in my purse at all time. Buy them here.

You will love these almond butters!

Artisans Organics Single Serving Squeeze Packs.
To be honest, I might be in love with the cashew nut butter. It is so incredibly creamy and delicious, I just love it so much. They also make squeeze packs for pecan butter, walnut butter, coconut butter, and so on. You will see me using their coconut butter & unbelievable cocoa spreads in some future recipes. Get your squeeze packs here.

Glutino Crackers.
You have to have something to put all of those delicious butters on! I like the original, cheddar, and sea salt crackers by Glutino. They are gluten-free but have a great consistency and are strong crackers to take on the road. The original crackers with the cashew nut butter and an orange, washed down with some chocolate coconut water is my pre-workout snack on my busy driving days. Give Glutino crackers a try!

The protein powder and coffee mystery has been solved!

A few weeks ago, I tweeted out to my universal fitfam asking the question on whether there had been any success on mixing protein powder and coffee together. There was a lot of interest in the question, but no one seemed to have answers. Until now. I had a very successful afternoon in my test kitchen and just could not wait to share the results with you all! This is exactly what I did:

A Vegan & Gluten-Free food that tastes good? Absolutely Yes!

One of the greatest things that I have learned about following a low-Fodmap lifestyle is the incredible amount of gluten-free foods that actually taste good because I have tried many GF foods that initially turned me off from the idea of even trying to follow a low-Fodmap plan but luckily, I have been able to try quite a few GF foods that seriously impressed my taste buds. I reached out to 88 Acres because I was searching for something that I could keep on hand when I am commuting around, shuffling the kids from one place to another, or simply to satisfy my cravings without the panic of reading every food label in the convenience stores. I was able to sample the Triple Berry, Apple & Ginger, and my personal favorite…the chocolate and sea salt bars.

Here is the deal with these: These are handcrafted by people who have first hand experience with the dangers of food allergens. Their bakery is free of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, dairy, sesame, eggs, fish, and shellfish. These are vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO project verified. And, I also was impressed that they mention that their bakery is latex-free. Many of you reading might look at the list of things that are not included in their foods and think “that sounds way too healthy, it must not be that good.” FALSE! Not only are the bars really good, but also how many times have you been able to look at food you have purchased and identify the ingredients listed on the label while you are actually eating it? I took the picture of my chocolate and sea salt bar and did not use a filter so you can see that these are the real deal.

No Filter. Look at the goodness!

PB Chocolate Coconut Protein Balls featuring Paleo Pro Powder

Who doesn't love to make homemade protein snack balls? I have had the wonderful opportunity to try the Paleo Pro products and I am SO impressed. In fact, I used their Aztec Vanilla protein powder in what has now become my favorite shake combination ever (1/2 frozen blueberries, 30g Aztec Vanilla protein powder & 10 ounces of coconut almond milk). I am an unbiased and honest reviewer for everything I write on this blog and can tell you, as someone who has a sensitive stomach, these products made me feel great: no bloating, etc. And OMG THEY HAVE A PUMPKIN SPICE FLAVORED POWDER! Yes, I am one of those people who loves on that pumpkin spice. Judge away. You know you want some- click here to get some. No soy, no whey, no added sugar, no gluten, grains, wheat. artificial ingredients, and so on. The cost for these products is very reasonable given their high quality. Way to go, Paleo Pro! You have a fan for life. I loved making the protein balls and was originally going to use almond meal in the recipe but am so glad I used the coconut flour because it added some great fiber content. The recipe is below- give them a try!

www.paleopro.com

Fodmap Sweet Potato & Parsnip Cakes

I have always loved sweet potatoes.  We often try to eat low-FODMAP foods because both my husband and I have happier GI tracts when we do. I had some parsnips that I needed to use and thought I would try out some Fodmap Friendly Sweet Potato & Parsnip cakes to accompany my balsamic herb-encrusted salmon and really enjoyed what came together. I know that olive oil has a high smoke point (around 405 degrees F) but on medium heat I was seeing a bit of smoke coming from the oil, so I just turned the heat down a number (from 6 to 5 on my stovetop) and didn't have as much burning the second time around. 

Sweet potato & parsnip cakes make a great side dish!

Ingredients: 

2 large sweet potatoes (baked at 350 degrees F in foil for 45 minutes & then peeled and mashed*) 

2 parsnips (peeled and chopped) 

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

~5 TBSP olive oil

Five Ingredient Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

I Love Apple Season! Maybe it is the Michigander in me, but once football season starts, I sure do get a hankering to make cobblers, stews, and casseroles. Granted, it is still in the 80's right now in North Carolina but I did see a few leaves in my pool so that counts, right? I have never used a boxed cake mix before with my cobblers but I had a box of Glutino Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Yellow Cake Mix in my pantry and a bunch of gala apples and decided to give it a try. It was a big hit in the house! I will definitely be making this recipe again:

Ingredients:

Ring the bell! School is in...and so are these items...

