Good Products Make Life Easier

Hope you've had as many great meals with good people in awesome locations as I have this summer. <3

After chatting with a friend of mine last night about all of the progress it seems my local grocery store has made in offering products for dietary-restricted individuals, I got to thinking about how easy it is to eat without dairy, soy and sugar (among many other things!) now. Really. Major progress.

My friend doesn't have any of the restrictions that I do, but would rather purchase products that are naturally sweetened if the option is there - or made without the soy protein or whey preservatives - and why wouldn't she? Of course everyone should want to expand their list of go-to products to hopefully include new items that are without what you feel may be a potential problem area for you. If chocolate is your guilty pleasure (and why wouldn't it be?!) then maybe not having sugar added to your morning granola bar snack, your salad dressing and cereal may help you feel better about indulging in your sweet tooth in a more deliberate way.

I made a list and sent it off to my friend of my new absolute favorite products, so I thought I'd give them a share with you - Internet friends. These lists have made my life easier for so many reasons from: not having to spend hours at the grocery store reading labels to not having to make absolutely everything from scratch and - most of all - to not having to "cheat" in order to have ketchup with my fries or mayo on my sandwich. I can save a "cheat" here and there for something more deliberate - like a bowl of spicy ramen noodles or chige (my Korean guilty pleasures!).

Notes: I purchase these products based on their ingredient lists. These are not suggestions based on nutritional values. Each person will have their own separate goals regarding ingredients vs calories vs nutritional values. All of these are also not sweetened with aspartame. Get away from that where you can!

These products also lead me to one of the main reasons I just cannot indulge in the paleo diet at the moment - I finally found products that make life easier and I'm just not ready - or willing - to give that up at the moment. :)

Dairy, Soy and Sugar-free Goodness
If not listed, I bought them at the Super Store

• Spectrum Canola Mayonnaise (burgundy label) 
• Barbara's cereal bars and fig newtons
• Renee's Cucumber and Dill, 1/2 Caesar Dressing and Spring Herb Italian
• Daiya Cheese - Pepperjack, Mozzarella, Cheddar
• Taste of Nature Granola Bars: Green Apple Country and Quebec Cranberry Carnival (more flavours but these come in a box)
• Amande Yogurt - all flavours but Plain and Vanilla (fave) come in big tubs for a better price
• Zevia for a soda pop craving (no caffeine!) - Ginger Ale, Cola, Orange
• Krisda for your 'fake' root beer craving
• Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Milk
• Rice Dream Unsweetened Milk
• Earth Balance Soy-free Margarine
• Dorset Cereals - Simply Delicious Muesli 
• Fave breads: Mary's Bread Basket, LaHave and StoneHearth (fave being Mary's Bread Basket, many kinds, pre-sliced): Must read ingredients as their offerings change each week. Most have wheat, olive oil, honey and water - not much more.
• Weight Watchers Whole Wheat Tortillas
• Fancy Pokket Pita bread
• Mott's new unsweetened veggie + fruit sauces. Great for on the go.
• Sahara Sugar-Free Organic Ketchup - purchased at Planet Organic
• Natur LeFruit Jam - apricot and blueberry
• PC Organics Pasta Sauce - Tomato and Basil, Primavera (pricier but good in a pinch)
• Frank's Red Hot Original and X-tra Spicy

Enjoy! I have many other staples now so I'm happy to answer questions or do a little research if you're looking for something specific. This list is simply products that we rely on - most of these are becoming preferred products for J, too!