When it comes to what food lives in our pantry and fridge, I steer a pretty tight ship. You won’t find sugary drinks, foods containing a bunch of refined sugars that are high in calories with a bunch of preservatives, or generally foods that are processed. Sure we occasionally binge, but we reserve the unhealthy cheats for when we’re out of town or having a family fun day in the city. I wasn’t always so dictatorial when it came to what food my family ate. It took a while for me to break Brian of his Coca Cola habit, and I used to be able to spread Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter on just about anything. Now, the only types of snack food we stock are wholesome, nutritious but yet still delicious.
Remember last Friday when I shared my recipe for Brownies Sprinkled with Pink Himalayan Salt from Gourmet Nut? Well, this week I wanted to show you my favorite snacks from that same company! Since I usually can’t ever choose between the Wasabi Peas and Dry Roasted Edamame from their Gourmet on the Go collection, I usually have a little bit of both since the edamame offers a little relief from the heat and spiciness of the wasabi peas. Wasabi peas have always been one of my favorite snacks since whenever I have a food craving, it’s usually for something spicy. So I think I can fairly consider myself somewhat of a wasabi pea connoisseur, and you can believe me when I say that these peas by Gourmet Nut are SO GOOD! They have heat, but it’s not overwhelming like I’ve found to be the case with other brands I’ve tried, and they only have 120 calories per serving! The Dry Roasted Edamame is also incredibly delicious! They are a good source of soy protein and contain all 8 essential amino acids. All Gourmet Nut snacks are made with all natural ingredients!
I’m also a big fan of Gourmet Nut’s Power Up Snack Mixes. You can usually find a pack in my diaper bag for a healthy midday snack. I also love to take them on road trips, and I’ll have packs in my beach bag this summer! My favorite of their snack mixes is the Summer Trails Mix. It combines cranberries, blueberries and mango for a wholesome source of energy along with healthy protein from cashews, peanuts and almonds. It is all natural, vegan and non-GMO!
Gourmet Nut also offers a selection of health seeds you can ensure you’re obtaining a good supply of vitamins and nutrients through your diet. My favorite is their 100% Whole Grain Flaxseed. I’ve discussed the benefits of flaxseed for eye health in previous posts, but they have whole body benefits since its packed with omega-3, antioxidants and fiber! Although Gourmet Nut’s Flaxseed can just be sprinkled onto salads, yogurt or over your other favorite foods, my favorite way to incorporate them into my diet is in my morning smoothie! Here is one of my current favorite flaxseed-rich morning smoothie recipes!
Blueberry Blast Smoothie (dairy-free, makes 1 smoothie)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup dairy-free plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup frozen blueberries
2/3 tsp agave
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
Instructions:
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until combined and smooth. (I use the NutriBullet Pro 900 Series to make my morning smoothies!)
Thank you Gourmet Nut for sponsoring this post!