I partnered up with Whole Foods Market to bring you 3 ways you can meal prep snacks using a base of cashews!
Head over to the WFM market blog to catch the video and the full recipes.
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You guys. I’ve been an Amazon Prime member since 2011. They got me my first semester of college. I signed up because duh, you got a whole year for free (well, at least when I was a student!) and at that age, anything felt possible when things were free. It’s honestly the actual best marketing scheme because they got me for LIFE. Because here I am, 7 years later, no longer a student but still an avid Amazon Primer.
No shame in the Amazon game though. It’s to the point where I have the Amazon Prime Visa card and since the Amazon + Whole Foods merge, the cashback perks have been complete game changers. Yes, I do think you deserve to get cashback for all those times you spent your hard earned cash at the hot bar.
However, one of my favorite services from the merge is the ability to order Whole Food pantry items through Amazon Pantry. Living in Chicago, I love grocery delivery services because a) I always overbuy at the store – having an online cart in front of me helps with impulse purchases b) in the case I do overbuy online anyway, I don’t have to haul everything home or call an Uber to drive me 4 blocks back home (been there too many times). The prices are exactly as you would find them at Whole Foods and it gets delivered right to my doorstep.
Yesterday I gave a peak into a few of my farmer’s market purchases, but I still needed to stock up on a few other essentials for the week. Truth be told, I love grocery shopping too much to skip my weekly trips to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. Seriously…my second homes!
Via the Charleston Farmer’s Market: White / green asparagus, bell peppers, golden beet, and strawberries
From Trader Joe’s: Sliced mango, frozen shelled edamame, organic coconut sugar, organic whole carrots, crumbled goat cheese, 0% Greek yogurt, organic baby kale + arugula + Tuscan kale, avocados, limes, lemons, Mediterranean hummus, bananas, organic 3-grain tempeh, canned albacore tuna, chickpeas, and broccoli.
As you know, I love baking with coconut sugar – and Trader Joe’s definitely has the best price around ($3.99). My local TJ has been out for weeks, so I when I saw it back in stock this weekend, I picked up a bag.
Do you love buying the sliced mango/pineapple from TJ as much as I do? Call me lazy but having it sliced and ready to go in the mornings makes things much smoother.
From Whole Foods: Frozen spinach, sliced peaches, sundried tomato red pepper and feta dressing, and in house bread (Organic Nutridozen).
As far as smoothies go, I’m big on texture – which is why I love to use frozen spinach in my green smoothies. Ice waters smoothies down so in addition to frozen bananas, I add in a block of frozen spinach for good consistency.
So in love with the in-house baked sprouted bread loaves from Whole Foods lately. This week’s pick was the Organic Nutridozen.
Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, seven grain, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, rice flour, sunflower seeds, corn meal, salt.
Simple ingredients and toasts up like perfection. Oh, and that texture – can’t beat it!
I never use to like salad dressings, but the foodie in me seriously has a case of the FOMOs when it comes to health conscious products at the grocery stores. I’m a big fan of the “Health Starts Here No Added Oils” refrigerated dressings (the sesame ginger!), but I was curious about their “365 Organic” shelf stable line as well. Verdict? Not my favorite – they both lacked flavor and tasted pretty watered down. If you’re looking for some options, I would recommend the Health Starts Here line over by the produce/refrigerated section – all made without added oils. The fig balsamic is a good one, as well as the carrot ginger and vegan caesar.
Smari Icelandic yogurts were on sale this week at WF…..it’s been a while since I’ve picked up these. I’ve reviewed them before during my early blogging days.
These yogurts are extra creamy – the straining process is what makes it different from your usual Greek yogurts. Because it’s so thick, the protein is also higher per 6 oz serving (compared to other Icelandic yogurt brands), as you can see (20 grams protein, 6 grams sugar). I usually pick up Siggi’s when I buy individual containers because it’s more cost efficient. But if you ever catch Smari’s on sale, I recommend stocking up on a few!
I also made a Target run this weekend and picked up some frozen salmon fillets and cashew milk.
What’s in your grocery cart this week? I hope you guys find these hauls useful – let me know if I ever inspire you to pick up anything new!
Groceries bought Sunday, and haulin’ for you this Tuesday. I’ve been digging all the salad combinations lately. Having a variety of different vegetables on hand makes it easy to create a hodgepodge of messy and delicious salads! The Charleston Farmer’s Market starts back up this Saturday and I cannot wait – I’m ready to peruse to the market for local produce again!
