Thanks to Stephanie at
Blessed to Be who hosts this linkup to remind us of the small blessings in life.
During our early days of TTC I made changes to my diet to see if it would help improve fertility and later did a
food intolerance test. Currently I don't eat gluten, dairy, soy, or sugar in any form (corn syrup, etc.). With a diet like that it can be hard to find pre-made foods that pass the ingredients list test and are appetizing. Here are some of my favorite treats to buy from a grocery store:
--one--
Larabars - They are really good, but they can get a bit pricey (more than $1 per bar if not on sale). The main ingredient in each bar is dates, but you really don't taste the dates. I am not a big fan of dates, but I love these. They come in lots of flavors, many of which fit my diet limitations. I have tried several different recipes to make them at home to reduce the cost. My homemade chocolate version tastes pretty good (like slightly undercooked brownies), but nothing beats the originals. I recently tried peanut butter & jelly (it's peanuts and cherries) and pecan pie. Yum!! Cherry pie and blueberry muffin are the best, in my opinion. Last summer I tried to replicate both of those flavors in the kitchen without success, but I think my problem was using fruit that was fresh instead of dried, so I'll be trying again soon. I'm drying cherries in the oven for this purpose as I type this. :)
--two--
Izze - Growing up, having a soda (or pop, depending on where you're from) was only allowed on rare occasions, so I consider it a treat. When I'm in the mood for a soda, I've found that Izze is a great substitute. The cherry lime flavor is fairly sweet considering there are no sweeteners in it. This particular flavor is produced in limited quantities, and it's really hard to find. I found some the other week, and the grocery store employee stocking the shelf said they only receive small shipments of cherry lime once a year. Peach and blueberry are my back up flavors.
--three--
Chocolate Super Cookies by Go Raw - Since I haven't eaten sugar in a while, I don't really have cravings for sweet things (at least not like I used to), but sometimes a cookie would just hit the spot. I have tried to bake cookies without sweeteners (no honey or maple syrup either) but they just didn't taste right. Then I discovered these cookies. They're small and more like the consistency of chocolate crackers than cookies. I've only had them once, and they did not last long. I did not share them with DH. ;) Since then I have successfully made them from scratch, and the homemade version doesn't last long around here either.
--four--
Blue potato chips - When I visit my parents, my mom likes to have snacks around for me to eat besides fruit, carrot sticks, and nuts, so she will hunt around the special food section of a couple grocery stores looking for new things for me to try. She found these blue potato chips. There is also a product by the same company which has both blue potato chips and (orange) sweet potato chips mixed in the same bag. (I prefer the blue ones.) They are addicting!
(I didn't receive any compensation from any of the above companies; I just like their products.)
