Sunday 1 December 2013

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.

48 comments:

  1. I have a grandson who was diagnosed as 'probably' allergic to several things including gluten so I know how difficult it is to find foods and recipes that take this into account - and it's an expensive diet too! We were lucky after 6 months it was decided that he wasn't allergic after all.

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  2. Juices are very good for health. But before purchase frozen juices be sure about the manufacture date. Only fresh and without supplement juices are good for health.

    Regards,
    Mangosteen Juice

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  3. I've tried Kiju juices before and love them. I really want to sign up now for the healthy shopper!

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  4. I love this selection! I'm excited to try the gluten free mixes!

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  5. I have tried a couple of the products in here and really like them.
    jan

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  6. These look great, very nice to have options!

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  7. Very good Rule of Thumb "You shouldn't eat the food if you can’t pronounce an ingredient"!! :)

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  8. Will have to try these products , thanks for review , they sound awesome :)

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  9. Our New Years resolution is to start eating way better natural foods and getting exercise, our last years resolution was to quit smoking and we did:), so I am hoping that this years one will also happen:). Thank you for sharing with all of us:)

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  10. I haven't tried any of these but they seem like great choices that I will be keeping an eye out for when shopping.

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  11. I love Greek style organic yogurt, we are lucky that we can buy yogurt which doesn't have that awful gelatin in

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  12. I love the Healthy Shopper, I have yet to try it but I think we would definitely use everything in it, especially pancake mix, my son is obsessed with pancakes right now lol

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  13. I have trued that ketchup it was really good: simply natural

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  14. I love the healthy shopper! so happy for coupons that i use. I freeze pamelas pancakes and toast them in the toaster for breakfast.- great time saver!

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  15. I tried the Pamela's pancake mix and it is awesome! I would recommend it!

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  16. I haven't tried any of these products, however they may help remove more preservatives from my diet.

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  17. i love greek yogourt - i'll have to try out the olympic dairy brand!

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  18. I don't believe organic is really any better for you. Chemicals that they may use to keep away diseases obviously aren't used in organic food, so whether you're eating natural bad things, or unnatural bad things, they're still bad, it's just that you're paying more for the natural stuff. There's always a slight chance your food can become contaminated somewhere along the way.

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  19. what a great product line up review thanks for the post and the time it took to comprise it.

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  20. I tried the Simply Organic ketchup and mustards and they are the ones I try to purchase regularly now
    jan

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  21. Excellent review thanks. Well timed this first day of 2014 to inspire me to focus on a healthy lifestyle for our family.

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  22. I've never tried any of the items, but am going to look for some of them in my town. New year, new eating habits. :o)

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  23. I didn't realize that there was so many healthy alternatives . Thank you for the information .

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  24. I lot of great, healthier choices for 2014! I have tried a couple of them, but it's great to have some new choices.

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  25. I haven't tried any of these products so your blog post was extremely helpful and informative. I really want to try the Oreganol oil as I am always looking for natural remedies when faced with flu or a cold.

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  26. Awesome you can convert Petro points to a CAA membership...

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  27. Nice to have options, thanks for the article!

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  28. I have not really tried any gluten free products as of yet, but this was a great read!

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  29. I am learning how to be a healthier shopper because my husband and daughter are both diabetic.Thanks for sharing this great wealth of info.

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  30. None of us in the family are gluten intolerant but we do try gluten free products sometimes. My sister in law gave us a bottle of the Hyland’s Cold ‘n Cough 4 Kids which we used and we all love the Olympic Krema Greek Style Yogurt.

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  31. I would love to try Pamela’s wheat and gluten-free artisan flour, cake and baking and pancake mixes!

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  32. This is more my brother than me...perhaps I will try some of these if I come accross them.

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  33. I would love to give some of Pamela's products a try! I think a gluten free diet may solve some of my families tummy troubles! Generally this year I plan to cook healthier for my family!

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  34. There are a few I know that this would make the perfect gift for. Including me!

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  35. My family loves Olympic Dairy’s Krema Greek style organic yogurt, it really does taste decadent. We are trying to eat healthier these days and The Healthy Shopper would really help us succeed.

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  36. It's good to hear that their greek yogurt is good. I am always looking for new brands of yogurt to try. Greek yogurt is generally healthy, but hey I will give this brand a try.

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  37. I can be horrible at trying new things and it would be great to have a selection picked for me. From what I have heard, they have a good reputation with timely delivery.

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  38. " natural, organic and green "
    Just the latest trendy words in marketing. Don't believe their is evidence of significantly "healthier" consumer other than psychological.

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  39. Oh my, we LOVE the Krema yoghurt!

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  40. It's no nice to know that there are lots of options now, especially for gluten-free products.

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  41. I have been wanting to try the kiju juices. The healthy shopper picks always looks delicious.

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  42. I have not tried anything but the Kiju Juices and they are fantastic. I would love to try the North American Herb & Spice Company’s Oreganol Oil, which I keep hearing about.

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  43. Have to show this to my niece her 2 year old has gluten problems

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  44. Good selection of products.

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