A dietitian’s top 21 picks to simplify your cart (and keep you from stressing out in the store!)
Research shows that the average person makes over 200 food decisions per day. An abundance of options and a mess of nutrition misinformation can make a seemingly simple decision like what to snack on seem like scaling Everest. As a dietitian, people often plead, “Please, just tell me what to buy.”
We’ve scoured the shelves and the web, and broken it down with a few of our top product picks — in no particular order. It goes without saying that while fresh fruits and vegetables are not on the list because they aren’t a product, they are far and away the best food around. All of us would do well to eat more produce - any kind, just more of it. Because I am once and forever a farm girl, recommending products that are ethically grown and contain wholesome ingredients is top of mind.
Dairy and Dairy-Free Alternatives
1. Siggi’s
Why we love it: Siggi’s offers a lineup of mouth-watering flavors (think Strawberry & Rhubarb, Coconut, and Pumpkin & Spice) with equally impressive nutrition. Siggi’s products are naturally low in sugar, free of artificial sweeteners, and high in protein. They’re not scared of a little fat and neither should you be because it helps with satiety, or the feeling of fullness. The triple cream products are the newest to hit shelves and take our word for it: whether you have it for breakfast or dessert, the chocolate is to die for.
Our favorite recipe: This Pomegranate Walnut Smoothie Bowl uses Siggi’s vanilla yogurt and incorporates favorite fall flavors.
2. Califia
Why we love it: Not only is Califia the creamiest plant-based milk on the market, the extensive line of nuanced flavors can take even a simple recipe to the next level. Califia makes it easier and more delicious than ever to avoid adding trans fats, which are linked to increased risk of heart disease, to your coffee by offering creamers made with almond milk and coconut cream in flavors including Mint Cocoa and Pumpkin Spice.
Our favorite recipe: The extra magic in Toasted Coconut Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats is all in the Califia Farms Toasted Coconut Almond Milk.
3. Daiya
Why we love it: FINALLY a dairy-free cheese that is ooey gooey rich and…let me wipe the drool off the keyboard. For those who are lactose-intolerant, vegan, or choose a plant-based diet, Daiya is a game-changer. The cheese tastes great and melts like the real deal.
Our favorite recipe: Try Daiya mozzarella in this 4-ingredient Cheesy Buffalo Chickpea Dip.
Fruit and Vegetables
4. Organic Girl
Why we love it: Beyond #girlboss? Organic girl offers the highest quality greens, triple washed, and grown in the heart of California’s Salinas Valley — where all great produce starts. As my father, and other farmers would say, the soil makes all of the difference.
Our favorite recipe: Organic Girl greens are the base of this Feta and Beet Salad with Chicken that is tossed with roasted beets, fresh feta, avocado, grilled chicken, and a light creamy dressing.
5. Cascadian Farms
Why we love it: In addition to producing high-quality, organic, frozen fruits and vegetables, Cascadian Farms owns and operates working farms and is committed to sustainable agriculture. Fresh is best, but frozen is a really close second. For those weeks or — let’s be honest — months where it’s tough to meal prep and the fresh veggies turn to green goop before you can use them: go frozen. Frozen fruits and vegetables have nearly identical nutrient profiles to their fresh counterparts.
Our favorite recipe: This Pineapple Sesame Stir Fry is loaded with frozen veggies to cut prep time and packs a little kick with sriracha dressing.
6. Zupa Noma
Why we love it: Green smoothies are great, but often contain more added sugar than is obvious. Zupa drinkable veggie soups come in phenomenal flavor combos and couldn’t be more convenient. No added sugar, no preservatives, just a simple way to get in more fruits and vegetables.
Our favorite products: The Organic Yellow Pepper Habanero and Organic Beet Orange Basil are two standouts. Drink the Organic Carrot Coconut Lime straight from the bottle or use as a marinade for a light coconut curry.
Proteins
7. Vital Farms
Why we love it: Two words: happy chickens. Vital farms is committed to providing their hens or girls, as they endearingly call them, with a home where they are able to roam free and forage for food. Several studies show that free range chickens produce eggs with a higher omega 3 content.
Our favorite recipe: Shakshuka is a traditional Israeli egg dish packed with savory spices that takes all of about 20 minutes to whip up.
8. Just Bare Chicken
Why we love it: Just Bare Chicken is committed to raising chickens how it was done 50 years ago: no hormones, antibiotics, or artificial ingredients.
Our favorite recipe: This 5-ingredient Pesto Zucchini Noodle Pasta is a noodle swap that the whole family will love.
Grains or Grain-Free Alternatives
9. Simple Mills
Why we love it: Simple Mills gluten-free, grain-free baking mixes mean that life, even when it includes food allergies or intolerances, can be celebrated with delicious birthday cakes and pizza parties. Move over gluten-free cardboard, the Simple Mills team uses almond flour to prioritize perfect texture and flavor.
Our favorite products: Use Simple Mills Garlic & Herb Sprouted Seed Crackers and Cracked Black Pepper Almond Flour Crackers to design a gorgeous, gluten-free cheeseboard.