It is back to school time and travel soccer season for my household. There are some products out there that I have really been enjoying lately:

Gluten-Free Party Mix with Glutino Salted Caramel Covered Pretzels

This is such a busy time of year for me between school & getting the kids to soccer games that it is always good to have a quick snack on hand that is always tasty.  This is so incredibly easy to make and once you try the Glutino Salted Covered Pretzels, I imagine it will be hard for you to put any other sweet into the mix because it is one of the best GF pretzels and GF sweet snacks I have ever had.
 In fact, the reason why the bag looks a bit wrinkled in the picture is because I couldn't keep my kiddos away from these.  The sweet & salty of the salted caramel with the savory party mix is a wonderful combination.  Put this mix in a couple of snack size ziplock bags and if hanger hits in your family, you'll be well prepared.

Glutino Gluten-Free Goods- Love! Love! Love!

What is that saying...you always want what you can't have?  That is how I felt when I first tried eliminating gluten with the Fodmap diet to help identifying the foods that were causing abdominal distention/bloating in my diet.  I had tried a few "bread" products and really was not optimistic.  Then, one day, I took a leap of faith and found Glutino's Gluten-Free Bagels in the freezer section of the Food Lion by my house.  And my husband and I were so happy because they are really, really good!  I wanted to see what other GF products the Glutino company carried.  Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to answer my prayers and make a GF English muffin.  Prayers answers.  See here.  I am in love with the original premium english muffins that Glutino makes.  I am a huge fan of making my own breakfast sandwiches and generally prefer the english muffin over bread when it comes to sandwiches (especially the peanut butter and banana combo).

Green's Gluten-Free Beer- YES! YES! YES!

Growing up in Kalamazoo, Michigan I have had the opportunity to be exposed to some of the finer things in life including great live music, good coffee, and the best microbreweries in the country.  I appreciate my diverse taste in beer, knowing that there are times, tastes, and places for all of the different varieties.  I have been skeptical of divulging in the Gluten-Free Beer genre because honestly, all of the ones I have tried have been "meh".  However, my thoughts, feelings, and preferences have all changed after being exposed to Green's Gluten Free Beers.  Green's GF Beers are Belgian brews that are made with millet, sorghum, buckwheat (soba), and rice.  There are no sulfites (no headaches!) and are appropriate for vegans & vegetarians.  Since I have a preference for dark and ominous brews, I was especially excited to try the Endeavor Dubbel Ale.  It is dark.

The FODMAP Diet for IBS, etc.

There are lots of people out there who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome with either diarrhea, constipation, or a combination of both.  There are some medications that can alleviate symptoms, however, there are no medications that can specifically treat the painful bloating that some people experience.  I know many, many people who can bloat out to the size of a 5-6 month pregnant female after meals and even through allergy testing, upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, various medications and digestive enzymes, nothing seems to help discover the root cause to the discomfort.

I've been watching the progression of interest in the FODMAP diet in the USA for some time now.  Dr. Sue Shepard and Dr. Peter Gibson created the FODMAP Diet in the 2000's and for many people, it has brought much comfort.

So what is a FODMAP?
FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols.  The idea is to limit foods that have been proven to be poorly absorbed by some people.  The foods that are limited include foods with:

Excess Fructose:  apples, pears, honey, high fructose corn syrup
Lactose:  cow milk, ice cream, cottage cheese
Fructans:  garlic, onion, brussels sprouts, watermelon
Galactans: beans, lentils, chickpeas
Polyols:  Sugar alcohols such as xylitol, maltitol, avocados, prunes

