Morselicious Monday & guest post: average shopper

Happy MORSELICIOUS MONDAY!
This frog has absolutely NOTHING to do with an average shopper, but it’s been my nickname since age 10 and it’s what I’m HOPING most of you got to do over the weekend! 

Please note I am honored to be a guest speaker tomorrow night for AROUND THE PLATE’s virtual conference. For mo’ details, click this link: http://aroundtheplate.org/conference/speakers/

Today we have the pleasure of one of my favorite MORSELITE’s, Reece, writing a wonderful guest post. Thank you, Reece!

YOUR AVERAGE SHOPPER

Okay – I’m your typical shopper who doesn’t shop very often at your “health-conscious” markets.  Most of my shopping, because of my schedule, is done at the larger supermarket chains; Ralphs, Gelsons or occasionally Vons.  If you’re not in California, those are equivalent to any of the large chains out there. I have discovered that, if you look, most of these markets have come a long way in the past few years by stocking much healthier items than ever before.

Since becoming a Morselite, I have been reading labels and looking at alternatives to many of the foods I eat on a regular basis and thought I would share some of the things I have found that are, in all likelihood, in your markets too.  Now, I’m not going to mention specific brands.  I will leave that up to you. Trust me, I have enjoyed this journey!

Pasta: I love pasta, but always got so bloated every time I ate it. I never knew if it was an intolerance to wheat, yeast or God forbid the ever-trendy “gluten.” Well, this past year, I discovered Quinoa pasta! Who knew something like that existed and much less would be available at Ralphs! There are several different brands and are all pretty similar. It is, as Oprah used to say, one of my new favorite things. It cooks and tastes just like regular pasta and I don’t have that horrible bloat.  If you didn’t tell someone you were serving it, I don’t think they would ever know.

There are also healthier alternatives to the canned/jarred pasta sauces.  Using healthier oils and sautéing garlic, mushrooms (other veggies) and throwing a handful of spinach to wilt down is a wonderful topping to almost any pasta.  I also love to throw some red pepper flakes in for a little kick.  There are tons of variations – try adding freshly chopped tomatoes and let them cook down, there are vegetarian cheeses to add, etc.  The possibilities are endless!

Peanut Butter: I love peanut butter.  Before the Morselist got me really reading labels, etc., I loved the major brands never thinking about the amount of sugar that was in them. Every once in a while would purchase the “All Natural” peanut butter with the healthy-looking label – just to make me feel a little healthier.  If you can stop for a couple of minutes and look at all of the choices that are now available, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.  There are options including gluten-free butters, cashew butters, alternative nut butters and I found an organic peanut butter with 0g sodium and 1g of sugar!

Milk: I have to admit that I love milk, and as a child we heard over and over it was important “for healthy bones and teeth.” Now that I’m nearing 60 – not so much the case anymore. I have to admit that, years ago, I tried the most horrible soy milk (I don’t know the brand) and swore I would never do that again, so, for the longest time, I put off trying any alternatives until this past year.  Since the Morselist is always using it, I finally tried coconut milk and was extremely surprised at how it tasted. Since I never looked at alternatives to milk, I never knew they even existed at my stores. This opened the door for me to try other things and now, I can proudly say that my favorite alternative is almond milk (although I still like coconut milk). I have tried several different brands and I urge you to as well. They are all slightly different as to what they contain, so I would suggest you read the labels yourself and see what you like.

One of my favorite new recipe creations:

REECE’S ICY COCOA

2 cups almond milk

2 tablespoons of non-sweetened cocoa powder,

1 1/2 droppers of liquid, hazelnut Stevia, and ice (to the thickness you want).

Put it in a blender and mix it up for a nice, cold chocolate milk ice drink.

With the hot days we have been having lately, there is nothing better.

This is my first report of findings.  I have a whole lot more, so if the Morselist will have me back, I can share more of my findings with you. Just keep in mind that, while your healthy markets will obviously have more selections, your regular supermarket chains are slowly, but surely coming around!

Reece Holland is a retired actor/singer/dancer who starred in the Los Angeles Productions of The Phantom of The Opera, Les Miserables and Cats.  He has been a soloist with several orchestras including starring with Hollywood Bowl.  Now that he is retired, he spends a lot of his time experimenting with healthy recipes in the kitchen.  Cooking has always been a big hobby and he has shared several soup recipes with us over the past couple of years. Reece is a devoted Morselite and is looking forward to sharing more recipes and experiences with all of you.

Please keep your questions, comments, suggestions, recipe ideas coming. Maybe you’ll be my next guest blogger? If you or someone you know is interested in scheduling a FREE health history consultation with Mo, the Morselist Certified Health Coach, please contact me and have a MORSELICIOUS week!

http://mo-themorselist.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com