Patty's Foodie Frenzy #20- Whole Foods and Sprouts

Carrots (GF) Miso Dressing (Vegan but not GF)

Wheat (not GF) Crackers with GF Cheese and prosciutto

This Frenzy takes us on a little detour from Sandy Springs restaurants to the mecca of gluten free products that Audra is in search of. The number of people who have gluten sensitivity astounds me. I am fortunate that I don’t have gluten issues yet, but am excited to jump on the bus because you never know what is going to hit you next. Most of these delectables are brain healthy too, which will hopefully help me to remember at least 3 items on my grocery list without a referencing glance. Woo Hoo!

After running errands with Lynne Crump we went to meet Audra at Whole foods to engage in what Clarke Howard calls, shopping at “Whole Pay check”. His description is unfortunately way too accurate. After the produce section, Lynne was long gone which we later credited as a smart move once we saw our bill. I always love shopping with someone else to get new ideas for healthy snacks (and some not) for kids breakfast, lunchboxes and after school.

Another great find (that I never would have looked at had they not been sampling), was the Ginger Miso dressing. It is perfect to use as a marinade, salad dressing (channel Happy Sumo dressing) and dip for carrots. Fresh, vegan and delish…but not gluten free! However, I should have gotten a second bottle for my sis, Lisa Ramey, because when we recently went to the Japanese restaurant at the Forum, she picked up her salad bowl and well, you know the rest! You can take the girl out of Tucker, but not the Tucker out of the girl. This dressing is quite irresistible.

The salami and cheese rolls are great gluten free snacks that my kids gave the thumbs up to when they saw them. Audra and I also both purchased sushi for our kids for after school snacks that they devoured.My girls also jumped into the (non GF) red velvet cupcake tops to end out the snack before soccer. This was definitely a splurge day and not the norm.

Getting back to learning from others, I got the breakfast idea for the Apple Gouda Uncured Sausage that Audra swears her boys love for breakfast in the morning with scrambled eggs, tomatoes and basil. Can’t wait to try this. My girls have been making Carnation Instant breakfast for years, which I have to admit is quite a relief for this non-early morning Mom.

We are also spoiled by having Sprouts close by, which I admit I haven’t been to as much lately because of the Mt. Vernon construction. If you are coming from The Branches side of town, you better pack a lunch just in case! But when I go, my mom, Phyllis, has all the coupons clipped and a list of the best prices of the day. It really helps to shop the sales in which I always have used “too busy” as my excuse to buy whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. She has also been a strong influence on making me habitually check expiration dates on every thing which can be astonishing because I’ve never taken the time to do that before either. When you go in knowing what you want, you can be a champ.

Here’s some other things that you can’t go wrong with (remember that I am not a dietitian, just an interested shopper): If you are looking for healthy supplements, I found an organic Chia Seed that is high in fiber and higher in Antioxidant Activity than Blueberries, Flaxseed Meal Whole Ground is also gluten free and gives you good stuff with lignans and fiber. It is also gluten free and you can add to cereals, baked goods and my favorite, Smoothies. One more thing I got at Sprouts was Omega 3 690 mg Omega 3 for cognition, heart health, and immune support.

As always, PLEASE check with you doctor before starting any new supplements because you never know how it will interact with your current health regimen.

Last but not least, my 2 absolute fave’s from Sprouts are Wednesday $5 sushi day (yum) for all rolls and their Sprouts brand Old fashioned Ginger Snaps. You can’t beat that for an after dinner snack with a glass of ice-cold milk to put you into LA LA land!

Until we Eat (and shop) Again,

Salud!