Via Trader Joe’s: Organic arugula, organic romaine, wild caught smoked coho salmon, frozen fire roasted peppers and onions, organic carrots, coconut oil spray, mangoes, strawberries, bananas, lemons, Persian cucumbers, greek yogurts, organic 3 grain tempeh.
These fire roasted peppers and onions from the frozen produce section are great to keep in your freezer for those last minute dinners. Just a blend of bell peppers and onions, all chopped up and ready to go – just heat up over the stovetop and pair with your protein of choice! I love it as an addition to salads, wraps, or paired with quinoa and salmon.
Picked up another pack of smoked salmon to pair with some lunches this week. And some honey lemons, which I have been craving!
From Whole Foods: Sambazon frozen Acai packs, organic sprouted wheat bread, sweet potatoes, clementines, and minneolas. Still on a citrus kick, and loving it!
This week was the last week for the Sambazon acai sale – so I just stocked up on another pack.
Have you tried Minneolas before? It’s a like cross between a grapefruit and tangerine. I love citruses that are easy to peel – such as these! The tartness is very mild and I love the freshness of the citrus flavor.
The Whole Foods bakery has a great selection of fresh, local breads – I love the organic sprouted wheat bread – it’s packed with hearty ancient grains! Slice it right there in house to the perfect size it toasts up flawlessly and makes it a fabulous base for avocado toast or as an addition to make your salads heartier. The smaller size also makes it a great choice to make crostini’s, when you need a last minute party appetizer. The mini slices are just so cute! It’s hearty and has a true ancient sprout grain taste.
Ingredients: filtered water, organic sprouted wheat flour, organic seven grain mix (organic cracked wheat, organic oat flakes, organic rye, organic hulled millet, organic corn grits, organic whole spelt, organic flax seeds) whole wheat starter (organic whole wheat flour, filtered water, fresh yeast) organic whole wheat flour, organic rye flour, organic flax seeds, salt, fresh yeast.
I also picked up some clover sprouts, grape tomatoes, mini bell peppers, and an alcohol free lemon witch hazel, which I use as a toner for my face.
Other grocery items: eggs, brussels sprouts, and asparagus, via Publix. Essentials!
What did you pick up from the grocery stores this week? See any essentials of yours here?
Lots of base greens this week – I’m feeling all the salads!
From Trader Joes: Mandarin oranges, organic Tuscan kale, sliced mango, organic arugula, organic baby spinach, organic romaine, frozen pineapple, pomegranate seeds, tomato basil hummus, greek yogurt, radishes, lemons, tempeh, sun dried tomatoes.
I like to pick up frozen fruit from Trader Joe’s to keep stock in my freezer. They’re easy to throw into smoothies (frozen fruit just gives better texture!) or to just snack on. I’m loving frozen mango and pineapple as dessert!
Trimmed radishes are only 99 cents at Trader Joe’s, friends. Scrounge up some change from your couch and get you some. Great to toss onto salads!
A pack of sun-dried tomatoes made it into my shopping basket this week because I’ve been craving a nice big salad with all the toppings and sun dried tomatoes would be one those said toppings. These are also fabulous toss into omelets!
From Whole Foods: Pineapple mango salsa, crumbled goat cheese, kiwis, frozen tri-color carrots, bananas, organic bell peppers, and Japanese sweet potatoes. Oh, and the green tea and coconut flavor coconut milk ice cream from So Delicious (sale!!!!) Swooning. 
Seriously hands down my favorite flavors of all time from So Delicious. It’s like, if I were an ice cream, this is what I would look like. Green tea and coconut. Either one or maybe both. Probably both swirled together. A girl can dream.
I am SO happy to get some Japanese sweet potatoes back in my kitchen. They’re one of my favorite sweet potato variations besides my number one purple sweet potato.
So I know what you’re thinking – it’s definitely more economical to make your own salsa. However, when I’m shopping for myself, I like to to pick up a small container such as this from Whole Foods because it’s the perfect amount for the week. Sometimes making a big batch of salsa for myself results in me wasting half the batch – not good! I love the house made ones from Whole Foods – I stir them into salads or pair them with a protein for a little extra kick.
Stahibush Island Farms is often a go-to frozen vegetable brand of mine. The company’s passion for sustainable farming resonates in their products – I love their frozen sliced beets! I usually reach for the Whole Foods 365 Brand most of the time, but I’ll pick up a some from Stahibush when they’re on sale.
