The Healthy Shopper Fall 2013 Healthy Picks ~ #Review

As a mother of two I am always looking for healthier food and eco friendly, natural products as much as I can.  The Healthy Shopper are back again this Fall to show their top picks of "another assortments of natural, organic and green choices" that are available in your local grocery store.  There is no need to shop at an additional store for these products. You can checkout their Spring selection here.

This season's top picks includes:

• Pamela’s wheat and gluten-free artisan flour, cake and baking and pancake mixes
• Olympic Dairy’s Krema Greek style organic yogurt
• Simply Natural’s organic ketchup and mustards
• Kiju’s all natural and organic juice boxes 
• Natural and organic remedies including Hyland’s Cold ‘n Cough 4Kids 
• North American Herb & Spice Company’s Oreganol oil

Who is The Healthy Shopper?
Started in 1999 as a coupon book to help Canadians save on organic and natural products and later in 2007 added e-coupons on their website.  They have received many comments from customers that, through using their coupons, it has enabled them to try new healthy products they have never heard of or tried before.  Co-founders, Randy Boyer and Andrea Donsky, wanted to provide Canadians a healthier alternative to their diet.

Pamela's has provided 25 years of delicious, easy-to-make recipes for any occasion baking.  I enjoy baking during this time of the season.  I love the fact that Pamela’s cake, pancake and bread mixes offer so many options; and while they’re gluten and wheat-free.  I have in the past tried gluten and wheat-free baked goods in the past.  I have a girl friend who bakes gluten and wheat-free goodies all the time.  I have once tried looking at the recipes but have given up because I was so confused.  My daughter will be dancing with joy.  She loves my homemade pancakes and this just had made them even better.  I discovered with one bag of Pamela's flour I could create so many different bake goods.  With this Pamela's mixes I could bake my cake and eat it too...

My family and I love yogurts especially the youngest.  Both my youngest and I could eat the whole 500ml tube in one sitting.  One of my favourites is Olympic Krema Greek Style Yogurt which I tried during The National Women's show a few weeks ago.  Not only they are considered one of the creamiest yogurts on the market they use only 100% natural ingredients without preservatives, gelatins or gluten.  I found the yogurt was also thick and heavy so not your usual thin and runny.  It was more filling that the others.  It was so good I had to battle with my youngest daughter who gets the last bit of yogurt left.  I can't wait to use this in my smoothies...they might come out like heavy thick milkshakes...Yum...

Having two kids means alot of drinking boxes.  We use them everyday and all the time.  I have at least one or two with me when I am with my girls.  Once my girl friend (before she had kids) laughed at me for carrying drinking boxes.  Once she became a mother, then she realized how important they have become in our daily lives.  When I pick their drinking boxes, they have to have real fruit juice.  I have to agree with this pick of Kiju Organic juice boxes.  I had tried these Kiju Organic juice before and they taste so good.  They are so good I drank the whole case myself without realizing I left none for the kids.  They are Canada’s first 100% certified organic juice boxes that are naturally flavoured without any sugar.

We use alot of condiments especially during the summer.  What we don't realize is that they contain alot of sugar and preservatives.  Simply Natural organic ketchup and mustards are a healthier alternatives to traditional condiments.  All Simply Natural condiments are organic, fat free, with zero trans fats and do not contain high fructose corn syrup, one of the “Scary 7” ingredients the Healthy Shopper recommends avoiding.  I guess this calls for burger and fries tonight.

During the winter my youngest daughter coughs lot especially last year.  Now, she has already been coughing in the mornings.  I am so glad one of The Healthy Shopper picks is the Hyland’s Cold ‘n Cough 4 Kids because I love to know what I could offer to my child who is only 2 years old.  Many over the counter cough medication could be only given to children that are 6 years of age and up.  This is a multi-symptom solution for children that Randy and Andrea opt for because many conventional cold remedies contain food colouring, artificial sweeteners and preservatives.

I think it it started last year or maybe two winters ago that many have noticed on the health benefits from the oreganol oil.  It made sense that it would be included in this season's picks.  They have chosen the North American Herb and Spice Oreganol P73 oil and Oreganol P73 gelcaps are made from several species of handpicked wild oregano from the mineral rich soil of the Mediterranean. All of its products are supported with quality research. North American Herb and Spice has always maintained that nourishment from raw, whole foods is the key to maintaining optimal health.  I have yet to try it but one of my closest friend did recommended to me and swears by it.  He said if I have a lingering cold that I should try oreganol oil for a few days and it would clear it right up.

What is “Scary 7” I mentioned above?  They are ingredients on labels: Glucose-Fructose (High Fructose Corn Syrup), Artificial Sweeteners, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Artificial Flavours, Trans Fats, Artificial Colours and Preservatives. Things we should avoid.

Rule of Thumb "You shouldn't eat the food if you can’t pronounce an ingredient".  Randy believes they should be put it back on the shelf, and if a brand doesn’t list its ingredients, maybe you should ask why.  The Healthy Shopper seasonal picks were created to encourage people to take small steps to weave organic and natural choices into their lives, one step at a time.

I am so glad I was able to review this season's The Healthy Shopper picks once again.  I learn so much about the brands and the products.  I hoped you learned something new here like I have.  Have you tried anything I mentioned above?  I wonder what their 2014 Spring pick will be.  Any guesses?  Happy Healthy Eating.