WOWBUTTER- A peanut butter replacement product

3 million Americans report being allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, or both.  We have all seen the horrible stories of children with peanut allergies having allergic reactions and losing their lives due to accidents involving exposure to peanuts.  People with severe peanut allergies can exhibit symptoms such as inflammation, itching, hives, swelling, and in some cases, anaphylaxis in which the air passages are blocked and the circulatory system can collapse leading to death if not treated immediately.  Some school systems have made peanut-free zones in their cafeterias, or have eliminated peanut products completely from their schools.  WOWBUTTER is a peanut free, gluten free, tree nut free, and dairy free product that is a peanut butter replacement product.  One of my co-workers son's (who is 3 years old) loves this product so much that he asks for a spoonful of it at night as a snack.  I do not have a peanut allergy and love traditional peanut butter, so it was difficult for me to have an unbiased opinion, but I thought it was just okay.  However, if  I had a peanut allergy or if my kid's schools were peanut-free zones, I do think this would be a decent alternative if placed on some bread with some jelly or banana slices.  It certainly maintained the smooth, creamy texture of regular peanut butter.  And from all of the sampling of the product, the kids who tried the WOWBUTTER were happy with it, but the adults were stuck in their ways of regular peanut butter.  The really cool thing is that on the website, you can request a free sample for your daycare, school, or camp.  There is also a lot of resources for speaking to school boards about peanut allergies and allergy facts in general.  Thank you WOWBUTTER for letting my review panel and I sample your products!  I am glad you are such a great advocate for people with peanut allergies!

Looking to satisfy your sweet tooth without the calories? Try Arctic Zero products!

I really thought that these products were going to be too good to be true until I tasted them.  Arctic Zero is a brand that makes low-calorie sweet treats, including pints of delicious frozen goodness that are only 150 calories for the whole pint in flavors such as chocolate, cookies & cream, coffee, mint chocolate cookie, chocolate peanut butter, vanilla maple, and other seasonal flavors (such as pumpkin spice) that are sure to please.  Also, they have 85 calorie bars in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and orange cream.  Here's some additional information that makes these even more enticing:

• Gluten Free
• Fat Free
• 14 grams of whey protein per pint
• 8 grams of fiber per pint
• Non-GMO
• Natural or Organic Ingredients
• No Sugar Alcohols
• Bars & Pints are suitable for the lactose intolerant

 

 

So you are probably wondering what it is sweetened with?  Well, Arctic Zero uses monk fruit and organic cane sugar as the sweetener.  Now, when you take a bite of these desserts, do not expect it to taste like Ben & Jerry ice cream.  It tastes more like a frozen protein shake, but it does curb the desire for a sweet treat.  My kids LOVED the frozen bars, except the chocolate coating did break off quite easily, making a bit of a mess for us.  I personally fell in love with the coffee flavored pint.  I also enjoyed the cookies & cream and chocolate peanut butter flavors.  The best thing about it all was that I had absolutely no guilt eating it.  If you do have a sweet tooth and are looking to try an alternative to satisfy your cravings, give Arctic Zero a shot. Here is the link to their website:  Arctic Zero and I would encourage you to follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well!

What flavor would you like to try?

Edward & Sons: Convenience Without Compromise featuring Rambutan

Edward & Sons are products that provide superior top quality organic foods to the world.  Their selection of packaged natural foods is impressive and exciting.  I was lucky enough to receive a sampling of some of the products they carry, including these crackers:  Onion & Garlic Rice Snax which did not last more than an hour in my office area.  Edward & Sons is a vegetarian company so their products are free of meat or fish.  They have a huge selection of gluten-free items, soy-free, and lactose-free products.  For someone who really enjoys food and tasting new foods, sampling the products that Edward & Sons sent me was like Christmas morning to me.  They also have an amazing selection of fruits and vegetables, including one I have never tried before:  Rambutan.

This tree fruit is native to Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippians, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and other parts of Southeast Asia.  It is a tropical fruit that I can best describe as having the texture of a big grape and the taste of a pear.  It was pretty tasty!  I have been able to find several Edward & Sons products around town, but you can check for their products in your area using this Store Finder.  Thank you Edward & Sons for letting me sample your healthy and delicious products, as well as educating me on the Rambutan fruit!

Crunchmaster Gluten Free Crackers

Crunchmaster Gluten Free Crackers are some of the tastiest crackers I have ever had!  I have tried quite a few gluten-free foods that have not tasted good, but each and every flavor of the Crunchmaster brand crackers was great.  In fact, one of my interns was placed on a Gluten-Free diet by her physician and I brought in the bag of the White Cheddar Multi-Grain Crackers to try.  The only problem was that by the end of the work day, my co-workers and other interns had ate the entire bag!  Oops!  I will certainly be buying these crackers to keep in my home and after looking around, found that they were in many stores around town.  Other flavors I tried were Multi-Grain Roasted Vegetables & Sea Salt and the 7-Ancient Grains in Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper & Herb.