And even though Trader Joe’s sells a goat cheese crumble for less ($2.99 vs $4.99), I’ve always found that the Whole Foods version is a taddd bit creamier. Adding a touch of goat cheese crumble is a nice addition to salads, omelets, sweet potatoes….basically anything!
What’s in your grocery cart this week?
Things already in my pantry: lots of leftover produce from last week!
From Whole Foods: Sambazon Acai pack (on sale for $5.69!), Mahava coconut sugar, pineapple salsa, frozen peas, frozen mangoes, Fage greek yogurt, strawberries, a ruby red grapefruit + sumo mandarin + cara cara orange, a bartlett pear, almond cheese, oat flour, a two savory yogurts from Blue Hill and a brown box to go filled with too many hot bar items.
I love using coconut sugar as a baking replacement. Sometimes stevia just doesn’t cut it – and when you’re baking for someone who is not used to the stevia aftertaste, coconut sugar is a great alternative to refined sugar. Derived via the sap of the liquid of coconut plants, coconut sugar is said to have a lower glycemic index compared to other sugars. Even though coconut sugar container a higher amount of nutrients and inulin (a fiber undigested in our digestive system) compared to refined sugar, it doesn’t mean you can go absurdly crazy and eat it by the spoonful. (source.) Moderation is key! It’s a better alternative on days we want to bake up a nice treat.
There a many options and brands avaliable readily these days – I really like using this one from Madhava. They also have a great whipped honey!
Sambazon Acai packs are staples in my freezer – I’ll pick up some when I catch them on sale. I love blending a pack with frozen mangoes! I also love snacking on frozen mangoes, especially during the warmer seasons.
Still feeling the citrus love – they are still incredibly sweet! I ate the sumo mandarin on the way home – the bonus is that they are super easy to peel…aka making them a perfect car snack.
You can just as easily make oat flour yourself by grinding oats in a food processor, but I keep a bag on hand in the pantry for those days when inspiration strikes and need it just like that. Or when I’m making recipes that only require a few tablespoons.
I’ve bought the almond cheese from Lisanatti before but it’s been a while and since it was also on sale this week, I decided to give it another go. From what I remember, it takes on more of a nuttier almond taste – but melts just like regular cheese. I plan on crumbling in on a few salads I have planned for the week. Have you tried almond cheese before?
And the Blue Hill yogurts – I’ve seen these floating around Instagram for the longest time. I’m surprised I didn’t try them out sooner – I tend to have a sixth sense when it comes to new products! I picked up the one with beets (duh) and sweet potatoes (what’s new?).
Same goes for the mini Go Raw bars – although I tried one the other day and was not impressed. My favorite dried fruit/nut bars are from a local company here in Charleston called Nicole’s Nutty Goodness – the espresso flavor is my favorite!
From Trader Joe’s: Asparagus, avocados, baby carrots, roasted red peppers, organic split pea soup, toasted oat bran, honey, avocado salsa, greek yogurt, romaine, mint, lemons, limes, whole carrots.
Side note: Does anyone love reading Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyers? Seriously, I look forward to it every month. They make it so fun!
I’m so happy to see the toasted oat bran back in stock at Trader Joe’s! It used to come bags but it’s nice to see it in some new packaging. Nothing too interesting here, just some essentials. I was craving soup the other day and didn’t feel like getting comfortable in the kitchen to make my own – so I stocked up some split pea soup for when days like that strikes again.
The avocado salsa….not my favorite item from TJ! Not enough avocado, too much salsa.
Just some more essentials – lemons + limes, carrots, bananas, Tuscan kale. And the three layer hummus is just another fabulous hummus from Trader Joe’s – great for those who are indecisive and can’t decide on one flavor.
I stopped by Earthfare one day last week after work to pick up a few things – instant oats, whole spelt flour, black quinoa, pecorino cheese, blackberries, blueberries, this cornbread mix from Hodgson Mills (5 ingredients and only takes 20 minutes to bake!), these garlic parmesean crackers from Doctor Kracker (I like to add them for texture in salads!), and a bottle of Pinot Noir. #wino
I’m a sucker for trying new teas so this had to make it into my basket. White chocolate mocha?
Oh, okay. And a little pecorino action for the week. Cheese..wine. Life’s all about that balance!
What’s in your shopping cart this week?