10. Nutiva
Why we love it: Nutiva has a full lineup of organic, ethically-sourced, easy-to-use superfoods including chia seeds and hemp protein. For those eating a plant-based diet, these powerhouses offer potent nutrition in a tiny package.
Our favorite recipe: Nutiva chia adds extra crunch to this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie Bowl.
11. Banza
Why we love it: Chickpeas are the star of the show in the Banza pasta line. The kiddos will have no idea that they are getting an average of 14 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per serving, all in a naturally gluten-free pasta.
Our favorite product: Use Banza Ziti in a pesto, goat cheese, and spinach bake or a pair with roasted butternut squash and a brown butter drizzle.
Oils/Condiments
12. California Olive Ranch
Why we love it: In the book Extra Virginity, Tom Mueller exposes the current history of the olive oil trade which is fraught with corruption, fraud, and adulterated production. Despite the industry’s sordid record, California Olive Ranch is a shining star globally for quality, price, and taste.
Our favorite recipe: The time-saving trick in this California Olive Ranch inspired Butternut Squash Soup is to roast the butternut squash in a crock pot. Little prep, no clean up; you’re welcome.
13. Chosen Foods
Why we love it: Too many well-intentioned people are stuck dressing their salads with fat free ranch and believe it’s the healthy choice, as a lingering effect of the ’90s fat free era. Chosen Foods is on a mission to create delicious, heart-healthy oils and spreads made with good fats, available in gutsy flavors like wasabi, black garlic, and harissa.
Our favorite products: The original Chosen Foods avocado oil is the ideal high-heat cooking oil and the trifecta of avocado-oil mayos are great on sandwiches, wraps, or to top off a veggie burger.
14. Hope Hummus
Why we love it: Hope hummus boasts globally-inspired flavors sourced through relationships with local farmers. Never would I ever have thought to mix Thai food and chickpeas, but the Thai Coconut Hummus will change your world, or at least your next sandwich.
Our favorite recipe: Sweet Potato Buddha Bowls are a go-to make-ahead meal. The secret is the Hope Spicy Avocado Hummus to bring all of the flavors together.
Snacks
15. Rx Bar
Why we love it: It’s a good sign when a product’s ingredients fit on the front of the package, and of course are listed in bold, beautiful typeface. Try the Chocolate Sea Salt or Coconut Chocolate once and you will be a loyal customer for life.
Our favorite product: This weekday meal plan incorporates an Rx Bar each day for a mid-afternoon fuel up.
16. Rhythm Superfoods
Why we love it: Kale that doesn’t make your kids cringe is a win for everyone. Rhythm Superfoods offers alternatives to potato chips with kale chip flavors like Kool Ranch and Zesty Nacho that are stacked with phytonutrients.
Our favorite product: Here’s how to incorporate Rhythm Superfoods Kool Ranch Kale Chips into a healthy meal plan.
17. Health Warrior
Why we love it: Health Warrior bars are built to fit a busy lifestyle and make superfoods like chia seeds easy to eat. Chia is filled with omega 3s for heart and brain health, protein for immunity and strength, and the seeds attracts water which in turn promotes a feeling of fullness. An added bonus: health warrior bars are priced very reasonably.
Our favorite product: The Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Bar is the newest addition to the health warrior family, and arguably their best work yet.
Prepared Entrees
18. Grainful
Why we love it: Until recently, finding a prepared entree without fillers and preservatives that tasted good (what a concept) was all too challenging. Grainful entrees include only ingredients you recognize and could find in your kitchen: vegetables, cheese, whole grains, and herbs and spices.
Our favorite products: To sample a few flavors, try the Grainful vegetarian entree pack, which includes exotic fare like chana masala, jambalaya, thai curry, and tuscan bean & kale.
19. Amy’s
Why we love it: Founded in 1987, Amy’s was organic before organic was a thing and their family owned and operated business has stood the test of time. On days where meal prepping is impossible, pairing an Amy’s entree with some roasted vegetables is just as good as cooking from scratch.
Our favorite products: Two all-time favorites are the Tamale Verde with Black Beans and the Light & Lean Pasta and Veggies.
Beverages
20. La Colombe Coffee
Why we love it: But first, triple draft latte. La Colombe has figured out how to pack a frothy, coffee-shop experience into a can with their draft lattes, while only using wholesome ingredients. They source fair-trade beans and skip the added sugars found in most bottled brews.
Our favorite recipe: Who says you can’t have coffee in your breakfast? Use La Colombe’s draft mocha as a delicious pick-me-up in this Dark Chocolate Cold Brew Smoothie Bowl.
21. DRINKmaple
Why we love it: Move over coconut water, just a touch of pure maple sap in DRINKmaple packs 46 naturally occurring polyphenols, antioxidants, prebiotics, minerals and electrolytes. It contains more post-workout hydrating powder than coconut water with half the sugar.
Our favorite product: Use DRINKmaple for a twist in breakfast staples like overnight oats, chia pudding, or smoothie bowls.
No companies have paid to be on this list.
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