The texture of these crackers from the rice is very pleasing to the palate.  They are very solid for putting spreads on and a perfect match for soups.  One of the wonderful things about the Crunchmaster crackers is their recipe tab.  You can use these crackers in many recipes to create amazing Gluten-Free dishes such as Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole, Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken Tenders, and Gorgonzola Stuffed Celery.  These crackers rock my socks off!  They have a store locator and a coupon on their site, so check them out.  Even if you are not following a Gluten-Free diet...these crackers still apply to you!  Thanks so much to Crunchmaster for letting me try these Gluten-Free crackers at no cost for my review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips

Every once in a while I have to travel from my forever home in North Carolina to my home state of Michigan, where most of my family & my husband's family still resides.  It is always difficult finding quick go-to snacks that I am comfortable with feeding my kids while we make the 14 hour drive up North.  Or shall I say...it was difficult until I was introduced to Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips!

These 100% Organic and Kosher apple chips are fat free and gluten free, with no added sugar, preservatives, or additives.  The BEST thing about the apple chips is that they taste incredible!  They are crunchy, filling, and delicious.  They also come in Granny Smith Apple Chips & Fuji Apple Chips.  You can throw them in salads, oatmeal, cereal, smoothies, pancakes, and so much more!  You can find these tasty chips in your area here.  I can sometimes find myself on long drives or flights, tempted to eat mindlessly.  These apple chips satisfied my hunger, preventing overeating, and were quite popular to every one that I had give them a try.  I highly recommend giving these chips a try yourself.  You will soon make them a go-to snack like I have!

Thank you SO MUCH Bare Fruit for letting me review your wonderful apple chips at no-cost for my review!  All opinions are 100% my own.

Pirate's Booty Snacks

I am sure it is hard having a Dietitian as a Mom.  Although my kids stand up for their healthy lunches I pack for them, when other kids who eat Doritos and Oatmeal Pies every day in their lunches criticize them for having fruit and vegetables, I know that sometimes they want something a little extra special in their lunch.  So I enjoy packing them Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Snacks.  In fact, Pirate's Booty has 12-pack half-ounce lunch packs that are perfect for lunches!  You can find them at Whole Foods and Target, but their popularity is spreading fast, since more and more people are seeing how tasty it is!

Here's why I like Pirate's Booty:

• They are ALL NATURAL 
• They are BAKED
• They are GLUTEN FREE & TRANS FAT FREE
• Low-Calorie & Low-Fat

I find that Pirate's Booty makes a great addition to lunches, but also a great snack for the kid's sports teams.  I love introducing better snack options when I provide snacks to the kid's sports teams because the kids always love them.  In fact, this Halloween, they had the Pirate's Booty boxes to give out the snacks for treats (see above picture), but I bought a few boxes for soccer snacks...and for...my lunch.  When they say "Get Hooked!" on Pirate's Booty, they are right.  This stuff is good...really, really good.  Try it out on your kids and yourself and you will get hooked!  Thanks so much to Pirate's Booty for letting me review your products at no-cost.  All of my opinions are 100% my very own.

Bakery on Main's Gluten-Free Instant Oatmeal Review & Giveaway!

I LOVE Oatmeal!  I especially love flavored oatmeal or dressing up plain oatmeal with fruits & nuts & various things.  I first tried Bakery on Main's products at the Food & Nutrition Conference/Expo in Boston last year and their Gluten-Free Granola was absolutely delicious.  I am not going to lie (hence...the Honest Dietitian) but I do have trouble finding GF foods that I am in love with, so listen...I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS OATMEAL.  Bakery on Main was kind enough to send me a packet of the Gluten-Free Instant Oatmeal in Strawberry Shortcake, Apple Pie, and Maple Multigrain Muffin flavors at no cost for me to review.  These delicious oatmeals are made with:

• Certified Gluten Free Oats
• Amaranth
• Quinoa
• Chia & Flax Seeds

So you are looking at an oatmeal that is high in fiber, non GMO (thank you!!), dairy & casein free, low sodium, GFCO certified gluten free, Kosher OU Parve, and no trans fat or cholesterol.  Lots of people are following a GF diet, for various reason aside from people with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerances.  Other individuals include people with Autism who eat a GF/Casein Free diet in an attempt to reduce symptoms, athletes who feel a GF diet helps to improve performance, as well as those individuals who have eliminated Gluten from their menu & just feel a whole lot better!

My favorite flavor was the Strawberry Shortcake.  The oatmeal cooked up good, in fact I made mine with boiling water and was happy with the parallel consistency with the regular instant oatmeals I have had.  Here is the main difference, there was more sustenance to each bite.  The oats were a bit firmer, the flavor was more natural, & since the fiber content between the oatmeal & strawberries was higher, I actually was full before the bowl was done!  That, my friends, is a sign of one excellent oatmeal.  Warm, cozy, filling...and I am happy & ready to go!  Thanks to the wonderful Bakery on Main for letting me try these oatmeals & they are so nice that they're going to let you try them too!!!